Lab CoordinatorS
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Sam earned her B.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook in May 2017 with magna cum laude honors. She is interested primarily in child anxiety and how individualized childhood interventions help children succeed in emotional and social development and lessen severity of symptoms.
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Debi received her master's degree in May 2016 in the Department of Theatre Arts here at Stony Brook University. She is very excited to be working with Dr. Lerner in fusing the arts and sciences in research regarding children with ASD. Debi's primary role in the SCTL is as an interventionist in our Social Groups for Youth with ASD and as our Project Coordinator for upcoming studies.
Lee Ann is an undergraduate Biochemistry major on the pre-med track. She is interested in understanding how children with ASD view the world and how different methods of intervention can enhance their social interactions. She was a member of our Spotlight Summer Study 2015 Coding Team and our Social Groups.
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Rebecca received her MS in health and social psychology from Maastricht University in February 2017. She is interested in social interaction differences between children with and without ASD.
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clinical ConsultantS
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Rebecca is a licensed social worker who has worked with children, adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders for over a decade. She currently works at the Developmental Disabilities Institute’s Center of Excellence, a New York State grant to improve quality of care for individuals with ASD living in residential care. Her other clinical interests include groups-based social skills interventions for children and adolescents and successful college experiences (academically and socially) for students with ASD.
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As a Licensed Psychologist in New York and Virginia, Dr. Lea A. Theodore currently serves as a clinical consultant in the Social Competence and Treatment Lab at Stony Brook University. Having worked in academic settings as a researcher, professor, and graduate program director, as well as in private practice conducting applied service work, she is especially passionate about empirically supported, efficacious, and equitable service provision for children and adolescents across multiple settings. Her career focus has been on promoting science, practice, and policy surrounding the development of effective and efficient intervention strategies to improve student academic and behavioral functioning.
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Ph.D. Students
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Heather is in her fourth year of the Integrative Neuroscience Ph.D. program, where her primary mentor is Dr. Patricia Whitaker-Azmitia. She is interested in research on the neurophysiological underpinnings of autism.
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Erin is in her fourth year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is interested in understanding various and complex factors underlying developmental disabilities, ASD in particular, and in interventions for addressing socio-emotional challenges in children and adolescents with ASD.
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Tamara is in her fourth year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is interested in evidence-based interventions for ASD, and novel approaches that may improve intervention efficacy. She is also interested in the study of ASD comorbidities, and how they add to our understanding of the ASD phenotype.
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Cara is in her third year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is interested in studying social motivation in individuals with ASD and in the development of naturalistic neuroimaging and behavioral paradigms that capture this phenomenon.
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Alan is in his second year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. He is interested in identifying predictors of variability in treatment outcomes by examining mechanisms of therapeutic change in individuals with ASD. Ultimately, his goal is to maximize patient benefit through individualizing interventions.
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Tessa is in her second year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is interested in studying the underlying neural mechanisms of cognitive flexibility and social behavior. She is also interested in developing targeted interventions for children and adolescences with impairments within these domains. Her primary mentor is Dr. Johanna Jarcho.
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Elizabeth is in her fifth year of the Cognitive Science Ph.D. program, where her primary mentor is Dr. Christian Luhmann. She is interested in decision making behavior and the electrophysiological correlates of reward processing. At the SCTL she studies how the brain processes information about social situations.
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Erin is in her first year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is interested in exploring the heterogeneity of ASD behavioral phenotypes, including symptom presentation in girls and individuals without intellectual disability. She aims to optimize intervention strategies for individuals with ASD by identifying factors which mediate and moderate intervention outcomes, and exploring the use of electrophysiological methods to measure and predict variability in individuals’ response to treatment.
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Jiaqi is in her third year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is interested in studying the romantic relationship functioning. She is also interested in developing targeted interventions for adolescences and adults with difficulties in romantic relationships. Her primary mentor is Dr. Joanne Davila.
