The ABSL Team
Dr. Hans Rocha IJzerman
Hans is an award-winning scholar, author of Heartwarming, co-founder of In Mind Magazine, Psychological Science Accelerator, and the Collaborative Replications and Education Project. He is one of the leading voices in the psychological reform movement.
Miguel Silan
Migs is psychological science researcher and methodologist whose work with various organizations on-the-ground materially improved the lives of everyday Filipinos.
Nica Marie Julienne Ciruelas
Nica is a researcher in psychological science, who is interested in Filipino psychology and constructs.
Yacine Bouatrous
Yacine Bouatrous leads the business development efforts of ABSL. He focuses on bridging research with impactful solutions for corporate well-being.
Nathaniel Sabater
Nathaniel supports ABSL’s research projects by bringing a behavioral science lens to topics like health promotion, behavior change, and the psychology of religion.
Pauline Therese Toren
Pauline is a psychological science researcher whose interests center on applied behavioral science, social psychology, and developmental psychology constructs.
Rissa Coronel
Rissa shapes how ABSL’s insights are seen, felt, and understood, crafting human-centered narratives and designs that make science more intuitive and alive.
More about us
Dr. Hans Rocha IJzerman is a Dutch psychological scientist and former basketball player dedicated to the advancement of open science and the rigorous study of social connection. As the author of Heartwarming, Hans has explored the fundamental role of human connection in shaping our lives, earning him recognition as a leader in the study of social relationships. He co-founded initiatives such as In-Mind Magazine, the Psychological Science Accelerator, and the Collaborative Replications and Education Project, each reflecting his commitment to transparency and collaboration in scientific research.
His academic journey took him from St. Vincent College to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Utrecht University, and he has been an influential force in advancing behavioral science reform. Hans’ work bridges the academic and public spheres, and he frequently shares insights with broader audiences through media like The New York Times, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today. Now at Annecy Behavioral Science Lab, he focuses on developing innovative tools for measuring and enhancing social connection, all while mentoring a new generation of scientists dedicated to impactful, ethical research.
Miguel Silan is a psychological science researcher and methodologist from the Philippines. He took is M.A. in Social Psychology (minor in Organizational Psychology) in the University of the Philippines Diliman and is undertaking his PhD in Psychology in the Université Lumière Lyon 2. He focuses on meta-methodology (when do our methods work and fail?) especially with methods for vulnerable populations. In his role as a methodologist, he has worked with various organizations on-the-ground to improve the lives of everyday Filipinos – having worked with Save the Children Philippines, Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center, National Research Council of the Philippines, Ateneo Policy Center and Social and Political Psychology Laboratory – UP Diliman.
Miguel Silan also serves as the Assistant Director of the Psychological Science Accelerator, a globally distributed network of laboratories across more than 80 countries. He focuses on engaging scholars from developing nations, and in rethinking how to do large-scale multi-country collaborations. His current projects focus on the philosophy of psychometrics, especially across cultures. He tackles the methodological and measurement problems of fuzzy constructs in psychology.
Nica Marie Jullienne Ciruelas (Nica) serves as the Head of People and Flourishing at ABSL, where she leads people operations and spearheads humanistic management initiatives focused on employee well-being and organizational flourishing. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of the Philippines Cebu (magna cum laude). Her research interests span social psychology and Filipino psychology, with particular emphasis on cultural constructs and their application in organizational settings. At ABSL, she applies her expertise in behavioral science to create positive workplace environments and develop programs that foster both individual growth and collective success.
Yacine Bouatrous obtained a BA in Global Business Management from Regent’s University London before gaining experience in various organizational functions in both the public and private sectors. He then embarked on a career in media project management, where he addressed critical issues through journalism, particularly focusing on human rights in the North Africa region. He currently leads business development efforts and marketing initiatives.
Pauline Therese Toren (Pauline) holds the position of administrative coordinator and project manager at ABSL. She manages research implementation, stakeholder coordination, and helps to ensure smooth project operations of the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF) project—a multicountry investigation into how people conceptualize and experience social connection, social isolation, and loneliness across diverse cultural contexts.
She also provides administrative support for the LONELY-EU project, contributing to research initiatives focused on loneliness and social connection in European communities. Previously, she worked as a researcher for a behavioral science company, collaborating on a project with the USAID RenewHealth initiative to implement evidence-based interventions. Pauline earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines Cebu, where she developed a strong foundation in psychological research and behavioral science. She is a psychological science researcher whose interests center on applied behavioral science, social psychology, and developmental psychology constructs.
Maria Clarissa A. Coronel (Rissa) is ABSL’s Science Communication and UX Design Specialist, where she crafts human-centered experiences that translate behavioral science into access and impact. She is a licensed psychologist and psychometrician with a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and a BS Psychology degree (minor in English Literature) from Ateneo de Manila University.
Rissa brings together a background in research, practice, advocacy, and the humanities to shape how ABSL’s work is understood and experienced, from public-facing reports to interactive tools. Outside the behavioral sciences lab, she is a practicing clinician at We Thrive Consultancy and Wellbeing Services Inc. and an arts/culture writer.
Nathaniel Sabater is a Junior Researcher at ABSL, where he contributes to the lab’s research on behavioral health, psychological well-being, and social connection. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Far Eastern University (summa cum laude) and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of the Philippines. His academic interests include behavioral health and change, health promotion, and the psychology of religion, with a focus on applying scientific insights to practical, human-centered interventions. Currently tasked with perusing related literature, Nathaniel supports ABSL’s mission by helping execute studies that translate research into action.