Director
Amy Margolis, Ph.D.
Dr. Amy Margolis is an Associate Professor of Medical Psychology with an appointment in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and an affiliation with the Cognitive Development and Neuroimaging Laboratory. The scientific question she seeks to answer concerns how learning problems are related to underlying deficiencies in the structure and function of neural systems that support learning processes. In the first decade of her career, she established a pediatric neuropsychology training program in comprehensive assessment and treatment of children with learning disabilities and attention disorders. She developed novel treatment methods for children with learning disabilities and attention disorders by combining tutoring, cognitive remediation and psychotherapy techniques.
In 2010 Dr. Margolis transitioned to a research career. Her research uses neuroimaging to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of learning disabilities with the secondary goal of developing novel therapeutics and early prevention programs. She is Principal Investigator of an NIH funded Career Development Award investigating effects of prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke on brain function and learning. She is Principal Investigator of a study sponsored by The NVLD Project that examines the neural correlates of Non-Verbal Learning Disability. She is also Principal Investigator of the Promise Project Reading Study that examines how neural circuits that support cognitive control and learning processes produce reading disorders. Dr. Margolis received a B.A. in The Evolution of Human Behavior from U.C. Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Applied Educational Psychology: School Psychology, and an MSEd. in Neuroscience and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Director of Neuroscience
David Pagliaccio, Ph.D.
Dr. David Pagliaccio received a PhD in neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis. His graduate work with Dr. Deanna Barch focused on the effects of stress and stress-system genes on brain structure and function in children with early-onset depression. During his postdoctoral fellowship with Drs. Daniel Pine and Ellen Leibenluft, Dr. Pagliaccio continued fMRI research to examine the neural underpinnings of pediatric anxiety and irritability. As a project manager with the Marsh Lab, he is using neuroimaging to explore alterations in brain circuitry and functioning relating to impulsive-compulsive behaviors, learning disorders, and other pediatric pathologies.​
Lab Members
Mariah DeSerisy, Ph.D.
Mariah completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Fordham University (2021). She graduated from Trinity University in Texas in 2014 where she double majored in neuroscience and psychology. After graduation she joined the Mental Health Interventions and Technology (MINT) Team in Miami, Florida at Florida International University as the research coordinator. In graduate school, Mariah focused on understanding behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological risk and resilience factors for emotion dysregulation (irritability and anxiety) in children and adolescents. Clinically, Mariah specializes in providing evidence-based treatments for children and families struggling with severe emotion dysregulation, trauma, and high-risk behaviors (e.g., suicidality, substance use, non-suicidal self-injury). Mariah’s current research interests include intelligence in typical development, the impact of environmental and social exposures on risk for childhood psychopathology, and neurobiological correlates of irritability and anxiety.
Jacob Cohen, BA
Jacob Cohen graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 2021 with a BA in Neuroscience. As an undergraduate, Jacob worked in Dr. Alison Harris' Decision Neuroscience Lab where he investigated mirror neuron activity in relation to body movement. In 2019, he interned at Cognitive Leap, where he managed data collection on their ADHD assessment tool, and in 2020, worked on IRB protocols for the Thompson Autism Center. In June of 2021, Jacob joined the EBB lab, where he performs data collection and analysis. He is interested in the biological mechanisms that mediate early life adversity's deleterious effects. He is additionally interested in developing anatomical biomarkers to aid in early intervention efforts.
Amarelis Raudales, BA
Amarelis graduated from Barnard College in 2018 with a BA in psychology. During her undergraduate study, she joined Dr. Beatrice Beebe’s Communication Sciences Lab at New York State Psychiatric Institute, investigating mother-infant interaction and infant social development with the use of video microanalysis. She currently supports Drs. Beatrice Beebe and Julie Herbstman’s NIH funded project investigating the effects of prenatal endocrine-disrupting environmental compounds on mother-infant communication and infant attachment. She joined the EBB lab in February 2019 as a research assistant working on recruitment, data collection and the administration of neuropsychological testing and structured psychiatric interviews. She is interested in risk factors associated with prenatal depression, the effects on infant development, and early intervention. Currently, Amarelis is pursuing a Ph.D
in Clinical Psychology at City College of New York.
Liz Rodriguez, BA
Liz graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a BA in sociology and gender & women's studies. After working in social services for over 3 years, her career interests have transitioned towards psychology and behavioral science. Her experience in case management gave her extensive knowledge in public health issues related to HIV/AIDS, substance use, and mental health. She aspires to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology and provide support to disadvantaged communities. Liz joined the EBB lab in Summer 2021 as a Research Assistant and will assist with data collection, recruitment, and neuropsychological testing.
Dahiana Peña, BA
Dahiana Peña graduated from Columbia University in 2021 with a BA in Neuroscience and Behavior and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant at the Mailman School of Public health for Dr. Perzanowski on a project investigating the relationship between autonomic dysregulation and the asthma phenotype exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Inspired by her research in environmental health, background in neuroscience, and her lived experiences as a South Bronx resident, Dahiana hopes to contribute to research that aims to investigate and protect the mental health and well-being of underserved communities of color. She joined the EBB lab in November 2021 as a research assistant and will help collect maternal sleep data and conduct neuropsychological testing. Starting September of 2022 she will begin her masters at the Mailman School of Public Health in psychiatric epidemiology with a concentration in social determinants of health.