Meet The Team

Erinne Benedict, MA is a rising 4th year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis program at Ferkauf Graduate School and Yeshiva University. She has held clinical placements at Columbia University Clinic of Anxiety and Related Disorders, the Parnes Clinic, and in the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology department at Westchester Medical/Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. Her final placement will be at Montefiore's Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology department. Erinne conducted an independent study titled Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Mothers of Pediatric Cancer Patients for her predoctoral thesis, and her dissertation topic is analyzing mindfulness, perceived stress, and food insecurity among cancer caregivers in the Bronx. Her primary research interests include pediatric psycho-oncology, working with caregivers, and mindfulness interventions.

Talie is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology (Health Emphasis) PhD program at Ferkauf. She has completed clinical training at Brooklyn College’s Personal Counseling Center and the Parnes Clinic, and will further develop her neuropsychological assessment skills during her upcoming externship at Mount Sinai Downtown’s Department of Neurology. For the past year, Talie has served as the teaching assistant for the Psycho-Social Oncology Lab, where she has supported and streamlined lab initiatives in collaboration with the Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center, aimed at improving the quality of life for cancer caregivers in the Bronx. Her research focuses on the prevalence and contributing factors of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among caregivers.  

Olivia is a third-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 second-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 second-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.

Ellen is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology (Health Emphasis) PhD program at Ferkauf. She graduated with a B.A. in Public Health from Tufts University. Prior to joining the Psychosocial Oncology Lab, Ellen served as a research coordinator at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Psycho-Oncology in Aging and Cancer Lab), where she coordinated several clinical research trials focused on evidence-based psychotherapy interventions for older adult cancer survivors and homebound patients with advanced cancer. She also had the privilege of coordinating the Meaning Centered Psychotherapy Training Program for Cancer Care Providers. Ellen’s clinical and research interests in psychosocial oncology lie at the intersection of aging, palliative care, and exploring psychological sequelae and neuropsychological outcomes along the cancer continuum.

Janette Levin, LMSW, is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology (Health Emphasis) Ph.D. program at Ferkauf. She earned her B.A. in Psychology at Duke University, graduating with distinction for her research on linguistic and personality-based predictors of stress mindsets in university populations. She completed her MSW training at Columbia University, specializing in the Health, Mental Health, & Disabilities Clinical Track.

Prior to joining the Psycho-Oncology Lab, Janette was a Clinical Intern at Mount Sinai’s Child & Adolescent Outpatient clinic, where she provided psychotherapy and conducted intake assessments with children aged 6–17. She also served as a research assistant to Dr. Katherine Shear at the Center for Prolonged Grief, summarizing literature on grief interventions and developing psychoeducational materials for bereaved children and their caregivers. Her research interests include pediatric bereavement, end-of-life care, and advanced illness. She is particularly focused on exploring the efficacy of narrative therapy interventions, as well as how somatic symptoms manifest in children coping with parental illness and loss.

Fruma is a fourth-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 Boston Univeristy Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. 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 third-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 third-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. She is a current extern at the Adult Literacy Program as part of the Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of Learning Disabilities and her upcoming placement will be at the Center for Neuropsychological Services at Northwell Health in the summer. Currently, her primary investigation in the lab is on the impact of stress and gender on health behaviors of cancer caregivers. She is also interested in 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 second-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.

Mia is a first year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph. D. program at Ferkauf. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Public Health from Williams College. Prior to Ferkauf, Mia served as a clinical research coordinator at the Cancer Outcomes Research and Education Program at Mass General Hospital, where she worked with a multidisciplinary team on palliative and supportive care interventions for cancer patients. Mia’s research interests include improving end of life care for patients with advanced illnesses and understanding grief as a coping mechanism among patients and their caregivers.  

Jessie is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis Ph.D. program at Ferkauf. She completed her BSE in Biomedical Engineering and minor in psychology from Duke University, graduating with departmental distinction for her research on imaging bio-interface electrodes with neurological applications. Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Jessie worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a research technician focused on the relationship between the opioid system and cancer cells. Her research interests include posttraumatic stress in adolescent and younger adult cancer patients and their caregivers. She is looking forward to learning more about psychosocial oncology relationships and cancer-related distress.