Shanshan is a postdoc for the Connected Lives: Overcoming the Self through Empathy (CLOSE) Study, working under the joint guidance of Dr. David Sbarra in the Lab for Social Connectedness and Health and Dr. Jessica Andrews-Hanna in the Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought Lab. She completed her M.A. in psychology at the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University, where she studied the brain mechanisms involved in craving and cognitive control deficits in Internet gaming disorder. During her PhD studies at the Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, she shifted her focus to investigating the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of marital interactions and responses to the social world on marital well-being. Currently, she is using behavioral and neuroimaging data to explore the facilitators and barriers to social connection and mental health in the context of romantic relationships. She hopes that her research will contribute to improving romantic relationships and preventing mental health problems. In her free time, Shanshan enjoys listening to music, watching basketball games, and savoring delicious foods.