Steven R. Carter, Ph.D.

Senior Director of Research and Development

Dr. Carter is the Senior Director of Research and Development at eHarmony.com. As part of the team that developed the eHarmony business model from research concept to enterprise, Dr. Carter has led the development, testing, implementation, validation and ongoing improvement of relationship compatibility models which power the eHarmony matching service. Previously, Dr. Carter conducted research on cognitive development and complex problem solving at the University of Southern California, where he received his Ph.D. in psychology. Dr. Carter is a native of Northern California, and received his BA in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Gian Gonzaga, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Gonzaga brings expertise in relationship, emotion and health psychology to eHarmony Labs. At the Labs, Dr. Gonzaga is researching initial attraction and will direct one of the largest, and most comprehensive longitudinal study of marriage to date.

Prior to joining eHarmony Dr. Gonzaga worked with world-renowned marriage researcher Dr. Thomas Bradbury at the University of California, Los Angeles. There he researched the factors that led to marital success as part of an 11-year study of married couples. He also worked with Dr. Shelley Taylor, a leading expert in how social relationships buffer individuals against stress.

He has taught, presented and published extensively on topics relating to relationships, love and health, and has received numerous honors and awards for his work, including the prestigious National Science foundation minority Predoctoral Fellowship and Psi Chi National Undergraduate Research Competition.

Dr. Gonzaga is a member of several professional and academic associations including the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships

Dr. Gonzaga holds a doctorate in Personality-Social Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Patrick Giordani, Ph.D.

Director of Matching

As director of Matching Satisfaction, Dr. Giordani is responsible for creating and enhancing users’ matching experience at eHarmony. He brings with him expertise in statistical research and methodology, as well as domain expertise in stress and burnout, interpersonal rapport, and person perception.

Prior to joining eHarmony, Dr. Giordani headed Yahoo!’s click fraud department, leading a multidisciplinary team of researchers and computer scientists. He has worked as a research design consultant for many Fortune 100 companies. Dr. Giordani is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside.

Dr. Giordani holds a Doctorate in Personality-Social Psychology from the University of California, Riverside, and a Masters degree in Behavior Genetics from the California State University at Fullerton.

Erina Lee, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

As a research scientist, Dr. Lee is responsible for developing studies related to relationship processes and applying research findings and theories to related product lines.  She is also involved in the support and advancement of the online research labs.

Prior to joining eHarmony, Dr. Lee studied relationship functioning and outcomes, including maintenance behaviors in married couples as well as deception and emotional outcomes in dating relationships.  In addition to her knowledge in the field of romantic relationships, Dr. Lee brings applicable research skills from her 6 years in the healthcare industry.

Dr. Lee holds a doctorate in Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Amy Strachman, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Dr. Strachman brings expertise in motivation and relationships to eHarmony Labs. She has presented and published extensively on her work relating to commitment, motivation, support, and relationships; and has received numerous honors and awards including the prestigious Predoctoral National Research Service Award from NIMH and the American Psychological Association’s Dissertation Research Award.

Prior to joining eHarmony, she worked with Dr. Shelly Gable at UCLA, where they examined the processes contributing to successful dating relationships. Dr. Strachman was also a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern California investigating motivation and risky decision-making, and was an adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation assisting with the Media and Adolescent Sexual Behavior project.

She holds a Doctorate in Social Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Arizona.

Heather Setrakian, MA

Research Associate and Project Coordinator

Ms. Setrakian blends her research and coordination experience into the research team at eHarmony Labs.

Ms. Setrakian came to eHarmony Labs after working as the project coordinator and principal interviewer in The Marriage and Family Development Project at the University of California, Los Angeles. It was there she began to research responsiveness between married couples in Dr. Bradbury’s ongoing study.  Ms. Setrakian extends her research endeavors here at eHarmony Labs in the hopes of building interventions that support and strengthen relationships.  Currently she is the co-investigator of the Interpersonal Communication study and the forthcoming Longitudinal Study of Marriage.

Ms. Setrakian is a member of and presented at several professional and academic associations including, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the International Association for Relationship Research.

Ms. Setrakian received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. Her undergraduate degree of Psychology and American Literature was awarded from University of California, Los Angeles.

Jacqueline A. Martin, BA

Research Assistant

As Research Assistant in the eHarmony Research and Development Department, Jacqueline Martin assists all the researchers with all the technical aspects of a research survey, from survey design and launch to data gathering and analysis.

Prior to joining the Research and Development Department, Ms. Martin was a member of the Customer Care team for one year. During that year, she used her technical expertise in web design and computer support along with her years of customer service to assist in improving the customer experience. She was promoted into Research and Development because her extensive technical experience made her an asset to the department.

Ms. Martin studied Political Science at the University of La Verne, earning a Bachelor’s Degree.