OUR TEAM

Abbey is a sixth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She is currently completing her clinical internship at Mount Sinai Elmhurst Hospital in New York in the Child and Adolescent track. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018 with an honors B.S. in Psychology and a double minor in Creative Writing and Administration of Justice. During college, she served as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Daniel Shaw’s Pitt Parents and Children Lab, in which she conducted home assessments with parents and children from low-income communities in the greater Pittsburgh area. After graduation, Abbey worked as a research assistant for Dr. David Kolko, in which worked with programs that provided clinical services to adjudicated youth. Further, she assisted in the R01 submission that aimed to implement early behavioral intervention and parent management training through pediatric offices across Pennsylvania. Abbey’s research interests include violence and delinquency risk factors, as well as other individual and contextual risk factors that act as mediators/moderators of the relationship between developmental factors and conduct problems. In her free time, Abbey enjoys staying active with a yoga practice, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

May is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychological Sciences. During her time at UVM, May was an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Timothy Stickle’s Developmental Psychopathology Lab studying gender differences in primary and secondary psychopathy. Upon graduating, May worked as a research coordinator for three years in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Cancer Center under the direction of Dr. Matthew Hocking. She coordinated studies examining brain mechanisms in youth with Neurofibromatosis Type I and social connectedness in survivors of pediatric brain and solid tumors. May’s current research interests include modifiable risk factors for externalizing disorders in youth and examining outcomes of the integration of behavioral health services in pediatric primary care. In her free time, May enjoys knitting, hiking, and exploring Philadelphia with friends.

Jocelynn is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She graduated from Duke University in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and a double minor in Chemistry and African & African American Studies. While at Duke, Jocelynn served as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Michael Tomasello’s Developmental Psychology lab studying young children’s development of social and cognitive skills related to cooperation. Upon graduating, Jocelynn worked as a research assistant for two years at the Durham VA Medical Center Integrative Mental Health Program, where she investigated novel clinical interventions for moral injury through a multi-site quality improvement implementation trial. Jocelynn’s research interests include the influence of adversity, particularly traumatic events and racism, on risk and resilience in racial minority youth. In her free time, Jocelynn enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending time with family and friends.

Esmeralda is a fifth-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program. She graduated from Temple University in 2018 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. During college, she was a scholar of the NIH funded Maximizing Access to Research Careers program. Through which, she worked in Dr. Lisa Briand’s Behavioral Neurophysiology Lab studying social behaviors and cocaine addiction in animal models. After graduation, Esmeralda was a fellow of the NIH’s Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. She worked with Dr. Terri Sullivan to investigate the impact of aggression and exposure to violence on adolescent psychosocial health and emotional development within a predominantly racial minority sample. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she gained clinical experience working at a local behavioral health foundation where she assisted in assessments and interventions for trauma-exposed youth struggling with mental health. Esmeralda’s research interests include risk and resilience factors that influence psychosocial and behavioral adjustment outcomes among racial minority youth from disadvantage backgrounds. In her free time, Esmeralda trains for various distance races, explores coffee shops around Philly and serves on the executive board for Temple University Graduate Students’ Association.   

Brianna is a third-year clinical psychology student who is working with Dr. Mike McCloskey in the Mechanisms of Affective Dysregulation Lab. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and minor in Biological Sciences. Upon graduating from UCI, Brianna attended Yale University as a post-baccalaureate student for the Emerging Scholars Initiative program where she researched the effects of exposure to violence on decision-making. Brianna’s current research interests include developmental predictors of and protective factors against youth aggression. In her free time, Brianna enjoys baking and spending time with her dog, Pork Chop.

Sophie Martel is a third-year graduate student working with Dr. Philip Kendall in the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic. Sophie graduated in 2021 with a BA in psychology from The University of Michigan. Following graduation, she worked as a Postgraduate Research Associate at the Yale Child Study Center in the Anxiety & Mood Disorders Lab researching parent-based treatments to reduce accommodation and a computer-based treatment to reduce social anxiety in adolescents. Sophie is interested in how school-based accommodations can better support students with anxiety disorders, as well as how parent-child and peer relationships impact anxiety in children and adolescents.

Saukora is a junior psychology major in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. She has interests in developmental psychology; specifically in relation to early adulthood and has aspirations to conduct her own research on the matter one day.  Additionally, Saukora is also a part of CLA’s Academic Advising team, where she works as a peer advisor for undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts. Outside of any psychology related or advising work, Saukora  spends her time reading as many books as possible and enjoys baking for her family on her off time. 

Medina Hucks-Gonsalves is a Phi Theta Kappa member, a Catto Scholar and graduated from Community College of Philadelphia Summa Cum Laude with an Associate Degree in Psychology. Medina is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Temple University, majoring in Psychology, and minoring in Cognitive Neuroscience. Her interests lie at the intersections of psychology, neuroscience, and cognition and she hopes to specialize her focus through research. She is passionate about investigating and understanding the neurobiological processes that underpin grief and how these processes influence human behavior. Knowing biology is the basis of behavior, Medina’s goal is to gain a deeper understanding about the effects of grief by investigating the experience at its most rudimentary level. Outside of Medina’s research and psych/neuro interests, she loves traveling, anything labeled “adventure”, and football. GO BIRDS!

Anushka is a junior at Temple University with a major in psychology and minors in chemistry and classical languages and literature on the pre-med track . She is part of Temple’s Honors Psychology Program in which she will complete her senior thesis before graduating. She hopes to learn more about community based participatory research and working with/facilitating interventions for children with emotional or behavioral difficulties. In the future, Anushka hopes to pursue a career in child psychiatry or pediatrics. Currently, she is also an intern at Temple’s Psychological Services Center and a math and organic chemistry tutor for Temple undergraduates. In her downtime, Anushka loves to cook, read, and try new restaurants/cuisines.

Chloe is a senior at Temple University majoring in Human Development and Community Engagement with a minor in Italian Studies. Alongside her involvement in the Child Health and Behavior Lab, she is the president of the student organization Trauma-Informed Living, Education, and Service (TILES) and a research assistant for Project TRUST, where she studies the intersection of trauma and disability and trauma-informed practices for IEP meetings. Chloe’s career goal is to become a school psychologist, where she hopes to advocate for special education students to receive the services and support they deserve. Her commitment to this work is deeply personal as the sister of a student with disabilities, driving her passion for improving the special education system. Outside of her academic and research pursuits, Chloe enjoys weekend backpacking trips and sewing or upcycling clothes.

Jahliah is a junior psychology major in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. She aspires to become a school psychologist and work closely with K–12 students in Black and Brown communities. As an undergraduate, she currently serves as a peer advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and also works as a tutor and mentor, supporting high school students from similar backgrounds in Philadelphia. Outside of academics and work, Jahliah enjoys reading and spending time with her family. 

Rafi graduated from the clinical psychology Ph.D. program in 2024. After completing internship at the New York University Bellevue Hospital, she began a post-doctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Lindsay graduated from the clinical psychology Ph.D. program in 2022. After completing internship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, she began a post-doctoral fellowship at Alvord, Baker, and Associates, LLC, a private psychotherapy practice in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Jenika graduated from the clinical psychology Ph.D. program in 2022. After completing internship at the University of Minnesota Medical School, she began a post-doctoral fellowship at Duke University.

Ijeoma completed graduated from the clinical psychology Ph.D. program and completed internship at Texas Children’s Hospital in 2021. She currently works as a psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.