CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-
MANAGEMENT LAB
Lab Members
Jeffrey S. Gonzalez, Ph.D.
CDSM Lab Director
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Phone: 646-592-4506
Research Associate and Adjunct Professor
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Bronx, NY
Claire Hoogendoorn, Ph.D.
Claire is a Research Associate and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Her work is focused on elucidating the behavioral and physiological pathways of various emotional states, particularly chronic distress, in relation to illness management and physical and emotional health among diverse and underserved patients with diabetes. Claire earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 2016, and her dissertation research examined the potential relationships between emotional distress and management of immune-modulating medications for those with Crohn’s disease. She completed her postdoc at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology from 2016 - 2018, concentrating on ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology and the relationship between patient-reported symptoms and medication adherence among underserved patients with diabetes. The overarching goal of her work is to contribute to the development of more effective and culturally sensitive interventions and treatments for co-occurring diabetes and depression that reduce health disparities and improve quality of life among underserved patients.
Research Training: Postdoctoral training at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology (2016–2018); Research Assistant at the Pediatric Gastroenterology Dept. at the Icahn School of Medicine (2011-2016); Research Coordinator at Emotion, Anxiety, Coping, and Health (REACH) Lab at Brooklyn College CUNY (2010-2016); Research Coordinator at BODyLab - Center for Brain Health at the NYU Medical Center (2008-2010); Research Assistant at the Phelps Lab at New York University (2007-2010).
Research Interests: Emotional distress, psychosocial factors, patient-reported symptoms, behavioral health, psychoneuroimmunology, medication adherence and efficacy, chronic illness management
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Bronx, NY
Gladys Crespo-Ramos, Ph.D.
Gladys is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Her work is focused on understanding the role of psychosocial factors (i.e. stigma, stress, SDH) in relation to illness management and the development of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, in minority population. Gladys earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (APA Accredited Program) at the Ponce Health Sciences University of Puerto Rico in 2018, and her dissertation validates the Mental Health Stigma Scale among the General Population of Puerto Rico. She is completing her postdoc at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, concentrating on emotional distress, socioeconomics, cultural and environmental factors in the well-being of Latinos with Diabetes.
Research Training: Postdoctoral training at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology (2018–Present); Editor of Health and Human Behavior Journal at Ponce Health Sciences University (www.rsych.com; 2016-2018); Research Coordinator at Psychology Internship Consortium (PSMHS-PIC) at Ponce Health Sciences University (2017-2018); Research Coordinator at Psychosocial Research Network on Health Disparities Lab at Ponce Health Sciences University (2017-2018); Research Coordinator at Diabetes and Depression-2 Lab at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, School of Social Sciences, Institute for Psychological Research (IPsi; 2013-2017); First Cohort Yale/Ciencias Academy Fellow (2016).
Clinical Training: Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Rotation at Psychology Service Center (PSMHS-PIC) Ponce, Puerto Rico; Federal Medical Station (FMS) during natural disaster hurricane María, Ponce, Puerto Rico; Diagnostic and Treatment Center of the Puerto Rico Teachers Association at Hospital del Maestro (DTC-HM), San Juan, Puerto Rico; Clinical Psychology Program of Damas Hospital (PSPC-HD), Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Research Interests: Diabetes, psychosocial factors, Hispanic/Latino
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Dane Wilson, B.A.
Dane is the new research coordinator in replacement of our wonderful Heidy Mendez. He received his B.A. in Neuroscience from Middlebury College in 2022. Before starting at Yeshiva University, Dane worked as a research assistant and addictions recovery coach in rural Vermont. In our lab, he works with the research associates, students, and external collaborating sites to help coordinate all study activities. This includes assisting with IRB tasks, data collection, recruitment, data cleaning, and analysis. Dane also helps acclimate and train new students for our lab’s studies.
While he has experience working in labs investigating expectancy biases in post-traumatic individuals and neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants, he also has broader research interests in public health, addictions recovery, and cognitive-behavioral neuropsychology.
Research Coordinator
CDSM Lab
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Bronx, NY
Clinical Research Associate
CDSM Lab
Ferkauf Graduate School
of Psychology
Bronx, NY
Megha Siddhanta, M.A.