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Visiting scholars
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Juan is a visiting scholar from the University of Trento, Italy. He is a second year PhD candidate in Computer Science. In 2010 and 2014 he received a BS and MSc in Electrical Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia respectively. He is interested in characterizing empathy and Theory-of-Mind (ToM) measures from neural correlates, thus evaluating the prediction of emotion, ToM scores, and behavioral outcome measures in ASD population using neural responses and stimuli features.
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Master's Students
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Caitlin graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Applied Psychology. She continued her research there after graduation at the Koegel Autism Center and is now a Psychology Master's student at SBU. She is interested in comorbid mental health disorders with ASD, particularly how social deficits affect the onset of psychiatric conditions and how best to treat mental health disorders in the ASD population.
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Cat graduated May 2017 from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Cognitive Science and a minor in Psychology. She is currently in the MA Program in Psychology. Ultimately, she would like to do research concerning visual processing in ASD and consider how this may correlate with other developmental differences seen in ASD.
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Russell graduated from Hofstra University in 2016 with a B.A. in
Psychology and a Minor in Neuroscience. He is currently a student in the Neuroscience M.S. program. His research interests are in neuropsychology, neuroimaging, psychophysiology and disorder/disease etiology, particularly in how gaining a better understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD and ADHD can lead to improved treatment methods. |
Lab Volunteers
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Nicole earned her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from SBU in January 2015. She is interested in siblings with autism, such has how having a sibling with ASD may affect the way one goes on to raise their own children. She plans to go on to a Psy.D program in Clinical Psychology. Nicole was working on the ASD Usual Care Study and now mainly helps in our Social Groups.
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Paul earned his B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Western State Colorado University in May 2015. He is interested in Developmental and Educational Psychology, and plans on returning to school for a PhD in Human Development Research. He is mainly involved in helping out with our Social Groups.
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Undergraduate Research Assistants
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Christopher is an undergraduate studying Psychology with a concentration in Biology. He is interested research on individuals with ASD, particularly family life, social perception, and communication impediments. Chris currently focuses his lab time on PASI, as well as Social Groups and Seeing the Social World.
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Denisse is an undergraduate Psychology and Biology double major with a concentration in Neuroscience. She is interested on how ethnic and cultural factors affect the phenotypic expression of ASD, and also is very interested in the neurobiological phenomena pertaining to different disorders. Denisse is most involved in Social Groups and PASI.
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Amanda is an undergraduate Biology major on the Pre-Med track and serves as the Events Coordinator for the Autism Awareness Club on campus. In lab, she is very interested in studying the neurological function of ASD patients and in learning about how to optimize psychotherapeutic interventions. Amanda is currently working on the PASI study.
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Heather is an undergraduate Psychology major on the pre-med track. She is interested in the complex neurological functions of ASD along with the neurological similarities seen in various comorbidities, particularly anxiety disorders. Heather is mainly involved in our Social Groups.
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Veronica is an undergraduate Psychology major and Chemistry minor. She plans on going to graduate school for School Psychology and is interested in combining her passion for working with children with her interest in Social and Clinical Psychology. Veronica is most involved in Social Groups and our Recruitment Team.
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Chris is an undergraduate Psychology major with a concentration in Sociology. He is interested in task switching and emotionally-influenced task performance in children with ASD. He plans to go to graduate school for a Ph.D in Psychology. Chris is primarily working as a coder on our coding team for the ASD Usual Care Study.
Kimberly Tena
Kim is an undergraduate Psychology and Sociology double major. Kim is interested in understanding how culture impacts how individuals experience autism, in addition to the transition to adulthood for people with ASD. She plans on attending graduate school for occupational therapy. Kim is involved in the Initial Proctoring and Reports Teams.
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Lauren Moskowitz
Lauren is an undergraduate chemistry major. She is interested in the complexity of relationships for children with ASD, as well as using brain imaging to understand overall functioning. She plans on joining the Peace Corps before moving on to graduate school.
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Fatema is an undergraduate Psychology major on the pre-med track with a concentration in neuroscience. She is interested in studying the social interactions of children with ASD and how different approaches can enhance their relationships. Fatema is currently a member of the Coding Team for the ASD Usual Care Study.
