Former Project Directors
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Melissa Palatucci, PsyD
Dr. Palatucci is a clinical psychologist who joined the lab in April 2020 as the Program Director of the ASD Residential Training for Staff at USAH (ARTS-U) Project. In addition to working for SCTL, she is a psychologist in the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. Her previous Stony Brook University experience includes serving as a counselor for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Prior to coming to Stony Brook, Dr. Palatucci was the Chief Psychologist and Training Director for the Quad Preparatory School in Manhattan, a school for twice-exceptional (2e) students that fully integrates social and emotional learning with engaging academics. She received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego.
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| Dr. Palatucci CV |
Former lab coordinators
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Rebecca graduated in 2014 from Stony Brook with a B.A. in Psychology, minoring in Philosophy. She is interested in researching how differences between informants (parent, teacher, self, observer) may provide insight into subjective social functioning in children and adults with ASD. Becca is currently in her first year of Stony Brook University's Clinical Psychology PhD program working with Dr. Nicholas Eaton.
Samantha Sommer, B.A.
Sam earned her B.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook in May 2017 with magna cum laude honors. She is interested in child anxiety and how individual differences can affect treatment outcomes inside and outside of lab settings. Sam will be continuing her education at the University of Maryland this fall and will be pursuing a doctorate degree in School Psychology!
Lee Ann Santore
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 Bianchi, MSc.
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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Divya Kumar
Divya is an undergraduate Biochemistry major on the Pre-Med track. She is interested in learning about how ASD and ADHD influence social interactions in developing children.
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Heather graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors in Psychology in May 2018. She is interested in comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and how they play a role within the autism spectrum, and eventually hopes to apply her knowledge and experiences through a career in medicine. She actively trains SCTL team members on how to use our data collection platform and has helped create all of our surveys that families use to answer questions. Heather plans on applying to Medical School after graduation.
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Ayla graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Honors College in December 2017. She has worked both in research and clinical settings with young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is interested in assessing intervention programs for individuals with ASD. In the future she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
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Joseph Giacomantonio, B.S.
Joe is an undergraduate Psychology major and is interested in understanding and further probing the heterogeneity of those diagnosed with ASD. Joe is excited to work with Dr. Lerner to further the research into ASD and the way it effects interactions and the way those with ASD perceive the world
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Nathaniel Iskhakov, B.A
Nate graduated Stony Brook University with a BA in Political Science in May 2020. Nate was a RA and member of both the initials and reports team at SCTL for 3 years. Nate is excited to begin recruiting families and hosting interventions with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. In the future he hopes to pursue an MD and specialize in pediatrics.
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Malia Lundahl, B.A.
Malia is currently a nursing student with a B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in learning which types of interventions are most effective for building social skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as what factors, such as gender, influence their effectiveness. Malia helps run community outreach for the lab
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Darsiya Krishnathasan
Darsiya is an undergraduate majoring in Biology on the pre-med track. She is interested in working with SCTL and clinical research, hoping to learn more about how social interactions and communication can be improved among children with ASD
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FORMER POST-DOCTORAL SCHOLARS
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Angela Turner Dougherty, Ph.D
Dr. Dougherty graduated from the clinical psychology program at Gallaudet University, in Washington, DC, with a specialization in working with individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Her clinical training has focused on psychological assessment and cognitive-behaviorally informed therapy for individuals with developmental differences. Her research interests include resilience processes in the presence of developmental and learning differences.
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Peter Felsman, Ph.D
Peter received his Ph.D. in social work and social psychology at the University of Michigan. His dissertation focuses on understanding improvisational theater as a psychological intervention.
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Cynthia Brown, Ph.D
Cynthia is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University. In addition to her work with SCTL, she is a clinician at the Mind Body Clinical Research Center and on the Pediatric Psychiatry unit at Stony Brook University Hospital. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Missouri and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas. Her research interests include the investigation of risk factors for aggressive and other disruptive behaviors in youths with autism spectrum disorder and the development and evaluation of family-based treatments for serious mental health problems, especially externalizing disorders, in children and adolescents.
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Former Ph.D. Students
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Meg earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University in 2015. She completed her dissertation study, "Getting to Know Siblings of Youth with ASD: A Model of Risk and Resilience" in the SCTL, a.k.a. the ASD Sibling Survey. Meg went on to complete a postdoc at the Yale Child Study Center. She is now clinical faculty at the UC Davis MIND Institute where she continues to provide services and conduct research related to youth with developmental disabilities.
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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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Heather Garman, M.A.
Heather is in her fifth 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 fifth 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.
Erin is currently on clinical internship at AHRC in New York City. |
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Tamara received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University in August 2020 under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew Lerner. Her dissertation was entitled, "The structure of co-occurring anxiety and depression symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder." She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at JFK Partners in the Section of Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado. Her research interests include 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 fifth 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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former master's students
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Tamara Abu-Ramadan, B.S.
Tamara graduated from Syracuse University in May of 2017 with a B.S. in Psychology and Neuroscience. Upon graduating, she worked as the research coordinator for Dr. Kevin Antshel's ADHD Lifespan Treatment, Education and Research Lab. She is currently in the MA program at Stony Brook University. Tamara is interested in how family factors and culture influence the development of a disorder and treatment outcomes. She is also interested in developing more culturally sensitive evidence based treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD.
