People
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Betty Lin, Ph.D.
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Postdoctoral Fellows
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Tolulope Ariyo, Ph.D.
Tolulope earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration with emphasis in public health from Xi’an Jiaotong University (China), following a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University and a B.Sc. in Political Science and Education from Adekunle Ajasin University (Nigeria). Before joining the FAB Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow, he was a Lecturer in the School of Health Management at Shangluo University (China), where he taught undergraduate population health courses, including Child & Adolescent Health and Global Health. Tolulope studies how maternal autonomy, intimate partner violence, and socio-cultural factors influence prenatal care, breastfeeding, and child health outcomes in underserved families.
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Graduate Research Assistants
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Annabelle Armah, M.A.
Annabelle is a fifth year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University at Albany, and is currently on internship at the Charleston Consortium at the Medical University of Southern Carolina. She earned BAs in Psychology and Human Development and Family Science with a minor in Spanish from the University of Georgia. At the University of Georgia, Annabelle was a research assistant in the Development and Psychopathology Lab, investigating risk and protective processes in diverse families using behavioral and psychophysiological methods. She also completed a research internship at the Couples and Relationship Enrichment Lab, which conducts federally funded relationship education programs, and volunteered at the Youth Development Institute, which studies resilience and adjustment in at-risk youth. As a McNair Scholar, Annabelle completed her honors thesis on the effects of racial discrimination on parenting behavior in Black families. She also worked as an America Reads tutor, providing educational support to school-age children. She is primarily interested in how stress impacts parent-child relationships and physiological reactivity in racial minority families.
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Lydia Bierce, M.S.
Lydia is a third year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University at Albany. She completed her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience at Wake Forest University and earned a M.S. in Experimental Psychology at William & Mary. While earning her Master’s, Lydia worked under Dr. Madelyn Labella in the RISE lab, coordinating data collection for a multimethod study evaluating contextual predictors of emerging self-regulation skills in toddlerhood. She also assisted with a project assessing the efficacy of a modified version the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up program for mothers with opioid dependence through a collaboration with the University of Delaware. Lydia is primarily interested in how different perinatal and early life experiences relate to parent-child relationships, self-regulation, and stress physiology.
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Vanessa Aryee, B.S.
Vanessa is a second year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University at Albany. She completed her B.S. in Applied Psychology at New York University, where she developed a strong interest in mental health advocacy, especially for marginalized communities. While attending New York University, she joined the Culture, Families, and Early Development (CFD) lab under Dr. Gigliana Melzi. She helped with its mission to center the voices of families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. After completing her bachelor's, she worked at Columbia Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, focusing on psychosis in youth, maternal ACEs, and depression care for ethnoracially diverse communities. Additionally, she contributed to developing culturally responsive literacy assessments and social-emotional learning frameworks during her time at the Educational Testing Service. Her research interests are the promotion of mental health equity within systems of care by evaluating social determinants of mental health, identifying mechanisms of help-seeking, and understanding the socio-cultural context of mental health outcomes.
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Paige Little, B.S.
Paige is a second year in the Clinical Psychology program at the University at Albany. She earned her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biochemistry from the College of William & Mary, where she completed an honors thesis on the attentional system in Schizophrenia. After graduation, she worked at the Child Development Program at Children's National Hospital, which specialized in neurodevelopmental assessments for children aged 0–4; while there, Paige assisted with the interdisciplinary weekly Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome (CANDO) program for complex medical cases. She then joined the Health Psychology and Neurobehavioral Research Group at the National Cancer Institute at the NIH, where she assisted with data collection and brief neuropsychological assessments for multi-site studies involving children and families with neurogenetic conditions. Her primary interest is in early infant and child functioning, specifically how perinatal factors like toxicant exposure, parenting practices, and chronic health conditions shape both biomarkers of health and developmental domains.
