Riley Felicicchia, B.S.
Doctoral Student
Originally from Chicago, Riley Felicicchia graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. She joined the lab in 2021 as a student in the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology Track). She is interested in risk and resilience factors in children with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Tara Jahan, B.A.
Masters Student
Tara Jahan is a student in the SDSU M.A. in Psychology program. She is originally from San Diego and graduated from SDSU in 2020. She is interested in learning, memory, and executive function. Her goal is to earn a doctoral degree and eventually become a pediatric neuropsychologist.
Matthew Hyland, B.S.
Research Associate/Data Manager
Matthew graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology and has been at the CBT since 2019. He is interested in substance use, early life experiences, diagnostics, and functional connectivity, and hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and work as a neuropsychologist.
Celeste Estrada. B.A.
Masters student
Lindsey Sofia Aguilar, B.A.
Research Coordinator
Christina Veziris, B.A.
Doctoral Student
Christina Veziris joined the Center for Behavioral Teratology in 2022 as a predoctoral student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. Before joining the lab, she attended the University of San Francisco and worked as a research coordinator at UCSF, studying emotions in neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. She is interested in studying the socioemotional and neuropsychological effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and how these effects may be influenced by childhood adversity.
Jackie Soja
Doctoral Student
Jackie is a student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in clinical psychology under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Thomas. She graduated from Duke University in 2020 where she studied neuroscience and psychology. After graduating, Jackie worked at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Hospital conducting clinical drug trials for the pediatric neuro-oncology population. She is interested in understanding mechanisms of atypical neurodevelopment in order to improve neurobehavioral outcomes, especially for clinical populations affected by substance use. She is excited to be working at the Center for Behavioral Teratology with Dr. Jennifer Thomas and Dr. Sarah Mattson to examine how prenatal alcohol exposure impacts child brain and behavior development, with a specific emphasis on sleep. Outside of graduate school, she enjoys going on walks and runs along the beach, watching the San Diego sunsets, and yoga.
Undergraduate Researchers
CBT Alumni
Natasia Courchesne-Krak, Ph.D., MPH
Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Courchesne-Krak is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at SDSU in the department of Psychology. She is currently investigating the impact of prenatal alcohol and other drug (e.g., opioids, cannabis, stimulants) exposure on child neurodevelopment and neurobehavioral functioning. Her previous research examined the impact of substance use on prenatal and postnatal maternal morbidity, healthcare service utilization among persons with a substance use disorder, and predictors of breath alcohol concentration (BAC) among driving under the influence (DUI) program clients. Dr. Courchesne-Krak has diverse experience in quantitative research (e.g., data collection, analysis), public health intervention design and implementation, and grant writing. Interests include child neurodevelopment and neurobehavioral functioning, pregnant women with substance use disorders, alcohol and opioid use disorders, poly-substance use, and genetics.
Gemma Bernes, M.A. (2020)
Research Associate/Psychometrist
Gemma is a student in the MSW program at SDSU and has previously completed her M.A. in Psychology. She is originally from Northern California and is interested in learning about the impact of FASD on an individual’s daily life and how to better identify individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure in a clinical setting. She is also interested in the adaptation of research into clinical practice.
Chloe Sobolewski, B.A. (2022)
Research Assistant
Chloe is in her fourth year pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with minors in child development and honors interdisciplinary studies. Chloe is also an IMSD scholar at SDSU. In the CBT lab, she studies the behavior of youth with prenatal alcohol exposure. Chloe also examines the validity of neuropsychological assessments and questionnaires assessing behavior problems in this population. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and continue investigating the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying internalizing behavior and adverse mental health outcomes in marginalized youth and emerging adults.
Other CBT Alumni
Research Staff
- Carissa Zambrano, B.A., Post-baccalaureate trainee
- Clarissa Mancilla, B.A., Undergraduate researcher and research coordinator
- Emily Duprey, B.A., Undergraduate researcher and research coordinator
- Stephanie Simone, B.A., Research Coordinator
- Benjamin Deweese, B.A., Research Associate
- Delilah Bolo, B.A., Research Coordinator
- Kristina Hayden, B.A., Graduate student and research coordinator
- Jill Vander Velde, B.S., Psychometrist/Jill-of-all-Trades
Doctoral Students
- Lauren Doyle Poth, Ph.D. (2020)
- Leila Glass Difeliciantonio, Ph.D. (2017)
- Nicole Crocker, Ph.D. (2014)
- Linnea Vaurio, Ph.D. (2021)
Masters Students
- Desiree Cheney (2017)
- Lauren Gross (2016)
- Patrick Goh (2016)
- Amy Panczakiewicz (2015)
- Genevive Brusati (2015)
- Ashley McKenzie Ware (2013)
- Diana Graham (2013)
- Jessica O’Brien (2012)
- Andria Norman (2011)
- Nicole Crocker ((2008)
- Naju Madra (2007)
- Adi Rabb (2005)
- Kristina Hayden (2005)
- Kara Lee (2004)
- Beth Calarco (2003)