Research Experience

University of Chicago

Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab - Jean Decety

(2024-2025)

  • Thesis Research: Designed and implemented a behavioral decision-making paradigm to investigate how moral convictions influence attention and deliberation in sociopolitical contexts.

  • Eye-Tracking Analysis: Processed and analyzed large-scale eye-tracking datasets to examine visual attention patterns toward morally congruent vs. incongruent stimuli.

  • Computational Modeling: Applied the Attentional Drift Diffusion Model (aDDM) to quantify how attention amplifies moral value during evidence accumulation in decision-making.

  • Mixed-Methods Approach: Integrated behavioral measures with computational modeling to capture both qualitative and quantitative dimensions of moral judgment.

  • Data Management & Coding: Developed reproducible workflows in R, Python, and R-Markdown/Quarto for data analysis, visualization, and APA7-formatted reporting.

  • Collaboration: Worked closely with faculty and graduate researchers in the lab, contributing to discussions on experimental design, statistical modeling, and theoretical framing.

Qatar University

Qatar Transport and Traffic Safety Center- Wael AlHajyaseen

(2021-2023)

  • Facilitated driving simulation experiments with adults with high-functioning autism to study driving behavior and safety challenges.

  • Conducted interviews and collected qualitative data from professional drivers to assess maladaptive driving styles and coping strategies.

  • Processed, cleaned, and analyzed experimental and interview data to support the development of training programs for driving instructors in Qatar.

Doha Institute For Graduate Studies

Social Psychology Lab - Diala Hawi

(2021 - Present)

  • Designed and conducted subject interviews and surveys to study acculturation, social attitudes, and well-being in Qatar and the Arab world.

  • Quantitatively analyzed large-scale survey data, including coding NGO reports into quantitative variables and applying psychological measures such as the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ30).

  • Created an analysis pipeline for a large survey dataset using R/R-Quarto.

Research Outcomes

  • Master’s Thesis – Through Moral Lens: How Moral Convictions Influence Visual Attention and Deliberation

    • Download it here

    • GitHub repository with full project, APA7 workflow in R/APA-Quarto

  • Machine Learning Project – Detecting Suicide Ideation vs. Depression in Reddit Posts

    • Jupyter Notebook pipeline using logistic regression, K-means clustering, and LDA topic modeling.

    • Here is a Youtube video where I explain the model and results.

  • Conference Presentation – Graduate Research Conference, University of Chicago

    • Led the discussion panel Morality in Different Lenses: Colonial, Cognitive, and Neural

    • Presented thesis findings on moral decision-making, attention, and cognitive modeling.