Karys Normansell, B.A.
Karys graduated from University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2015 with a B.A. and disciplinary honors in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. She worked as a research coordinator and ABA therapist before joining the MA program at Stony Brook. Her research interests include reciprocal friendships between children and adolescents with ASD and their typically-developing peers and how these relationships relate to social skills development in the ASD population. She is also interested in how issues such as social anxiety and comorbid disorders affect social skills and friendship in the ASD population.
Caitlin Reeves, B.A.
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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Catherine Halpern, B.A.
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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Christine O'Brien, M.A.
Christine earned a Masters degree at Stony Brook University in May 2017. She is interested in studying the interventions available to children and families working through social and pragmatic deficits in children and teenagers. During her time at SCTL, she was mostly involved in Social Groups. Christine is attending St. John's University and working towards a Psy.D in School Psychology!
Alexander Mulhall, M.A.
Alexander graduated from Stony Brook in May 2017 with his Masters in Psychology. He’s currently a TA in the Young Autism Program at DDI. He’s interested in understanding the causes of differences in social motivation within the ASD population and how they can help improve interventions. During his time with SCTL, Alex was mainly involved in Social Groups, PASI, and our Recruitment Team.
Lauren Wagler, M.A.
Lauren graduated from SBU with her Masters in Psychology in May 2017. She has worked with children with ASD at the Developmental Disabilities Institute, and with typically-developing children at Stony Brook Childcare. She is interested in improving intervention efficacy and in developing novel treatments for some of the more challenging behaviors seen in the ASD population. During her time in SCTL, Lauren helped out mainly in Social Groups and the PASI study.
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Anthony graduated from SBU in May 2016 with a Masters in Psychology. During his time at SCTL, Anthony diligently helped in a variety of projects, especially PASI and Social Groups. Anthony is now pursuing his research and career interests as a Lab Coordinator at Rush University's Autism Assessment, Research, and Treatment Services (AARTS) Center in Chicago, Illinois.
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Christopher Kleva, M.A
Chris graduated in 2014 from King’s College with a B.A. in Psychology, minoring in Neuroscience and is a recent graduate of the Masters of Psychology program at Stony Brook. He is interested in working with children who are deaf and are diagnosed with ASD. In his spare time, he serves as a volunteer firefighter for West Islip and works as a Behavior Counselor for children with ASD and behavioral issues. |
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Leanne Zinn, M.A
Leanne earned her M.A. in Psychology at Stony Brook in 2016. In addition to lending a hand in various projects at SCTL, Leanne works in the lab of Dr. Joanne Davila exploring relationship competence, and is particularly interested in researching the nuances of romantic functioning in individuals with ASD. |
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Sarah Lewis, B.A
Sarah Lewis is a post baccalaureate student at Stony Brook. She is interested in child psychology and the correlation between children with ASD and the presence of other psychological conditions. Sarah is currently applying to medical schools and intends to pursue pediatric medicine. She was a member of the Spotlight Summer Study 2015 team and helped us with our Social Groups. |
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Jacquelyn Gates, M.A.
Jacquelyn joined the SCTL in June 2014, and in May 2015 earned her M.A. in Psychology from SBU, during which time she developed methods for and oversaw the ASD Usual Care Study. She is particularly interested in evidence based practice and intervention for ASD. Jackie assisted the SCTL as Event Coordinator for the second annual CASL Conference, held in December 2015.
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Rebecca Reifler, B.S.
Rebecca graduated from Trinity College in the Spring of 2019 with a B.S in Neuroscience with a concentration in clinical/cognitive studies. During her junior and senior year she had the opportunity to intern in the Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center at the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital where brains of Autistic, Schizophrenic, and healthy control participants were compared in social situations. Now, she is enrolled in Stony Brook's MA psychology program and is interested in neuroimaging and researching a variety of neuropsychological disorders and the impact they have on the lives of those living with the disorders.
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Megan Armstrong
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. Megan is currently on our recruitment team!
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Jessica Granieri
Jessica graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Delaware in the Spring of 2018 with a BA in psychology and a minor in disability studies. Upon graduating she worked as an ABA provider for a year, prior to her acceptance into Stony Brook’s MA psychology program. Jessica is interested in exploring at what age stigma around developmental disability begins to develop and in what ways psycho-education and inclusion affects certain stigma around disabilities, as well as peer relationships. She has a secondary research interest in how anxiety disorders affect peer relationships in those with developmental disabilities, and if there is any correlation between the effectiveness of interventions which target anxiety and interventions which target social skills.
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Sydney Boateng, M.A.
Sydney graduated from Boston University in 2015 with a B.S. in Science Education and a concentration in General Sciences. She is currently a student in the Physiology and Biophysics M.S. program. She has a passion for women and children’s health and hopes to learn more about ASD and its effects on children and their families. Sydney aspires to go to medical school and specialize in psychiatry.
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FORMER VisitING scholars
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Christie Vasiliades, B.A.