Joseph Tirella
Joe is an undergraduate Psychology major with a minor in political science. He is currently pursuing an interest in Nursing, with hopes of one day becoming a Nurse practitioner in the mental health field.
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Nawrin is an undergraduate biology major on the pre-med track with a specialization in bioinformatics. She is interested in studying different ways communication can be improved among children with ASD. She plans on going to medical school to receive an M.D. and go in to pediatric care. She is currently a member of the Coding Team for the ASD Usual Care Study.
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Hira is an interdisciplinary undergraduate Biology major with a minor in Chemistry on the Pre-Med track. She is interested in becoming a psychiatrist or a pediatrician. She is interested in the effects of ASD on the formation of friendships in childhood and their development later on throughout life. She also hopes to study the biological and neurological impact of ASD.
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Alexa is an undergraduate Biology major and Chemistry minor on the pre-med track. Alexa hopes to learn more about the neurological and physiological aspects of ASD and the role it plays in the lives of children. Alexa aspires to become a pediatric surgeon or pediatric anesthesiologist.
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Kevin Carroll is a double major in Psychology and Biology. Having a diagnosis on the spectrum himself, he is interested in all aspects of autism research, particularly relating to the development of social skills, the reduction of familial stress, and all forms of autism interventions/therapies.
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Zaineb is an undergraduate psychology major with a minor in Studio Art. She is looking to pursue her Masters in Art Therapy so she can go on to help children who are unable to verbalize their mental illnesses and/or trauma. She joined the SCTL lab to better understand behavioral patterns and social developments in children. Zaineb is part of our Recruitment Team here at SCTL.
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Cindy is an undergraduate Health Science major with a concentration in Disability Studies and Human Development and minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is planning to go to nursing school after graduation. Cindy is a member of the Coding Team. She currently works as a direct support professional for Maryhaven Center of Hope and is particularly interested in improving the quality of care for adults with ASD living in residential programs. She is also interested in learning more about psychiatric comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder.
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Micaela is an undergraduate Psychology major with a concentration in Women’s Studies. She is interested in the intricacies of the formation of friendships in childhood. Micaela plans on going to graduate school for Clinical Psychology and conducting research in order to help generate new knowledge on the mind and behavior.
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Olivia is an undergraduate student at Stony Brook University, majoring in Biology on a Pre-Medical Track. She is most interested in how her participation in research can improve the social interactions of those with social deficits specifically by developing new interventions to help those affected and their families.
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Emily is an undergraduate double majoring in Biology and English and will be obtaining her Master’s in Teaching here at Stony Brook University. She is interested in studying the neurological complexities of ASD and in learning about how this knowledge can be applied to improve treatment for those who have been diagnosed.
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Dilsa is an undergraduate Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience and Chemistry minor. She dedicates her time to working with the underserved Hispanic community. She is passionate to learn more about the social interactions of children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She intends on going to medical school and will dedicate her time working with the general public.
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Tiffaney is an undergraduate Linguistics major with a focus on Speech-Language Pathology. She plans on going to graduate to school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist and work with young children. She is interested in learning about communication and how it varies within the spectrum of ASD, specifically with those who are non-verbal.
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Lydia is an undergraduate student studying Psychology. She has grown up being a passionate advocate for autism in support for her brother who is a child with ASD. She has worked as a Teacher's Assistant and aid for children with special needs. Lydia was drawn to the SCTL lab in hopes to continue her experience working with children with ASD and staying involved in the autism community while also continuing her education to become a Behavioral Analyst.
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Suzanne is an undergraduate Biology major and Spanish minor, on the pre-medical track. She aspires to become a pediatrician in the future. Suzanne is interested in learning how Biology and Psychology influence social interactions, behavior and the development of children and adults with and without ASD.
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Megan is an undergraduate Psychology and Sociology double major. She is interested in studying how certain personality dispositions in early childhood may influence the development of anxiety disorders or depression later in life and intervention strategies to prevent or lessen the severity of such disorders. She currently works as a recreational therapist and she is planning to go to graduate school to obtain a PhD in developmental psychology.
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