Meet The Team

Erinne Benedict is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology- Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. She is a psychology extern at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders- Westchester for the 2023-2024 academic year. Erinne’s research on child and adolescent anxiety and depression in food insecure youth was presented at the 2021 APA conference. Her current research and pre-doctoral project on post-traumatic stress and mindfulness in families impacted by childhood cancer has recently been approved by the Western Institutional Review Board.

Natalie (Talie) is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis PhD program at Ferkauf. She completed her B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan in 2019 before working as Dr. Andrei Cimpian’s lab manager at the Cognitive Development Lab at New York University. Talie is excited to broaden her understanding of the field of psychoneuroimmunology, as well as delve into research on of how psychosocial stressors impact oncology patient and caregiver health outcomes. 

Olivia is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis PhD program at Ferkauf. She completed her joint B.S. in Psychology and Global Health with a minor in Neuroscience from Duke University, graduating with Distinction in Neuroscience for her honors thesis in neurobehavioral toxicology. Prior to joining the Psycho-Oncology Lab, Olivia served as a research coordinator under Dr. Edythe London at UCLA's Neuroimaging and Addiction Treatment Laboratory. There, Olivia conducted neuroimaging, practiced phlebotomy, and ran cognitive assessment for the lab's stimulant use disorder research. Olivia's research interests in psycho-oncology include pediatric medical trauma, maternal mental health, and psychiatric distress (both acute and prolonged) related to cancer diagnoses, treatment, and end of life care. She is looking forward to learning through collaboration with the Bronx community. 

Zoe is a first year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. program at Ferkauf. She graduated with a B.S. in Human Development and a minor in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University. She was a PRYDE Scholar in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology where she was matched with the Residential Child Care Project and studied adverse childhood experiences, therapeutic crisis intervention, and trauma informed care. Zoe works as a research assistant and on the administrative team at the Jewish Community Mental Health Initiative at the American Psychological Foundation. Zoe’s research interests in psycho-social oncology include post traumatic growth and stress, particularly in adolescent and young adult populations. 

Haley is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis PhD program at Ferkauf. She received her B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University and graduated with honors for her work on her thesis developing an efficacious, accessible, and incentivizing speech therapy for hypokinetic dysarthria in Parkinson's Disease. Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Haley served as a clinical research coordinator at the Purdon Neuroengineering Lab at first, MGH/Harvard and second, at Stanford School of Medicine primarily investigating biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease during sleep. Her research interests in psycho-oncology include  meaning-making therapy and spirituality through the cancer process, particularly in children. She is eager to explore these themes further and contribute to the field through her work and collaboration.

Fruma is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. She previously attended Stern College for Women where she earned her B.A. in Psychology. She is currently working as a psychology extern at the Jewish Theological Seminary Counseling Center where she will be conducting intakes and individual therapy with undergraduate and graduate students. At the Psycho-Social Oncology lab, Fruma is working on describing the demographic and socioeconomic factors of cancer
caregivers located in the Bronx, NY, and evaluating how those factors impact the risk of PTSD development. She is also partnering with the Montefiore-Einstien Cancer Center to conduct a support group for cancer caregivers in the Bronx.

Tzippy is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. program at
Ferkauf. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology with Honors from Touro University. Prior to
joining the Psycho-Oncology Lab, Tzippy served as a research assistant in Dr. Andrea
Weinberger's Smoking and Nicotine Dependence lab. Tzippy recruited participants, administered
surveys, and collected data for a study on substance use dependence in HIV patients in the
Bronx. Tzippy's research interests in Psycho-Oncology include PTS (post-traumatic stress),
PTG(post-traumatic growth), and meaning-making in cancer patients and their caregivers.
Additionally, Tzippy's curiosity extends to the critical area of childhood cancer survivorship,
where she plans to investigate the various acute and prolonged mental health effects experienced
by this group. Furthermore, her passion extends to examining the impact of mindfulness
practices and interpersonal dynamics within the patient-caregiver relationship.

Abigail (Avigayil) is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology- Health Emphasis Ph.D. program at Ferkauf. She completed her B.A. in Psychology from Macaulay Honors College at Queens College with a minor in Student Services and Counseling. She was previously a part of Dr. Justin Storbeck’s lab studying the effects of mood on cognition and performance. Avigayil is excited to be part of the lab's research in the realm of psychosocial oncology, particularly regarding caregivers of cancer patients, as well as exploring the intersection between neuropsychology and psychosocial oncology to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by both patients and caregivers.

Isabel is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis Ph.D. program at Ferkauf. She completed her B.A. in International Relations with minors in Economics and Psychology at Franklin University Switzerland. She received her M.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling from The New School. Prior to Ferkauf, Isabel served as a clinical research coordinator at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, where she investigated the relationship between prognostic understanding and acceptance of advanced cancer patients. Isabel’s research interests include advanced illness, end-of-life, and bereavement interventions for patients and caregivers.