Jason DeFelice is entering his fifth year of the Clinical and Health Psychology Ph.D. program with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the University of Florida. He collaborates closely with the Southern HIV & Alcohol Research Consortium (SHARC) and the Center for Cognitive Aging & Memory (CAM). Broadly, Jason’s research focuses on the intersection among substance use, HIV/AIDS, the gut microbiome, and cognition across aging populations. His aim is to become a scientist-practitioner in clinical neuropsychology, evaluating risks for cognitive dysfunction and engaging in cognitive rehabilitation training programs with diverse patient populations. In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time exploring nature trails as well as the many beaches and springs in Florida with his partner and two dogs.

Emily Matusz, a 2023 SNRF scholarship recipient, is entering her fourth year of the Ph.D program in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the University of Florida. Emily’s research focuses on the intersection among biomarkers, cardiovascular risk factors, and cognition in Alzheimer’s and related dementias across diverse populations. Over the past year, she has mentored two undergraduate students, co- authored three peer-reviewed publications and five research presentation abstracts, presented her research at two conferences (the Southeastern Neurodegenerative Disease Conference and the International Neuropsychological Society annual meeting), and completed her qualifying examinations. More recently, she successfully proposed her dissertation in April 2024, titled “Deciphering Clinical and Biological Correlates of Cognitive Decline in Older Adults Across Race/Ethnicity.” For her dissertation, she aims to examine how several fundamental components of a dementia workup, including neuropsychological testing, clinical interviews, and the use of novel biomarkers, may differ across racial/ethnic groups. She hopes that her research help improve early detection of atypical cognitive decline and better predict disease progression to allow for earlier treatment planning and improved quality of life for individuals with dementia. In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time exploring the outdoors with her dog and going scuba diving in the Florida springs!

Carlos Rocha is entering his third year of the Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology, with a specialty in substance abuse and addictive behaviors, at the Carlos Albizu University. He is currently working in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing access to psychotherapy for an underserved population. He is interested in promoting an integrative care approach to increase treatment effectiveness. In 2024, Carlos participated at the annual congress of the schizophrenia international research society, presenting his poster about integrated treatment for individuals with early psychosis and comorbid cannabis use. He is collaborating with psychiatrists and other health professionals to mitigate the damage caused by the increasing substance use epidemic that affects our society. In his free time, Carlos enjoys hiking and exploring nature trails.

Czarinah Micah Rodriguez is a clinical neuropsychology trainee on her second year in a doctoral program at NSU. Her current focus revolves around acquiring proficiency in administering neuropsychological assessments to more effectively assess and treat neurological conditions. She started her first clinical practicum, providing therapy services to older individuals and couples at NSU's Psychology Services Center Counseling Center for Older individuals. She will begin her second practicum at NSU's Neuropsychological Assessment Center. With her dedication and commitment to the field, Czarinah is poised to make a significant impact as she continues to advance her knowledge and skills in therapy and clinical neuropsychology.

Margaux Herrera is a third-year graduate student pursuing her Master of Social Work at Florida State University. She plans to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to practice mental health therapy focused on developmental disorders, particularly autism and ADHD, and the challenges those populations face in adulthood. Her goal is to provide financially accessible autism evaluations for adults in the South Florida area. As part of her training, she has worked with the University of Miami's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities's Teens & Adults division. Margaux will spend her final year doing her field placement with the University of Miami's Mailman Center Lifespan Program, focusing on providing clinical services to adults with developmental disorders. When not thinking about neurodivergence, Margaux spends her time organizing fandom spaces and reading as much fiction as possible.

Emily is entering her third year of the Clinical and Health Psychology Ph.D. program with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the University of Florida. Broadly, Emily’s research focuses on the intersection among biomarkers, cardiovascular risk factors, and cognition in Alzheimer’s and related dementias across diverse populations. She hopes that her research will help improve early detection of atypical cognitive decline and better predict disease progression to allow for earlier treatment planning and improved quality of life for individuals with dementia. In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time exploring the outdoors with her dog and going scuba diving in the Florida springs!

Catherine is entering her sixth year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, focusing on neuropsychology at the University of Florida. Cat’s research focuses on identifying vascular risk factors that put older adults at increased risk for postoperative cognitive complications. She is also interested in understanding the contributions of anesthesia to cognitive decline. She hopes that her research will help identify people who are most at risk for cognitive change after surgery, intervene earlier, and potentially reduce or avoid brain-related complications due to surgery. Outside of the office, Cat enjoys outdoor activities, including kayaking at the springs, long walks, and berry picking.