Megha Siddhanta is a Clinical Research Associate specializing in psychology, neuroscience, and global mental health. She holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and has contributed to significant research at Yeshiva University and Yale School of Medicine. At Yeshiva, she works on a telemedicine-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program to reduce diabetes distress in young adults with Type 1 diabetes, conducting psychological assessments, leading 12-week interventions, and training PhD students on mental health interactions with chronic illnesses. At Yale, she was involved in PTSD and neuroimaging research, managing participant screening, administering MRI and PET scans, and conducting clinical assessments, including studies on CB1 receptor availability and ketamine-assisted prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD. Megha has also implemented mental health interventions for refugees, co-authored research on digital mental health solutions, and is proficient in statistical tools like SAS, SPSS, and R. She is committed to advancing mental health care, particularly for underserved communities.
Research Interests: trauma, chronic illness, health psychology, mood disorders , social determinants of health and global mental health
2025-2026 Externship
NYP/Weill Cornell - Pediatric Psychology and Integrated Care Program
Caroline Raak, M.A.
Caroline is a fifth-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. She earned her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University, and her M.A. in Child Development from Sarah Lawrence College. Before pursuing a doctoral degree, Caroline worked as a research coordinator in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics research at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine where she supported the implementation of a strengths-based parenting intervention in pediatric primary care, with low-income families in New York City, Pittsburgh, and Flint, MI. Her master’s thesis analyzed the mitigating effect of parenting on the relationship between chronic illness and externalizing behaviors in young children. Caroline’s main research interests lay in the effects of family dynamics on illness management for youths with type 1 diabetes. She hopes to continue working with children, adolescents, and families from underserved backgrounds throughout her clinical training and in her research to better understand contextual risk and protective factors for behavioral and health outcomes in underserved youth.
Clinical Training: The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic, Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of Learning Disabilities Adult Literacy Program, The Children's Hospital and Montefiore/Division on Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes - Pediatric Psychology Program; NYU Child Study Center - Neuropsychology and Learning Service; Nassau University Medical Center.
Research Interests: social determinants of health, ACEs, family dynamics, childhood chronic illness, chronic illness management
2025-2026 Internship
Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Fayel Mustafiz, M.A.
Fayel is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Journalism from CUNY Hunter College and a M.A. from Yeshiva University. Before pursuing a doctoral degree, Fayel worked as a research coordinator at Columbia University Medical Center/The New York Psychiatric Institute in the Lyme & Other Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center where she conducted and published research on trauma and symptom severity in patients with Lyme Disease and assisted on treatment and fMRI studies. Fayel has also worked at various clinical and research sites, including the Manhattan VA, Hunter College's HIV/AIDs lab and the Social Psychology Lab, Seagate Rehab Center, The Door, and Lenox Hill Hospital's acute inpatient psychiatric unit. At the CDSM lab, she has worked on multiple studies and served as a therapist for the ReDUCe Study, which uses CBT to address diabetes distress in adults with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Her predoctoral thesis examined relationships between socioeconomic status, perceived stress, and diabetes self-management in adults with T1D. Her dissertation will explore the links between momentary general stress, diabetes distress, and self-care in adults with T1D using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data from the Function and Emotion in Everyday Life with Type I Diabetes (FEEL) study.
Clinical Training: The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic, Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program's Outpatient Clinic at the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Beach Psychiatric Center, Gracie Square Hospital
Research Interests: social determinants of health, low SES, trauma history, perceived stress, mood and anxiety disorders, chronic illness, T1D, medication management, EMA
Jared Moore, M.A.
Jared is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology with a health emphasis at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. As a member of the Psychology of Diabetes Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey S. Gonzalez, Jared contributes to research focused on the psychosocial aspects of diabetes management. His work emphasizes the role of social support and sleep in psychological outcomes among individuals with chronic illness, particularly within Black and Hispanic communities. Deeply committed to helping underserved populations, Jared also provides therapy to individuals with diabetes and supervises graduate students. He supports diagnostic interviews, IRB submissions, and data management for lab projects. Jared is passionate about understanding what makes people happy and motivated, both in his research and in his clinical work.
Clinical Training: The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic, Brooklyn College Personal Counseling Program, Metropolitan Detention Center
Research Interests: social support, sleep problems, diabetes distress
2025-2026 Externship
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center
Kristen Novak, M.A.