Christie graduated from Manhattan College in 2013 with her BA in psychology and English and her MS in Special Education in 2016 from Dowling College. She recently finished her second year in the school psychology EdM program at Teacher's College-Columbia University. She will be moving to California in the fall to complete her third year full time internship in a high school and middle school located in Santa Clarita. Christie is part of the the assessment training team and plays a role in training undergraduate students in the measures used in the SCTL.
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Chris Gioielli, Psy.D.
Chris is a clinical psychologist in private practice at Colorado Therapy and Assessment Center in Denver, CO. He holds a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and a M.A. in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from the Institute for Spiritual Formation.
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Juan Mayor Torres, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Juan is a Research Associate in Cardiff University Brain Research and Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), UK in collaboration with prof. Christoph Teufel. He got a PhD in Computer Science from University of Trento, Italy being a visiting scholar in SCTL, and a MSc in Electrical Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia. His main research interests focus on finding significant outcome measures to predict and evaluate neural representations from individuals with ASD and construct neurofeedback and social-competence treatment using Machine Learning.
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Noy Halevy, MD
Noy is a second year pediatric resident at Stony Brook University Hospital with a strong interest in developmental and behavioral pediatrics, more specifically in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She completed her undergraduate studies at Binghamton University where she received her BA in Biology, and then continued on to Sackler School of Medicine- New York Program in Tel Aviv, Israel where she received her MD. She is looking forward to collaborating with Dr. Lerner and the rest of the team in evaluating primary care providers' knowledge of ASD symptomatology and their competence in appropriately identifying and referring these patients to the services they need.
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Bianca Marro, M.A.
Bianca graduated from Stony Brook in May 2016 with her Master's in Psychology. She just finished her second year in the school psychology EdM/BCBA program at Teacher's College-Columbia University. She currently works as a behavior and Autism consultant for Positive Behavior Supports & Consulting (PBS) and will be beginning her full time school psychology internship at West Babylon school district this fall. Bianca is part of the reports writing team, the assessment training team, and is also running Spotlight groups with adult participants in conjunction with PBS. Bianca is also completing research on co-exisiting psychiatric conditions of individuals with ASD in residential care with SCTL
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Sara Medina-Devilliers, M.A
Sara received her BA in Neuroscience and Psychology from Dartmouth College and her MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia. She is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Virginia and is currently completing her predoctoral internship at Stony Brook University. Her research uses neural, physiological, and behavioral measures investigate how the dyadic processes of social support and social interaction moderate emotional and physical health outcomes.
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FORMER Lab Volunteers
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Emily Wu
Emily is an undergraduate Biology B.S. major. She is interested in working with children and gaining more insight about individuals with ASD and how it effects their social interactions. Emily hopes to use the knowledge she gains from this research opportunity to further help children with ASD in the future.
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Caroline Downs
Caroline is an undergraduate Finance major and Biology minor. She is interested in learning more about ASD and how children with this disorder’s early social interactions affect their overall development. Caroline is on our EEG proctoring team.
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Nicole Mordekai, B.A.
Nicole graduated from Binghamton University in May 2019 with a B.A. in Economics in addition, to pursuing the Pre-Health track. She hopes to one day attend medical school and eventually pursue a career as a physician. She believes that studying the way in which individuals with ASD behave and interact in social settings is key in understanding their perspective in various environments. She hopes to gain more insight into how individuals with ASD perceive the world and their surroundings.
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Cassie Donohue
Cassie is an undergraduate double major in Biology and Spanish on a pre med track. She has an interest in clinical psychology and in working with SCTL to learn more about the social development of children with ASD. She is also a member of the Autism Awareness Club.
Jaime Mangalathu
Jaime graduated from Stony Brook University in 2018 with a B.S. in Biology/concentration in Ecology and Evolution. She is currently pursuing her M.A in Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook Medicine. She is very excited and interested to learn about the social interactions of children with and without ASD. She is interested in addiction therapy and treatment of addiction and hopes to become an addiction psychiatrist in the future.
Christopher Esposito, B.S.
Christopher graduated with a degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology in May 2018. He is interested in research on individuals with ASD, particularly family life, social perception, and communication impediments. Chris currently focuses his lab time on the Employment Study that has since been internationally spread to individuals, families, and employers who work with employees on the Autism Spectrum.
Veronica Milito, B.S.
Veronica graduated with a degree in Psychology and a Chemistry minor with magna cum laude honors in May 2018. Veronica leads our recruitment team for SCTL. She is interested in combining her passion for working with children with her interest in Social and Clinical Psychology. Veronica will be will be continuing her education at St. John's University this fall and will be pursuing a Psy.D in School Psychology!
Paul Young, B.A.
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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Abigail Zurhorst, B.A.
Abigail graduated with a BA in Psychology in May 2017. She is interested in combining clinical psychology with developmental psychology in order to work with children with disabilities to help improve their prognosis and outlook.
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Mable Lam, B.S.
Mable graduated from Stony Brook in December 2017 with a BS in Psychology. She is interested in developing ways to help children with ASD and ADHD to cope better in everyday life, and plans on returning to school for a Masters in Health Psychology.
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Nicole Saitta, B.A.
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 also helped with our Social Groups.
