Lab Members

Current Graduate Students

Robert Lopez, M.A.

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Sixth Year Graduate Student, Doctoral Candidate

In 2014, Robert received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Psychology and minor in History of Science from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Robert volunteered in the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Research on studies that examined risk factors for suicide. After graduating, Robert became a case manager at Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, where he provided psychoeducation and crisis management services to low-income clients diagnosed with mood or psychotic-spectrum disorders. In 2015, he transitioned into a research assistant position on three, NIMH-funded studies investigating suicide risk in the Psychosocial Research Department at Butler Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His current research is focused on understanding the social deterrents and determinants of suicide, particularly in at-risk populations (e.g., adolescents and the LGBTQ+ community).

Links: Email | CV |Website

 

Katherine Maultsby, M.A.

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Third Year Graduate Student 

Katherine is a third-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program working with Dr. Christy Esposito-Smythers. In 2018, she received a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Psychology with a minor in Hispanic Studies from Davidson College in North Carolina. She then worked as an Intramural Research Training Award fellow with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, examining mental health and health risk behaviors among adolescents. Her research interests include family-based risk and protective factors for adolescent suicidality and implementation of evidence-based interventions. 

Links: Email | CV |Website

 

Lauren Headshot

Second Year Graduate Student 

Lauren is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program working with Dr. Christy Esposito-Smythers. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and Economics. After graduating, Lauren worked for two years as a Research Associate at The Center for Implementation and Dissemination of Evidence-Based Practices in States (IDEAS Center) at the NYU Child Study Center. Her research interests include implementation of evidence-based practices for youth mental health and the adaptation of evidence-based interventions to new settings and delivery models.
 
Links: Email | CV | Website
 

Abby Headshot

First Year Graduate Student 

Abby is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program working with Dr. Christy Esposito-Smythers. Prior to beginning her training at GMU, she graduated from Davidson College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health. Abby then worked for three years as a Behavioral Health Study Coordinator in the Pediatric Oncology Branch at the National Cancer Institute. Her research interests include the implementation of culturally-responsive mental health interventions for youth and families, and specifically evidence-based interventions for adolescent trauma. 
 
Links: Email | CV | Website

Program Coordinator

Emma Palmer, B.A.

Research Assistants

Gabriela Kohlmayer, B.A.

Past Graduate Students

Current: Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow in Pediatric Primary Care, Childrens National Hospital

Anna Defayette, Ph.D.

Current: T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, University of Rochester Medical Center

Current: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center of Excellence for Children in State’s Custody

Current: Staff Psychologist, Virginia Tech Counseling Center  

Adam Miller, Ph.D.

Current: Research Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Karen Schaefer, Ph.D.

Current: U.S. Air Force Staff Psychologist (Research/Clinical)

Julie Weismoore, Ph.D.

Current: VA Staff Psychologist/Medical School Instructor

Alexandra Perloe, Ph.D.

Current: Pediatric Psychologist in the Eating Disorders Program and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Laura Martinson, Ph.D.

Current: Psychologist, Private Practice

 

Past Post-Doctoral Fellows

Current: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Northeastern University

Current: Associate Professor, Psychology Department, Suffolk University 

Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D.

Current: Associate Professor, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Staff Psychologist, Rhode Island Hospital and Bradley Hospital

Current: Director, Research & Program Evaluation, Defense Suicide Prevention Office