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.

Gabi Casals, B.A. (she/her/hers), Lab Manager

Gabi was born in Memphis, Tennessee and spent most of her teenage years in Boulder, Colorado. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from Boston University. Before becoming the Lab Manager at the SUMMIT Lab, she completed her senior honors thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Meisel, served as Lab Manager of BU Twin Project, and worked as a research assistant in the Quantitative Psychopathology Lab. Her research focuses on adolescent substance use and behavioral addictions. She hopes her future research will inform public policy and evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that improve outcomes for adolescents and their families.

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. 

Shane S. George, M.A. (he/him/his), Clinical Psychology PhD Student

Shane is originally from New Milford, NJ, and completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology and Public Health at The College of Saint Rose. He previously worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he coordinated projects focused on supporting adolescents in treatment and recovery support services. He joined the SUMMIT Lab as a Clinical Psychology PhD student in Fall 2025 to investigate adolescent substance use, particularly with respect to the social, developmental, and health contexts of their use. Additionally, he is interested in leveraging longitudinal methods to understand these factors in the real world (e.g., through ecological momentary assessment).

Rebecca Sutton, M.A. (she/her/hers), Research Assistant

Rebecca was born and raised in Frenchtown NJ and is a currently pursuing an MA in Psychology at BU. She earned her BS in Psychology at the University of Dayton and completed minors in both Music and English. She completed an Honors Thesis on how maternal attitudes towards food and body image shape college students’ eating habits, and her research interests include addiction, eating disorders, and social psychology. She hopes to eventually earn her PhD and pursue a career in clinical psychology. She has been playing trumpet and piano for over 10 years and loves to travel.

Yutong Shi, M.A. (she/her/hers), Research Assistant

Yutong is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Psychology at Boston University. Her research interests focus on developmental psychology, including child and adolescent development, family and peer influences, and adolescent risk-taking behaviors and substance use. She plans to pursue a PhD in Developmental Psychology following graduation.

K. Fajardo (she/they), Undergraduate Research Assistant

K is from Chicago, IL, and is currently a senior undergraduate at Boston University majoring in Psychology with a minor in French Studies. Throughout her college career, K has been involved in a number of organizations involving the betterment of education and mental health for children, adolescents, and families. Her primary research interests include developmental psychopathology among adolescence how key sociocultural and socioeconomic factors play a role in their development. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, K hopes to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology and work as a practicing clinical psychologist, researcher, and professor.

Brody Goldberg (he/him/his), Undergraduate Research Assistant

Brody was born and raised in New York City, and is currently pursuing a major in Psychology, with minors in Data Science and Spanish. Brody’s research interests center around improving the lives of children and adolescents, and he holds a deep passion for understanding the effects of substance use on psychological disorders. Following graduation, Brody hopes to get his PhD and to pursue a career in clinical psychology. When he’s not in the research lab, he enjoys playing/watching soccer, traveling, and spending time with his friends.

Alexa Chang (she/her/hers), Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alexa was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and is now a sophomore at Boston University studying psychology. She’s particularly interested in adolescent psychopathology, more specifically how cultural backgrounds shape attitudes toward mental health and how technologies like artificial intelligence can expand access to mental health care. She hopes to eventually earn a Clinical Psychology PhD and pursue a career either in education and/or therapy. Outside of her academic pursuits, Alexa loves reading in bookstores, traveling, trying new food, and spending time with her two cats.

Fini de la Fuente (she/her/hers), Undergraduate Research Assistant

Fini, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University, majoring in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Applied Human Development. Previously, she worked as a therapeutic assistant in children’s equine therapy and as a research assistant at a neurorehabilitation center. As a Hispanic first-generation student, one of her goals is to make mental health resources more accessible for children, regardless of cultural or linguistic barriers. After graduation, she hopes to pursue higher education in clinical psychology.

Lucy Thomson, B.A. (she/her/hers), Research Assistant

Lucy is an undergraduate psychology student at Northeastern University, originally from New Hampshire. She is deeply curious about trauma, intergenerational patterns, and interpersonal theories, particularly how these shape mental health and healing. Lucy aspires to become a clinical counselor specializing in anxiety and trauma, integrating somatic and holistic practices into her work. She also hopes to become a certified yoga teacher and build a practice that supports clients both mentally and physically. As a volunteer research assistant, she is excited to explore how research can inform compassionate, embodied approaches to care and further her work with adolescents in the community.

Pets of SUMMIT Lab

Archie (he/him/his), Maine Coon

Archie, originally from Colorado, has a playful spirit. He loves hanging out with his older brother, chasing feather toys, and climbing his cat tree. He will go crazy for a treat or some cat nip, right before snuggling in your lap for an afternoon nap.

Sasha Fierce (she/her/hers), Mini Schnauzer

Sasha was born in El Salvador and raised in Malden, Massachusetts. She loves sun bathing, cuddling, and eating. Her favorite snacks are bananas and Trader Joe’s dog treats. She is a Taurus!

Slater (he/him/his), Maine Coon

Slater, born Massachusetts, is the older brother of Archie. As an indoor cat, he loves to hangout with people and gaze out of windows. He enjoys playing with a feather wand, and expressing himself through frequent, melodic meows.

Yuki (he/him/his)

Yuki was born and raised in Los Angeles, California alongside his twin brother Aiko. Though he’s not naturally playful, he has an incredibly warm and cuddly personality, and adores sleeping and sunbathing more than anything.

Aiko (he/him/his)

Aiko was born and raised in Los Angeles, California alongside his twin brother Yuki. He’s the playful and adventurous one out of two, his favorite activities including bird watching (sometimes swatting) and annoying his twin brother. Like his brother, he’s incredibly affectionate and very emphatic when wanting to be pet.

Coquito (he/him/his)

Coquito, born and raised in Chicago, IL, is the embodiment of a happy old man. He is 9 years old and loves the attention that comes with being an only dog. His hobbies include lounging on his mom’s bed, begging for snacks that he will not eat, and snuggling with anyone in his immediate reach.

Previous Lab Members

Piper LePree (she/her/hers): Piper is currently teaching at the University of Szeged in Hungary as part of a Fulbright grant. She is also pursuing her M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the College of William and Mary.

Chelsea Ohene-Addo (she/her/hers): After graduating from Boston University, Chelsea is starting a postbac program before pursuing a PhD in Clincial Psych.