Meet Our Team

Principal Investigator

Spencer Evans

Spencer Evans (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Psychology (Clinical/Child) at the University of Miami. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology, with a minor in Quantitative Methods, at the University of Kansas in 2017. Dr. Evans completed his predoctoral internship at the Medical University of South Carolina, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. His research focuses on irritability and aggressive behavior in children and adolescents, including interests in developmental processes, assessment, and intervention. For years, he has worked with the World Health Organization in their development of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) Mental and Behavioural Disorders. He currently serves on the Executive Board for the Society of Child and Family Policy and Practice (APA Division 37) and as a consultant for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Presidential Initiative on outbursts and emotion dysregulation.

Faculty Statements

Doctoral Students

Ashley Karlovich

Ashley Karlovich (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year graduate student in the CAB Lab. Ashley graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2019 with bachelors’ degrees in Psychology and Spanish. After graduation, she worked as the post-baccalaureate Research Associate in the Child and Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment (CAMAT) Program at the University of Miami, where she worked on projects related to transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders in youth. During her work in the CAB Lab, Ashley is broadly interested in exploring the development, measurement, and clinical assessment of emotional and behavioral problems in youth. She is also interested in conducting research on family systems and processes, including parent-child coercion, parenting behaviors and parental psychopathology. Outside the lab, Ashley enjoys cooking, going to the beach, traveling, and trying new restaurants in Miami.

Shannon Shaughnessy

Shannon Shaughnessy (she/her/hers) is a third-year graduate student in the CAB lab and a recipient of the University of Miami Dean’s Fellowship. She is originally from Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2020 with high distinction and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in international studies. After graduation, she was awarded a two-year Intramural Research Trainee Award with Drs. Melissa Brotman and Ellen Leibenluft at the National Institute of Mental Health. Here, she worked on projects examining the neurocognitive mechanisms of irritability to inform the development of novel therapeutics. Broadly, Shannon is interested in leveraging advanced statistical techniques and longitudinal methods to examine the biological underpinnings of irritability and aggressive behaviors in children. She is particularly interested in the potential of technology, such as ecological momentary assessment, to enhance phenotyping. Shannon is also funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program to investigate how cognitive control deficits may be implicated in the development of irritability. Outside of research, she loves to travel, hike, bake, and spend time with friends and family.

Kenyon Page

Kenyon Page (she/her/hers) is a second-year student working with the CAB Lab and is the recipient of a University of Miami Graduate Student Fellowship. Originally from Virginia, she graduated in May 2020 from Virginia Tech with bachelor's degrees in Psychology and International Studies and a minor in Spanish. After graduation, she joined Teach for America as a 3rd grade teacher at a Title I STEM magnet school in Greensboro, NC. Kenyon is broadly interested in early childhood learning and bilingualism, particularly for children with emotional and behavioral problems, and the cognitive processes of learning that are most efficient, effective, and engaging for this population. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, trying new recipes, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Lab Coordinators

Sophia Ross

Sophia Ross (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. Her previous experience volunteering at a respite center for children with intellectual disabilities inspired her interest in mental health and working with children and adolescents. She plans to pursue a career in nursing, with the goal of earning her master's degree to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys going to the beach, running, and attending concerts.

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Juan Astigarrabia

Juan Astigarrabia (he/him/his) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and Global Health Studies with minors in anthropology and sociology. He is interested in the implementation of evidence-based early intervention therapies within a community health model to vulnerable and underserved populations. His previous research experience in helping facilitate the delivery of no-cost therapy to adolescents in Title I Miami-Dade county public schools led him to work in CAB through the lab's CTSI Community Advisory Board project.

Research Assistants

Martina Jarrin

Martina Jarrin (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She will be graduating with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Psychology in May of 2025. She is committed to understanding how social identity and family history interacts with psychopathology in children and adolescents. Her experiences with childcare are what motivated her to take part in the CAB Lab's clinical studies. She plans to obtain a Psy.D. and pursue a career as a child psychologist.

Jade Capell

Jade Capell (she/her/hers) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Psychology with minors in Public Health and Health Managment and Policy. Her experience working as a youth camp counselor sparked her interest in working with children and adolescents. She has a passion for behavioral and emotional health. She plans to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology and pursue a career as a Child Psychologist.

Rose Bezilla

Rose Bezilla (she/her/hers) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Math. She has a passion for understanding how mental health and childhood experiences shape behavior and identity. Rose plans to pursue a PhD in psychology to further explore these interests, particularly by integrating psychological principles into criminology to understand how early experiences contribute to criminal behavior. She aims to promote mental well-being across all ages by addressing these foundational influences.

