WHAT MAKES US TICK
How do our social experiences shape the way we feel, connect and stay well ?
The CUSP Lab studies human connection on the cusp of social change.
We study the interpersonal processes that support or undermine health and well-being in underrepresented and stigmatized communities. We look at how intergroup friendships form and flourish amid evolving norms around identity, equity, and inclusion. We are interested in how people co-regulate under stress, including through physiological synchrony during social threat. And we study how couples, friends, and strangers buffer or amplify each other’s stress in daily life.
We place particular emphasis on how discrimination shapes health outcomes in Indigenous communities, and we seek to identify the personal, social, and cultural resources that foster resilience.
RESEARCH STREAM 1
Cross-Group Friendships
Contact between members of diverse social groups can be enriching and reduce prejudice. Yet, even in North America’s most diverse cities (e.g., Toronto, Montreal), people tend to form their closest, most enduring relationships with others from the same race. What is it about the cross-race experience that makes deeply committed interracial friendships less common than we might expect? The CUSP Lab investigates the psychological, physiological, social, and contextual factors that shape the formation, depth, and durability of cross-race friendships — including the barriers that hinder them and the conditions that help them thrive. These studies are part of a broader research program in the CUSP Lab aimed at understanding how meaningful connections form across lines of difference.
RESEARCH STREAM 2
Discrimination, Stress & Health
Discrimination is a powerful psychosocial stressor, but people respond to it in different ways. The CUSP Lab seeks to understand why. We examine how personal vulnerabilities and sources of resilience shape the mental and physical health consequences of discrimination. Our work approaches the link between discrimination, stress, and health from a life course perspective. We are also deeply interested in vicarious discrimination — how one person’s experiences of being targeted can affect the health and well-being of their close partners, families, and communities. In doing so, we explore not only how harm is experienced directly, but how it reverberates across social networks. These questions guide a core line of inquiry into the social transmission of stress and inequality.
RESEARCH STREAM 3
Physiological Synchrony
When people interact, their physiological arousal can become coordinated — a phenomenon known as physiological synchrony. This alignment occurs across a range of relationships and contexts: between romantic partners in conflict, friends engaged in play, or strangers forming new connections. We explore what physiological synchrony reveals about emotional connection, shared stress, and relationship quality — and how it may support or undermine performance, health, and well-being. These questions guide a robust line of research in the CUSP Lab on the physiological dynamics of human connection. These questions shape an ongoing program of research in the CUSP Lab focused on the physiological dynamics of human connection.
Get Involved.
APPLY TO BE A
Volunteer
At the Carleton University Social Psychophysiology Lab (CUSP), we study how the body responds to social life — from moments of connection and conflict to experiences of discrimination and support. Our research combines traditional methods from experimental psychology with physiological measures to better understand the interpersonal processes that shape well-being and health.
By volunteering in the CUSP Lab, you’ll contribute to meaningful research on human relationships, stress, and health — and play a role in expanding knowledge that can benefit individuals and communities alike.
Dr. Danyluck accepts new undergraduate volunteers throughout the year. Interested students should be prepared to commit 4–8 hours per week. To apply, please complete a lab application and submit it along with an unofficial transcript and current CV to the CUSP Lab Manager.
APPLY TO BE A
Graduate Student
As a Master’s or Ph.D. student in the CUSP Lab, you’ll have the opportunity to integrate psychophysiological methods into your own research. Psychophysiology is a powerful approach that offers rich insights into the connection between social experience and physiological responses — and can meaningfully deepen the psychological literature.
Dr. Danyluck is one of the few researchers in Ottawa specializing in psychophysiology. Under his supervision, you can gain hands-on experience using physiological measures such as heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature to explore how interpersonal dynamics shape health and well-being.
Please note: Dr. Danyluck will be on sabbatical and not accepting graduate student applications for Fall 2026.
THE CUSP LAB
1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6
THE CUSP LAB 