Amy Roy is the director of the Pediatric Emotion Regulation Lab, She is  a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. Dr. Roy received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Princeton University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University. She completed her Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship at NYU School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital in the Child Track and remained at NYU as a post-doctoral fellow at the Child Study Center. In 2005, Dr. Roy became an Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU Langone School of Medicine where she remained until she came to Fordham in June of 2011. Dr. Roy’s primary research interests are in the etiology of emotion dysregulation in children and adolescents, and factors that impact how parents respond to their children's emotional outbursts.

Maggie joined the lab in 2021 and is in the clinical psychology doctoral program. She graduated from George Washington University in 2018 with a BA in Psychology and English. After graduation she worked as a Project Coordinator at the Lab of Developmental Neuroscience at Penn State University. Maggie is interested in researching neurocognitive mechanisms underlying pediatric mental health disorders, such as anxiety and irritability. She is particularly interested in working with adolescents and understanding the development of affective processes (e.g. emotion perception, emotion regulation). Similar to her research interests, Maggie is interested in clinical work with pediatric populations, anxiety disorders, and OCD.

mbenda@fordham.edu

Meryl joined the lab in 2023 and is in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. She graduated in 2020 from the University of Michigan with a degree in Cognitive Science. After graduating, she worked as a project coordinator on treatment development studies for pediatric anxiety and OCD. Meryl is currently interested in the cognitive underpinnings of emotional and behavioral dysregulation in youth, particularly in the context of parent-child interactions. She hopes to translate her research to refine parent-focused interventions for child anxiety, irritability, and anger that are relevant and accessible to underserved communities. Similar to her research interests, Meryl is interested in clinical work with families managing child ADHD, irritability, and anxiety. In her free time, Meryl enjoys painting, going to the movies, going for runs in central park, and baking treats for her cohort.

mrueppel@fordham.edu

Cristina Nardini is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program. She received a BA in psychology with a concentration in biopsychology from The College of New Jersey. Following graduation, Cristina was a research assistant in The Clinical Research Lab at Harvard on projects related to eating disorders and self-harm among teenagers. She then worked at Yale Child Study Center and Yale CANDLab, coordinating a research trial examining the clinical and neurobiological effects of a parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety called SPACE. Today, she is interested in the ways supportive relationships, namely those with parents, peers, and mentors, impact emotional and cognitive development among underrepresented youth. She is currently using EMA and a person-centered network approach to explore the socioemotional dynamics of emotion regulation among adolescents in the Bronx experiencing anxiety. Cristina's goal is to apply this knowledge to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of community- and parent-based interventions. In her free time, Cristina enjoys going for runs, crafting, and spending time with her nieces and nephews. 

cnardini@fordham.edu

Allison joined the lab in 2023 as a Master’s student in the Clinical Research Methods program. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2023 with a BA in Psychology and English. She is currently also the lab manager at the CALC Lab at Rutgers University. Allison is particularly interested in researching self-perception in child and adolescents with ADHD, as well as social media and its effects on child and adolescent mental health disorders. She hopes to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology following her time at Fordham. 

ae1@fordham.edu

Anisha joined the lab in January 2025 as a Master’s student in the Clinical Research Methods program. She graduated from New York University in 2024 with a BS in Neural Science. She is also a research assistant at the Culture, Emotion, and Health Lab at NYU Steinhardt. Anisha is interested in investigating how neurobiological and cultural factors impact psychological well-being in children and adolescents, with a particular focus on emotion regulation and stress-coping mechanisms. She hopes to earn a PhD in clinical psychology and develop culturally informed interventions to support children and adolescent mental health.

atk6@fordham.edu

Ava Moore joined the lab in the fall of 2022. She is a senior majoring in neuroscience and sociology. She is currently working on her senior thesis examining hemispheric asymmetry in adolescents with anxiety using EEG and fMRI, and her main research interests center around the neural underpinnings of developmental disorders. Ava also assists on the lab’s MTOT and YES studies. She hopes to pursue a PhD in cognitive or developmental neuroscience after undergraduate. Outside of the lab, Ava is the co-editor-in-chief of the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal and vice president of the Integrative Neuroscience Student Association. She also enjoys cooking, reading, and crocheting.

Julia Trexler joined the lab in the spring of 2023. As a senior, she is currently working alongside Dr. Roy and Allison Eisenberg on her Honor’s Thesis. They are looking at the effects of the menstrual cycle on ADHD symptoms and their participation in risky behavior. In the spring of 2025, Julia will present her findings at a conference. On top of that, Julia is working with Maggie and other undergraduate research assistants on the YES study. We are looking at how adolescents regulate their emotions. To accomplish this, we are training high school students to be confederate debaters. Once they are prepped and we have participants, the undergraduate researchers will be trained on how to run the study. Beyond the lab, Julia works as a tennis scorekeeper and is the Vice President of the intramural team. She enjoys reading and cooking. Julia hopes to apply to graduate schools in the upcoming months to pursue a Master’s in mental health counseling.

Violeta joined the lab in the summer of 2023. She is a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience with a concentration in cell and molecular neuroscience, while being on the pre-health track. Violeta is interested in researching the impact of air pollution on child mental health. She is currently working on an interdisciplinary project which examines how air pollution levels in New York City impact child psychopathology and functional connectivity in the brain. After graduating from Fordham, Violeta hopes to pursue a career in the medical field. Outside of the lab, she works in the Interlibrary Loan Department at Walsh Library, and is the Vice President of Fordham University’s Fitness Club, as well as St. Rose’s Garden Club at Rose Hill. She also enjoys various forms of visual arts, fashion, and cinema in her free time. 

Amy joined the lab in the spring of 2024. She is a senior with a major in psychology on the pre-health track and a minor in anthropology. Amy is currently assisting with recruitment in the YES Study. She is interested in research involving children and adolescent development. Amy is a member of Psi-Chi and is hoping to pursue a PhD in Developmental Psychology after graduating from Fordham. Outside of the lab, Amy is working at a youth mentoring internship at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. 

Lea joined the lab in the summer of 2024. She is a junior majoring in psychology while being on the pre-health track. Lea is interested in researching mental health disorders that can be associated with childhood and parental dynamics. As of now, she is recruiting participants for the YES study in order to further her knowledge regarding childhood psychological illnesses and parent-child relationships. Lea aspires to work in the medical field with a focus on women’s health proceeding her time at Fordham. Outside of the lab, she is the president of the St. Rose’s Garden Club at Rose Hill, a member of the Fordham University Choir, and a Resident Assistant at Rose Hill. 

Audrey Gomez joined the lab in 2024. She is a junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Audrey’s research interests include pediatric neuropsychology and developmental affective neuroscience. She aspires to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology following her time at Fordham. Outside of the lab, Audrey is president of the Psychology Club at Lincoln Center and a member of the Psychology Department DEI Advisory Council.

Ana Varela Mayer joined the lab in the summer of 2024. She is a junior majoring in neuroscience and religious studies on the pre-med track. Ana hopes to pursue a medical career in women’s health. She is interested in research involving maternal stress during pregnancy and its impact on child neurobehavioral development. Outside of the lab, she is involved in the Committee on Sexual Misconduct and Fordham’s Saving Mothers chapter. She also enjoys movies, yoga, and walking dogs in her spare time.