{"id":21,"date":"2024-04-30T14:34:55","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T18:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/?page_id=21"},"modified":"2026-10-09T14:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T18:44:49","slug":"meet-the-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/meet-the-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Samuel N. Meisel, Ph.D (he\/him\/his), SUMMIT Lab Director, Assistant Professor, Boston University<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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Gabi Casals, B.A. (she\/her\/hers), Lab Manager<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

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Bianca Deras, B.A. (she\/her\/hers), <\/strong>Research Technician<\/h5>\n

\"\"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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Shane S. George, M.A. (he\/him\/his), Clinical Psychology PhD Student<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"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).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rebecca Sutton, M.A. (she\/her\/hers), Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

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Yutong Shi, M.A. (she\/her\/hers), Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"Yutong is currently pursuing a master\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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K. Fajardo (she\/they), Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\" 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.<\/p>\n

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Brody Goldberg (he\/him\/his), Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"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\u2019s 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\u2019s not in the research lab, he enjoys playing\/watching soccer, traveling, and spending time with his friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alexa Chang (she\/her\/hers), <\/strong> Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/h5>\n

\"\"Alexa was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and is now a sophomore at Boston University studying psychology. She\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fini de la Fuente (she\/her\/hers), Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"Fini, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is currently an undergraduate student at <\/span>Boston University, majoring in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Applied Human Development. <\/span>Previously, she worked as a therapeutic assistant in children\u2019s equine therapy and as a research assistant at <\/span>a neurorehabilitation center. As a Hispanic first-generation student, one of her goals is to make mental <\/span>health resources more accessible for children, regardless of cultural or linguistic barriers. After <\/span>graduation, she hopes to pursue higher education in clinical psychology.<\/span>
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Jenna Griesing, M.A. (she\/her\/hers), <\/strong> Master’s Research Assistant<\/h5>\n

\"\"Jenna is a Master\u2019s student in Psychological & Brain Sciences. She is originally from Beacon, NY, and earned her BA in Psychological Sciences from the University of Connecticut. Her research interests focus on adolescent eating disorders, particularly the social influences that contribute to eating disorder risk, as well as early intervention and prevention. She is also interested in the emerging intersection of GLP-1 medications and eating disorders, including how GLP-1 use may relate to eating disorder symptoms, behaviors, and risk, and the implications for prevention and treatment. More broadly, she is interested in understanding how social and environmental factors shape eating behaviors and how research can inform effective prevention and intervention efforts. Outside of research, Jenna loves to bake and try new recipes. Fun fact: she previously had her own small business selling baked goods! She also enjoys traveling and spent last summer studying abroad in Vienna, Austria.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Melody Moses, M.A. (she\/her\/hers), Master’s Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Melody is currently pursuing a master\u2019s degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences here at Boston University. She is originally from Bend, OR, and completed her undergraduate studies in Biology and Sociology at the University of Oregon. Her research interests focus on further developing our understanding of the prodromal phase during adolescence before first-episode psychosis in psychosis-prone individuals. Following graduation, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of her academic interests, Melody enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, lifting weights, trying new foods, and of course spending time with her cat, Fefe.<\/span>
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Rachel Rosen (she\/her\/hers), Undergraduate Research Assistant<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"Rachel is from Los Angeles, California, and is currently a sophomore at Boston University studying Psychology and Political Science. Her research interests focus on adolescent mental health and psychopathology, with particular interests in mood disorders, coping mechanisms, and substance use. Previously, she worked at the SAND Lab at UCLA, where she researched how early adversity contributes to internalizing symptoms during adolescence. She is especially interested in research focused on prevention, intervention, and how research can inform policies and programs that support youth mental health. Following graduation, Rachel hopes to pursue graduate study and a career in adolescent mental health research and public policy. Outside of research, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and exploring Boston!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Pets of SUMMIT Lab<\/h2>\n

Archie (he\/him\/his), Maine Coon<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

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Sasha Fierce (she\/her\/hers), Mini Schnauzer<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"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!<\/p>\n

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Slater (he\/him\/his), Maine Coon<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"Slater, born in 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<\/i>.<\/p>\n

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Yuki (he\/him\/his) <\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

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Aiko (he\/him\/his) <\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

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Coquito (he\/him\/his) <\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"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\u2019s bed, begging for snacks that he will not eat, and snuggling with anyone in his immediate reach.<\/p>\n

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Toby (he\/him\/his) <\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"Toby is full of energy and needs 100% of the rooms attention! He is almost 3 years old and in a house full of girls, he is my dad\u2019s only \u201cson.\u201d He will do anything for a treat and eat anything left out. But he is the sweetest puppy and loves to cuddle!<\/p>\n

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Fefe (she\/her\/hers) <\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"Fefe is from Oregon and is the chattiest kitty you will ever meet. She loves playing Mr. Mousy and will consistently bring you her toy mouse to fetch at 2 am, and all other times that couldn\u2019t possibly be more inconvenient. They say you shouldn\u2019t ask a lady her age, but Fefe would want you to guess. The vet can never say enough times how good she looks for being 15!<\/p>\n

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Previous Lab Members<\/h2>\n

Piper LePree<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n

Chelsea Ohene-Addo<\/strong> (she\/her\/hers): After graduating from Boston University, Chelsea is starting a post-baccalaureate program before pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology.<\/p>\n

Lucy Thomson<\/strong> (she\/her\/hers): Lucy is currently pursuing a Master in Social Work at Boston College.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22911,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22911"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":339,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21\/revisions\/339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/summitlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}