The Team

Tiffany Yip, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Tiffany Yip, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at Fordham University. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Cornell University, earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology at NYU, and completed a NIMH and NSF-funded postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan. Her research on ethnic identity, discrimination, and sleep among minority adolescents and young adults has been published in American Psychologist, Child Development, Developmental Psychology, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Dr. Yip currently serves as an Associate Editor for Child Development and the Asian American Journal of Psychology. Dr. Yip is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division 7 (Developmental Psychology) and Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race) and her research has been funded by NICHD, NIMHD, NIMH, and NSF.

Heining Cham, Ph.D.

Co-Investigator

Heining Cham, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Fordham University. He received his B.S. degree in Psychology at Peking University and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Quantitative Research Methods (Quantitative Psychology) at Arizona State University. His research on quantitative methodologies, including latent variable interactions, propensity score analysis, and missing data analysis, has been published in Psychological Methods, Psychological Assessment, Multivariate Behavioral Research, and Educational and Psychological Measurement. Heining currently serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Psychology - Quantitative Psychology and Measurement and on the Editorial Board of Multivariate Behavioral Research and Psychological Assessment. Heining is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division 5 (Quantitative and Qualitative Methods), the recipient of the Anne Anastasi Distinguished Early Career Contributions Award of the American Psychological Association, Division 5, and the recipient of the Rising Star designation of Association for Psychological Science. He serves as a co-investigator in research funded by NCI, NIA, NIMHD, NIMH, IES, and other agencies.

Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, Ph.D.

NIH Diversity Supplement Recipient (R01MD015715)

Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She received her undergraduate degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Psychology and Sociology, earned her MA from New York University (NYU) in Human Development and Social Intervention, and her PhD from Stanford University in Developmental and Psychological Sciences. Her research seeks to develop a nuanced understanding of what it means to “belong” and how this sense of belonging impacts life outcomes such as academic performance and mental health. Together with her research team, she focuses on exploring these concepts among culturally diverse populations, and examining how sense of belonging is associated with various social identities (gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc.). Her research is published in American Psychologist, Emerging Adulthood, and Teachers College Record and has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and National Institute of Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD).

G. Alice Woolverton, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

G. Alice Woolverton, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Psychology Department at Fordham University and the Department of Pediatrics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Suffolk University and completed her predoctoral clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she worked with children and families. Dr. Woolverton’s research focuses on: (1) the complex psychological effects of witnessing distressing content, (2) mental health help-seeking and treatment engagement, (3) increasing anti-oppressive behaviors among White individuals, and (4) the social determinants of health disparities.

Youchuan Zhang, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Youchuan Zhang received her doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Michigan State University, a Master of Social Science in Psychology from the University of Hong Kong, and Bachelor of Medicine from Sun Yat-sen University. Her research centers on disadvantaged adolescent populations, particularly ethnic-racial minority adolescents in the U.S. and adolescents from low-income families in rural China. Specifically, she investigates how risks and resilience at structural and neighborhood levels, as well as within school and family contexts, shape adolescents’ development in sleep, stress biology, and mental health.

Enrique Dimagiba, M.S., M.D.

Data Manager

Enrique Dimagiba received his M.S. in Biostatistics at New York University, and he earned his diplomate in Internal Medicine, his Doctor of Medicine at St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine, and his B.S. in Health Sciences at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. His research interests include healthcare disparities, clinical epidemiology, time-to-event analysis, and patient-centered outcome research.

Angela Zhao, M.A.

Lab Manager / Project Director

Angela Zhao received her M.A. in Human Development Research and Policy and her B.S. in Applied Psychology at New York University. As an undergraduate, she worked with Drs. Sumie Okazaki and Doris Chang on issues of identity, belonging, and individual & community well-being among Asian Americans at the CARA/ABRA Project. As a graduate student, she also coordinated a machine-learning project to classify hate speech on social media at the CARA/ABRA Project and an independent survey research project on interpersonal curiosity and stereotyping with Dr. Niobe Way. Her research interests include how discrimination and inequality shape individuals’ interactions, relationships, and identity, especially in online contexts. She plans to pursue her Ph.D. in Psychology.

