Graduate Students

Kyra Citron, MA (she/her)

Kyra is a third-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Hofstra University. Prior to joining Lab CARES, she spent four years as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Eating Disorder Research Program at Stanford University School of Medicine. She managed a variety of large-scale Randomized Control Trials focused on the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa and Avoidant Restrictive Food-Intake Disorder in youth. She graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. As an undergraduate, she was a member of the Eating Disorder Research Lab. At Duke, she helped develop and research Duke’s first peer-to-peer support text-based support line. She graduated with distinction in Psychology in 2020, writing her thesis on the experience and definition of gender euphoria in transgender adults. Kyra’s research interest include the intersection of identity development in the treatment of mental illness. She is especially interested in eating disorder prevention and treatment in underserved populations, especially LGBTQ+ youth.

Tanvi Pawar, MA (she/her)

Tanvi is a third-year student in the clinical psychology PhD program at Hofstra University. Before embarking on her graduate studies, Tanvi earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women's University in India. Following which she devoted two years to the Ananya Birla Foundation laboratory, where she conducted significant research on mental health issues affecting women in rural Maharashtra. The lab’s work in this area has contributed to a deeper understanding of the unique challenges faced by this population. In addition to her research, Tanvi practiced as a psychologist for a year with DefEating Disorders, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals struggling with disordered eating and body image concerns. Her research will broadly focus on racial/ethnic minorities, body image, and eating related concerns.

Angelique Simeone, MA (she/her)

Angelique is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Hofstra University. She graduated with high honors from NYU and then completed her master’s degree at Columbia University. Prior to beginning the program at Hofstra, Angelique worked as a research associate at the Yale Child Study Center and the lab manager of the Child Outpatient Psychiatry Division at Montefiore. At Yale, she worked on projects examining the long term risk of youth irritability on later suicide-related outcomes. At Montefiore, Angelique worked on a project assessing how DBT might be adapted for adolescents of diverse backgrounds. Angelique’s primary research interest is in examining cultural risk and protective factors for suicide during emerging adulthood. She is also interested in improving suicide risk assessments for emerging adults with acute medical illness and/or chronic conditions.

Tanya Verma, MA (she/her)

Tanya is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Hofstra University. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, where she was actively involved in multiple research projects and labs. At Columbia, she contributed to suicide research at Mount Sinai, collaborated with Dr. Barbara Stanley at the New York State Psychiatric Institute on suicide safety planning, and worked on emotion regulation research, among other projects. Following graduation, Tanya moved to Boston and joined McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where she worked in the Adult OCD Unit. Over her two years at McLean, she provided individual and group exposure therapy and facilitated treatment-related groups in a residential program. Tanya’s primary research interests focus on identifying risk factors for suicide and developing timely interventions for young adults. She is also interested in advancing the understanding of emotion regulation and creating clinical interventions tailored to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Ziyan Xia, MA (she/they)

Ziyan Xie is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Hofstra University. She is interested in understanding how sociocultural factors, particularly social media, influence body image among adolescents and young adults from diverse backgrounds. Prior to Hofstra, she earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology and master's degree in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University. During her time at Tufts, she worked as research assistant on youth substance use disorder recovery under Dr. Jordan Jurinsky at Tufts and Dr. Emily Hennessy at Massachusetts General Hospital. She also spent three years at Boston Children’s Hospital examining social communication and sexual health education among autistic youth. Ziyan is passionate about expanding access to mental health support for underserved populations. She served as a helpline volunteer with the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Her long-term goal is to develop culturally responsive prevention and intervention that promote body acceptance and psychological well-being.

Undergraduate Students

Lauren Chen (she/her)

Lauren Chen is a 2026 Spring graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She intends to pursue a doctorate degree in School and Clinical Psychology. Her professional interests include working with individuals experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma-related disorders, and other mental health issues, as well as supporting children/adolescents in school settings. She is currently a Crisis Textline counselor and a group-leader for Hofstra Summer Camps.