Our Team

Principal Investigator

Dr. Tara Chaplin is an Associate Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. She received a Ph.D. in Child-Clinical psychology from Penn State University and completed post-doctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania. Following this, she served as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine until moving to George Mason University in 2013.

Dr. Chaplin’s research interests are in the role of gender and emotion regulation in the development of psychopathology, substance use, and risk behavior in children and adolescents. She is also interested in the role of the family in adolescent development. Related to this, she is currently examining links between parent-teen interactions and adolescent development and is developing a mindfulness intervention for parents of adolescents. Dr. Chaplin’s research incorporates multiple methods to capture emotion regulation, including self-report, observation, physiology, neuroendocrine, and neuro-imaging.

Graduate Students

Mallory A. Kisner

Mallory is a sixth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at George Mason University. She is currently completing her clinical internship at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Mallory’s dissertation research, which was funded by a NIH F31 award (1F31AA031881-01), used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to explore intensive longitudinal associations between stress, mindfulness, and alcohol craving and use in highly stressed mothers of adolescents. Her research interests include multimethod approaches for studying psychosocial factors, including parenting, that influence substance use behaviors and treatment outcomes across the lifespan.

Lucy McClellan

Lucy is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at George Mason University. She received her B.A. in Psychology and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021. After graduating, Lucy was a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Gender Development Program at Children’s National Hospital, using fMRI and neuropsychological testing to study cognitive and mental health trajectories of gender-diverse youth. Her research interests include the impact of social relationships on adolescent mental health trajectories, as well as related neurocognitive mechanisms and differences by sex and gender.

Sasha Hofman

Sasha is a third-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at George Mason University. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022. Prior to joining the YEL Lab, Sasha worked as the Lab Manager of the Families, Emotion, Neuroscience, and Development (FEND) Lab at Pitt, where she examined positive affect in adolescent peer relationships as a protective factor against the intergenerational transmission of risk for depression. Sasha is interested in studying the developmental trajectory of depression for adolescents, focusing on mindfulness, neural correlates of emotion processing, and parenting behaviors as risk and protective factors. In her free time, Sasha enjoys lifting, reading, meditating, and spending time with her cat, Kisa.

Anna Leah Davis

Anna Leah is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at George Mason University. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Yale University in 2022, then worked as a research coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of South Carolina. Her overall research interests include adolescent emotion regulation, engagement in non-suicidal self-injury and disordered eating, and the impact of parents and peers on these processes. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and doing puzzles.

Lynnea Mayorga

Lynnea is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at George Mason University. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego in 2022. She then worked as lab coordinator in the SEED Lab at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst until 2024 before becoming coordinator of the CAN-D Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. She is interested in understanding the biological pathways that shape children’s emotional states, their knowledge and awareness of their emotions, and their regulation of those emotions, in the context of familial and environmental influences. In her free time, Lynnea likes to drink coffee, volunteer, make pottery, and hang out with her partner and their black cat, Zephyr.

Laboratory Manager

Giselle Bahr

Giselle is the project manager for the Parenting-Mindfully II study. She holds a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Psychology and minors in Data Analysis and Human Development and Family Science. She has been working with the Youth Emotion Lab since 2022 and previously led the Parent- Teen Interaction Coding Team and the Ecological Momentary Assessment Team for teens. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with research interests including adolescent development, suicidal ideation, crisis response policies, and iatrogenic trauma.  She has a passion for working with young LGBTQ individuals and supporting individuals in institutionalized mental health care settings. In addition to her work in the lab, she volunteers for the Trevor Project, Miracle Messages, and serves as a council member for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Virginia Council. In her free time, she enjoys reading, yoga, puzzles, musical theater, and spending downtime with her wife and her dog.

Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistants

Jeanne Snyder-Pham— Lead Research Assistant

Jeanne graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Psychology, a minor in Biology, and a concentration in Clinical Psychology. She is currently pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in Clinical Psychology at the University of Maryland. She is hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and her research interests include neurodegenerative disease in geriatric populations, substance use, and psychopathology in adolescents. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, hiking, and playing video games.

Ann-Marie Clark

Ann-Marie graduated from Christopher Newport University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Childhood studies. She is hoping to pursue a degree in Clinical Psychology and her research interests include mental health disorders in children and adolescents, especially ADHD and ASD. In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading, and playing the guitar with friends.

Fatima Bhatti

Fatima graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Psychology and a concentration in Clinical Psychology. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, and her research interests include how parent-child interactions influence development, as well as trauma and resilience. In her free time, she loves to read, bake, work out, and spend time with friends and family.

Isabella Bernell

Isabella is a post-baccalaureate student at George Mason University who received their B.A. in political science and international relations from the University of California, San Diego. They currently work as a medical assistant at a pediatric clinic, volunteer as a crisis counselor, and are interested in research focused on developing interventions to improve mental health outcomes for adolescents in marginalized communities. Outside of the lab, they enjoy going on hikes with their dog, reading, and writing.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Nicole Winkle

Nicole is a junior undergraduate pursuing a B.S. in psychology with a clinical concentration and minor in neuroscience. Her research interests include youth mental health and psychopathology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, working out, and reading.

Yejin Choi

Yejin is an undergraduate junior at George Mason University working towards a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Psychology. She plans to attend medical school with the goal of pursuing a career in psychiatry. Her research interests include psychopathology, cognitive psychology, and forensic psychology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, going on walks, shopping, and going to the gym

Sanjana Basak

Sanjana is an undergraduate senior at George Mason University, majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical. Her research interest lies in how childhood interventions later influence the development of mental illness in adolescents and adults. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, trying new recipes, spending time with friends and family, and more.

Nashita Wali

Jaidyn Johnson

Teen Advisors

Tanvish Pusarla

Tanvish is a high school sophomore with a strong passion for psychology, particularly in the study of human behavior, emotional regulation, and adolescent mental health. He is especially interested in how psychological research can be translated into real world applications to improve emotional well-being, and he aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. As a Teen Advisor for the George Mason University Youth Emotion Lab, he contributes to ongoing research on adolescent development by providing critical insight into how studies can better reflect and engage teen populations, which helps bridge the gap between research design and lived experience. Outside of school, Tanvish running track, spending time with friends, and continuing to explore his interests in psychology through independent learning and real world experiences.

Ruth Fisseha

Ruth is a junior at Falls Church High School. She is interested in how social environments and experiences influence behavior and mental health in teens. Ruth is also a part of the Youth Research Council at George Mason University, researching microaggressions and school safety. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, and watching TV shows.

Graduate Student Alumni