Dr. Summer   Mengelkoch

Dr. Summer Mengelkoch is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory for stress assessment and research at UCLA, where she works with Dr. George Slavich. She is currently serving a visiting postdoctoral scholar appointment in the department of genetics within the school of medicine at Stanford University and co-chairs the community partnerships workgroup within the Cal Star Network. She earned her PhD from Texas Christian University in 2022 in experimental social psychology. Summer seeks to better understand the biological underpinnings of stress, health, and resilience. To do so, she investigates relationships between early-life stress, biological factors (including hormones, gene expression, and immune function), and health, resilience, decision-making, and well-being. She has a special interest in better understanding women's stress responses. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing board games, traveling, aerial silks, crocheting, and playing with dogs.