Our team
Principal Investigator
Laurie Kramer, Ph.D. Professor
Dr. Laurie Kramer is a licensed clinical psychologist (IL) who currently serves as a Professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on the mechanisms by which young children can develop positive relationships with their siblings. Her longitudinal research has identified several characteristics of children, parents and families that contribute to prosocial relationships. She and her students have used these results to develop a set of preventive interventions that have been shown to improve sibling relationships of young children. Her current research is testing an online version of the More Fun with Sisters and Brothers Program for parents which, if shown to be effective, will enable families to benefit from an evidence-based program, regardless of geography.
In addition to research publications, Dr. Kramer has co-edited several special issues of journals on sibling relationships. She currently sits on the Editorial Boards of the journals Family Process and Family Relations. Her clinical work has focused on the assessment of developmental and psychological disorders in children and adolescents as well as couple and family therapy. Her contributions to improving our understanding of children and families have been well recognized by the media, including the New York Times, Huffington Post, Time magazine, Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, PBS, and podcasts for the WHYY (PBS) and the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Kramer joined Northeastern University in fall 2016, coming from the University of Illinois where she was Professor of Applied Family Studies and the Founding Director of the Family Resiliency Center which fostered initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being of children, youth and families through multidisciplinary research, education and outreach. She also served as Associate Dean of academic programs and has received national recognition as an award-winning teacher. At Northeastern University, Dr. Kramer served as the Director of the University Honors Program for six years.
Doctoral Candidates
Payton Bruland
Payton received her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Gonzaga University in 2019 and is currently a PhD Candidate in the Counseling Psychology program at Northeastern. She has extensive clinical experience with youth and families in a variety of settings, including an adolescent inpatient unit, community organizations such as a domestic violence shelter and state-funded outpatient center, and private practice. Her research interests include the impact of family systems and relational trauma on child development, and preventative interventions with children, adolescents, and parents, such as the More Fun With Sisters and Brothers program! If you have any questions about the lab or are interested in connecting, you can contact Payton at bruland.p@northeastern.edu.
Masters Students
Jasmine Haug
Jasmine received her B.A. in psychology from SUNY Geneseo and is currently completing her M.S./C.A.G.S. degree in School Psychology at Northeastern University. Jasmine’s research interests include studying the bidirectional processes that influence sibling and peer relationships.
Sabrina Fookson
Sabrina Fookson (she/her) is a first year MS in Counseling Psychology student at Northeastern University. She got her BA in Psychological Science from University of Vermont in 2023, along with a Human Development and Family Sciences minor, and a Studio Art minor. Sabrina’s clinical interests include family dynamics, LGBTQIA+ mental health, and human development (specifically childhood throughout young adulthood). In the future, she hopes to practice therapy with children, adolescents, and families.
Yiqian Huang
Yiqian Huang was born in China and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northeastern University. She studied Applied Psychology as a graduate student and Psychology as an undergraduate. Yiqian is intensely interested in family and sibling-related psychological topics, which she studies with unwavering concentration and resolve. She is researching how the family transition (lifting of the One-Child Policy) affects sibling relationships in Chinese families.
Melissa Morgan
Melissa is a Master’s Student of Applied Psychology interested in sibling relationships throughout the lifespan. After graduating in May, Melissa will be pursuing her PsyD in Clinical Psychology at William James College where she aims to specialize in geropsychology. Building upon her experience in Dr. Kramer’s lab, Melissa hopes to research sibling relationships among older adults and how such relationships can be built upon for family therapy interventions.
Xueyong Zhang
Hello! My name is Xueyong Zhang and I am from Beijing, China. I did my bachelor’s at the University of California, Davis. Now, I am in the Master of Science in Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. I am very interested in family relationships and adolescent mental health. So, It is my great honor to participate in Dr. Kramer’s research group during my graduate study. Through interviews, our research team tries to learn how sibling relationships change and develop in multi-child families after the end of the one-child policy in China. In the future study direction and career planning, I hope to gain practical experience from more lab research opportunities and apply for Ph.D. programs in the clinical or counseling psychology field
Xiangyu Zhao
Xiangyu Zhao is a graduate student in Applied Psychology with research interests in the field of psychology, specifically family, psychological disorders, and psychotherapy. Xiangyu’s passion lies in understanding the human mind and behavior and finding ways to help those who suffer from mental health issues.
Research Assistants
Lindsey Barnett
Lindsey Barnett is a 3rd year Health Science major with a minor in Global Health. She is a Bouvé Ambassador and is on the figure skating team at Northeastern. She is participating as a research assistant in Dr. Kramer’s lab for sibling relationship research and conducts analysis from the lab findings.
Grace Cooke
Grace is a fourth year Health Science major with a minor in Health, Humanities, and Society on the premed track. She is passionate about health equity and holistic approaches to health, especially the interplay between lifestyle, relationships, and health. She is excited to continue to explore the connection between sibling relationships and mental health with Dr. Kramer and the rest of the research team.
Alexis Dean
Alexis is a 3rd year Health Science major on the Pre-PA track. She is interested in researching how twin and sibling relationship’s change as they navigate the college transition. In addition to how deidentification plays a role in sibling and twin college decisions.
Cassandra Dean
Cassandra is an honors student studying Health Science. Her goals after graduation are to attend graduate school and become a Physician Assistant. Her research interests include sibling/twin relationships, and how different environmental factors shape sibling dynamics in adulthood.
Reshika Sai Devarajan
Reshika Sai is a second-year honors student majoring in Health Science on the pre-med track. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school and study to become a physician. Her research interests include young sibling relationships, interventions to improve sibling interactions, and diverse family dynamics.
Kate Dudley
Kate Dudley is a rising Junior at Middlebury College, pursuing a major in Psychology. She is primarily interested in research focused on family systems.
Shriya Karthikvatsan
Hello! My name is Shriya Karthikvatsan, and I am a second-year undergraduate student studying Health Sciences with a minor in Psychology, and on the pre-medical track. I am so excited to be part of this lab and studying the impact of sibling relationships on mental health through different stages of childhood and adulthood. I am very interested in the intersection of mental health and physical health, specifically in the medical sector, and I have a strong passion for contributing to efforts to spread awareness and educate on these topics.
Saoud Moon
Saoud Moon (he/him) is a second-year Business and Psychology undergraduate student at Northeastern University. Saoud’s interests in research include mental health, social justice, and inclusive research. As a Lab Research Assistant under Dr. Kramer, he hopes to positively contribute to the mental health research space.
Collaborators
Yan Wang, Ph.D. Professor
Dr. Wang’s teaching and research interests focus on the impact of different cultural frameworks on child development and family dynamics. She has published on methodological issues in culture studies, sibling interactions, and immigrant parenting.
Education
Ph. D., 2005
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Human Development and Family Studies
M.S., 2003
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Statistics
M.A., 1999
East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
Developmental Psychology
B.E., 1996
Zhongnan University of Finance and Economics, Wuhan, China
Finance