CURRENT MEMBERS
Meghan S. Goyer, M.A.
Meghan S. Goyer is a sixth-year student in the Clinical-Community Psychology Program. She is interested in the role of positive psychology (i.e., social connectedness, mindfulness, gratitude, grit) in interventions to prevent and mitigate the course of internalizing psychopathology across development and improve health outcomes, particularly in the context of systems (i.e., families, schools, public health), and in underrepresented populations. She is also interested in dissemination and advocacy, and hopes to contribute to reducing health disparities by working to improve social determinants of health (i.e., where we live, learn, work, play, etc.) for all people. In her free time, Meghan loves spending time with her family, friends, and dog, Buzz. she enjoys hiking and camping, live music, water activities, art, reading, and yoga.
Things I Like: Dogs, rivers and oceans, running, the woods, music – especially bluegrass and especially live, yard games, art, ice cream, my family!
Things I Dislike: Mosquitoes, bad signage, mean people.
Interesting Tidbits: I know how to play the banjo (barely); I used to do aerial dance (trapeze); I went to art school; I am a trained yoga instructor.
Jena Michel, M.A.
Jena is a fifth-year student in the Clinical-General Psychology PhD program. Her research aims to understand risk and resilience factors in the development of internalizing symptoms from childhood to emerging adulthood, with a sensitivity to relationships (e.g., parent-child, peer) and culture/context.
Things I Like: miniature things, bike riding, solitude, chipmunks, reading
Things I Dislike: fluorescent lights, pretension, sports, high heels
Interesting Tidbit: I sewed my old lab mate’s wedding gown!
Sarah Moran, M.A.
Sarah is a fourth year Clinical-Community doctoral student in the LEAF Lab. Sarah is interested in risk and protective factors for the development of internalizing disorders including emotion socialization processes, emotion regulation, information-processing biases, and cognitive flexibility. Further, Sarah is interested in utilizing basic science on these factors to inform prevention and interventions at the individual and community level and increasing access to mental health interventions to reduce health disparities. Prior to pursuing her graduate studies at GSU, Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University and worked as a program coordinator and research assistant for the Telehealth Outreach Program at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Institute of Psychiatry. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking with her dog Maya, biking, playing tennis, exploring Atlanta, and spending time with friends and family.
Emily Tan, B.A.
Emily is a first year student in the Clinical-Community doctoral program. Emily’s research interests are centered around the relationships between parent-child interaction and family wellbeing. More specifically, she is interested in the ways in which healthy dyadic communication buffers the effects of parental depression on children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Emily hopes to contribute to the development of parent/caregiver-based interventions that promote healthy child development. Furthermore, she is excited about leveraging community spaces (i.e., public libraries) to increase accessibility to such evidence-based family interventions. Before coming to GSU, Emily spent one year as a Fulbright research fellow studying infant language acquisition in Sydney, Australia, followed by two years as a Clinical Research Coordinator and Program Coordinator at the Depression Clinical & Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Things I like: ice skating, roller blading, propagating plants, baking bread, the Circular Quay railway station (best view ever!), my cat, quality time with my family.
Things I dislike: raisins, mosquitos
Interesting tidbit: I walk my cat Winston on a leash!
Dena P. Henry, M.S.
Dena graduated from Augusta University with her Master of Science in Applied Psychology. Dena has served as the lab coordinator and has assisted on various projects in the lab from inception to completion.
Things I Like: All things related to baking, taking nature walks, planners, fine point pens.
Things I Dislike: Raw onions, wasted energy,
Interesting Tidbits: In 2016 I began a small business making decorated cookies, cakepops and other sweet treats. Also, I am allergic to basil and mint, which appear to be rare food allergies.
Erinn Bernstein Duprey, Ph.D.
Erin is a Research Scientist at the Mt. Hope Family Center & Children’s Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester. She is Dr. Duprey’s research is guided by the developmental psychopathology perspective, and focuses primarily on the role of childhood adversity in shaping adolescent and young adult socioemotional outcomes. Erinn holds a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a PhD in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Georgia. She recently completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship in suicide prevention at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Jessica L. O’Leary, Ph.D.
Jessica L. O’Leary completed her Ph.D. student in Clark University’s clinical psychology program. Jessica’s research interests centered on how to foster resilience, with an emphasis on emotion socialization and particular attention to the role of caregivers. Jessica’s prior work had focused on elucidating the pathways linking parenting behaviors with youth outcomes. Her dissertation study aimed to better understand some of the factors that protect urban youth from the deleterious effects of community violence by examining the role of emotion socialization and emotion regulation and considering possible cultural and contextual factors. Jessica’s research compliments her clinical interests. She is specializing in the treatment of children, adolescents, and families with a sub specialization in the treatment of trauma.
Things I Like: sunshine, grilled peaches, swimming in (warm) bodies of water, traveling and exploring new places, dancing, helping others, and a good laugh
Things I Dislike: driving, peanut butter, and discrimination
Interesting Tidbit: I am a first-generation American and Spanish is my first language.
Alyssa Faro, Ph.D.