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Helena Saven

For the past few years, I have been researching developmental and child psychology with Dr. Becky Waller(link is external) at the Emotion, Development, Environment, and Neurogenetics (EDEN) Lab(link is external). I am interested in studying the impacts of interpersonal and communal trauma on human development. I'm currently working on an independent project about how physical and sexual abuse in childhood affects perceptions of physical touch in adulthood. In recent years, I have also worked on projects about parenting interventions and nurturing healthy parent-child relationships. On campus, I am the president of the student advocacy group Abuse & Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP), a peer educator through Penn Anti-Violence Education (PAVE), and a sister in the Alpha Omega Epsilon Sorority.

  • Research Assistant at the Emotion, Development, Environment, & Neurogenetics (EDEN) Lab
  • MindCORE Summer 2024 Fellow
  • Student Intern at Penn Violence Prevention
  • Speaking Coach for Communication Within the Curriculum (CWiC)
Academic Major(s): Criminology, French and Francophone Studies, Psychology
Helena Saven