Cheshire has nearly completed her final year before entering the internship portion of her graduate training, which is the last step before officially earning her Ph.D. She has spent the last year preparing and interviewing for internship programs, and she was placed at her top internship program at the University of Chicago! She is looking forward to broadening her clinical experiences to include more diverse patient populations and continuing to be involved in the healthcare of the community. She will be defending her dissertation in late May, which show brain functions that change after cognitive training in older adults. She hopes that her findings can help develop treatment recommendations for older adults with cognitive decline. Thanks to the help of virtual conferences, she has also been able to present her research at five different research conferences over the past year, one of which she was lucky enough to attend in Spain. She has been able to publish her dissertation findings as a first-author publication and she is looking forward to her move to Chicago and entering her last year in the Ph.D. program!

Margaux is a second-year graduate student pursuing her Master of Social Work at Florida State University. She plans to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to practice mental health therapy focused on developmental disorders, particularly autism and ADHD, and the challenges those populations face in adulthood. Her goal is to provide financially accessible autism evaluations for adults in the South Florida area. When not thinking about neurodivergence, Margaux spends her time organizing fandom spaces and reading as much fiction as possible.

Czarinah is starting her first year of the Psy.D Clinical Psychology program, with a concentration in Clinical Neuropsychology, at Nova Southeastern University. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a triple major in biology, cognitive science, and psychology and a double minor in computer science and data science. For three years, she was involved in clinical research studies at the UCSF Neuroscape lab where she discovered her interests in neuropsychology. She’s interested in studying neurodevelopmental disabilities such as ASD and ADHD, and neurological disorders, especially brain tumors and epilepsy. Her goal is to help improve methods for diagnosing, preventing, and treating various neurological and psychiatric disorders. During her free time, she loves to read books, ballroom dance, and figure skate.

Cheshire Hardcastle successfully proposed her dissertation, focusing on exploring the functional brain changes that accompany brain training with the goal of reducing dementia risk in the elderly. She has been directly involved in recruitment and assessment of older adults in the community with mild cognitive impairment as part of a randomized clinical trial exploring the best combination of brain training that results in the biggest improvement of daily functioning. The results from her dissertation will hopefully inform future research about the efficacy of brain training and its ability to impact the daily lives of those in our community. Cheshire was able to present this work at a virtual conference (International Neuropsychological Society) and looks forward to presenting her work at an upcoming international Alzheimer’s disease conference (Alzheimer’s Association International Conference). Additionally, since the pandemic has been stressful for everyone in the community, Cheshire put her clinical skills to use and volunteered as a therapist for Free Therapy Night offered through UF Health Street for uninsured and under-served individuals in the community and joined a clinical task force that offered stress management to front line workers at UF.

Margaux Herrera is a first-year graduate student pursuing her Master of Social Work at Florida State University. She plans to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to practice mental health therapy. Her main area of interest is developmental disabilities, particularly autism and ADHD, and the challenges those populations face in adulthood. Her goal is to provide financially accessible autism evaluations for adults in the South Florida area. When not thinking about neurodivergence, Margaux spends her time organizing fandom spaces both virtually and in person.

Elle Wiggins, a 2018, 2019, and 2020 SNRF scholarship recipient, is entering her sixth and final year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Neuropsychology, at the University of Florida. She has successfully defended her dissertation which aimed to help evaluate the efficacy of digital cognitive screening tools that can be implemented in hospital settings to identify older adults most at risk for negative post-operative outcomes. She is currently completing a pre-doctoral internship in Neuropsychology and Senior Behavioral Health at the University of California San Diego prior to graduation in August 2022. Elle hopes that her research will one day help identify older adults at risk for cognitive decline, resulting in earlier intervention and a more comfortable life. When not engaging in research or clinical work, Elle enjoys exploring her new city and spending time with her pup, Waffle!

Cheshire Hardcastle is entering her fourth year at the University of Florida studying neuropsychology in the Clinical and Health Psychology Ph.D. program. Cheshire’s research focuses on understanding how the brain changes in older adults due to cognitive intervention. She will be proposing her dissertation in the upcoming year, focusing on finding the best combination of cognitive intervention techniques that will result in the most robust brain changes. Cheshire hopes that her research will contribute to one day utilizing cognitive interventions to prevent or prolong the onset of dementia, allowing families more time with their loved ones. Cheshire also enjoys working in the Psychology Clinic assessing older adults who may have dementia. Cheshire loves to spend time with her four cats: Calypso, Jane, Milk, and Stuart (ranging in age from 6 months to 19 years old!), take dance classes at the local studio, and make outdoor trips to the springs and beaches!

