People

National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab at UCLA

Meet our Team

Robert M. Bilder, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Bilder has more than 30 years’ experience in research on brain-behavior relations, with expertise in clinical neuropsychology,neurophysiology, structural and functional neuroimaging, and genomics strategies as these are applied to the study of both healthy people and those with various neurological and psychiatric syndromes. He is particularly interested in dimensional approaches to understanding mental processes, and in understanding the biological underpinnings of creative cognition. He directs the Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity and the Mind Well program of the UCLA Healthy Campus Initiative.

Ariana Anderson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor In-Residence, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences

Dr. Ariana E. Anderson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA, and the Director of the Laboratory of Computational Neuropsychology in the Medical Psychology- Neuropsychology Division. She received her B.S. in Mathematics and her Ph.D. in Statistics followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. She develops algorithms to identify and treat disease using all data modalities, from behavioral assessments to neuroimaging. She is a recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface, as well as a K25 Career Award from the NIA on neurovascular correlates of dementia. Her baby monitor for Deaf parents, ChatterBaby, was awarded first prize in MHealth Apps in UCLA's 2016 Code for the Mission competition. She has served as a reviewer for both the NIH and the NSF, and has published on a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Sophie Lawrence

Lab Coordinator

Sophie (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in education from UCLA. She has worked alongside Dr. Robert Bilder in researching the impact of the arts on well-being since 2021. She firmly believes in the potential of art to serve as a versatile and effective means to heal and help people thrive. In the future, Sophie plans to earn her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and immerse herself in the realms of teaching, research, and patient care. She aspires to ignite a passion for psychology in her students, as a dedicated teacher did for her. Ultimately, her goal is to make a meaningful impact on the field and on the lives of those she encounters.

Diana Hereld, Psy.D.

Research Advisor

Dr. Diana Hereld (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Clinical Neuropsychology at UCLA Semel Institute. She received her Psy.D. from Pepperdine University where her dissertation explored the use of clinical music interventions with adolescents experiencing trauma. She holds an M.A. in Music and Integrative Studies from the University of California, San Diego where she examined the use of musical intensity in affect regulation for reducing self-destructive behavior. Diana has studied vocal performance internationally and continues to enjoy singing, playing the piano, and collaborating with local bands in Los Angeles. Her research interests involve the use of music interventions in emotion regulation and neuropsychological rehabilitation.

Research Assistants

Gaurav Kalkunte

Volunteer Research Assistant

Gaurav (he/him) is a 2024 UCLA graduate who majored in Psychobiology. His favorite art form is abstract art, which fascinates him for its ability to inspire speculation about the perspectives behind the works and to explore the intersections of emotion, memory, and rational thought in fueling creativity. He's excited about the NEA Research Lab as it provides an opportunity to understand art's definitional boundaries, the complex biological and cognitive systems involved in art perception and production, and its unique impacts on biopsychosocial health. He aims to use this understanding to explore the biopsychosocial mechanisms of creativity—such as its development, stimulants, suppressors, and modifiability; its technological replication; and the potential of arts engagement and creativity induction measures to serve as non-invasive medical tools for diagnosis, prevention, screening, and treatment. In the future, he aspires to become a physician-scientist, applying insights from arts engagement and creativity to enhance drug discovery and personalized healthcare through more effective and affordable tailored therapies and technological interventions.

Hailey Miranda

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hailey (she/her) is a third-year Human Biology and Society Major at UCLA. Her favorite forms of art are music and vinyasa yoga, and she is excited to explore her passions at the NEA Research Lab at UCLA. Hailey's future goals include attending medical school and becoming a healthcare professional who views treatment from a holistic perspective. More specifically, she intends to study the intersection of endocrinology and the arts in order to rewrite the healthcare narrative from the mind-body standpoint overlooked by medicine. Until then, her current goal is to conquer the very tiresome, uphill walk back to her dorm after a long day of classes.

Grace Swenson

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Grace Swenson (she/her/hers) is a second-year Physiological Science and Art History double major at UCLA. Her preferred visual arts medium is portrait drawing, which enables her to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Grace also enjoys folding origami, a skill she has implemented in nursing homes to help improve resident motor coordination. With the NEA Lab, she continues to explore how the arts can enhance geriatric mental and physical wellness. Grace’s professional interests include cardiothoracic surgery, supporting older populations, and further uncovering the intersections between art and medicine.

Emiliano Jasis

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Emiliano Jasis (she/they/he) is a third-year student at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and pursuing a minor in Anthropology. Her favorite forms of art include music, street art, and interpretive dance, as these mediums provide outlets for self-expression, social commentary, and emotional processing. A Los Angeles native, Emiliano grew up observing the importance of personal art for individual and communal well-being. At the NEA Research Lab, they are most interested in the intersection between artful expression and neuroscience as a means of promoting wellness for all; particularly, they explore how art can holistically benefit neurodivergent individuals. In the future, Emiliano hopes to attend graduate school to continue their research in neuroscience.

Katie MacDonald

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Katie (she/her) is a fourth-year student at UCLA pursuing a major in Psychology and a double minor in Musicology and Spanish. Her favorite art form is music, as it has always been an integral part of her life growing up in a family of musicians. She enjoys playing music (guitar, piano, and singing) and listening to a wide variety of styles from classical to psychedelic rock. She is very excited to be a part of the NEA Research Lab at UCLA because it perfectly combines her two greatest passions and areas of expertise–psychology and music. She is also passionate about mental health advocacy, and she loves how the lab not only examines the intersection between engagement with the arts and mental health, but also seeks to use this as evidence to provide holistic treatment that is accessible to all. After graduation, Katie hopes to do something with a similar mission to the NEA Lab and use psychology and music to help people.

Akhil Rajidi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Akhil Rajidi (he/him) is a second-year student at UCLA majoring in Neuroscience. His favorite form of art is dance because he finds it as an outlet through which he can express himself as well as a place to find a tight-knit community. He has also been part of musical ensembles and has extensive experience in classical Indian singing. He is highly motivated to explore the intersections between neuroscience and art, particularly through the lens of mental health. Akhil's future goals include attending medical school and becoming a physician who values integrative medicine.

Lab Alumni

Marissa Stinnett

Lab Coordinator Alum (2020-2023)

Austin Ma

Research Assistant Alum

Havish Gattu

Research Assistant Alum

Key Contributors

Armen Arevian, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor-in-Residence

Dr. Armen Arevian is Assistant Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA; Director of the Innovation Lab at the Semel Institute at UCLA; Director of the Translational Technology and Communications Core at the California Center of Excellence in Behavioral Health; and Director of the Consultation-Liason and Telepsychiatry at the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Mellon University through the Medical Scientist Training Program and his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh.

Daniel Seeff

West Coast Director

Daniel Seeff is the program director of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He also directs the Institute’s Los Angeles public school outreach programming, including Jazz in the Classroom and BeBop to Hip-Hop, and serves as an associate producer of the Institute’s annual International Jazz Competition. Seeff coordinated the Institute’s summer jazz colony for six years and has produced dozens of Institute educational concerts in Los Angeles. He is the host and producer of the hip-hop and jazz radio show ExcursionsRadio on KJazz in Los Angeles. Seeff is also a bassist and guitarist who has toured internationally and performed on many major label albums with artists such as Eminem, Jay-Z, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Cypress Hill. He co-wrote and played bass on the number 6 Billboard hit song “The Man” by Aloe Blacc and wrote music for and played on Grammy-nominated albums by Anderson .Paak, Ledisi, and the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning animated feature film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.