Kristen is a student in the Clinical Psychology Health emphasis PhD program at Ferkauf. She earned her BFA in Theatre Arts from Hofstra University and BA in Psychology from Hunter College. Before pursuing her doctoral degree, Kristen enjoyed a career in personal finance where she worked as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and served on the board of directors of the New York chapter of a national non-profit organization. After changing careers, Kristen worked at New York State Psychiatric Institute’s Communication Sciences Lab as the leader of the statistics team. At the CDSM Lab, Kristen is interested in exploring the relationship between chronic stress and the development of gestational diabetes.
Clinical Training: Lenox Hill Hospital’s acute inpatient psychiatric unit, CUNY City College’s counseling center, The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic
Research Interests: Diabetes distress, chronic stress, mood and anxiety disorders
2025-2026 Externship
Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare, Brooklyn Campus
Lauren Nandoo, B.A.
Galia Strupinsky, B.A.
2025-2026 Externship
Northport VA Medical Center -- Serious Mental Illness Outpatient Psychotherapy
Brenden Morrissey, B.A.
Brenden is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and Classical Studies from Brandeis University. Before pursuing a doctoral degree, Brenden worked as a research coordinator at Joslin Diabetes Center in the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult section, where he coordinated a 12-month psychosocial intervention aimed at improving glycemic control and reducing diabetes distress in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes. Prior to this, he worked at Brown University Health in the Bradley-Hasbro Children's Research Center, where he assisted with a variety of research projects focusing on early childhood mental health and worked with the Early Childhood Outpatient and SUCCESS programs to link parents and early childhood learning professionals with mental health services for their children. During his time at Brandeis, he worked in the Child and Adolescent Research on Development (CARD) Lab on a project examining children's compliance with a novel music curriculum in a preschool setting. At the CDSM lab, Brenden hopes to explore the relationship between stress, history of trauma, low SES, and comorbid physical and psychological symptoms and diabetes self-management behaviors among adults with diabetes.
Clinical Training: The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic
Research Interests: adherence, anxiety disorders, chronic illness, emerging adults, fear of hypoglycemia, pediatric psychology, social determinants of health, trauma history, type 1 diabetes.
2025-2026 Externship
Montefiore Medical Center - CERC - Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of Learning Disabilities - Adult Literacy Program
Leah Bard, B.A.
Leah is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Early Childhood Education from Tulane University, where she received the Newcomb-Tulane College Dean’s Service Award. As an undergraduate, Leah completed four years of school-based fieldwork in New Orleans, utilizing trauma-informed practices and leading social-emotional groups for K–12 students in under-resourced communities. She also served as a research assistant at the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital, where she examined psychosocial outcomes, management behaviors, and quality of life in children and adolescents with food allergies. Leah was selected to serve as Mentorship and Training Coordinator for the 2025–2026 term on the Student SIG Leadership Team of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, where she will coordinate professional development initiatives for students and early career professionals. At the CDSM Lab, Leah is interested in understanding how biomarkers relate to psychological distress, health behaviors, and health outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Clinical Training: The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic
Research Interests: chronic illness, health-related quality of life, biological, cognitive, and psychological risk factors, health behaviors, treatment adherence
Gabrielle Applebaum, M.A.
Gabrielle is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. She earned her B.A. and an M.A. in Psychology from New York University (NYU). During her time at NYU, Gabrielle worked at the Cognitive Development Lab, where she completed her master’s thesis examining the presence of fixed and growth mindset messaging in children’s STEM biographies. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Gabrielle served as a research data associate at the BODy Lab at NYU Langone Health, where she investigated the effects of major weight loss on cognitive functioning for individuals with diabetes and prediabetes. In addition to her research experience, Gabrielle volunteered with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) as a Helpline Volunteer, providing support and resources to individuals affected by eating disorders. She also served as a Body Project Facilitator, leading high school girls through a manualized intervention aimed at reducing the risk of developing eating disorders. At the CDSM Lab, Gabrielle is interested in exploring how depressive symptoms relate to social determinants of health among individuals with prediabetes.
Clinical Training: The Max and Celia Parnes Family Psychological and Psychoeducational Services Clinic
Research Interests: social determinants of health, eating and weight disorders, obesity, mood and anxiety disorders, chronic illness
2025-2026 Externship
The Family Services of Westchester