Sarah Maylott, a 2019 SNRF scholarship recipient, has continued her work with infants, testing their baseline levels of social cognitive development in the hopes of documenting any atypical social disruptions (like autism spectrum disorder) and developing a new way of spotting early signs of autism through auditory brain stem responses. She formally proposed her dissertation in 2019-20 and was approved to move forward with data collection with women during pregnancy. She hopes to highlight any cognitive and perceptual changes during pregnancy and positively reframe any deficits as a trade off in cognition with resources devoted to areas of cognition that help mothers to biologically and behaviorally keep their baby safe and healthy. Additionally, during the past year, she coauthored three published papers, authored a paper that was accepted by a developmental journal, and was accepted to present at an international conference in Scotland this summer.

Elle Wiggins, a 2018 and 2019 SNRF scholarship recipient, is entering her fifth year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Neuropsychology, at the University of Florida. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Elle worked as a research analyst at the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center in Nashville, TN where she realized her passion for better understanding the various diseases of the aging brain. Elle’s research focuses on how surgeries involving sedation with general anesthesia impact the aging brain. She is currently working on completing her dissertation which aims to help evaluate the efficacy of digital cognitive screening tools that can be implemented in hospital settings to identify older adults most at risk for negative post-operative outcomes. She hopes that her research will one day help identify older adults at risk for cognitive decline, resulting in earlier intervention and a more comfortable life. When not in the laboratory, Elle enjoys exploring Florida and spending time with her pup, Waffle!

New to the SNRF family, Sarah Maylott is entering her fourth year of the Ph.D. program in Developmental Psychology, at the University of Miami. Sarah’s research focuses on infants’ social cognitive development, using eye tracking technology. She hopes to create a baseline of healthy social cognitive development that will bring about earlier detection of developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder. Sarah also studies cognitive changes in women during pregnancy, as well as the implications for subsequent behavioral changes occurring in mothers. She seeks to provide new insight for women who are experiencing this unique period of development. In her free time, Sarah enjoys being outdoors with her two dogs, Dooley and Dakota.

Charles Moreno, a 2017-2018 SNRF scholarship recipient, completed his third year in the neuropsychology track of the Clinical and Health Psychology doctoral program at the University of Florida. After serving a tour in Afghanistan as a US Marine, he was motivated to research concussions. He worked in a dementia research laboratory for three years that led to further interest in memory disorders. Charles’ clinical and research interests include memory and perception changes following mild traumatic brain injury and repetitive brain injuries in collision sport athletes. He is also interested in identifying the overlapping neuropathological features and clinical symptoms between individuals with repetitive head injuries and Alzheimer's disease. When not in class or conducting research, Charles enjoys training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing as well as playing with his dog, Xena!

Caitlin Brown Stamatis, a 2016-2017-2018 SNRF scholarship recipient, is a rising fifth-year Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Miami. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Columbia University and her M.S. in Clinical Health Psychology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Caitlin’s research focuses on cognitive and psychiatric assessment of bilinguals with severe mental illness, examining how linguistic and cultural features may influence perceived symptom severity and effortful control. Outside the office, Caitlin's love of travel has led her to live in seven cities across four countries, including the mountainous microstate of Andorra

Elle Wiggins, a 2018 SNRF scholarship recipient, is entering her fourth year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Neuropsychology, at the University of Florida. Elle’s research focuses on the older adult brain in the context of surgery. She recently proposed her dissertation which aims to help evaluate the efficacy of digital cognitive screening tools that can be implemented in hospital settings to identify older adults most at risk for negative post-operative outcomes. She hopes that her research will one day help identify older adults at risk for cognitive decline, resulting in earlier intervention and a more comfortable life. When not in the laboratory, Elle enjoys exploring Florida and spending time with her pup, Waffle!

Caitlin Brown, a 2016 and 2017 SNRF scholarship recipient, has completed her third year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the University of Miami. Caitlin’s research focuses on cognitive and psychiatric assessment in bilinguals with mental illness, examining how the language of clinical assessment (English or Spanish) impacts perceived symptom severity and effortful control in bilingual Hispanics with schizophrenia. Currently, Caitlin and her fiancée plan to wed at the Liberty Science Center, with cocktail hour involving exploring exhibits and checking out the many species of animals housed at the center!

