Education


University of Cambridge
St. John's College
PhD Psychology
Supervisor: Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Co-supervisor: Dr. Livia Tomova
Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Lawson

Expected 2024 / 2025
Gates Cambridge Scholar

University of California, Los Angeles
Master of Social Science
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Silvers

2019
GPA: 4.0

Columbia University
Postbaccalaureate Psychology

2018
GPA: 4.3

City University of New York, School of Professional Studies
Bachelor of Arts
Communications and Media

2017
GPA: 4.0
Summa Cum Laude

Fashion Institute of Technology
Associate in Applied Science
Advertising and Marketing Communications

2015
GPA: 4.0
Valedictorian
Summa Cum Laude

Honors And Awards


International Society for Developmental Psychobiology Travel Award (2022)

Cambridge University School of Biological Sciences Fieldwork Fund Award (2022)

Gates Cambridge Scholarship  (2020 - 2024)

St. Johns Honorary Benefactors' Scholarship (2020 - 2023)

SARMAC Student Caucus Research Grant (2020)

International Society for Developmental Psychobiology Travel Award (2019)

UCLA MaSS Conference Travel Grant Award  (2019)

UCLA Grad Slam (3-Minute Thesis) Finalist (2019)

UCLA MaSS Merit Scholarship Award (2018 - 2019)

CUNY SPS E-Porftolio Showcase Winner (2016 - 2017)

FIT Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award (2015)

FIT Alfred B. Wagner Award (2015)

Publications


Tomova, L., Towner, E., Thomas, K., & Blakemore, S-J. (submitted). Acute isolation increases reward responsiveness in human adolescents. Preprint PDF.

Towner, E., Chierchia, G., & Blakemore, S-J. (under revision). Affective and Social Learning in Adolescence.

Somers, J.A., Chu, K.A., Schwartz, C., Towner, E., & Callaghan, B.L. (2022) Sometimes “we” can help: parents’ pronoun use buffers fear and anxiety transmission. Anxiety, Stress & Coping. DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2022.2127694. PDF.

Towner, E., Tomova, L., Ladensack, D., Chu, K.A., & Callaghan, B.L. (2022). Virtual Social Interaction and Loneliness Among Emerging Adults Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cresp.2022.100058. PDF.

Metcalfe, J., Vuorre, M., Towner, E., Eich, T.S. (2022). Curiosity: The Effects of Feedback and Confidence on the Desire to Know. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. DOI: 10.1037/xge0001284. PDF.

Towner, E., Grint, J., Levy, T., Blakemore, S-J., & Tomova, L. (2022). Revealing the self in a digital world: A systematic review of adolescent online and offline self-disclosure. Current Opinion in Psychology. DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101309. PDF

Uy, J., Schwartz, C., Chu, K.A., Towner, E., Lemus, A., Brito, N.H., Callaghan, B.L. (2022). Parental Transmission and Buffering of Child Fear During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Developmental Psychobiology. DOI: 10.1002/dev.22253. PDF.

Chu, K. A., Schwartz, C., Towner, E., Kasparian, N. A., & Callaghan, B. (2021). Parenting under pressure: A mixed-methods investigation of the impact of COVID-19 on family life. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100161. PDF.

Conference Presentations


Towner, E., Tomova, L., Thomas, K., & Blakemore, S-J. (2022). Threat learning after social isolation in adolescents. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP). 9-11 November, San Diego, California. PDF.

Towner, E., Tomova, L., Thomas, K., & Blakemore, S-J. (2022). The effects of social isolation and loneliness on fear learning physiology in mid-adolescence. Poster presented at Flux Congress. 7-9 September, Paris, France. PDF.

Towner, E., Tomova, L., Thomas, K., & Blakemore, S.J. (2022). The effects of social isolation on fear learning in adolescents. Poster presented at the 18th NVP Conference on Brain and Cognition. 28-30 April, Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands. PDF.

Towner, E., Tomova, L., Thomas, K., & Blakemore, S-J. (2022). The effects of social isolation and loneliness on fear learning physiology in mid-adolescence. Poster presented at Flux Congress. 7-9 September, Paris, France.

Towner, E. & Callaghan, B.L. (2020). Distress Amid COVID-19 Among Those Exposed to Early Life Stress. Poster presented at the 53rd annual meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP). 21-23 October, Virtual. PDF. Video.

Towner, E., Guassi Moreira, J.F., Méndez Leal, A., Waizman, Y., Ninova, E., & Silvers, J.A. (2019). Previous Institutionalization Worsens the Relationship Between Current Life Stress, Internalizing Psychopathology, and Adaptive Functioning. Poster presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP). 16-18 October, Chicago, IL. PDF.

Towner, E. & Metcalfe, J. (2019). The association between confidence and curiosity for general information questions under different feedback conditions. Talk presented at the 13th biennial meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC). 6-9 June, Cape Cod, MA.

