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Sehjoo K

- Research Program Mentor

PhD at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)

Expertise

developmental cognitive neuroscience, adolescent brain development, social influence on decision-making, social relationships

Bio

I'm interested in how people - in particular, adolescents - make social decisions and the functional role of the brain in making these social decisions. For instance, I examine how people make decisions that impact others (e.g., prosocial behaviors that help the community) and are socially influenced by others (e.g., peer influence on risky behaviors), and what motivates people to make these social choices. When not in lab, I like to travel, try new restaurants, go on a walk, and take care of my house plants!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

literature review on social relationships and behavior during adolescence

Many of adolescents' behaviors, such as risky behaviors, are shaped by their social relationships, such as their parents and peers. Social relationships with parents and peers, however, drastically change across the adolescent years. This project will examine how various social relationships (family, friends, teachers, strangers / public figures) affect various behaviors (risky behaviors, school performance), and how this might look differently from childhood to adulthood.

poster presentation on brain development during adolescence

The human brain rapidly matures during the teenage years. What are some key brain regions that change during adolescence? What the these brain regions known for? How do these brain changes affect social relationships and behavior? This project will help students learn about and visualize adolescent brain development.

Coding skills

R, python, bash, matlab

Languages I know

Korean, fluent

Teaching experience

I've been a teaching assistant for multiple years during graduate school and my responsibilities included grading papers, giving guest lectures, and providing 1:1 course help. I also have experience mentoring undergraduate students on their research projects (e.g., honors thesis), which led to poster presentations and thesis defense.

Credentials

Work experience

Rutgers University- Newark (2023 - Current)
Postdoctoral Associate

Education

Carnegie Mellon University
BS Bachelor of Science (2017)
Biology and Psychology
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)
PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Developmental Psychology and Neuroscience

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