Charles Moreno, a 2017 SNRF scholarship recipient, just completed his second year in the neuropsychology track of the Clinical and Health Psychology doctoral program at the University of Florida. After serving a tour in Afghanistan as a US Marine, he was motivated to research concussions. He worked in a dementia research laboratory for three years that led to further interest in memory disorders. Charles’ clinical and research interests include memory and perception changes following mild traumatic brain injury and repetitive brain injuries in collision sport athletes. He is also interested in identifying the overlapping neuropathological features and clinical symptoms between individuals with repetitive head injuries and Alzheimer's disease. When not in class or conducting research, Charles enjoys training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing as well as playing with his dog, Xena!

Elle Wiggins is entering her third year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Neuropsychology, at the University of Florida. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Elle worked as a research analyst at the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center in Nashville, TN where she realized her passion for better understanding the various diseases of the aging brain. Elle’s research currently focuses on white matter diseases and post-operative cognitive outcomes in older adults. She hopes that her research will one day help identify older adults at risk for cognitive decline, resulting in earlier intervention and a more comfortable life. When not in the laboratory, Elle enjoys time as a loving puppy-mom venturing out with her dog, Waffle!

Caitlin Brown, a 2016 SNRF scholarship recipient, is entering her third year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the University of Miami. Caitlin’s research focuses on cognitive and psychiatric assessment in bilinguals with mental illness, examining how the language of clinical assessment (English or Spanish) impacts perceived symptom severity and effortful control in bilingual Hispanics with schizophrenia.

Bernadette Fausto is a third year PhD student in Aging Studies at the University of South Florida. Her primary research focus is the safety and mobility of older drivers. Specifically, she is interested in identifying older driver interventions that improve on-road driving performance, reduce crash risk, and prolong mobility. Another research focus is the utility of neuropsychological and other office-based measures in the evaluation of everyday functioning in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. For Summer 2017, Bernadette is working as a doctoral intern at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety where she is examining crash rates and trends of older drivers.

Nga Luong is a master’s student in the Organizational Behavior Management program at the Florida Institute of Technology. As a graduate research assistant, she has conducted research on how to reduce problem behavior in young children and teaching skills to people of all ages. Her research interests include education and public policy, international development, and instructional design. Before FIT, she worked for eight years as a behavior technician with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nga has also traveled abroad to places in East and West Africa and South America to gain an understanding of how learning occurs in different environments. Currently, Nga is beginning to research suicide prevention methods. She hopes to contribute research that can affect policies that impact both practitioners and clients.

Charles Moreno is entering his second year in the neuropsychology track of the Clinical and Health Psychology doctoral program at the University of Florida. After serving a tour to Afghanistan as a US Marine, he was motivated to research concussions. He worked in a dementia research laboratory for three years that led to his other interest in memory disorders. Charles’ clinical and research interests include memory and perception changes following mild traumatic brain injury and repetitive brain injuries in collision sport athletes. He is also interested in identifying the overlapping neuropathological features and clinical symptoms between individuals with repetitive head injuries and Alzheimer's disease. His current research will examine the role of the medial temporal lobe in retired National Football League players with repetitive brain injuries.

Caitlin Brown is entering her second year of the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the University of Miami, where she divides her time between clinical work and research. Caitlin's work focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of ethnic and cultural minorities with serious mental illness. Currently, she is involved in a line of research on bilingualism and psychopathology, examining whether the language of clinical assessment (English or Spanish) impacts perceived symptom severity and effortful control in bilingual Hispanics with schizophrenia.

Mollie McCullough, a Lakeland resident, is in her fifth year of the School Psychology doctoral program at the University of South Florida. After having the opportunity to work with 3rd grade students at a local charter school for three years, she was inspired to continue her education in the field of school psychology. Her current research and training focuses predominantly on promoting healthy classroom environments for students and teachers, in addition to supporting positive school climate initiatives through professional development and consultative services. She will be completing a school psychology internship in Pinellas County and finishing her dissertation during the 2016-2017 school year.

Mollie McCullough, a Lakeland resident, is in her fourth year of the School Psychology doctoral program at the University of South Florida. After having the opportunity to work with 3rd grade students at a local charter school for three years, she was inspired to continue her education in the field of school psychology. Her current research and training focuses predominantly on promoting healthy classroom environments for students and teachers, in addition to supporting positive school climate initiatives through professional development and consultative services.

Courtney Matthews is finishing the fourth and final year of her Au.D. program, which is dedicated to clinical work and research. She splits her time between the USF Aural Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials (ARCT) Lab, the USF Hearing Clinic, and the Bay Pines VA Hospital. Her research includes a clinical drug trial focused on improving speech understanding in noise in older adults; a collaborative study (with Johns Hopkins University) on best practice hearing interventions for older adults; and a study assessing the impact of free hearing screenings on adults.