Yuekun (Alice) Chen

Yuekun (Alice) Chen

she/her

Psychological Science & Sociology researcher | UC Irvine '25

Trauma and Resilience Lab

Trauma and Resilience Lab, UC Irvine

Position: Lab Manager & Research Coordinator (July 2025 - Present); Research Assistant (September 2023 - July 2025)

Principal Investigator: Alyson K. Zalta, Ph.D.

Lab Website: sites.uci.edu/zalta

Overview

The Trauma and Resilience Lab investigates how people respond to and recover from traumatic experiences. As Lab Manager, I coordinate multiple concurrent studies examining intergenerational trauma transmission, sleep disturbances in PTSD, and disclosure experiences among sexual assault survivors.

Key Projects

1. Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Military Families

  • Brain and Behavior Research Foundation funded study
  • Examining mechanisms of trauma transmission across generations
  • My role includes participant recruitment, data collection, and REDCap database management

2. Dim Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO) in PTSD

  • Pilot study measuring circadian rhythms in individuals with probable PTSD
  • Coordinating complex 6.5-hour DLMO collection protocols with 13 saliva samples
  • Operating Philips Actigraphy Watch and Geneactive Watch systems
  • Analyzing sleep patterns and circadian phase timing

3. Informal Disclosure in Sexual Assault Survivors

  • Examining gender differences in disclosure experiences
  • Contributing to IRB submission and literature review
  • Qualitative and quantitative data analysis

4. Systematic Reviews on Cognitive Processing Therapy

  • Contributing to manuscripts on CPT treatment outcomes and dropout predictors
  • Literature review of 70+ articles on cumulative trauma load
  • Data extraction and coding across eligible studies

Skills Developed

  • Research Coordination: Managed recruitment of 300+ participants, coordinated 15+ onboarding sessions
  • Supervision: Trained and supervised 7 research assistants
  • Psychophysiology: Proficient in actigraphy systems, saliva collection, MEQ administration
  • Data Management: REDCap, SPSS, qualitative coding (400+ codes)
  • IRB & Ethics: Drafted IRB submissions, managed informed consent processes

Select Presentations

  • Chen, Y., Wislocki, K., & Zalta, A. K. (2025, May). Examining the Relationship Between Paternal Mental Health Symptoms and Parenting Styles: A Multi-Informant Study. UROP Symposium, Irvine, CA.

  • Chen, Y., Guan, Y., Lorenzini, J., & Zalta, A. K. (2025, May). Evaluating Sense of Responsibility as Moderator of the Relationship between Cognitive Flexibility and Anxiety Among Child and Family Service Workers. APS Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.