Meet Our Team

Sakshi Khurana

Sakshi is a first-year doctoral student in the College of Education at DePaul University. She works as a Research Fellow in the Weisz Lab for Youth Mental Health, and as a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Psychology, at Harvard University. Sakshi holds a master’s in clinical psychology from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India, and a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research interests are preventive mental health care in school settings, and investigating the application of ideas and concepts from Buddhism to design mental health interventions for children and youth. While not engaging in research or teaching, Sakshi enjoys cooking, trying different cuisines, and participating in her Buddhist activities.

Audrey Edelman

Audrey Edelman graduated summa cum laude from Simmons University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. As a volunteer research assistant in the Evans Lab, she is actively involved in research examining the physiological underpinnings of irritability and mood dysregulation in youth. In addition, she contributes to a variety of projects reviewing the literature on youth psychotherapy and assessment. Since graduating, Audrey has also been a part of the Weisz Lab for Youth Mental Health at Harvard University, where she has administered psychological assessments to children and families. In the future, Audrey plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology to further study developmental psychopathology. She is particularly interested in research on childhood emotional development, as well as the role of emotion regulation and family processes on youth anxiety and mood disorders.

Bianca Buza

Bianca Buza is a volunteer research assistant. Bianca received her B.S. in psychology and early childhood development and learning from Central Michigan University (CMU). While attending CMU, Bianca worked with Dr. Timothy Hartshorne and doctoral student Lillian Slavin on a project that aimed to establish construct validity for The Educational Checklist (Slavin & Hartshorne, 2019). This project focused on a population of youth ages 3-17 who have been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder known as CHARGE syndrome. With a background in early childhood development and years of experience working in preschool settings and in the homes of young children, Bianca’s primary research interests involve early childhood trauma and its impact on child affect and behavior, and how parent-child relationships influence child development. Her future endeavors involve pursuing a PhD in child clinical psychology, and conducting research aimed at developing and evaluating interventions for children and families coping with maladaptive youth behavior.

Nour Abduljawad

Nour Abduljawad is a third year Psychology student in the University of Miami. She comes from Saudi Arabia. Nour aspires to complete her PhD in Clinical Psychology then open a mental health treatment center in Saudi Arabia. Her focus is to work with young adults struggling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other mental health issues.

Patricia Gao

Patricia Gao (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in psychology and a minor in biology. Her interest in the effect of early psychological intervention inspired her to participate in research involving youth. She is also interested in the impact of early childhood trauma on behavior and mental health. She plans to attend graduate school to obtain her Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Martina Jarrin

Martina Jarrin (she/her/hers) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is on the pre-med track as well as on her way to completing a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Biology. Her interest in behavioral neurological disorders in youth and young adults is what motivated her to join in taking part in the CAB Lab's clinical studies. Martina plans to attend medical school and acquire her M.D. with a specialty in behavioral neurology.

Sophia Ross

Sophia Ross (she/her/hers) is a second-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 as a psychiatrist, specializing in children and adolescents by attending medical school to obtain her doctorate degree.