Angelina Meng
Angelina Meng is a fourth-year Psychology major and Brain and Behavioral Health minor with a specialization in computing. Through the support of the Keck program, Angelina will explore the relationship between early life adversity and interoceptive function in adulthood. Interoception—how the brain and nervous system detect, interpret, and integrate internal bodily signals—plays a crucial role in regulating both physical and mental health. In particular, she will investigate how caregiving adversity might moderate the learning of interoception from caregivers by examining the concordance between caregivers’ and children’s interoceptive functions. She will also compare the degree of concordance between children raised by biological caregivers and those raised by non-biological caregivers (foster parents) to identify the mechanisms behind the learning process—whether it primarily stems from environmental influences or if genetics also play a role. The research will highlight the importance of caregiving behavior in shaping child well-being and provide insights for policy and funding related to foster care. After graduation, Angelina hopes to continue applying her skills and passion to positively impact child development.
