Yikai is a PhD candidate in Clinical/Counseling psychology at the Culture, Emotion, and Health Lab at New York University and a member of Mind & Life’s Research and Program Council. His research interests primarily focus on the cultural differences in the cognitive and emotional processes underlying adaptive coping and psychological well-being. Currently, Yikai is investigating how contemplative wisdom beliefs (e.g., interdependence, impermanence) shape the beliefs we have about emotions, how we regulate our emotions, and the downstream psychological health outcomes across cultures. He is also interested in leveraging a mixed-method approach to translate the basic science findings into feasible, efficacious, and accessible mental health interventions. He aims to promote equitable access to quality mental health services among underserved communities on the individual level as well as the policy level.
