top of page

Team Members

Principal Investigator

Moriah Thomason, PhD

Principal Investigator

dog lover, foodie, closet crafter

Postdoctoral Fellow

Denise Werchan, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Undefeated at Scrabble, former artistic swimmer, tug boat lover

Postdoctoral Fellow

Alice Massera, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

I'm Italian, I played beach-volley at a national level, I don't like candies

Lab Manager

Bradley Susskind

Lab Manager

can juggle with both hands and feet (not at the same time)!

Senior Project Coordinator

Sarah Bennett

Senior Project Coordinator

Loves hiking and experimenting in the kitchen; Percussionist

Research Associate

Alejandra Robles-Montoya

Research Associate

traveler, baker, currently perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Research Associate

Matthew Perez

Research Associate

I have two lovely sister cats named Penny and Whiskey

Research Associate

Thomas Dylan Castro Ovalle

Research Associate

I am learning how to play the Ukulele, and I love Vincent Van Gogh.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Laila Gad

Research Assistant Volunteer

Bookstagrammer, true crime lover

Research Assistant Volunteer

Jenna John

Research Assistant Volunteer

Jenna likes to read, write, and sing!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Seyeon Yim

Research Assistant Volunteer

Loves the acai bowls from Oakberry!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Liora Eiger

Research Assistant Volunteer

Liora once rescued a baby bird. She loves to travel, listen to music, and cuddle her bunny.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Lillie Connors

Research Assistant Volunteer

I'm a huge theatre nerd, I love going to concerts and I recently adopted a tuxedo cat!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Riya Gokhale

Research Assistant Volunteer

I can solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute, I've never had a pet, I can speak 4 languages

Research Assistant Volunteer

Clare Donaldson

Research Assistant Volunteer

Lover of cats, coffee, and playwriting

Research Assistant

Julian Darts

Research Assistant

Amateur unicyclist, 911 NJ EMT, Loved motorcycling before mine was stolen!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Sofia Franco

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love good food & long walks!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Ifreet Hossain

Research Assistant Volunteer

loves to collect records & bake. I also enjoy creating my own flower bouquets!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Azucena(Liz) Guerra

Research Assistant Volunteer

loves trying new foods & her favorite painting is The Lovers by René Magritte

Research Assistant Volunteer

Christi-Ann Lin-Frazier

Research Assistant Volunteer

I like to read and listen to music!

Research Assistant Professor

Clare McCormack, PhD

Research Assistant Professor

Lover of live music, hiking, and wild swimming

Postdoctoral Fellow

Bosi Chen, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

enjoys hiking, running, walking, coffee, and ice cream

Postdoctoral Fellow

Bryan Yoon, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Loves exploring new places. Ice cream lover.

Program Coordinator

Maya Ruiz

Program Coordinator

Maya has acted in a few commercials, is a Singer, and loves watching Reality TV

Data Analyst

Mark Duffy

Data Analyst

Big sports and movie fan. I also love hiking, the outdoors and I'm a big foodie.

Research Associate

Sofia Trapaga

Research Associate

Loves to crochet, has three passports and four dogs!

Research Associate

Maya Sacasa

Research Associate

I was a competitive gymnast and national champion.

Research Associate

Liam Young North

Research Associate

I can walk on my hands and I eat a lot of waffles

Research Associate

Michelle Masiello

Research Associate

determined to try every flavor of ben & jerry's ice cream!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Selma Music

Research Assistant Volunteer

EMT, lover of reading and travelling!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Lauren Thomas

Research Assistant Volunteer

1. I danced competitively for 12 years. 2. I love eating applesauce. 3. I am the oldest of four kids.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Natalia Morato

Research Assistant Volunteer

Loves to cook and sing, especially at the same time!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Julianna Tellas

Research Assistant Volunteer

Lover of nature, traveling, and Spanish rock

Research Assistant Volunteer

Daelah Nicholas

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love drawing, painting, and taking walks around the city!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Arushi Sharda

Research Assistant Volunteer

I can speak 5 languages, I love to cook different types of food, I love to read!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Yulduz Furkhati

