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.
Madilyn Halwes, B.A. (she/her)
Research Assistant madilyn_halwes@brown.edu
Madilyn joined our department in June of 2022 after graduating with honors from Vanderbilt University, where she double-majored in Psychology and Child Development. Madilyn currently works under Dr. Cynthia Battle investigating perinatal vaccine hesitancy and perinatal cannabis use. She maintains a strong interest in child/family psychology and eating disorders, and she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Outside of her academic interests, Madilyn is a dedicated fan of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle and works on one every day!
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.
Simranjeet Cambow, B.S. (she/her)
Research Assistant simranjeet_cambow@brown.edu
Simran is a research assistant in Dr. Brandon Gaudiano’s lab in the Psychosocial Research Department at Butler Hospital. She 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. She graduated from the University of Miami in Spring 2022, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with honors. Simran’s research interests include promoting healthy development, as well as implementing and disseminating culturally competent interventions and prevention strategies to improve clinical outcomes for adolescents and emerging adults with anxiety and emotion dysregulation disorders
Sara Kimble, B.A. (she/her)
Senior Research Assistant sara_kimble@brown.edu
Sara is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. She received a B.S. in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University. Previously, she worked at McLean Hospital’s residential DBT unit with adolescents with borderline personality disorder and related mental health conditions. Her primary research interests include emotion dysregulation, interpersonal functioning, and novel interventions for self-injurious and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in the future. In her free time, Sara enjoys reading, singing, and exploring the newest items on the shelves at Trader Joe’s.
Geneva Mason, B.A. (she/her)
Senior Research Assistant geneva_mason@brown.edu
Geneva is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. Previously, she received a B.A. in Psychology from Queen’s University, where she completed her honors thesis on suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary people under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy Stewart. After graduating, she worked as a Research Assistant at the S.T.A.R.T. Clinic for Mood and Anxiety Disorders (supervisor: Dr. Martin Katzman). In addition to her position at the clinic, she has continued to work with Dr. Stewart on a project assessing predictors of the course of non-suicidal self-injury following psychiatric hospitalization. Geneva’s research interests include: (i) quantifying temporal dynamics in suicide risk algorithms; (ii) the common necessary causes of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors; and (iii) technology-based interventions guided by within-person changes in risk. In the future, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, reading, exploring, and, recently, trivia!
Zhengduo (Johnny) Lu, B.A. (he/him)
Research Assistant zhengduo_lu@brown.edu
Johnny Lu is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He recently received his B.A. in Psychology with a clinical concentration from Boston College. Currently working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Johnny investigates smartphone-based interventions among patients diagnosed with a mood or psychotic disorder transitioning into the community after hospitalization. His research interests include mindfulness-based interventions and cultural considerations in cognitive-behavioral interventions for mood disorders. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in the future. In his freetime, he enjoys singing, cooking, playing tennis, and listening to podcasts.
Amalia Lynch (she/her)
Research Assistant molly_lynch@brown.edu
Amalia is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. She received a B.S. in Neuroscience from William & Mary, where she completed her honors thesis investigating differences in auditory processing ERP activity in adolescents diagnosed with ASD. After graduating, she worked as a clinical research assistant at the Rhode Island Hospital’s ACT-based partial hospitalization program under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Zimmerman. Her primary research interests include (i) the influence of trauma and personality pathology on risky and dysregulated behaviors; and (ii) novel, accessible interventions for these behaviors, with a focus on those developed for historically underrepresented groups in mental health research. She ultimately plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, snuggling with her two dogs, and trying new restaurants!
Anikait Gadi, B.S. (he/him)
Research Assistant anikait_gadi@brown.edu
Anikait is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He received a B.S. in Psychology and a Minor in Public Health from The Ohio State University. During college, he worked as a Mental Health Specialist in an Adolescent Inpatient Psych Unit at Nationwide Childrens Hospital’s Behavioral Health Pavilion. At Ohio State, Anikait defended his undergraduate thesis, under the mentorship of Dr. Duane Wegener, exploring attitudes toward seeking treatment for depression and identifying if maladaptive coping mechanisms influenced them. His primary research interests include the relation between emotional dysregulation and problem behaviors, suicidal risk factors, and interventions for non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal thoughts in adolescents and young adults. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, learning the guitar, traveling, and exploring new coffee spots and restaurants.
Elizabeth Germain, B.S. (she/her)
Research Assistant elizabeth_germain@brown.edu
Elizabeth is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. She graduated from William & Mary with a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology. At William & Mary, she defended her psychology honors thesis, which explored the relationship between college students’ sleep habits and perceived descriptive norms (i.e., students’ perceptions of other students’ sleep habits). In the future, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creative writing, exploring Providence, and playing piano, guitar, and, recently, harmonica.
Sarah Zylberfuden
Research Assistant sarah_zylberfuden@brown.edu
Sarah Zylberfuden is a research assistant working with Dr. Sarah Arias in the Psychosocial Research Department. She oversees a study working with Michigan State University, CareSource, and Brown on training various providers on suicide prevention. She graduated from Brown University spring 2022 with a degree in cognitive neuroscience and literary arts. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. In her free time, she loves to read, spend time with animals, and going on walks outside.
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.
