Members

Department of Psychology

Photo of Krista Ranby

Krista Ranby, PhD

Lab Director • Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
Krista Ranby is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado Denver and head of the Healthy Couples Lab. She comes to the study of health behavior from the perspective of social and quantitative psychology. She is particularly focused on ways in which close relationship partners affect each other's health. Dr. Ranby is interested in disease prevention through the promotion of physical activity and smoking cessation...
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Kelsey Nogg, MA

PhD Student, 5th Year
Department of Psychology
Kelsey Nogg earned her BA in psychology from Occidental College and her MA in psychology from San Diego State University. Her background is in both qualitative and quantitative behavioral health research, through which she has examined psychosocial factors related to health behavior change among LGBTQ+ and racial/ethnic minoritized groups. She is passionate about scientific advocacy and addressing health disparities. Her thesis at San Diego State University examined motivation for physical activity, and she later extended this work to examine how interpersonal factors relate to the same constructs within the parent-child dyad. Kelsey’s dissertation in the Healthy Couples Lab focuses on the experiences of same-sex couples during the transition to parenthood, particularly as they relate to stress, health, and relationship functioning. She is seeing patients in integrated primary care within academic medical and community health settings. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys cooking, checking out new restaurants, live music, and spending time at the parks in Denver.
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Zane Freeman, BA

PhD Student, 3rd Year
Department of Psychology
Zane earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin where he subsequently worked as a research coordinator for a community-based exercise intervention for smoking cessation. He then went on to work with oncology and diabetes patients on several FDA pharmaceutical trials from both the patient and sponsor side...
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Jess Hopkins, MC

PhD Student, 2nd Year
Department of Psychology
Jess earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. There, she worked as a research assistant and lab manager on projects related to romantic relationships, intercultural competence, and health psychology. She then went on to work as program and development coordinator at a nonprofit brain injury support center. Next, Jess received her Master of Counseling degree from Arizona State University, where she joined the...
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Travis Kelly

Phd Student, 1st Year
Department of Psychology
Travis Kelly received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Religious Studies with minors in Computer Science and Human Development from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. There, he worked as a research assistant in multiple labs on projects associated with relationship health, miscommunication, big data, and mindfulness. His thesis focused on how linguistic analysis of big data can help provide a better understanding on how COVID-19 impacted mental health. He then went on to work with diverse populations as a supervisor at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline while continuing research focused on referential communication. Travis's research interests center around romantic relationships and how factors (i.e. life transitions, miscommunication, and partner investment) can impact relationship satisfaction or change behaviors. In his free time, Travis enjoys exploring nature, reading, and visiting local coffee shops.
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Madalyn Jecker

Research Assistant
Department of Psychology
Madalyn is a third-year undergraduate student at CU Denver, working towards a BA in psychology. She has joined the Healthy Couples Lab as a research assistant to gain experience and deepen her understanding of health behaviors in romantic relationships. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Madalyn will continue her education and fulfill a Master of Arts in Couple and Family Therapy. Upon completing her educational goals, she aspires to provide a...
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Michelle Le

Research Assistant
Department of Psychology
Michelle is an undergraduate student at CU Denver working towards a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Biology. Michelle joined the Healthy Couples Lab in November of 2023 in order to expand her knowledge, develop her research skills, and get involved in research that relates to her professional interests. Within the field of psychology, Michelle is especially interested in studying couple relationships and child-rearing styles within families, as well as working with individuals with special needs. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school and earn a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology one day. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys doing yoga, crocheting, watching TV shows, and traveling.
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Trinity Sison

Research Assistant
Department of Psychology
Trinity is a third-year undergraduate student working towards a BA in Psychology. Being in the Healthy Couples Lab, she hopes to familiarize herself with research processes, build lab experience, and gain practical research skills. She is interested in the ways that couple dynamics impact health outcomes. Upon graduation, Trinity hopes to travel and take time to learn more about what she is passionate about. Some of Trinity's interests include music, exercise, and thrifting. She is interested in holistic approaches to human health problems and wants to further understand the significance of relationships on wellbeing.
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Delaney Todd

Research Assistant
Department of Psychology
Delaney earned a Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where she completed a thesis on the socio-psychological influence of highly alarming language surrounding the climate crisis on pro-environmental beliefs and behavior. She is an aspiring clinical psychologist with an interest in how both romantic and child-parent relationships influence mental and physical health. To gain the experience necessary for her success in a graduate-level clinical psychology program, she is currently working as a special education paraprofessional as well as a volunteer research assistant for the Healthy Couples Lab, where she hopes to develop her knowledge of the research process and learn more about how relationships can inform both mental and physical well-being.