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love the outdoors & hanging out w/ family!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Jordan Ogbulu

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love to bake, shop at thrift stores, and travel!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Yvette Ma

Research Assistant Volunteer

enjoys traveling, cycling, and playing chess

Research Assistant Volunteer

Shayla Ward

Research Assistant Volunteer

I hiked the grand canyon & love to run.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Kaitlyn Zhu

Research Assistant Volunteer

I have a 3 year long NYT mini crossword streak

Postdoctoral Fellow

Cassandra Hendrix, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Digs rock climbing, scuba diving, and long hikes

Postdoctoral Fellow

Lanxin Ji, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

dog lover, travel lover

Clinical PhD Student

Ellyn Kennelly

Clinical PhD Student

Loves painting, exploring new places, and being in nature.

Research Associate

Sofija Djordjevic

Research Associate

born in serbia, loves dogs and chocolate, nyt games enthusiast!

Data Analyst

Tanya Bhatia

Data Analyst

loves hiking, trying new cuisines, making playlists

Research Associate

Madi Wolpert

Research Associate

Loves the sun, ice cream, and music

Research Associate

Freddie Reichel

Research Associate

Loves running, music, travel

HBCD Study Care Coordinator

Shay Johnson

HBCD Study Care Coordinator

I love to sing (even though I cant LOL), I love to read, and I love my daughter who is 9 months old!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Emily Lu

Research Assistant Volunteer

Love drawing, reading, and travelling!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Anushka Gupta

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love going to dog cafes in the city! I like to read by the pier.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Daniella Franco-Romo

Research Assistant Volunteer

1. My hands are double jointed 2. I can write backwards 3. I like to eat the light green part of the watermelon too.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Krisha Advani

Research Assistant Volunteer

Loves to travel, bake, and paint

Research Assistant Volunteer

Emily Kozadinos

Research Assistant Volunteer

I have a cat named Lola, I lifeguard on a beach in the summer, and I love to cook!

Research Assistant Volunteer

William Jang

Research Assistant Volunteer

I've recently gotten into coffee-making, and love making infused coffee beans.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Ivana Arzic

Research Assistant Volunteer

I have a rescue pittie named Milo. He is my whole world. I like to bake, sing, and go to comedy shows!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Jeffrey Weng

Research Assistant Volunteer

loves playing soccer, skiing hiking, and playing the Viola!

Research Assistant Volunteer

Chloe Hennesse

Research Assistant Volunteer

I play guitar, have 2 cats, and love eating ramen

Research Assistant Volunteer

Evelyn Mejia

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love fashion and making outifts for people. I was born and raised in Queens but lived in Ecuador for 5 years. And I don't know how to swim, sadly.

Research Assistant Volunteer

Kaylin Pimshan

Research Assistant Volunteer

I accidentally burned a lot of rice my freshman year

Research Assistant Volunteer

Kiara Zambrano

Research Assistant Volunteer

I love trying new coffee shops & foods around NYC!

