Hello, thank you for visiting my site! I am a Research Scientist at Stanford SPARQ and an Islamic Psychology Research Fellow at the Alkaram Institute. I received my Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Prior to joining SPARQ, I worked as an Assessment and Efficacy Scientist at BrainPOP. in the EdTech industry. My research broadly studies insider and outsider dynamics and the ways in which people feel included or excluded in society, with a focus on adolescents coming from underrepresented backgrounds. I study the social environments through which adolescents build some of the most powerful resources in their lives - their social connections - and how social connections can trigger a cascade of positive psychological outcomes, such as strengthened identity, increased civic engagement, and improved academic performance. I explore these dynamics using an intersectional and cultural lens, and through mixed-methods, including qualitative (e.g., youth participatory action research), quantitative (longitudinal, social network analysis) approaches, and field studies. I also conduct research at the intersection of Islamic Psychology and Education, working with educational institutions and organizations to develop social and emotional learning approaches grounded within Muslim tradition.