Melissa Phua

As a research assistant on WP2 of the GUTS project, Melissa focuses on the behavioral and neural data collection to investigate how peer relationships evolve. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Utrecht University and, driven by a deep curiosity about the stigmas and taboos surrounding human sexuality, recently completed a second Master’s in Sexology at KU Leuven. Throughout her studies, she strengthened her research interest by contributing to various projects with diverse participant groups, including young adults, teachers, psychotherapists, and psychotherapy clients on the autism spectrum. Topics that she is particularly passionate about include cultural/ethnic identity and sense of belonging, relationship dynamics, intersectionality, and LGBTQIA+ issues.