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Research Staff
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Daviona Cross, B.A.Daviona (She/They) graduated from Michigan State University (MSU) in the spring of 2025, with a B.A. in Psychology with minors in Youth & Society, Education Studies, and Human Behavior & Social Services. During this time, she served as a research assistant in the Child Emotion Lab led by Dr. Emily Durbin, and in the Prenatal Stress Study led by Dr. Alytia Levendosky, with whom she still collaborates. Additionally, they are interested in the role of intersectionality in Black women's health and the impact it may have on children's socioemotional development, within the context of discrimination. They are very excited to explore these interests with the BABY Study!
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Chami Lifula, B.S.
Chami graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Neuroscience. While earning her degree, She was a research assistant in the Life Events Lab under Dr. Kate Sweeny. There, she supported various social psychology research projects and conducted research of her own. She has various research interests ranging from sport psychology to children and family health. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, volunteering, and listening to music. She is very excited and happy to be apart of the BABY study team!
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Madelyn Correllus, M.A.
Madelyn graduated from Susquehanna University in December 2022, with bachelor's degrees in psychology and music. During her time at SU, she became interested in social psychology research and joined Dr. Ungson’s Social Identity and Group Processes lab. She then pursued an MA in sociology at the University of Sheffield (UK) through a Fulbright scholarship to gain a broader understanding of how institutions and social structures shape and interact with people’s identities and lives. She is excited to join the FAB Lab and the BABY Study to engage in clinical psychology and health-related research that promotes Black maternal and infant health!
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Undergraduate Research Assistants
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Delila Ramos
Delila is a junior at the University at Albany, double majoring in Psychology and Human Development. She is in the Honors in Psychology program, planning to become a Clinical Child Psychologist. Delila is passionate about helping disadvantaged and underrepresented children and adolescents. On campus, she serves as the President of Cru UAlbany, Vice President and Senior Peer Wellness Ambassador for the Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program, and a Student Ambassador and MUSE for the Honors College. Outside of campus, she works closely with How To Life Movement (a global Christian ministry). While she is primary involved with the northeast region, her role has connected her to other global teams and leaders, allowing her to help with events that reach and mobilize Gen Z for Jesus. She is excited to be part of the Family and Development Lab!
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Maya DhineshMaya Dhinesh (she/her/hers) is currently a senior studying a B.S. in Public Health with a minor in informatics at SUNY Albany. Her interests include researching the social determinants of health, holistic healing, and expanding mental health access. She hopes to become a psychologist that supports neurodivergent individuals from all walks of life. She is delighted to contribute to the FAB lab!
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Aatia Mreedu
Aatia is a sophomore at the University at Albany majoring in Human Biology with a minor in Psychology. Originally from Bangladesh, her passion for biology brought her across the globe to pursue her studies in the United States. She has a strong interest in research and hopes to pursue a PhD that bridges behavioral biology and psychology. Alongside her studies, she is actively involved on campus as a Supplemental Instruction Leader with the Learning Commons, a student mentor in Writing and Critical Inquiry, and a tutor in IBASS. She is excited to be part of the Family and Baby Development Lab, where she hopes to explore her research interests further and gain experiences that will help shape her future career path.
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Raina Waraich
Raina is a sophomore at the University at Albany pursuing a B.S. in Biology and a minor in chemistry. She plans to apply to medical school after graduation to earn a medical degree. She is passionate about pursuing a career in surgery and promoting health equity in underrepresented communities. She is excited to join the FAB Lab and BABY Study because of her interest in women’s health, and the challenges women face in building their families. She hopes to enhance her knowledge on socioeconomic factors that influence Black maternal-infant health!
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Hsu Thazin Nyein Win
Hsu Thazin Nyein Win is a senior at the University at Albany majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business. She joined the Family and Baby (FAB) Lab in the summer of 2025, where she worked with Annabelle on coding behavioral videos and is currently collaborating with Paige and Venessa on ongoing research projects. Her interests in neurodivergence and clinical psychology are shaped by her own experiences with ADHD, inspiring her to explore how individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions build and navigate social relationships. She is particularly interested in developing personalized therapeutic approaches that adapt evidence-based methods, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to better fit each client’s personality and needs. Hsu hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology and contribute to research on neurodivergent experiences and mental health interventions.
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