Meet the Lab
Katey Hayes, M.S.
Katey Hayes, M.S. is a third year doctoral student in the Combined Clinical-Counseling Psychology Program. She will soon be collecting data for her dissertation titled "Thriving, not just surviving: A feasibility and effectiveness of a coping and resilience intervention for youth with sickle cell disease." This study will involve leading a group-based problem-solving coping intervention to aid in youth growth and overall resilience. Her dissertation is a reflection of her broad research and professional interests examining dimensions of family functioning related to the interaction of parent, child, and contextual factors. She has conducted cross-sectional (coming soon: longitudinal!) investigations of the relationship of parenting stress to child behavior, family health behaviors to prevent excessive weight gain in young children, and problem behavior in young children. Clinically, she works closely with medical teams in pediatric sub specialty and primary care clinics to provide brief, population-based treatment in an integrated medical setting!
Haley Adams, M.S.
Haley Adams, M.S. is a third year doctoral student in the Combined Clinical-Counseling Psychology Program. She received her Bachelor of Science from Kent State University, and her Master of Science from the University of South Alabama. Her research interests focus on families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and media use within families, broadly. She has completed research relating to pediatric anxiety, child cognition, psychopathology within a family context, and caregiver benefit finding. She currently serves as the clinic coordinator assistant for the University of South Alabama Psychological Clinic. Haley has a passion for working with children and their families!
Elizabeth Cansler B.S.
Elizabeth Cansler, B.S is in her 2nd year as a doctoral student in the Combined Clinical-Counseling Psychology Program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in the Family Health and Development Lab under Dr. Chrystyna Kouros. During her time in the Family Health and Development Lab, she primarily focused her efforts on the Couples and Kids with Autism Study, which studied children’s responses to interparental conflict. Elizabeth hopes to continue to explore various factors relating to families including parental roles, marital conflict, internalizing disorders in children, and behavioral family interventions.
Jasmeka Foster, M.S.
Jasmeka Foster, M.S. is a 2nd year student in the Combined Clinical-Counseling Psychology Program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS. As an undergraduate, Jasmeka worked as a research assistant at the Children’s of Mississippi hospital in Jackson, MS. She worked under the supervision of Dr. Cynthia Karlson studying pediatric chronic illness. Jasmeka primarily focused on sickle cell disease. She helped run a study dealing with chronic pain interference in sickle cell patients. Jasmeka has also received her Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mississippi College in Clinton, MS. Jasmeka’s current research interests are broad relating to pediatric chronic illness. She is interested in sickle cell disease, and how these patients manage chronic pain, health disparities, as well as caregiver and family support. She is interested in promoting health, reducing morbidity in chronic childhood illness, and improving quality of life.
Ryan Haik, B.S.
Ryan Haik (BBS) is a 2nd year masters student in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences psychology program. Ryan graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She is involved in Dr. Zlomke and Dr. Turner's labs. Her research interests focus on how resilience and belongingness serve as protective factors in children and adolescents that struggle with anxiety, depression, and in children with ADHD, and children with autism. Ryan is also interested in the role resilience plays in the relationship between parental stress and child problem behavior. After completing the BBS program, Ryan plans to obtain her doctorate in clinical psychology and work with children and adolescents in a clinical setting.
Mackenzie Robeson, M.P.S.
Mackenzie Robeson, M.P.S., is a first year doctoral student in the Combined Clinical-Counseling Psychology program. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Rice University in Houston, Texas and her Masters in Professional Studies in Clinical Psychological Science from University of Maryland-College Park. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in the Biobehavioral Mechanisms Explaining Disparities Lab under Dr. Christopher Fagundes, which focused on the effects of psychosocial variables on physical health, such as inflammation. As a graduate student, she has worked as a lab manager for the Big Emotions Across Development Lab under Dr. Lea Dougherty, which focused on the relation between parent psychopathology, child psychopathology, and the role of emotion. Her research interests broadly focus on parent-child interactions, emotion regulation within family systems, and associated health outcomes.
Anne Mascia, Honors Undergraduate
Anne Mascia (Undergrad Honors) is a junior honors student majoring in Psychology with a minor in English. She is involved in research with both Dr. Zlomke and Dr. Lindsey. She participated in a summer internship at the Alabama Department of Mental Health, and learned more about policy making regarding mental health and substance abuse. After undergraduate she plans on obtaining her doctorate in clinical child psychology and ultimately impact children in a private practice or school setting.