Jiawei (Ada) Wu

Graduate Research Assistant

Jiawei (Ada) Wu is a 2nd-year graduate student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at Fordham University. She is especially interested in mental health problems and related physical conditions among minority groups in society. She hopes to learn more about the research process and gain a better understanding of health concerns in minorities. Ada hopes to become a professor to educate future generations about the importance of mental well-being in the future.

Xiaoping (Eric) Yu

Graduate Research Assistant

Xiaoping (Eric) Yu is a 1st-year graduate student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at Fordham University. He attended Macalester College majoring in Psychology and Political Science. He is interested in conducting research on intersectional identity development in marginalized youth.

Rucha Kulkarni

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Rucha Kulkarni is a junior at Fordham University Rose Hill majoring in psychology and minoring in biology. Rucha’s research interests include developmental and cross-cultural psychology; more specifically, she is interested in how healthcare disparities within minoritized populations and how racial and ethnic identity influences the academic experiences and outcomes of minority college students. She hopes to become a therapist and work to improve access to culturally competent mental health care for underrepresented communities. Outside of the lab, she is the Vice President of Fordham’s Psychology Club, a representative for the Psychology department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and co-founder of Mischief Managed, Fordham’s Harry Potter club.

Gabrielle Diaz

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Gabrielle Diaz is a junior at Fordham University Rose Hill majoring in Psychology with a minor in the Biological Sciences. Her research interests include: how genetics influences the presentation of psychological disorders specifically ADHD and its presentation in young girls and women. Additionally, she is interested in how stress can affect neurological functioning. She is also interested in studying biopsychology and genetic neurodivergent and neurodegenerative disorders.

Charlene Weis

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Charlene Weis is a sophomore at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus pursuing a BS in Biological Sciences. She’s interested in how identity, environment, and systemic inequities shape mental health and well-being. At the YDDC Lab, she’s excited to contribute to research highlighting the social and structural factors influencing development and health. After graduation, Charlene plans to pursue an MD/MPH and continue working at the intersection of clinical care, advocacy, and public health research.

Christy Wu

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Christy Wu (she/they) is a freshman at Lincoln Center pursuing a B.S in Psychology. She is interested in studying developmental psychology and how trauma from childhood can affect adulthood, as well as multicultural psychology, focusing on understanding and addressing the unique mental health experiences of individuals from BIPOC communities. She hopes to pursue a career in child and adolescent psychology, focusing on the mental, emotional, and social development of children from infancy through adolescence.

Collaborators

  • Dr. Cindy Liu (BWH)
  • Dr. David Chae (Tulane)
  • Dr. Jenny Zhen-Duan (Mass Gen)
  • Dr. Kiara Alvarez (Johns Hopkins)
  • Dr. Kristin Valentino (Notre Dame)
  • Dr. Lijuan Wang (Notre Dame)
  • Dr. Linda Charmaraman (Wellesley)
  • Dr. Margarita Alegria (Mass Gen)
  • Dr. Mona El Sheikh (Auburn)
  • Dr. Yijie Wang (MSU)

And see our lab pets here! Lab Pets 🐾

Lab Alumni

Postdocs / Graduate Students

  • Amy Cheon, PhD β€” Assistant Professor at Chonnam National University
  • Yijie Wang, PhD β€” Assistant Professor at MSU
  • Sara Bayless, PhD β€” Vice President at OMNI Institute
  • Sheena Mirpuri, PhD β€” Principal Advisor at BIT Americas
  • Sandra Donnay, PhD, C.P.A β€” Founder and Director of the Racial Equity Initiative (TREI)
  • Mingjun Xie, PhD β€” Assistant Professor at Beijing Normal University
  • Pak See Ip, MA β€” Development Coordinator at Family Bridges, Inc.
  • Jill Fowle, MA β€” Doctoral student in Applied Developmental Psychology at Fordham University
  • Shadane Johnson, MA β€” Research Specialist at Metis Associates
  • Zhenqiang Zhao, PhD β€” Assistant Professor at San Diego State University
  • Kyle Lorenzo, PhD β€” Assistant Professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland
  • Jinjin Yan, PhD β€” Assistant Professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen

Lab Managers

  • Madeline (Maddie) Bradley β€” Development Assistant, University Development Office - Priorities and Initiatives Team at Harvard University
  • Ariel Tseng β€” Clinical Research Coordinator, Mood Disorders Lab at The University of Texas at Austin

