Who we are
Our Team
Samantha Joel
Principal InvestigatorSamantha Joel is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario. Her current work examines methodological challenges in relationship science.
Graduate Students
Devinder Singh Khera
Graduate StudentDave is a Ph.D. Candidate working under the supervision of Dr. Joel. His research interests include sexual compatibility, consensual non-monogamy, and qualitative work on the relational experiences of bisexual+ individuals. Off the clock, he's usually deep in a sci-fi audiobook or cheering for the Canucks.
Helena Yuchen Qin
Graduate StudentHelena is a Ph.D. student examining how people understand, interpret, and respond to self-report measures of romantic relationships — particularly how their overall relationship evaluations shape how they answer questions about specific relationship experiences.
Thesis Students
Madison Cosby
Thesis StudentA fourth-year Honours Psychology student interested in relationship science and clinical psychology — particularly decision-making in romantic relationships, sexual compatibility, and how partner-preference alignment relates to satisfaction and stability.
Kiranvir Gill
Thesis StudentA fourth-year Honours Psychology student interested in how close relationships shape well-being across the lifespan, and how social and cultural context shapes relationship experience. Active in student leadership and community service; aiming for graduate study in clinical or counselling psychology.
Katelyn Lecox
Thesis StudentA fifth-year student finishing her honours thesis in Psychology. She's interested in how social media and technology shape relationship formation, satisfaction, and commitment, and hopes to attend law school to apply what she's learned.
Madison Sawataky
Thesis StudentA fourth-year student in Honours Psychology with a Minor in Sociology, interested in how attachment style and mood shape self-reports of relationship quality and downstream mental health outcomes.
Research Assistants
Hopelyn Butler
Research AssistantA recent graduate of Western's Honours Specialization in Psychology, Hopelyn's thesis — supervised by Dr. Joel and Devinder Singh Khera — used psychometric network analysis to track how infatuation's components interact and evolve in newly developing relationships. She continues supporting lab research while completing a postgraduate certificate in Mental Health and Addictions Counselling at Sheridan College.
Rhea Parmar
Research AssistantA fourth-year Honours Double Major in Psychology and Criminology, interested in how people interpret a partner's intentions during conflict or uncertainty, and how that shapes overall relationship sentiment.
Elisha Cimring
Research AssistantA fourth-year Honours Psychology student writing her thesis under Dr. Joel and Devinder Singh Khera on sexual compatibility, including how heterosexual and LGBTQ+ couples differ in predicting a partner's sexual preferences.
Elle Cumming
Research AssistantA fourth-year Honours BSc Psychology student interested in clinical psychology — particularly trauma, addiction, personality pathology, and how relationship processes shape mental health and adjustment. She hopes to pursue graduate training that bridges clinical work and research.
Amal Hussein
Research AssistantA second-year Psychology student interested in how people form, maintain, and navigate meaningful romantic and interpersonal connections, with an eye toward graduate study in relationship and family therapy.
Katie Dib
Research AssistantA fourth-year Honours Psychology student interested in how romantic relationships and decision-making shape well-being. She supports participant recruitment, eligibility screening, and data collection for the lab's work on consensual non-monogamy and relationship dynamics.