Originally from Gdansk, Poland, Zuzanna Wojcieszak is a fifth year in the clinical psychology program. She received her A.B. in Psychology from Harvard College in May 2013, where she worked in labs in the social and developmental psychopathology areas. Prior to starting at Temple, she worked with Dr. Katie McLaughlin in the Stress & Development Lab at University of Washington, coordinating the Childhood Adversity and Brain Development study. She continues to be interested in the intersection of social and clinical psychology, such as adolescent mental health in relation to social stressors (e.g., experiences of discrimination, stigma, and interacting with people different from ourselves). Zuzanna’s additional research interests center on youth’s access to treatment and prevention. When she is not in the lab, Zuzanna can be found a few floors down providing evidence-based treatments in the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic, at Temple’s climbing wall, or anywhere with food, whether that’s her garden, kitchen, or one of Philly’s amazing restaurants. Zuzanna is currently on internship.
Johanna (Jojo) Nielsen is a fourth year graduate student in the clinical psychology program. Jojo graduated from Boston University with a BA in Psychology in 2013. Prior to beginning her graduate studies, she worked as a research assistant and psychometrician in a pediatric neuropsychological assessment clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital. Jojo is broadly interested in researching developmental pathways to depression, with a particular interest in the role of self-regulation and executive functioning. Jojo’s current interests include exploring longitudinal predictors of psychopathology and neural correlates of these mechanisms, as well as problems related to measurement of these constructs. When she is not in the lab, Jojo likes to get out of the city for some fresh air by going hiking, biking, or sailing. Jojo is currently on internship.
Rebekah Mennies is a fourth year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program. Rebekah graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology in 2014, where she worked as a research assistant for studies examining the etiology and treatment of anxiety and depression in youth. She is interested in studying social, cognitive, and neurobiological factors that contribute to perseverative cognition (e.g., rumination) in youth at risk for depression and related internalizing problems. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing tennis, and traveling!
Julia Case is a fifth year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program. Julia graduated from Boston University in 2014 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Piano Performance. After graduating she worked as a research coordinator in the Pediatric Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at Mount Sinai, before joining the lab in the Fall of 2016. Julia’s research interests include the examination of neural reward circuitry dysfunction in non-suicidal self-injury and suicidality in adolescents. She is also interested in the design and creation of instruments and behavioral paradigms to assess anhedonia. Outside of the lab, Julia can be found playing or listening to music, reading, or gardening.
Samantha Birk is a third year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2015 with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Business Administration. During her time there, she worked as a research assistant at Dr. Brandon Gibb’s Binghamton Mood Disorders Institute (BMDI). After graduating, she worked as a research assistant and coordinator for Dr. Tracy Dennis’ Emotion Regulation Lab. Samantha’s research interests involve identifying risk factors for the development of depression and anxiety, including behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological markers. She is also interested in how emotion regulation and relationships affect cognitive and behavioral functioning. Outside of psychology, Samantha enjoys reading, dancing, and listening to music!