About me

Hi! I’m Yi Zhang, a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at USC, advised by Leor Hackel. My research studies how people understand others and form connections in emotionally challenging situations (e.g., disagreements). I study these questions using behavioral research, network analysis, and natural language processing. You can explore my research journey through this interactive webpage.

I am also passionate about human-centered design and technology. In past internships and ongoing projects, I’ve worked on translating behavioral science into digital wellbeing products and interventions that help people make better decisions, manage emotions, and connect with others.

Outside research, I write and translate science communication pieces for Neureality (神经现实), covering topics such as social connection, empathy, and AI.

You can find my CV here.

Feel free to reach out. My email is yzhang51@usc.edu.