Rita Rossi, M.A. (she/her)
Project Coordinator II rita_rossi@brown.edu
Rita is the Project Coordinator for the Psychosocial Research Program at Butler Hospital. Working primarily on under Dr. Cynthia Battle, Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, and Dr. Ivan Miller, she oversees studies focused on transitions from psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency department visits to outpatient treatment as well as studies on physical activity interventions for pregnant women experiencing depression, anxiety, and substance use during pregnancy. In her free time, Rita enjoys spending time with family, running, reading, travelling, hiking, biking, volleyball, and occasionally playing the ukulele
Toni Amaral, B.A. (she/her)
Senior Research Assistant toni_amaral@brown.edu
Toni Amaral is a senior research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. Currently working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Toni oversees a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, which aims to explore the effectiveness of a novel treatment program for patients with mood and substance use disorders following their hospital discharge. Toni is also the administrator for the department. In her free time, Toni enjoys photography, reading, fishing, spending time with her family and cheering on her children at sports events.
Andrea Vijil Morin, B.A. (she/her)
Research Assistant andrea_vijil_morin@brown.edu
Andrea is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from Macalester College. Working under Dr. Cynthia Battle, Andrea investigates perinatal vaccine hesitancy and perinatal cannabis use. Andrea plans to pursue a master’s in public health. In her free time, she enjoys baking and dancing.
Jihoon Choi, B.S. (he/him)
Research Assistant jihoon_choi@brown.edu
Jihoon Choi is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He received his B.S. in Psychology and Neurobiology, graduating with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree, he concurrently worked as an inpatient mental health specialist and TMS technician at St. Mary’s Hospital-Madison, and as a research intern at the Waisman Brain Imaging (PET) Lab. At present, working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Jihoon investigates novel interventions to help patients transition from psychiatric hospitalization back to their life’s context. His research interests include theoretical models of suicide, psychological in/flexibility, and multidimensional diagnostic frameworks. Jihoon plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys listening, playing, and recording music.
Stephen Coutu (he/him)
Research Assistant stephen_coutu@brown.edu
Stephen is a research assistant in the CEL Lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Psychology & B.A. in English, and completed the Honors Program. Stephen was awarded two grants by URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. The first examined risk and protective factors for posttraumatic stress among sexual and gender minorities, the findings and analysis of which were used for his honors thesis. His second grant examined the role of affect intensity in opioid use and suicide risk among individuals with experiences of trauma. In the future, Stephen plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. When he is not working, Stephen enjoys reading, writing, traveling, woodworking, cooking, and spending time with his wife and family.
Alana Davis (she/her)
Research Assistant alana_davis@brown.edu
Alana Davis is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Research Program at Butler Hospital. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Alana investigates the impact of Mindfulness-Based Therapy for serious mental illness (SMI) in a community mental health setting. Her other research interests center around trauma-related disorders, developmental trajectories of psychopathology, and third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies. Alana plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys playing the bass, taking photos of the moon, and watching her plants grow.
Camille Marquez (she/her)
Research Assistant camille_ianne_marquez@brown.edu
Camille joined the CEL Lab in June 2025. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Community Engagement and Social Change, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, she helped conduct research studies and clinical interventions on post-traumatic stress disorder, resiliency, and social functioning among military service members. In the future, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, baking, and reading.
Tess Oswalt (she/her)
Research Assistant tess_oswalt@brown.edu
Tess joined the CEL Lab in August 2025 after graduating from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology. While at UCSD, Tess joined the Positive Emotion & Anxiety Research Lab (PEARL) directed by Dr. Charles Taylor in May 2023. Under Dr. Taylor’s mentorship Tess completed her psychology honors thesis which explored whether suicidal ideation could predict how individuals with anxiety and depression would respond to treatment interventions. Her primary research interests include suicide risk factors and prevention, prodromal syndrome, and early intervention strategies. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring new coffee spots and restaurants in Providence, and watching movies!
Marie Bong (she/her)
Research Assistant marie_subeen_bong@brown.edu
Marie joined the CEL Lab in September 2025 after earning a B.S. with Distinction in Cognitive Science from Yale University. As an undergraduate, Marie conducted research in the Affective Science and Culture Lab under Dr. Maria Gendron, where she completed her senior thesis on the association between cue-utilization in emotion inference and the regulation of expressions. She also completed a summer internship in the Computational Clinical Science Lab at Seoul National University with Dr. Woo-Young Ahn. Marie’s research interests include culturally relevant interventions for mood disorders and translational research that bridges science, clinical practice, and policy. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Outside of the lab, Marie enjoys creative writing, cooking, traveling, board games, movies, and singing.