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Lauren graduated from SBU with a B.A. in Psychology in May 2015, and joined the SCTL as post-bacc research assistant for 1 year. She is interested in how various interventions and treatments can affect individuals with an ASD and studying which intervention is best suited for specifically which individual. Lauren is now in the Psychology Master's program at SBU and is focusing her research on cognitive psychology.
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Arjun Iyer, M.S.
Arjun completed his Master's in Anatomy and Neurobiology at Boston University in 2014, before spending a year in the SCTL. He is interested in the neurological correlates of social impairments in individuals with ASD, such as emotion regulation and theory of mind. Arjun is now in his 2nd year of the joint Developmental Psychology and Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience PhD program at University of Florida, Gainesville, under Dr. Lisa Scott.
Joseph Tirella, B.A
Joe earned his B.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook University in May 2018 with Summa Cum Laude honors. He is currently pursuing an interest in Nursing, with hopes of one day becoming a Nurse practitioner in the mental health field. Joe is currently a team member on our EEG processing and EEG proctoring teams!
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Russell Vogel, B.A.
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. |
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Alexa Gombert
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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Valarie Winter, B.A.
Valarie joined SCTL in Oct 2015. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Sociology in May 2017 at SBU. After graduating, she was a post-bacc research assistant at SCTL. Valarie was primarily on the data management and report teams, and she also helped with various projects. She is now pursuing a Master's degree in School Psychology at Adelphi University.
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Katlyn Bagarella
Katlyn recently graduated from St. John’s University in May 2019 with a major in Psychology and a minor in International Studies. She plans on earning a combined PsyD in School and Clinical Child Psychology. She is interested in developing her understanding of ASD, as well as, interventions used to ensure student success.
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Kevin Carroll, B.S.
Kevin Carroll is currently a volunteer at the SCTL, having worked at the lab for over 3 years as an undergrad research assistant. He 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 implementation of research in community settings.
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Jeremy graduated from Stony Brook University in May 2017 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Chemistry. He strives to obtain a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. He is currently working at YAI as an Assistant Behavior Intervention Specialist (ABIS), supporting individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
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FORMER Undergraduate students
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Huijin Zhou
Huijin is an undergraduate double major in Psychology and Linguistics. She hopes to go into speech language pathology in the future. Huijin developed her passion for Autism when her younger brother was diagnosed with it at the age of 3. By working with SCTL, Huijin hopes to gain experience and learn more about children with ASD from a research perspective.
Sidney Alvarado
Sidney is an undergraduate psychology B.S. major and a studio art minor. She is interested in working with children on the spectrum and plans to attend graduate school for a PhD in clinical psychology. Sidney aspires to one day start a non-profit organization for those with ASD that focuses on art therapy.
Michelle Nemirovsky
Michelle is an undergraduate Biology major on a pre-health track, minoring in Business Management and Professional Writing. She hopes to become an optometrist, and pursue research within the optometry field. She anticipates that by participating in this research, she can better understand and learn more about children with ASD.
Fanny Talledo, B.A.
Fanny graduated with a Psychology major in May 2018 with a concentration in Women Studies. She is very interested in how religion and cultural factors affect the way people deal with trauma as well as how the behavior of those with ASD is affected by these factors. Fanny was a part of our recruitment team and then moved to proctoring EEG visits.
Denisse Janvier, B.S.
Denisse graduated with a degree in Psychology and Biology in May 2018. 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 was most involved in Social Groups, PASI, and organized our community recruitment team!
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Amanda Stoerback, B.S.
Amanda graduated with a degree in Biology in May 2018. She served as the Events Coordinator for the Autism Awareness Club on campus. In lab, she was very interested in studying the neurological function of ASD patients and in learning about how to optimize psychotherapeutic interventions. Amanda was primarily working on our EEG processing team!
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Kimberly Tena, B.A.
Kim graduated with two degrees in Psychology and Sociology in May 2018. She 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 was a proctor for our initial visits team and helped out on our reports team!
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Christopher McLean, B.A.
Chris graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology in May 2018. 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 was primarily working as a coder on our coding team for the ASD Usual Care Study and later worked on EEG processing for all of our studies!
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Hira Shah, B.S.
Hira recently earned her BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry on the Pre-Med track in May 2018. 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. Hira was part of our EEG processing team!
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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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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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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 EEG processing team.
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Dilsa Perez
Dilsa is an undergraduate Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience and Chemistry minor. She dedicates her time to working with the under-served 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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Beren Gokcil, B.A.
Beren graduated with a B.A. in Psychology in May 2017, and will be pursuing an MSc in Developmental Psychology in England starting this September. During her time at the SCTL, Beren was part of the ASD Usual Care Coding Team.
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Jessica Garofalo, B.A.
Jessica received her B.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook in May 2017. She spent her time in lab on the coding team for the ASD Usual Care Study and also as a general RA mainly for the Social Groups and PASI. She currently works as a direct support professional for Maryhaven Center of Hope and is interested in improving behavioral interventions for children and adults with ASD and other developmental disabilities. Jessica hopes to become a behavior analyst and will be studying ABA for her Master's Degree starting this fall at Queens College.
