When we say Gather is designed to be deleted, we mean it. The Gather Labs team works on understanding what makes a Gather match successful, so they can make your next first date your last first date.
The Focus
What the team researches.
The Gather Labs team studies the dating journeys of Gather daters from download to date to deletion, so they can fine-tune all of the elements that make a difference.
01
First Impressions
The Gather Labs team studies what makes for successful dating profiles, analyzing everything from photo themes to what a dater’s prompt answers communicates about their values.
02
Better Matches
Gather is in the business of better matches, not just more matches. The Labs team uses your likes to learn your type so Gather can personalize the kinds of people you see on the app.
03
Building Connections
When the chemistry is right, it can feel like magic—but there’s science to it too. Gather Labs researches how messaging and audio or video calling can help you know if you’re a good match, so you can go on in-person dates that go beyond being good on paper.
04
Dating Burnout
Dating burnout is real. Instead of keeping you in a delete-reinstall cycle, the Gather Labs team puts time into learning what leads to burnout and how to minimize it.
05
You
Above all, the Labs team knows what works for one person won’t work for everyone. So they’re always working toward providing you with custom insights that will lead to your breakthrough moment.
The Gather Labs Team
Meet your experts.
Meet the multidisciplinary insights team that answers the biggest questions about dating with actionable insights and app features.
Dr. Elaine Cheung
Senior UX Researcher
Dr. Elaine Cheung is an expert in using quantitative and qualitative user experience research to study belonging, emotion, and romantic relationships. She helps users assess chemistry and build intimacy on (and off) Gather. Dr. Cheung has a PhD in Social Psychology and was a faculty member at Northwestern University, conducting applied behavioral science research. She’s been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Current Directions in Psychological Science.
Dr. Emily Hittner
Director of Research
Dr. Emily Hittner is a relationship science expert focusing on connecting and maintaining romantic relationships, and the intersection of online dating and well-being. She’s on a mission to decrease burnout and promote healthy relationships on Gather. Dr. Hittner has a PhD in Human Development and Social Policy and a M.S. in Statistics at Northwestern University. Her research has been published in journals like Psychological Science, Emotion, and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Logan Ury
Director of Relationship Science
Logan Ury is a behavioral scientist turned dating coach. She Gather’s translator, turning academic insights from behavioral and relationship science into practical, accessible advice for daters. After studying psychology at Harvard, Ury ran Google’s behavioral science team, the Irrational Lab. She’s the author of bestselling book, How To Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, TIME, The Washington Post, GQ, Glamour, and Vice.
Jordana Rosenberg
Data Analyst, Business Intelligence
Jordana Rosenberg leverages data to understand user behavior. She analyzes data around conversation dynamics like days spent on messaging, number of messages, and response times to figure out what leads to the most successful outcomes on Gather. Rosenberg earned a BS in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, after which she pivoted to a B2B software company where she fostered her burgeoning interest in Product Analytics.
Research Methods
The Lab
The Gather Labs team bridges relationship, emotion, and behavioral science with user experience research, business intelligence analytics, and data science to unlock insights about love and dating.