One of the studies I had the opportunity to be involved in was a content media analysis that examined grooming behaviors in the show Pretty Little Liars. The project took about three years, and I was on it for two. In the Pretty Little Liars study, a responsibility I had was data collection. The process took longer than expected because I wanted to thoroughly analyze each scene and carefully determine whether it reflected any of the known stages of grooming. Through it, I gained a better understanding of how media can subtly, and sometimes dangerously, normalize harmful behaviors. I also co-wrote a literature review on that content media analysis alongside another lab assistant. In 2025, we were given the opportunity to present this research at SEPA, a regional research conference. 

This lab has also empowered me to pursue my own independent research projects. For example, a few other research assistants and I learned we had shared interests beyond the projects we were working on within the lab. We conducted our own study to understand how, if at all, maternal mortality rates have changed following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. We recently presented those findings at a research conference hosted by MTSU.