Our Projects

Current Projects 

Romantic Interpersonal Synchrony and Early Experiences (RISE) Study 

The RISE study aims to examine links between childhood trauma, traits and behaviors, and biological and behavioral interactions between romantic partners. By studying couple physiology and behavior in the context of well-being, interpersonal functioning, mindfulness, and relational trauma, this research aims to shed light on how childhood experiences may influence social and emotional functioning in adult romantic relationships.

The Role of Fathers in Childhood Experiences and Current Mental Health Study 

This study looks at how experience with fathers, including father’s involvement, father-child relationships, and father’s support during childhood, might affect young people’s mood and mental health today. Most past research about parents and children has focused on mothers; family-based mental health research on fathers is still limited. The purpose of this research is to help psychologists, schools, and families/parents understand fathers’ role in individuals’ mental health developmentally and can offer recommendations on family-related factors for depression prevention.  

Past Projects 

Psychophysiology, Affect, and Mindfulness Study 

The main purpose of this study is to examine whether a mindfulness intervention may decrease negative effects of a stressor on a sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The study also examined how the relationship between negative experiences in childhood and adolescents and psychophysiological reactions to stress may be changed by increasing mindfulness. 

Childhood Experiences and Psychophysiology Study 

The purpose of this study was to examine how young adult's experiences of harsh parenting during childhood and adolescence relate to emotion regulation, attention difficulties, depression, anxiety, anger, aggression, resilience, and physiological functioning as adults. This project was funded by a grant from the Department of Psychology at the University at Albany. 

Life Stress, Aggression, and Psychobiology Study 

The purpose of this study was to examine how experiences in the community, such as exposure to conflict and violence, affect the behavior of children and adolescents. We are especially interested in the roles of autonomic nervous system and HPA axis activity in mediating and/or moderating these effects. We are conducting this study in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady. This project was funded by a grant from the University at Albany’s Faculty Research Award Program, the Graduate Student Organization at University at Albany, and the Department of Psychology at the University at Albany. 

Family Interactions and the Response to Stress 

The purpose of this study was to examine how young adults’ experiences of harsh parenting during childhood and adolescence relate to anger, aggression, depression, anxiety, and interpersonal functioning as adults. Ari Rabkin wrote his master’s thesis examining the moderating role of autonomic activity in the effect of harsh parenting on depression, and Dr. Christy Olezeski wrote her dissertation examining the roles of beta-adrenergic activity, as measured by salivary alpha-amylase, and HPA activity, via salivary cortisol, in effects of harsh parenting on later aggressive behavior. Honors student Louis Labriola is working on a project examining relations among harsh parents, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and affecting modulated startle eye blink (as measured electrophysiological via facial EMG).