Volunteer Research Scholars

Nava Blyakher

Current Projects:

  • Gerber Project

School & Degree:

  • Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Student at the George Washington University

Rachel Rao

Current Projects:

  • REACH: Relationships and Experiences in Adolescent Connections and Mental Health

School & Degree:

  • Psychology B.S. Student at University of Maryland, College Park

Research Interests:

  • Late diagnoses of ADHD in Adult Women

Future Career Goals:

  • Getting a Psy.D. and becoming an adolescent clinical psychologist

Margaret Sevco

Current Projects:

  • REACH: Relationships and Experiences in Adolescent Connections and Mental Health

  • THRIVE: Tools to Help Rapidly Improve Emotions

School & Degree:

  • Clinical Psychology Student at George Mason University

Research Interests:

  • Alexithymia, interoception, and reinforcement sensitivity

Future Career Goals:

  • Earning a PhD in Clinical Psychology, followed by a career that combines both research and clinical work with a focus on neurodivergent populations.

A Little About Me:

  • When I’m not studying psychology, you can find me hiking in the mountains with my Doberdane, Luca; sailing; listening to live music; or curled up with a good book and my cat, Remi.

Jada Kennedy

Current Projects:

  • REACH: Relationships and Experiences in Adolescent Connections and Mental Health.

School & Degree:

  • B.S. Psychology Major and Neuroscience Minor Student at University of Maryland, College Park.

Research Interests:

  • Emotional regulation in neurodevelopmental populations.

Future Career Goals:

  • Obtaining a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology and becoming a clinical neuropsychologist.

A Little About Me:

  • In my free time, I enjoy photography and film which helps me to embrace my artistic side.

Mharisi Bonner, M.A.

Current Projects:

  • SOAR: Studying Outcomes of Autistic Individuals Transitioning to Adulthood

School & Degree:

  • Howard University Doctoral Trainee in Counseling Psychology Program (MA- Developmental Psychology- Teachers College, Columbia University). 

Research Interests:

  • I focus on understanding and offering empathy and context for how maladaptive coping behaviors in children and adolescents can serve an environmentally adaptive purpose. 

Future Career Goals:

  • Becoming a licensed clinician who opens a private practice and works in hospital-based research.

A Little About Me:

  • I am a textbook Virgo who enjoys botany and comes from Brooklyn, NY.