Meet the Lab

Rachel Gonzalez-Louis, B.S., is a first year graduate student in the Clinical Health Psychology program with a focus on Pediatric Psychology. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Florida with a major in Psychology and a minor in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. After earning her Bachelors degree she began working for as a research coordinator for the Center of Cognitive Aging and Memory under the supervision of Dr. Ron Cohen. She primarily worked on the WISE Brain Study, which aims to explore the nuerocognitive effects of weight loss in a population of Bariatric Surgery patients. Currently, Rachel works under the mentorship of Dr. David Janicke with a research interests in the area of pediatric obesity.

Elizabeth is a doctoral student in the Pediatric Psychology Lab, mentored by Dr. David Janicke. She graduated from Tufts University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology and Child Study/Human Development. After graduation, she worked as a coordinator for an ongoing youth psychotherapy outcomes meta-analysis as well as a study on a school-based mental health intervention for youth experiencing anxiety, depression, behavior problems, and trauma. Elizabeth’s current research interests include the psychosocial outcomes of youth with chronic health conditions and the development of effective, accessible interventions for these populations.

Rebecca Quiñones is a third-year graduate student and McKnight Fellow, co-mentored by Dr. David Janicke and Dr. Erika Cascio. Prior to joining CHP, Rebecca graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion. Afterwards, she received her Masters of Theological Studies in Religion, Ethics and Politics at Harvard Divinity School. Rebecca then went on to serve on a pediatric oncology institutional review board, conducted research in oncology, as well as participated in the Harvard Initiative on Health, Religion and Spirituality, in which she conducted research at the intersection of religion and medicine.  After joining CHP, Rebecca completed a Master’s thesis which examined various predictors of caregiver fear of cancer recurrence in caregivers of pediatric cancer patients. In the Fall of 2022, Rebecca was a recipient of the B. Dianne Farb Healthcare Education Scholarship from the Climb for Cancer Foundation, which will further help support Rebecca in her research endeavors. Rebecca’s research interests include identifying the unique challenges that are faced by adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYA’s), as well as exploring their religious and/or spiritual needs. Rebecca’s goal is to help in the development of tailored psychological interventions for this unique patient population and their caregivers.

Hailey is a first-year clinical psychology doctoral student in CHP under the mentorship of Dr. David Janicke. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology in 2020. Following graduation, she completed a post-baccalaureate research position at Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC under the mentorship of Dr. Randi Streisand. There, she coordinated a multi-site R01 study examining the efficacy of a texting-based positive psychology intervention for adolescents with type 1 diabetes experiencing elevated levels of diabetes-related distress. Her primary research interests are in family-based interventions, caregiver well-being, and illness-specific psychosocial screenings for youth and families navigating pediatric chronic illness or injury.

Jessica is a first-year clinical psychology doctoral student in the Clinical Health Psychology (CHP) program under the mentorship of Dr. David Janicke. Prior to joining CHP, Jessica received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University. Following graduation, she worked as a full-time clinical research coordinator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health’s post-baccalaureate program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio under the mentorship of Drs. Cynthia Gerhardt and Micah Skeens. There, she coordinated several K and R-level studies examining medication adherence, symptom management and burden, allocation of treatment responsibility, and feasibility and usage of electronic health applications in pediatric cancer using mixed-method, longitudinal, and randomized control trial designs. Jessica’s current research interests include the impact dyadic parent-child communication, internalizing symptomology (i.e., anxiety, depression), and rural residency have on medication non-adherence in children with a chronic illness.

Lexi is a doctoral student in the Clinical and Health Psychology program. She graduated from Florida State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minors in Biology and Business. Following graduation, Lexi worked as a post-baccalaureate clinical research assistant at Nationwide Children’s Hospital under the mentorship of Dr. Cynthia Gerhardt. There, she coordinated multiple projects assessing the impact of pediatric cancer on children and families at diagnosis, survivorship, and end of life. She also gained experiencing working with patients with type 1 diabetes and examining factors related to adherence, family functioning, and systemic barriers to medical and psychosocial care. Lexi’s primary research interests are broadly related to better understanding how health inequities impact access to care, care quality, and psychosocial functioning among patients and families with childhood chronic illnesses.