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Kaitlin Darmiento, B.A.
Kaitlin recently graduated from Stony Brook University with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology. She has worked on the Usual Care Coding Team, reading and coding interventions for children diagnosed with ASD. She continued her education at Columbia University's Teachers College School Psychology Ed.M. Program with a BCBA track in the Fall of 2017. She hopes to work as a school psychologist with younger children particularly specializing in ABA therapy and ASD.
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Elliot Keenan, B.A.
Elliot earned a B.A in Psychology in May 2017. He was the honors student at SCTL and ran the study Measuring Repetitive Thinking on Sona. He is interested in repetitive behavior and repetitive cognition in ASD, particularly how repetitive cognition relates to depression and anxiety. He is also interested in psychiatric comorbidity broadly. Elliot began UCLA’s Human Development and Psychology PhD program working with Dr. Jeffrey Wood in the Fall of 2017.
Ashley Culuso, B.A
Ashley graduated from SBU in May 2016 with a B.A. in Psychology. In addition to helping out here at the SCTL, Ashley is currently working under Dr. Craig Evinger in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior here at Stony Brook. Her research focus involves studying motor control and disorders of the eyelid, in particular the focal dystonia, benign essential blepharospasm. In the future, Ashley will pursue graduate studies in Behavioral Neuroscience.
Dhara Doshi, B.S.
Dhara earned her B.S. in Psychology from SBU in May 2016. She is currently exploring her interests in the medical field and plans on applying to medical school. During her time at the SCTL, Dhara was most involved in Social Groups and Social Skills in a Virtual Environment.
Jesus Pichardo, B.S.
Jesus graduated from SBU in May 2016 with a B.S. in Psychology. During his time at the SCTL, Jesus devoted time to his role as study lead for Paying Attention to Social Interactions, as well as working with families on Seeing the Social World. Jesus is now pursuing a Master's Degree at Adelphi University.
William Friedman, B.A.
William graduated from SBU in May 2016 with a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Sociology. During his time here at the SCTL, Will worked diligently on the ASD Usual Care Study.
Lindsay Bungert, B.A.
Lindsay graduated from SBU in May 2015 with a Bachelors in Psychology and a concentration in Biology. During her time here, Lindsay worked on several different studies, especially as a lead in Virtual Skills in a Learning Environment and also as a co-Lab Coordinator during her Senior Year. Lindsay is now pursuing her Masters in Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Christine earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biology from SBU in May 2015. While an RA in the SCTL for 2 years, she completed an honors thesis concerning trends in school-based services for children with ASD. Christine is currently at the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at University of Pennsylvania working on a large, school-based study of computer-assisted interventions for autism under Dr. David Mandell. Christine is now currently attending Columbia University's MA in Education Policy Program at Teachers College.
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James earned a B.A. in Psychology from SBU in May 2015. While an RA in the SCTL for 2 years, he completed his honors thesis on the relationship between spousal support discrepancy and depression. He is interested in research on the transition into adulthood for adolescents with ASD and the role that family dynamics play in families of children with ASD. James is now in his 2nd year of the Clinical Psychology PhD program at University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, under Dr. Ted Tomeny.
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Sruthi earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from SBU in May 2015. During her 3 semesters as an RA in the SCTL, she explored her interests in the neurological underpinnings of language development in individuals with ASD. Sruthi went on to the Master's program in Psychology at New York University.
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Trish earned a B.A. in Psychology from SBU in May 2015. During her 3 semesters as an RA in the SCTL, she explored her interests in research on developmental disabilities and how children can successfully transition into college and adulthood. She plans to combine this with her love of children to pursue a degree in nursing with psychiatric training.
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Andrea earned a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from SBU December 2015. During her year as an RA in the SCTL, she explored her interests in learning about how children with Autism Spectrum Disorder perceive the world and develop social skills. Andy devoted time to her role as study lead for Seeing the Social World, as well as PASI and Social Groups.
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Christina is an undergraduate Psychology major with a concentration in Sociology. She is interested in understanding the comorbidities in children with ASD such as OCD and depression. Christina was a team member of the Spotlight Summer Study 2015 coding team, and she aided the SCTL through our Social Groups.
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Aruba is currently an undergraduate Sociology major who is on the premedical track with hopes of becoming a doctor. Her experience with sociology and natural sciences gauged her interest in children with ASD. Her plans for the future is to receive an M.D. as well as pursue clinical psychology. During her time at the SCTL, Aruba helped out as a member of the Coding Team for the ASD Usual Care Study.
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Shaina is an undergraduate pharmacology major. She is interested in studying the effects of different treatments and interventions, namely drug intervention, on the symptoms of children with autism. She plans on going on to graduate school to receive a Ph.D. in pharmacology. Shaina aided the SCTL as part of the coding team for the ASD Usual Care Study.
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Aisha is an undergraduate Biochemistry major following the premed track. Her curiosities also include applied mathematics and statistics. As the youngest of seven, she appreciates learning about the social competencies between individuals. She is interested in clinical psychology and researching the social development of children with ASD. Aisha aided the ASD Usual Care Study as a member of the Coding Team in the summer of 2017.