Eva Haan

Eva Haan (she/her/hers) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami, currently completing her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Microbiology and Immunology. She is passionate about the functionality of emotion regulation in children as well as the links between disease and behavioral psychology. Her interest was fostered by her experience working as an academic camp coordinator. Eva plans to attend graduate school to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Hailey Elias

Hailey Elias (she/her/hers) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. She is interested in understanding how behavior and emotion shape children. Hailey is very passionate about mental health and plans to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology and pursue a career as a Child Psychologist.

Naomi Doyle

Naomi Doyle (she/her/hers) is a second-year undergraduate student at University of Miami. She is currently pursuing a B.A in Psychology and Criminology with a minor in Law and Politics. Her experience interning in the Albany County Attorney's office, focusing on juvenile delinquency sparked her interest in understanding how home life, mental health and peer influences lead to criminal behavior. The passion to understand aggressive and criminal behavior is what led her to join the CAB Lab. Naomi plans to attend law school to pursue a JD in criminal law.

Brianna Madore

Brianna Madore (she/her/hers) is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with minors in Mathematics and Sports Medicine. She is in her fifth year volunteering in special education and life skills classrooms, where she assists high school students with disabilities. Her volunteer experience fueled her interest in the lab, as she is hoping to better understand the students she works with. She is also passionate about youth mental health awareness. Bri is planning to get a PhD in Sport Psychology to help children and young adults optimize their mental health despite performance pressure.

Rotem Gatenio

Rotem Gatenio (she/her/hers) is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami, pursuing a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Community & Applied Psychological Studies. She is passionate about understanding the variables that influence child development and helping families actively participate in their child's growth to foster positive outcomes for both parents and children. Rotem plans to pursue a Ph.D. in developmental psychology to explore these interests further and contribute to research that supports healthy childhood development and family dynamics.

Lab Mascot

Scout

Jean Louise "Scout" Evans-Jacobs is a Florida native who joined the lab in April 2021. Her research interests include positive behavioral intervention, ADHD, and cute aggression. Outside the lab, she enjoys belly rubs, treats, fetch, and eating virtually anything she finds on the ground. She has no interest in going to graduate school.

Other people we're lucky to know...

Lab Alumni – and Last Known Whereabouts*

Patricia Gao (Research Assistant and Coordinator) - PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

Kate Simmons (Research Assistant and Coordinator) - MS Program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling , University of North Florida

Sakshi Khurana (Postgraduate Research Assistant) Lab PhD Program in Global Education Leadership, College of Education, DePaul University, Chicago, IL

Denise López Sosa (Lab Manager) - School Psychology PhD Program, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California Santa Barbara

Bianca Buza (Postgraduate Research Assistant) - Outpatient Evaluation Intern at the Psychological Consultation Center, MI

Natalie Mastalerz (Research Assistant) - Post-bac research position at Northwell/Zucker Hillside Hospital

Will Riddle (Research Assistant) - Clinical Research Coordinator at the Medical College of Wisconsin

Audrey Edelman (Postgraduate Research Assistant) - Clinical Psychology PsyD Program at William James College

Elizabeth Wolock (Research Coordinator & Lab Manager, Weisz Lab, Harvard University) – Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Florida

Kelsey Callahan (Research Coordinator & Lab Manager, Weisz Lab, Harvard University) – Licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts

Patricia Garibaldi (Research Coordinator, Weisz Lab, Harvard University) – Residential Counselor at McLean-Franciscan Community Based Acute Treatment; Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Grace Cho (Research Coordinator, Weisz Lab, Harvard University) – Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Ana Carvalho (Research Coordinator, Weisz Lab, Harvard University) – Social Work AM program (MSW equivalent) at the University of Chicago

Robyn Herbert (Research Assistant & Senior Honors Thesis Student, Roberts Lab, University of Kansas) – Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Washington State University

Emma Rogers (Research Assistant, Roberts Lab & Fite Lab, University of Kansas) – Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Ohio University

Maddison Tolliver-Lynn (Research Assistant & Senior Honors Thesis Student, Roberts Lab, University of Kansas) – Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Oklahoma State University

* Keep us posted! Contact sevans@miami.edu if we should add your name or update your information.

Collaborators, Mentors, & Friends

Jennifer Blossom, University of Maine
Tony Bonadio, University of Connecticut

Jeff Burke, University of Connecticut
John Cooley, Texas Tech University
Paula Fite, University of Kansas
Mandy Jensen-Doss, University of Miami
Joy Gabrielli, University of Florida
Jessica Hamilton, Rutgers University
Sherelle Harmon, University of Miami
Jared Keeley, Virginia Commonwealth University
John Lochman, University of Alabama
Tom Ollendick, Virginia Tech
Sonia Rubens, Santa Clara University
Geoff Reed, World Health Organization & Columbia University
Michael Roberts, University of Kansas
John Weisz, Harvard University
Eric Youngstrom, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill