Dr. Megan Mueller is an Associate Professor of human-animal interaction at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also Co-Director of the Tufts Initiative for Human-Animal Interaction, a senior fellow at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, and teaches in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy program at the Center for Animals and Public Policy.  Dr. Mueller’s research interests include companion animals and adolescent development, with a focus on positive youth development and teenagers experiencing social anxiety. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. Dr. Mueller currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society for Anthrozoology, as well as on the Pet Partners Human-Animal Bond Advisory Board. Outside of the lab, she enjoys chasing her kids around, puttering in her vegetable garden with her dog Jett, and riding her horse Fox.

Evan Mingo, M.Phil, is the Project Coordinator for the Teen & Dog Study at the PAW Lab. They graduated from Yale College in 2022 with a B.S. in Psychology and Ethnic Studies, and then completed a Masters of Sociology in the Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion at King’s College, Cambridge. They will be starting a Masters of Public Health at the Tufts University Medical School starting Fall 2025. Evan’s research interests mainly involve clinical consequences of discrimination and bias, environmental and intersectional stress, and diverse sampling and recruitment. Outside of the PAW Lab, Evan enjoys binge-watching movies and TV shows, playing board games, eating good food, and video games.

Jordanne Brown, B.S., is a Research Associate at the PAW Lab, working on the Teen & Dog Study. She recently graduated from Florida International University and the FIU Honors College in psychology. Her research interests predominately focus on social anxiety and ADHD in children/adolescents, alternative treatment methodology, and diverse family dynamics. Jordanne was also born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. She is incredibly passionate about her culture, driving her interest in racial, ethnic and cultural diversity. Outside the PAW Lab, Jordanne is an avid equestrian who loves finding new restaurants to eat at with friends and talking with her family.

Dr. Erin King, M.S., Ph.D. is a data analyst and statistical expert for the PAW Lab, supporting the Teen & Dog Study as well as other lab initiatives. In addition to working in the Pets and Well-Being Lab, Erin is the Civic Life Coordinator at Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Her current research project areas include equity and accessible veterinary care, student service -learning and civic engagement, and human-animal interaction.

Rachael Sabelli, M.Sc., is a consultant from Lacuna Global who works as a Project Manager for the Teen & Dog Study. Rachael has over 10 years of experience in research project management and has supported an array of studies, including those within the Skeer Lab and the Center for Science Education at Tufts University. She received her Master of Science in Epidemiology from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2018. One of the highlights of her career, prior to working with Tufts, Rachael lived and worked in Malawi as a project manager for programs focused on providing comprehensive HIV care to families and served in the Peace Corps (Malawi, 2010-2012). 

Seana Dowling-Guyer, M.S., is the Associate Director of the Tufts Center for Shelter Dogs at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and teaches in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy program. Ms. Dowling-Guyer’s research focuses on the intersection of animal behavior and people’s perceptions of that behavior. She also studies how to improve the welfare of dogs in shelters and support dogs and other companion animals in the home and community. Seana is a Co-Investigator of the Teen & Dog Study.

To learn more about Ms. Dowling-Guyer’s research, click here.

Nicole Mason, LMSW, is a doctoral student in the PAW Lab as part of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine’s PhD program within the human-animal interaction track. Nicole’s background comprises of both research and clinical social work experience within animal-assisted therapies. Her research interests are on using interdisciplinary and participatory research methods to examine the human-animal bond through the One Welfare lens. Outside of the PAW Lab, Nicole works in the substance use prevention industry, and also co-founded a nonprofit equine sanctuary that puts the One Welfare perspective into practice. 

Siyu ‘Syenna’ Zhang graduated in 2025 with a Master’s in Public Health, concentrating in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She is eager to apply her statistical and programming skills to real-world challenges. Beyond the laboratory, her research interests include exploring the association between women’s health and mental health. This interest has led her to the PAW lab, where she is deepening her understanding of how mental health impacts and exploring how human-pet interactions can improve mental health outcomes. She particularly like dogs and dreams of owning a beagle in the future!

In her leisure time, Syenna enjoys attending concerts, visiting coffee shops, and painting.

Sophia is a current student at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (V28) and is hoping to contribute to more sustainable and equitable healthcare for all species by integrating clinical veterinary practice with conservation efforts, aiming to work with both wildlife and domestic animals. She is thrilled to experience a side of veterinary medicine outside of the clinic. Sophia is passionate about the One Health perspective of the human animal bond and is so excited about diving deeper into the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health. 