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Ryna is an undergraduate Psychology major with a concentration on Sociology. Ryna is interested in researching how to optimize formal education policy to assist students with special needs such as ASD and ADHD. She is also interested in evaluating the flexibility and mental health supports by current education policies. She contributed to the SCTL as a member of the Coding Team for the ASD Usual Care Study.
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Samantha earned her B.A in Psychology from Stony Brook in May 2017. She began attending Stony Brook Nursing School in the Fall of 2017. She has served as the president of the Autism Awareness Club here at SBU, and during her time at the SCTL she explored her interest in the effectiveness of current treatments and interventions developed for individuals with ASD. In addition to coordinating our community outreach here at the SCTL, Samantha was mainly involved in our Social Groups.
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Toni earned her B.A. in Psychology in May 2017. She is interested in alternative forms of therapy for individuals with ASD such as music and arts. She plans on attending graduate school for Social Work. Toni aided the SCTL with the Social Groups study.
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Julia is a high school senior with a strong passion for psychology and neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular interest in ASD diagnosis and the mechanisms of treatment as well as the pathology of developmental disorders. She will continue on to college as a double major in Chemistry and Psychology with a strong focus on Forensics. She helped out at the SCTL in the summer of 2017.
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Ruby Smith
Ruby is an undergraduate psychology major. Her interests include child and family interactions, and finding ways to improve communication and resources for children with ASD. Ruby plans to get a PhD in Clinical Psychology or MSW in Clinical Social Work. Ruby contributed to the SCTL as a member of our Recruitment Team.
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Mohamed Heiba is a Biology major on the pre-med track with an interest in molecular bioengineering. Heiba is looking to gain clinical experience through the lab and learn more about ASD. He Joined the SCTL lab due to his interest in ASD from prior experience working with children on the spectrum as a STEM teacher. He hopes to involve himself in clinical work by pursuing an M.D.Mohamed devoted time to the SCTL during the early Fall of 2017.
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Aaradhana is an undergraduate Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience, as well as a minor in Anthropology and Creative Writing. She is interested in developmental neurology and the development and efficacy of social competence interventions for children with ASD. Aaradhana devoted time to the SCTL during the Fall of 2017.
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Rachit Bhatt
Rachit graduated in May 2017 as a Biology and Psychology double major with a concentration in Neuroscience. Rachit is interested in the social competency deficits that occur in children with ASD and ADHD, and utilize these insights to understands how social behavior emerges in typically developing children. He served at the SCTL as a research assistant on our Recruitment Team from November 2016 until early Fall of 2017.
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David is an undergraduate Psychology major with a concentration in Biology. He plans to attend graduate school to earn a PhD in clinical psychology. His interests include studying the underlying neuropsychological processes during social-interaction in children with ASD. He contributed to the SCTL as a member of our Recruitment Team in the Spring 2018.
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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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Alex Park
Alex is an undergraduate Psychology major. He is interested in School Psychology as well as Clinical Psychology and plans to go to graduate school. Alex plans to learn more about ASD and how it may affect social interactions and development of the individual.Alex is currently helping out with our SENSE study!
Suzanne Tawch
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. Suzanne is currently on our EEG proctoring team!
Adina Levy
Adina is an undergraduate psychology major. She is interested in gender differences in Autism Spectrum Disorders and how that impacts treatment. She plans to attend graduate school for Social Work or Clinical Psychology, and become a therapist.
Fatema Noor
Fatema graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was an undergraduate double major in Biology and Psychology on the pre-med track. She is interested in studying the social interactions of children with ASD and how different approaches can enhance their relationships. She studied the impact of having siblings for children with ASD. Fatema worked as a member of the Coding Team for the ASD Usual Care Study and on the Outreach team.
Nawrin Nishat
Nawrin graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was 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 worked as a member of the Coding Team for the ASD Usual Care Study and on the Outreach team.
Tiffaney Batista
Tiffaney graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was a 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.
Lydia Librizzi
Lydia graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She has her degree in 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. Lydia was a part of our recruitment team!
Pamela Best
Pam graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was an undergraduate biochemistry and psychology major. She is interested in how disability and social differences affect the development of self image and social relationships. Pam is planning to obtain her PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Micaela Rodriguez
Micaela graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was 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. Micaela is on our initial visit proctoring team.
Olivia Cupo
Olivia graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was 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.
Kisa Abidi
Kisa graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was an undergraduate Psychology major. She plans on attending graduate school to pursue a career in Child Psychology. She joined the SCTL due to her interests to learn about the social patterns of children with Autism and ADHD.
Angelina Batra
Angelina graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was an undergraduate Psychology major. She is interested in learning more about the development and social behavior of individuals with ASD. By working at the SCTL, Angelina hopes to have a better understanding on how to help children with ASD and support their families.
Janine Meurer
Janine graduated from Stony Brook University in the spring of 2019. She was on the pre-med track pursuing a major in Biology and minor in Health and Wellness. She is most interested in gaining experience and understanding in helping children with ASD and ADHD. Janine is currently on our EEG proctoring team!
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Roberta Geffrard
Roberta is an undergraduate Biology major on the pre-med track. She is interested in learning about the social interactions and behavior of children with and without ASD and ADHD. She hopes to pursue a career in pediatrics in the future.
