Hi, this is Serena!

I’m a mixed-method researcher and strategist with a quant+qual background in psychology, marketing, and data science.

I bring over 4 years of experience in GenAI, VR, and hardware and software products across fast-paced consulting, in-house teams, and startups.

My research philosophy is rooted in seeing users as humans, not just data points. Through observation, inquiry, and deep listening, I uncover hidden wants, needs, and emotions. By leading teams to decode user behavior, I translate insights into market-ready innovations, helping stakeholders and teams design with purpose and truly connect with their audience.

I’m skilled at developing data-driven product strategies with empathy, patience, and storytelling to drive inclusive, impactful solutions that balance business goals with user needs.

Moving from Business to Behavioral Science

What I do (and do well)

I have a Master’s in Experimental Psychology from NYU, with a focus on psycho-social consumer behavior research. My expertise include:
- Data-driven decision making (Tableau/SQL/JMP)
- Advanced statistical analysis (SPSS)
- Regression and multivariate modeling (R)
- Programming (Python)
- Research on simulations and games for learning
- Design thinking
- Consumer research methods
- Psychological effects of children’s media
- Cognitive neuroscience
- In-depth Interview
- Usability Testing
- Contextual Inquiry
- Card Sorting
- Competitive Analysis
- Concept Testing
- Statistical Analysis
- Survey Design & Analysis,
- A/B Testing
- Eye-tracking
- Ethnography
- Journey Mapping
- Multivariate Testing
- Persona Development
- Heuristic Analysis
- Think Aloud Protocol
- Benchmarking
- Server Log Analysis
- R (tidyverse, stats, caret)
- Python (Numpy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Modeling: Linear Regression, K-means, Tree-Based)
- SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL)
- SPSS, STATA
- Google Analytics
- Tableau, JMP
- Qualtrics, SuveyMonk
- UserZoom, UserInterview, UserTesting,
- Figma, Miro, FigJam, Jira, Confluence
- Microsoft Excel (Pivot Table, VLOOKUP, index/match, sumif)

Originally, my academic focus was Financial Modeling and Behavioral Economics during my bachelor’s degree. This foundation gave me a unique business perspective and strong quantitative analysis in the consumer research process.

What truly excited me was exploring the human behavior side of business research, like how Amazon's purchase of the Washington Post influenced investors‘ decision-making. I am particularly interested in innovative product design, which inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in Psychology and UX/CX Research, to be more involved in understanding people’s motivation and behavior.