Research Assistants

  • Emma Eitmann
  • Douglas Gelman
  • Cindy Liu β€” Clinical Research Assistant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Sara Anna Venturini
  • Saniya Jasani
  • Iida Linkka β€” Clinical Research Coordinator at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Yamelis Valarezo β€” Psychometrist at NYC Brain Traumatic Brain Injury Center
  • Dayana Lazo
  • Sydney Orama β€” Paraprofessional at Celebrate the Children
  • Rebecca Garvey β€” Research Associate at Capvision
  • Gabriela Lucero β€” Pre-Dental Student
  • Manaal Ahmed
  • Enru (Gia) Wang
  • Anna Rubio Rodriguez β€” Master’s student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Student at UT San Antonio; Recruitment and Data Coordinator at Texas Valley Clinical Research
  • Elizabeth (Liza) Rogers β€” Client Manager Associate at UNUM
  • Tenzing Choeying β€” Lab Coordinator at the Multiple Sclerosis Center at the Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology
  • Cameron Huber β€” Pre-Health Specialized Studies Post-Bacc Student at the University of Pennsylvania
  • Laura Rodriguez β€” Master’s student in Counseling at Northwestern University; Service Integration Specialist at Montefiore Einstein
  • Esha Hafeez β€” Medical Interpreter at LanguageLine Solutions
  • Cassandre Cyriaque β€” Social Media and Operations Intern at Waypoint Intercultural, LLC
  • Grace Gagliardi β€” Litigation Paralegal at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP
  • Courtney Cail β€” Postgraduate Associate in the Anticevic Lab at the Yale University School of Medicine
  • Emma Montefusco β€” Behavioral Health Technician at A Friendly Face Autism Treatment Services
  • Hasib Mia β€” Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology at Fordham University
  • Syeda Aktar β€” Master’s student in Mental Health and Counseling at New York University
  • Jennifer Kwon β€” Graduate Clinical Intern at MCM Collaborative
  • Lynelle Weis β€” MSc student at Columbia Human Nutrition
  • ThanhVi Dang β€” Master’s student in Data Science and clinical research assistant at Ohio State University Medical Center
  • Ashley Weems β€” Project Manager at the Child Study Center at Rutgers University
  • Amada Hassan β€” College Advisor at Global Learning Collaborative
  • Alexandra Ehrhardt β€” Doctoral student in Developmental and Child Psychology at Wayne State University
  • Michael Tynes β€” Doctoral student in Computer Science at the University of Chicago
  • Meera Aladin β€” Currently enrolled in a Counseling Psychology (PhD) at Fordham University
  • Maya Delity β€” Currently enrolled in Bachelor’s of Science at Boston University, majoring in Psychology
  • Xiaoxiao Dong β€” Doctoral student in Counseling Psychology (PhD) Program at Fordham University
  • Margaret Dunbar β€” Multiple Subject High School Teacher at John Muir Charter School
  • John-Paul Esoldi β€” Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Resident at Mount Sinai Health System
  • Nana Ishikawa β€” Director of Clinical Development at Impute Inc.
  • Eryk Kropiwnicki β€” Advanced Bioinformatics Data Scientist at BenevolentAI
  • Kristina Kulkarni β€” Senior Research Analyst at Radius Global Market Research
  • Charles Ray β€” Psychometrist at Austin Psychological and Testing Center
  • Bethany Regan β€” Anesthesiology Resident at Brown University’s Division of Biology and Medicine
  • Brittney Yue β€” Pediatric Occupational Therapist at HeartShare Human Services of New York
  • Shelbie Spear β€” Doctoral student in Educational Psychology at Michigan State University
  • Milou Haskin β€” Therapist at Intuitive Healing Psychotherapy Practice
  • Shubarna Akhter β€” M.D. student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Jason Dufour β€” Clinical Research Coordinator II at Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Brittany Perez β€” Employer Relations Specialist, Equity & Inclusion at Fordham University
  • David Rosen β€” Interventionist at Children’s Aid
  • Teresa Travnicek β€” Applying to medical school
  • Isabella Tomei β€” Doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at University of Miami Ohio