Alumni

WSU

Ali Daher, DO Family Medicine, Farmington Hills, MI
Amy (Anderson) Meyering, PhD Department of Public Health, Denver, CO
Amy Novotny Academic Services Officer, Detroit, MI
Amy Katherine Swartz, LLPC Royal Oak, MI
Amir Pakray Medical Student, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Andrea Bedway, MD General Pediatrics, Detroit, MI
Attea Hylko Undergraduate, Wayne State University
Brianne (Mohl) Sutton Postdoctoral Research Associate, Flywheel
Christopher Craig Master’s Student, Basic Medical Science, Wayne State University
Danya Berri Medical Student, Wayne State University, School of Medicine
Fatima Younus, DO Family Medicine, Detroit, MI
Hieu Nguyen, MD General Pediatrician, Santa Cruz, CA
James Schaffhauser, MD Family Medicine, Ascension in Battle Creek, MI
Karolina Papiez Undergraduate, University of Michigan
Kat Angell USDA-FSIS, Allan Park, MI
Kayla Martin, MD Neurologist, Portland, OR
Kelly Quednau Histologist, Philadelphia, PA
Klodia Hermez, DO Internal Medicine, East Lansing, MI
Laurel Hicks PhD, LCSW Psychotherapist, Yoga Instructor, Denver, CO
Lauren Grove, MA Analyst, Houston, TX
Maisha Rahman, PharmD Medical Affairs Executive Director Fellow, Genentech
Mallory Gardner Masters Level Psychologist at Macomb Oakland Regional Center
Maria Tocco, MD Psychiatry, Ann Arbor
Matt Nye, DDS Dentologie, Chicago, IL
Maya Dassanayake, MD Internal Medicine, Detroit, MI
Melissa Youmans Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Mike Ernst, MD Emergency Medicine, Dallas, TX
Mitchell Alexis, Medical Student, Wayne State University, School of Medicine
Narcis Marshall Graduate Student, University of Southern California
Pooja Srivastava Medical Student, New York College of Podiatric Medicine
Rita Elias Medical Student, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Rupal Shastri Medical Student, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Saige Rutherford Data Analyst, University of Michigan
Sonja Llancari Medical Student, University of London, St. George’s Medical School
Stephen Shen Medical Student, Wayne State University, School of Medicine
Tim Lozon Medical Student, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Tommy Ricard Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Christa Raicevich Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Nedda Elewa Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Diana O’Neall Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Monica Prasad Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Nourhan Hamadi Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Tahir Kahn Undergraduate Student, Wayne State University
Katarina Miloslavjevic, MS-III, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine -Harlem
Rebecka Craig, University of California Berkley
Sophia Neuenfelts, Wayne State University, School of Medicine
Bryan Turman, Chicago Medical School

NYU

Amyn Majbri, Data Analyst, Optimal Aging Institute
Sarwat Siddiqui, Medical Student, UCLA School of Medicine
Harini Srinivasan, Medical Student, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Leslie Gaines, Neuroscience Master's Student, University of Barcelona
Dani Bengoa, Incoming Medical Student, Tulane School of Medicine
Melissa Renee Clark
Tristan Donaldson, Clinical Research Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital
Integra Feliciano, Senior Accounting Manager, EMCO Scientific Enterprise
Ava Palopoli, Clinical Psychology PhD Student at the University of Michigan
Madeline Nelkin, MSW student at Yeshiva University
Tessa Vatalaro, LMSW, Program Manager for CAMS at NYU
Autumn Austin, PhD Student, Drexel University
Brooke Kohn, PhD Student, University of Maryland
Nils Kjos, Medical Student, NYUSOM
Kaelyn Kohlasch, Clinical Research Associate, Memorial Sloan Kettering

Amber Boots, PhD Student, Amsterdam UMC (Rooij Lab)
Zeenya Patel, Program Manager at iMentor
Abigail Manoylo, Undergraduate Student, NYU
Noah Cha, Clinical Research Assistant, Hospital for Special Surgery
Arjun Kotwal, Medical Student
Carly Lenniger, PhD Student, University of Pittsburgh (Forbes Lab)
Caroline Roarty, Undergraduate Student, NYU
Claudia Espinoza-Heredia, PhD Student, Columbia (Amso Lab)
Ericka Barroso, Program Administrator, Columbia University
Kate Caforio, Undergraduate Student, Case Western Reverve University
Katie Kim, RN, Pursuing DNP at Columbia University
Bon June Koo, Paraprofessional
Kenneth Vuong, Research Technician, Weill Cornell Medicine
Stephanie Mendes, NYU Biology and Psychology, Undergraduate Student
Mahima Golani, MS, Research Assistant, NYU
Megan Norr, Neuropsychology Extern, UCSF
Sydney Sharp, MD Candidate, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Nicki Jariwala
Liza Goodwin
Janice Zhao​

Andrew Kim
Michael Guerrero-Calderon
Sarah Mugal
Susell Contreras
Valerie Martinez
Madison Forde,Clinical/Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student, NYU
Iris Menu,Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology & Neuroscience
Emily Lu
Dani Bengoa
Christine Lee, Master's Student, Columbia University
Alexis Mckay
Mekhala Mantravadi
Aisha Kanuteh, Research Assistant at NYU Langone & BronxCare

bottom of page