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Lab Director - Heather Fuller
Lab Director - Heather Fuller
Professor
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Core Area: Adult Development and Aging
Research Interests: Interpersonal relationships and social support across the lifespan; Psychological well-being in old age; Culture and Aging; Rural Aging; Survey Methodology and Program Evaluation
WELCOME! Thanks for visiting us at the Linked Lives Research Lab. In the Linked Lives Lab we have a variety of ongoing projects which cover multiple topics related to how the interpersonal connections in our lives affect our development and well-being. My ultimate goal with this line of research is to develop solutions to improve people's lives by improving social support, reducing loneliness, and helping people navigate challenging interpersonal dynamics such as caregiving. I am currently welcoming new undergraduate and graduate students into the Linked Lives Lab. Contact me or my lab manager with more questions!
CONTACT ME DIRECTLY:
701-231-5621
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Current Graduate Students:
Current Graduate Students:
Dane Johnston
Dane Johnston
Lab Member (2025-Present)
Year in Developmental Science Program: 1
Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy
Ohio State University
Master of Education in College Student Personnel
Ohio University
Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Gerontology
Bowling Green State University
Research Interests:
Planning for aging in place specifically in the context of older individuals with special needs children, fostering passion for gerontologic education, and Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning to assist in Elder Care.
Bet-ini Christian
Bet-ini Christian
Lab Member (2025-Present)
Year in Developmental Science Program: 1
Bachelor of Science in Human Anatomy
University of Calabar, Nigeria.
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
University of Calabar, Nigeria.
Master of Science in Public Health/International Course in Health Development
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Research Interests:
Social integration, gender roles, and cultural contexts in aging, with a focus on how older adults adapt their social networks during life transitions such as widowhood, illness, and migration; family caregiving and subtle elder abuse in the context of unpaid grandparental care; and long-term care in resource-limited settings.
Debarati Kole
Debarati Kole
Lab Manager (2025-Present)
Lab Member (2023-2024)
Year in Developmental Science Program: 4
Bachelor of Arts in Geography (Honors)
Burdwan University, India
Master of Science in Population Geography
Presidency University, Kolkata, India
Master of Science in Sociology
North Dakota State University
Research Interests:
Importance of social support system on overall health and well-being of adults and older adults, longitudinal association between social support systems (such as enacted support, provided support) and health and well-being of older adults.
Melisa Hajdar
Melisa Hajdar
Graduate Research Assistant
(2021-Present)
Year in Developmental Science Program: 5
Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science
North Dakota State University
Master of Science in Developmental Science
North Dakota State University
Research Interests:
Development of cultural identity, prevention science, social relationships across the lifespan, and family policy in at-risk populations.
Current Undergraduate Students:
Current Undergraduate Students:
Alyssa Willis
Alyssa Willis
Undergraduate Research Assistant (2024-Present)
Senior pursuing a degree in psychology with minors in neuroscience and HDFS
Linked Lives Alumni:
Linked Lives Alumni:
Graduate Students
Graduate Students
Teri Undem, Ph.D.
Teri Undem, Ph.D.
Former Lab Member (2023-2025)
Developmental Science,NDSU
Bryce Van Vleet, Ph.D.
Bryce Van Vleet, Ph.D.
Former Lab Manager (2023-2024)
Developmental Science, NDSU
Emily Kinkade, Ph.D.
Emily Kinkade, Ph.D.
Former Lab Manager (2020-2023)
Developmental Science and Gerontology, NDSU
Brittany Hofmann, MBA
Brittany Hofmann, MBA
Former Graduate Research Assistant
Masters of Business Administration Program, NDSU
Shawn Carlson, Ph.D.
Shawn Carlson, Ph.D.
Former Lab Manager (2019-2020)
Developmental Science, NDSU
Jonix Owino, Ph.D.
Jonix Owino, Ph.D.
Former Lab Member
Developmental Science, NDSU
Masahiro Toyama, Ph.D.
Masahiro Toyama, Ph.D.
Former Lab Manager (2017-2019)
Developmental Science, NSDU
Brooke Hanson, M.A.
Brooke Hanson, M.A.
Former Lab Manager (2015-2017)
Developmental Science, NDSU
Franchesca Cortez, M.A.
Franchesca Cortez, M.A.
Former Graduate Research Assistant
Developmental Science, NDSU
Alison Brennan, Ph.D.
Alison Brennan, Ph.D.
Former Graduate Research Assistant
Developmental Science, NDSU
Simone Dorsey, M.S.
Simone Dorsey, M.S.
Former Graduate Research Assistant
Couple & Family Therapy, NDSU
Sara Raap, M.S.
Sara Raap, M.S.
Former Lab Manager (2013-2015)
Couple & Family Therapy, NDSU
Samjhana Rajbhandari, M.S.
Samjhana Rajbhandari, M.S.
Former Graduate Research Assistant
Human Development & Family Science, NDSU
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate Students
Taylor Rubbert
Taylor Rubbert
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
B.S. in Human Development and Family Science, NDSU
Rebecca Erickson
Rebecca Erickson
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
B.S. in Human Development and Family Science, NDSU
Morgan Wangler
Morgan Wangler
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
B.S. in Psychology, NDSU
Leanne Beechie
Leanne Beechie
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
B.S. in Dietetics and Human Development and Family Science, NDSU
If you are interested in working in the Linked Lives Research Lab, see Research Opportunities.
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