Ziqi Guan

Hi everyone! My name is Ziqi, and I am a senior studying Psychology at Penn. You can also call me Izzy! I’m really excited to be a Research Peer Advisor this year and to share what I’ve learned over the past three years. My hope is that my experiences can help make your own research journey a little easier.

Just like a lot of you, I came to Penn without any research background. In my sophomore year, I realized that I want to become a clinical psychologist and started to look for research opportunities. That was when I met my RPA, who introduced me to a lot of research opportunities and encouraged me to apply, and that opened my door to a whole new world. With her support, I joined the MindCORE Summer Fellowship, which gave me my first real taste of research and confirmed my passion for it. Since then, I’ve explored different research paths and projects. Currently, I’m working on my senior honors thesis on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and conducting research at the Center for Autism Research at CHOP. It has been a long journey for me, but I'm so glad I met faculty who provided me with any support they could and many friends who share the same passion as me. This is why I became an RPA -- to support you, and other students, through the journey of research.

Outside of research, I enjoy being with friends, reading, playing card games, swimming, and watching Netflix. I'm actively involved in Penn Undergraduate Psychology Society, Reach-A-Peer Helpline, and Alpha Phi Omega. Feel free to reach out to me anytime; I'm excited to talk about anything!

• Research assistant at the Center for Autism Research at CHOP (Summer 2025 - present)
• Senior Honors Seminar in Psychology (Fall 2025 - present)
• Research Experience in Abnormal Psychology (Fall 2024 - Spring 2025)
• Research assistant at the Risk and Resilience Lab (Fall 2024 - Spring 2025)
• MindCORE Summer Research Fellowship (Summer 2024)