Towner, E. & Metcalfe, J. (2018). Confidence in Errors Predicts Curiosity About the Correct Answers to General Information Questions. Poster presented at the 59th annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society. 15-18 November, New Orleans, LA. PDF.

Research Experience


Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab
University of Cambridge - Department of Psychology
Principal  Investigator: Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Graduate Researcher

2020 - Present

Tamnes Lab
University of Oslo - Department of Psychology
Principal  Investigator: Professor Christian  K. Tamnes
Visiting Researcher

June 2022

Brain and Body Lab
University of California, Los Angeles - Department of Psychology
Principal  Investigator: Dr. Bridget Callaghan
Lab Manager / Staff Research Associate

2019 - 2020

Social Affective Neuroscience and Development Lab
University of California, Los Angeles - Department of Psychology
Principal  Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Silvers
Graduate Research Assistant

2018 - 2019

Metacognition and Memory Lab
Columbia University  - Department of Psychology
Principal  Investigator: Professor Janet Metcalfe
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant

2017 - 2018

Teaching Experience


Psychological and Behavioural Sciences / Natural Sciences Part II - Adolescence
University of Cambridge - Department of Psychology
Professor: Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Supervisor (Teaching Assistant)

2021 - 2022

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Part IA - Introduction to Psychology
University of Cambridge - Department of Psychology
Supervisor (Teaching Assistant)

2021 - 2022

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Part IA - Psychological Enquiry and Methods - Neuroanatomy Practical
University of Cambridge - Department of Psychology
Demonstrator (Lab Assistant)

2020 - 2021

Supervision


Bagley, E. - Undergraduate Student - University of Cambridge (2021 - 2022)
Final year dissertation - Received an Exceptional First
The Influence of Social Connectedness on Adolescents' Affect Following Social Isolation

Chitwa, E. - Undergraduate Student - University of Cambridge (2021 - 2022)
Final year dissertation - Received an Exceptional First
Investigating Social Reward Responsiveness - Relationship with Social Isolation and Depressive Symptomatology in Adolescents 

Lee, D. - Undergraduate Student - University of Cambridge (2020 - 2021)
Final year dissertation
Fear Extinction in Adolescence - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zhang, Y. - Undergraduate Student - University of Cambridge (2020 - 2021)
Final year dissertation
Fear Extinction in Adolescence - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Fonacier, N. - Undergraduate Student - University of California, Los Angeles (2019 - 2020)
Talk presented at the UCLA Undergraduate Research Week Showcase
Associations Between Early Life Stress and Alexithymia

Ortega, A. - Undergraduate Student - University of California, Los Angeles (2019 - 2020)
UCLA Psychology Research Opportunity Programs Scholar (PROPS)
Talk presented at the UCLA Undergraduate Research Week Showcase
Transfer Student Mental Health

Wieand, A. - Undergraduate Student - University of California, Los Angeles (2019 - 2020)
UCLA Psychology Research Opportunity Programs Scholar (PROPS)
Poster presented at the 29th Annual UCLA Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
Impact of Early Life Adversity on Threat Memory Retention in Adolescents

Invited Talks


Threat Learning After Social Isolation in Adolescents
Professor Dean Mobbs - Fear Lab
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA
November 2022

Adolescent Development, Fear Learning and Anxiety
Haileybury School Teacher Training
London, UK
September 2022

Adolescent Fear Learning After Social Isolation
Blakemore Lab Retreat
Cambridge, UK
July 2022

Adolescent Fear Learning After Social Isolation
Gates Day of Research
Cambridge, UK
May 2022

The Teenage Brain
UCL Academy, London
March 2022 - Virtual

Psychology as an Undergraduate Subject, Adolescent Brain Development and the Being Alone Study
St. Mary's School, Cambridge
June 2021 - Virtual

R for Data Wrangling
Social Psychology Seminar Series, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge
May 2021 - Virtual
Video

Virtual Social Interaction, Loneliness, and Well-Being Among Emerging Adults Amid the COVID Pandemic
Gates Cambridge Internal Symposium
March 2021 - Virtual
Video

Preparing a Three Minute Thesis Presentation
UCLA GradSlam Coaching Session
March 2020 - Los Angeles, CA

Master of Social Science - Question and Answer Session
UCLA MaSS Current Student Event
January 2020 - Los Angeles, CA

Curiosity and Learning - Curiosity Did Not Kill the Cat
Alumni Day - Centennial Celebration - Grad Slam Showcase
May 2019 - Los Angeles, CA
Video

Skills


Statistical packages - R, SPSS, JASP

Programming languages - R, Python, HTML, CSS

Neuroimaging - MRI 

Instrument/interview administration - WASI, WIAT, KSADS

Physiological data collection - EDA, ECG, EGG

Biological sample collection - Dried Blood Spot, Saliva, Hair

Applications - REDCap, PsychoPy, Gorilla, Git / GitHub, Adobe Suite, WordPress, LaTex

Service


Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge
Postgraduate Student Representative

2021 - 2022

RAINN - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
National Sexual Assault Hotline Volunteer

2016 - 2019