Meet the Team

Samuel N. Meisel, Ph.D (he/him/his), SUMMIT Lab Director, Assistant Professor, Boston University

Sam Meisel was born and raised in Glen Rock, New Jersey. He completed his undergraduate studies at Boston University and doctoral studies in clinical psychology at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York. Sam completed his pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral studies at Brown University and Bradley Hospital. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in treating adolescents and their families with substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions. Sam’s interests include mentoring students passionate about improving the lives of adolescents and researching the roles of social relationships in adolescent substance use initiation, escalation, and treatment.

Piper LePree, B.A. (she/her/hers), Lab Manager

Piper completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Boston University. Her senior honors thesis explored the relationship between imposter phenomenon and overgeneral autobiographical memory. Before joining the lab, Piper provided teaching support for Social Psychology and Introductory Psychology in Boston University’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences as a Post-Baccalaureate Academic Fellow. Her research interests involve substance use, mental health, and memory, specifically in LGBTQIA+ and adolescent/young adult populations. She has a passion for encouraging diversity and inclusion in research and academia, as well as interests in mentorship and individual counseling.

Bianca Deras, B.A. (she/her/hers), Research Technician

Bianca received her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. In her undergraduate experience, Bianca was involved in labs studying early intervention in autistic children, and paternal-infant relationships and caregiving. Her research interests include substance use, intergenerational trauma and mental health, and kin networks in underserved populations. She is passionate about health equity and mental health in recent immigrant communities, and has a career interest in clinical psychology. O O O O O O O O O O O O  OOO

Alek Poyato (he/him/his), Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alek, originally from Puerto Rico, is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology, Chemistry & Physics, and Pure Mathematics. Alek has a deep passion for learning and is constantly fascinated by the connections between these seemingly disparate fields. With a goal of attending medical school to become a psychiatrist, Alek is committed to adopting a holistic approach to treatment and is particularly focused on addressing the mental health needs of underprivileged populations who lack access to essential resources.

Sarah Shabib (she/her/hers), Undergraduate Research Assistant

Raised in Bahrain and Jordan, Sarah is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology with a minor in Business. She is especially intrigued by the intersection of neuropsychology and drug behavior, and aspires to become a neuropsychologist. Sarah is dedicated to deepening her knowledge and applying her findings to the Middle Eastern context, thereby improving the understanding of neuropsychological issues and their implications both in the region and globally.