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Melissa Madigan
Melissa is an undergraduate biology major on the pre-med track. After being involved with the ASD community since high school, Melissa is passionate about working at the SCTL. Through her work in this lab, Melissa hopes to learn more about social interactions in children with ASD and how to better support them.
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Finley Kankus
Finley is an undergraduate Psychology major and Creative Writing minor. They are interested in the development of autistic individuals, as well as how best to help families of autistic children support their children. They plan to attend graduate school for either School Psychology or Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
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Tasfia Bushra
Tasfia is an undergraduate double major in Biochemistry and Economics. She is interested in understanding the cause of ASD and related disorders, and the development of novel diagnostic tools. Tasfia will pursue a career in medicine to become a neurodevelopmental pediatrician.
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Jackie Avione
Jackie is an undergraduate Psychology major and History minor. She is interested in comorbidity of disorders alongside Autism Spectrum Disorder and how they effect a person's educational needs. She was drawn to the SCTL Lab because she wants to learn more about how social intervention can help individuals with ASD.
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Annamaria Cavaleri
Annamaria is an undergraduate Psychology major and Professional Writing minor. She joined SCTL to gain insight on how we can work toward treatments for Autism through understanding social interactions. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
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Neha Babar
Neha is an undergraduate Biology major and Sociology minor on the pre-med track. She was first exposed to children with ADHD and ASD when she was shadowing a physician in the developmental and behavioral pediatrics department and she hopes to learn more about it in the SCTL lab.
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Syed Ali
Syed is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology. He is also on the pre-med track and hopes to enroll in medical school after graduation. Syed joined Lerner Lab to learn more about ASD and ADHD and how these disorders impact one's ability to make friends and form connections.
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Julianne Miramina
Julianne is an undergraduate Psychology major with a minor in Biology. She is interested in learning about the neurological aspects of ASD/ADHD and understanding the impact they have on social development. Her goal is to get a doctorate in neuroscience and continue research in the biopsychological field.
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Xiao Kuang
Xiao is an undergraduate Biology major and a philosophy minor on the pre-med track. She joined SCTL to work with children in a clinical setting and to gain an understanding of how developing youth with ASD and ADHD perceive their social environment. She hopes to become a pediatrician in the future.
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Nisha Mehta
Nisha is currently a junior studying Psychology at Stony Brook University. She is interested in the social development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She believes that researching disorders is a great way to help others understand mental disorders and dissolve the stigma around them.
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Qiaoting Wang
Qiaoting is an undergraduate double major in Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) and Psychology. She wants to become a guidance counselor in the future. She is interested in how children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder adapt to the world differently, and the resources available that can help them.
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Pramiti Yashroy
Pramiti is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Women's and Gender Studies. She is interested in the topics of child psychology and human memory. She hopes to be able to gain some experience from this research and spread more knowledge about mental disorders and ASD to people around her. She hopes to get her Masters degree in child psychology and a job hopefully working with children.
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Ariana Sullivan
Ariana is an undergraduate Biology major on the pre-med track. She has an interest in learning about the effect of clinical disorders on children and their families. Ariana's goal is to learn more about ASD and ADHD through her work in SCTL. She hopes to pursue a career relating to pediatrics in the future.
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Michael Farber
Michael is an undergraduate student who is on the pre-med track. He is interested in working with children in a clinical setting and exploring their talents. Michael hopes to enroll in medical school and become a pediatric gastroenterologist.
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James Lacava
James is an undergraduate student with a Psychology and Philosophy double major. He has future plans in psychological research. He is specifically interested in cognitive and social aspects of psychology, and plans to acquire a doctorate.
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Rahat Bukhari
Rahat Bukhari is an undergraduate student majoring in the Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Fascinated by different areas of clinical research and evidence-based practice, she’s interested in expanding her knowledge about the impact of nursing for ASD individuals, especially in developing interventions. She’s excited to explore this new endeavor and to help spread awareness about breakthroughs in SCTL research.
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Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Health Science at Stony Brook University. She has always had an interest in the healthcare industry. More specifically, she is passionate about improving the lives of patients and their disease outcomes. She would like to specialize in children that have been diagnosed with serious illnesses.
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Zenab Elzamzamy
Zenab is an undergraduate Psychology major with a concentration in Sociology and a minor in Health, Medicine, & Society. She hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling as well as a PhD. in Clinical Psychology in the near future. She has substantial experience working with kids, specifically children with ASD, in school as well as camp settings. She is extremely passionate about children’s mental health and is looking forward to gaining more insight on the different therapies and interventions that are helpful to children with ASD.
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Isha Malik
Isha is a pre-med student majoring in Biology. She is passionate about doing research geared towards children with ASD and understanding the disorder in hopes of finding a possible treatment to improve it.
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Nandini Sharma
Nandini is an undergraduate Biology major on the pre-med track. By working with the SCTL, she hopes to gain a better understanding about the effects ASD can have on the social development of children, and use this knowledge to find a way to improve it.