Sophia is working at the PAW Lab as part of the Student Summer Research Program at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, which provides veterinary students with an opportunity to perform mentored research over the summer months.

Alejandra Zambrano, BS, is a veterinary student (V28) at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Originally from Peru, she is passionate about the human-animal bond and improving animal welfare in underserved communities both locally and internationally. Outside of lab, she serves as the president of the Latinx Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) chapter at Tufts. Alejandra hopes to one day establish a clinic that not only provides veterinary care but also encourages community education around the human-animal bond. Her ultimate goal is to help prevent animal abandonment, promote preventative medicine, and improve overall animal welfare.  

Ramina is a junior from Kyrgyzstan, studying Clinical Psychology and Child Study & Human Development and hoping to become a clinical psychologist in the future! She is passionate about developing accessible psychological interventions and believe that researching human-animal interactions provides amazing insights into how our companions can help maintain our mental health. Outside of the lab, she is also a research assistant at the Translational Emotion and Memory Lab in the psychology department of Tufts University and an Events Coordinator at Tufts Active Minds. In her free time, she enjoys rewatching comfort shows, meeting with friends, and reading fantasy book series!

Angie is a senior studying Cognitive Brain Science and Biology at Tufts interested in psychology and neuroscience. She’s excited to learn more about human-animal interactions and the benefits of pets on human wellbeing! In her free time, she likes to draw and helps with lighting in the student theatre groups on campus. She’s very excited about the cat cafe opening up soon and has fingers crossed that it’ll go well. 

Eli Halbreich worked in the PAW lab as undergraduate student studying Psychology at the Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences. Eli is now a PhD Student at Texas Tech University studying human-animal interaction in youth.

Nicole Porter was a member of the PAW lab while she was a student in the Tufts Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. She conducted her doctoral research on the implementation of a social participation intervention for youth with social anxiety incorporating pet dogs. Dr. Porter graduated in May 2022.

Sayee Shruthi Manickam is a veterinary student at NC State University and worked with the PAW Lab as a summer research student, and continues to be involved in the Center for Animals and Public Policy’s research on cultural humility curriculum for veterinary students. Her diversity and veterinary-related experiences have greatly influenced her passion for the human-animal bond. She hopes to utilize her learnings in her career as a companion animal practitioner and contribute to improving both animal and human health.

Reilly Uiterwyk is an undergraduate student at Tufts University majoring in Biopsychology and Child Study/Human Development who worked with the PAW Lab as a student research assistant. She has experience working as a swim lesson instructor and camp counselor for children of all ages and is hoping to work more in the animal-child interaction fields.

Laurelle Sum is an undergraduate pre-veterinary student studying Biopsychology and Child Study & Human Development who worked with the PAW Lab as an student research assistant. She works as a veterinary assistant at a local veterinary clinic and has experience volunteering at animal rescues. In her free time, Laurelle likes to dance and play badminton. She also has two dogs!

Keertti Sinnan was an undergraduate research assistant studying Biology and Education at Tufts University. Keertti is currently a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student at Cornell University.

Jahniya Paul was an undergraduate research assistant studying Chemistry on the pre-veterinary track. At Tufts, she is involved with Pre-Vet Society and Eco Art Club. She is drawn to the PAW Lab’s research exploring the interactions between human and animals, especially within the context of supporting youth development.

Elizabeth Robertson was a part-time research assistant with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior from Vassar College. She previously worked as an equine intern at Green Chimneys School. During her free time she enjoys going on walks with her dogs and volunteering at local barns.  Elizabeth is especially interested in the environmental factors that effect risk and resilience after exposure(s) to trauma.

Katie Dabney was a part-time research assistant in the PAW Lab. She has Bachelors’ degrees in Biology and Psychology from Shippensburg University and a M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts University. She currently works as a part-time research assistant at the Harvard University Evolutionary Neuroscience Lab comparing the behavior and brains of canines and humans. During her free time, she enjoys taking care of her many pets, snowboarding, and outdoor adventures. Katie is especially interested in how differences in the brains of dogs and humans relates to observable behaviors as well as human-dog interactions.

Niamh was a student research assistant studying biochemistry and biotechnology at Tufts University.

Jiaqi Tian was a student in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy (MAPP) program at Tufts University who graduated in 2025. Her main interests lie in human-animal interaction and the human-animal bond. Specifically, she focuses on the role of companion animals in children’s development and how pets’ presence can impact the dynamics of human interaction. It’s worth noting that she is a proud owner of two lovely cats.