Postdoctoral Researchers
Morgan completed her undergraduate degree at Princeton University and earned her PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University in 2023. There, she worked with Dr. Elizabeth Marsh and Dr. Gregory Samanez-Larkin and investigated how memory and decision-making processes change and interact in younger and older adulthood. She uses her research to highlight the positive aspects of healthy aging and consider ways to leverage these aspects to promote better personal, motivational, and health outcomes for older individuals. Currently, she works with the Midlife in the United States data to identify psychosocial and behavioral factors that influence health, cognition, and longevity across the lifespan. Outside of the lab, Morgan enjoys ballroom dancing, pub trivia, and playing board games with friends.
Selected Publications
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Taylor, M.K., Marsh, E.J., & Samanez-Larkin, G.R. (2023). Heuristic decision making across adulthood. Psychology and Aging. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000726
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Sinclair, A. H., Taylor, M. K., Davidson, A., Weitz, J. S., Beckett, S. J., & Samanez-Larkin, G.R. (2023). Scenario based messages on social media motivate COVID-19 information seeking. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/mac0000114
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Sinclair, A.H., Taylor, M.K., Weitz, J.S., Beckett, S.J., Samanez-Larkin, G.R. (2023). Reasons for receiving or not receiving bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccinations among adults – United States, November 1 – December 10, 2022. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 72(3), 73-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7203a5
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DeLiema, M., Li, Y., Taylor, M.K., Motolla, G.R. (2022). Does one size fit all? An examination of risk factors by scam type. FINRA Foundation. https://finrafoundation.org/sites/finrafoundation/files/Does-One-Size-Fit-All-An-Examination-of-Risk-Factors-by-Scam-Type-Brief.pdf
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Taylor, M.K., Marsh, E.J. (2022). Predicting others’ knowledge in younger and older adulthood. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 29, 943–953. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-021-02036-2
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Stanley, M.L., Taylor, M.K., & Marsh, E.J. (2021). Cultural identity changes the accessibility of knowledge. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 10(1), 44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2020.07.008
Esra is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Margie Lachman’s Lifespan Laboratory at Brandeis University. She completed her doctoral training in Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she studied close relationships, stress, and well-being under the mentorship of Dr. Robin Edelstein and Dr. Amie Gordon. Before joining Brandeis, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Sabancı University in Istanbul, working with Dr. Gul Gunaydin and Dr. Emre Selcuk on research examining close relationships, minimal social interactions, and well-being across cultural contexts. Currently, she uses data from the Midlife in the United States Study to examine links between social relationships, health, and cognition across the lifespan. Outside of her research, Esra enjoys discovering new music, exploring new food, and spending time with friends.
Recent Publications
Ascigil, E., Ozer, C., Soyalan, Z., Gunaydin, G., & Selcuk, E. (2025). When Close Ties Falter, Do Minimal Interactions Matter? Daily Dynamics of Social Connections and Well-Being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 26(8), 141.
Ascigil, E., Gunaydin, G., Selcuk, E., Sandstrom, G. M., & Aydin, E. (2025). Minimal social interactions and life satisfaction: The role of greeting, thanking, and conversing. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 16(2), 202-213.
Ses, O., Gunaydin, G., Selcuk, E., & Ascigil, E. (2025). Sealed with certainty: The role of need for closure in relationship commitment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 42(8), 2188-2211.
Selcuk, E., Ascigil, E., & Gunaydin, G. (2025). A theoretical analysis and empirical agenda for understanding the socioecology of adult attachment. European Review of Social Psychology, 36(1), 1-34.
Selcuk, E., Gunaydin, G., Ascigil, E., Bayraktaroglu, D., & Ong, A. D. (2024). My partner really gets me: Affective reactivity to partner stress predicts greater relationship quality in new couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 126(5), 895-912.
Ascigil, E., Luerssen, A., Gonzalez, R., & Gordon, A. M. (2023). Predictors of relationship satisfaction during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 17(11), e12881.