- B.A. State University of New York at Geneseo, 2015
- M.A. Virginia Tech, 2017
- Ph.D. Virginia Tech, 2020
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Yale University, 2020-2023
Developmental Psychology
BIO
My program of research examines how adversity and social determinants of health shape neurodevelopment and mental health across childhood and adolescence. I integrate perspectives from developmental science, clinical psychology, and neuroscience to better understand the nuanced ways in which adversity and environmental stressors can affect youth development. The overarching aim of my program of research is to identify factors that exacerbate risk or promote resilience in youth in order to inform targets for intervention and prevention and mitigate disparities in youth mental health.
My lab, the Family, Environment, Resilience, and Neurodevelopment (FERN) Lab, leverages a variety of methodologies across multiple levels of analysis including behavioral and cognitive tasks, neuroimaging (fMRI), and detailed assessments of early environments. We utilize rigorous quantitative methods, primarily in a structural equation modeling framework, to answer complex questions about the dynamic nature of behavior and neurodevelopment. Ongoing and future research plans include 1) examining how intersecting social determinants of health and adversity exposure shape brain and behavioral development across childhood and adolescence, 2) delineating the neurodevelopmental mechanisms and trajectories that link these experiences with mental health, and 3) identifying factors that contribute to youth adaptation and resilience.
Publications
Bio
My program of research examines how adversity and social determinants of health shape neurodevelopment and mental health across childhood and adolescence. I integrate perspectives from developmental science, clinical psychology, and neuroscience to better understand the nuanced ways in which adversity and environmental stressors can affect youth development. The overarching aim of my program of research is to identify factors that exacerbate risk or promote resilience in youth in order to inform targets for intervention and prevention and mitigate disparities in youth mental health.
My lab, the Family, Environment, Resilience, and Neurodevelopment (FERN) Lab, leverages a variety of methodologies across multiple levels of analysis including behavioral and cognitive tasks, neuroimaging (fMRI), and detailed assessments of early environments. We utilize rigorous quantitative methods, primarily in a structural equation modeling framework, to answer complex questions about the dynamic nature of behavior and neurodevelopment. Ongoing and future research plans include 1) examining how intersecting social determinants of health and adversity exposure shape brain and behavioral development across childhood and adolescence, 2) delineating the neurodevelopmental mechanisms and trajectories that link these experiences with mental health, and 3) identifying factors that contribute to youth adaptation and resilience.