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Rabbi Rahman
Rabbi is an undergraduate Biology major on the pre-med track. She is interested in gaining a better understanding of how individuals with ASD interact and experience/respond to stimuli. She is also interested in learned how different approaches can improve social interactions and experiences for children and teens diagnosed with ASD.
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Tomotaka Mizuno
Tomotaka is an undergraduate Biology major on the pre-med track. He is interested in learning and improving current intervention methods to improve social competency for children with ASD. He hopes to apply this knowledge to continue to help kids with special needs in the future.
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Tess Andrade
Tess is an undergraduate majoring in Health Science. Tess is interested in how ASD can impact family relationships. By participating in SCTL, she hopes to gain experience and insight in working with people who have ASD. She aspires to work with children as an occupational therapist.
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Alexander Velaoras
Alexander is an undergraduate student studying Business Management on the pre-med track. Alex first became interested in learning about ASD after his cousin was diagnosed on the spectrum. He hopes to learn more about how children with ASD interact in different social settings and about the challenges they face.
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Nicholas Doss-hom
Nicholas is an undergraduate double major in Biology and Psychology on the Pre-Med track. He is interested in gaining new insights into how children with ASD develop and communicate. Nicholas hopes to enroll in medical school and one day pursue a career in psychiatry.
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Emily Weinstein
Emily is an undergraduate Psychology major with a minor in Health and Wellness. Her experience with children with ASD in a classroom setting drew her to SCTL. Emily is interested in how social development relates to academic performance in children with ASD. She plans to attend graduate school to become a School Psychologist.
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Krupa Patel
Krupa is an undergraduate student majoring in Health Science. She has a passion for working with children and is looking forward to this new learning opportunity. She is grateful for the chance to work with professionals to further her interest about the social behavior of children. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to become a Physician’s Assistant
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Elbek Fozilov
Elbek is an undergraduate biology major on the pre-med track. Inspired by his involvement with New-York Presbyterian Methodist’s inpatient-care hemodialysis unit, Elbek is thrilled to work in a clinical research setting with children to establish connections between ASD and social development. Also, Elbek has aspirations of being a physician.
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Vishnu Verma
Vishnu is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology on the Pre-Med track. He is interested in studying the neural processes behind the social functioning of children with ASD and ADHD. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school.
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Layla Elkoulily
Layla is an undergraduate Biology major with a minor in Psychology. She is on the pre-med track, but she would also like to go into the field of social work and social psychology. She hopes to dispel the negative assumptions and beliefs regarding mental illness in her the Muslim community. She is interested in developing her understanding of ASD, specifically looking at how children with ASD interact in social settings and the possible intervention strategies to help facilitate these interactions. She also hopes to gain a better understanding of communication styles and skills of various groups of individuals, in order to effectively communicate various ideas.
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Anjana Dubba
Anjana is an Undergraduate Psychology Major with a concentration in Chemistry and Biology. Her future plans include getting her Masters in Clinical Psychology and then getting her PhD in order to become a therapist. She is interested in working with SCTL, because she hopes to learn and explore the neurological findings behind children with ASD.
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Andria Padilla
Andria is an undergraduate Psychology major with a minor in Creative Writing. She has an interest in clinical research and working with adolescents struggling with mental health issues to help them seamlessly transition into the adult world. Andria plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology in the near future.
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Hemma Kilawan
Hemma is an undergraduate majoring in Biology and Sociology and is on the pre-med track. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine, specifically in pediatrics. She is interested in seeing how social interactions really impact someone's cognitive development, especially from the perspective of children with ASD.
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Brandon Merhai
Brandon is a double major in Information Systems and English. He is interested in learning about all facets of Autism Spectrum Disorders and how to create individualized support options through a combination of technology and the humanities. Brandon plans to join the tech industry and create software solutions tailored to the individual.
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FORMER autism initiative members
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Joyce Chen
Joyce is an undergraduate Biology major with a minor in Studio Art. In the future, she hopes to either go into medicine or earn a Ph.D. in organic chemistry to become a professor. She is very passionate about supporting children with ASD in schools by raising awareness and promoting inclusivity. Her goal is to allow society to progress into one that is open-minded, knowledgeable, and welcoming of those with clinical disorders and disabilities. Joyce is very appreciative of having the opportunity to work alongside SCTL and looks forward to creating a loving space for all members of the community.
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Chaya Perera
Chaya is an undergraduate Health Science major. She is passionate about creating and improving resources for children and adolescents with ASD. She is interested in learning skills that can transfer to the nonclinical side of healthcare and hopes to pursue Human Resources in healthcare.
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Milka Espinal
Milka is an undergraduate Health Science major with a minor in Health and Wellness. After graduation, she plans on attending nursing school. She is interested in learning about how different professional fields come together to approach the best care for individuals with ASD. Moreover, Milka wants to spread awareness about autism in the Hispanic community.
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Julia Del Pozo
Julia del Pozo is an undergraduate Biology Major with a double major in Psychology on the pre-med track. She wants to work to de-stigmatize conversations about mental illness, as well as broaden her understanding of the struggles ASD individuals face in society. She also hopes to learn how to create an inclusive environment for ASD individuals, specifically children, by learning about communication styles, strategies and coping mechanisms and how this can be applied to successful patient-doctor interactions within the autism community.
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