Rachel is a fifth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at CWRU. She is in the Child and Family track and works with Dr. Anastasia Dimitropoulos and Dr. Sandra Russ. Rachel completed her B.S. in Human Development and Psychological Services at Northwestern University, where she discovered her passion for research and working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Prior to coming to CWRU, she served as a Research Coordinator at the Autism Assessment, Research, Treatment, and Services (AARTS) Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Rachel’s current research interests include supporting social, emotional, and family well-being through integration of evidence-based practices into family and community systems for individuals with developmental disorders. She is currently leading a project focused on identifying mechanisms of change of the PRETEND program, with the goal of individualizing and optimizing the program for different child needs and developmental levels. Rachel’s hobbies include reading, biking, skiing, trying new recipes, and exploring Metroparks in Cleveland.

Carly is a graduate student in the Developmental Cognitive and Affective Sciences PhD program. She graduated from CWRU in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science. After college, she worked as a behavior technician for children with developmental delays and taught their families about early intervention. Last year, she worked in a neuropsychology research lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where she designed and secured funding for a project that evaluates school readiness and cognitive development in toddlers with critical congenital heart defects. Her research interests include skill acquisition in children with developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions, as well as the impact of the family and home environment on the child’s quality of life. Now that she is back in Cleveland, Carly enjoys going to coffee shops, hiking, and eating Mitchell’s ice cream.

Madison is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at CWRU on the Child & Family track. Her love for research began as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, where she contributed to a project aspiring to understand anxiety presentations in young autistic children at the Kennedy Krieger Center for Autism and Related Disorders. Upon receiving her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2021, she served as a clinical research coordinator in the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital. There, she supported a variety of projects aimed at understanding the social communication and executive function in children and adolescents on the spectrum. Madison’s current research interests include the evaluation and implementation of community-based interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities as well as understanding individual differences in emotion regulation. Outside of the lab, she enjoys doing puzzles, practicing yoga, and exploring her new home of Cleveland!

Shifa began her role as a research assistant for the Neurodevelopment Research Lab in 2025 after graduating from the University of Michigan, double majoring in Biology, Health, & Society and Psychology. During her undergraduate years, she explored her multidisciplinary interests in child development, mental health, and youth-focused community interventions, while also providing behavioral therapy for children diagnosed with ASD and learning disorders. In the future, she plans to attain her PhD in clinical psychology to conduct research on expanding access to interventions for children diagnosed with developmental disabilities and/or mental health disorders. Outside of the lab, she loves experimenting with new recipes, exploring Cleveland’s food scene, and curling up with a good book.