Heyli Arcese graduated with High Distinction from the University of British Columbia in 2023, earning a B.A. in Psychology and Law and Society. During her time at UBC, she worked as a Lab Manager in Dr. Geoffrey Hall’s Language Development Center and as a Research Assistant in Dr. Darko Odic’s Center for Cognitive Development and Dr. Robinder Bedi’s Counselling/Psychotherapy Research, Teaching, and Service Lab. Her research included investigating whether children categorize and evaluate artifacts based on the identity of their maker, examining if error detection mediates the relationship between formal math abilities and the Approximate Number System, and contributing to the development of a substance abuse counseling manual.

Heyli is passionate about making mental health treatments more accessible through digital tools and exploring mechanisms of change in therapy. At CORD/CDMH, she works under Dr. Jennifer Greenberg, Dr. Geneva Jonathan, and Dr. Adam Jaroszewski, assisting with studies on digital mental health for OCD, BDD, comorbid substance use and depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours. After her time at MGH, Heyli plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Phoebe Holz graduated from the University of Chicago in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychology and French. At UChicago, she worked primarily as a research assistant for the Memory and Perception in Schizophrenia (MAPS) lab under Dr. Molly Erickson investigating the neural mechanisms of cognition and perception in primary psychotic disorders using EEG and fMRI. Her senior honors thesis investigated spontaneous gamma frequency spectral activity as a potential biomarker for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. At CORD, Phoebe is assisting on a project investigating the mechanisms by which transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) might enhance fear extinction learning in individuals with fear-based OCD under Dr. Ryan Jacoby. She is broadly interested in the use of biomarkers to better understand and tailor treatment for psychiatric disorders, and the use of digital tools to improve the accessibility of mental health treatments. After CORD she hopes to pursue her PhD in clinical psychology.

Madeline Morton graduated summa cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross with a B.A. in Psychology. During her time at Holy Cross, she was a research assistant in the Gender-Role
Development Lab under Dr. Danuta Bukatko, where she investigated the barriers college students face in pursuing leadership roles on campus. She also worked in the Adolescent Development Lab with Dr. Alison Ludden, analyzing the impact of energy drinks and caffeine consumption on adolescents’ mental health and school-related outcomes. Additionally, Madeline was a JD Power Research Associate and received funding to examine the impacts of mentorship in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program, focusing on adolescents’ depression, sleep, and substance use outcomes. As an undergraduate, she was also a family support intern at the Carriage House Grief Support Program, facilitating grief counseling for children and leading caregiver group sessions. Most recently, as a Clinical Research Intern at the Depression Clinical and Research Program at MGH, she was primarily involved in a study investigating the efficacy of ketamine for treatment-resistant mood disorders.

Madeline is passionate about improving access to effective, evidence-based treatments for young people with mood and anxiety-related disorders. At CORD, she works under Dr. Daniel Geller on studies of pediatric OCD and Tourette’s Syndrome, and afterwards hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Sara Velazquez graduated from Tufts University in 2024 with a B.S. in Clinical Psychology and Music. At Tufts, she worked as a research assistant for the Translational Emotion and Memory Lab under Dr. Xandra Kredlow where she ran fear-conditioning studies focused on understanding memory processes with the aim of creating novel interventions for fear-related disorders. During her time there, she completed a senior capstone project on the impact of dispositional cognitive reappraisal skills on a cognitive restructuring intervention during fear conditioning. At CORD, Sara works under Dr. Ryan Jacoby, PhD assisting her studies on the role of attentional control in the treatment of repetitive negative thinking. After working at MGH, Sara plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Athena Brown is currently pursuing a degree in Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Connecticut. She previously completed an internship at Yale University under the mentorship of Dr. Ifat Levy, where her research centered on bulimia and other eating disorders. Presently, Athena is further developing her expertise in mental health and psychological research through her work at CORD.

Leo Ravina is a neuroscience major on the premed track at Columbia College of Columbia University. He is excited to gain research and clinical experience at CORD and CDMH, where he seeks further knowledge of OC spectrum disorders and AI’s newfound roles in medicine. As Leo continues his education, he aims to build a strong foundation of psychological and biological knowledge to prepare for a career in medicine.