Meet the Team | Development, Risk, and Resilience Lab

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Meet the Team

Director

Rina Das Eiden

Director

I am interested in understanding developmental trajectories for children experiencing multiple adversities linked to parental substance use, as well as early childhood interventions designed to ameliorate these risks and promote competence. Much of my research seeks to understand developmental mechanisms that may explain the association between parental risk factors and child outcomes (e.g., infant-parent attachment, parent-child self-regulation, individual differences in children’s autonomic and stress reactivity, and immune/inflammatory mechanisms). I have a particular interest in prenatal and early childhood interventions for substance using parents, with the goal of understanding developmental mechanisms that promote resilience and positive developmental cascades for children in the context of pre/postnatal risks.

Current projects include a randomized clinical trial to promote co-parenting and reduce father/non-pregnant partner hazardous drinking in expectant parents; a translational (human-animal) study of prenatal tobacco and cannabis exposure effects on middle childhood outcomes in a sample recruited in pregnancy; developmental pathways to violence, victimization, and substance use in a sample exposed to cocaine and other substances in utero; and a collaboration with Dr. Mary Dozier on a clinical trial for opioid-dependent mothers living in poverty. Finally, in collaboration with Drs. Jenae Neiderhiser and Danielle Downs, we are examining risk and protective processes among rural families with the larger goal of understanding rural health disparities.

Lab Manager

Brandon Rickett

Lab Manager

Brandon is the lab manager for the Development, Risk, & Resilience Lab at Penn State. He holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Russian Studies from Bucknell University. At Bucknell, he worked in Dr. Haley Kragness’s LEAF Lab, where he studied children’s gender stereotyping of musical instruments. Brandon completed two undergraduate honors theses, one on the effects of pitch and loudness on children’s instrument stereotyping and another on the portrayal of self-destruction in Russian literature. He also formerly worked as an RA studying immigrant work-life balance at Adler University, and children’s perceptions of fairness at Yale University. In his free time Brandon enjoys spending time outdoors, training Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reading, and baking.

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Graduate Students

Miglena Ivanova

Doctoral Student

Miglena Ivanova, M.S., is a fifth-year doctoral student in Developmental Psychology, working with Dr. Rina Eiden and Dr. Jenae Neiderhiser. Miglena was also a Prevention and Methodology Training (PAMT) pre-doctoral fellow, working with Dr. Ashley Linden-Carmichael. Her research interests center on the understanding of differential pathways via which early risk and protective factors predict childhood codeveloping internalizing and externalizing behavior problem trajectories and subsequent unique patterns of adolescent substance use and psychological disorders. Miglena is interested in integrating advanced quantitative methodologies, including longitudinal growth modeling and machine learning, to explore her research interests. Her long-term goal is to translate her research into developing individualized evidence-based prevention techniques and early interventions. When not working on her research, Miglena dedicates her time to mentoring students, advocating for more representation of and equity for neurodiverse individuals in academia, and exploring new ideas and novel analytical methods.

Originally from Bulgaria, she received her B.S. degrees in Psychology and in Psychiatric Rehabilitation from Montana State University Billings in 2019, graduating as an Honors Scholar and the 2019 University Golden Merit Award Recipient.

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Madison Kelm

Doctoral Student

Madison is a fifth-year student in Developmental Psychology at The Pennsylvania State University and will defend her dissertation in March 2025. Madison is currently looking for postdoctoral positions on the west coast or remote positions.

Madison’s research focuses on prenatal risk factors including maternal substance use, psychological distress, and mood unpredictability and their impacts on parenting behavior and child physiological and behavioral reactivity and regulation. Her dissertation, titled “Unpredictability in Parental Mood and Behavior: Implications for Toddler Reactivity and Regulation Across Low and High Risk Samples” examines effects of prenatal and early postnatal maternal and paternal unpredictability on toddler outcomes in a sample of low-income mothers with substance use and a sample of first-time parents. To test her developmentally-informed research questions, Madison has developed a strong background in quantitative methods and utilizes structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, and growth mixture modeling in her work.

Madison earned her M.S. in Developmental Psychology from Penn State in 2022 and holds a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Oregon, where she graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors in 2019. In addition to her research, Madison has extensive teaching experience, serving as a Lead Instructor for Research Methods in Psychology and mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students. In her free time, Madison loves to bake, go thrift shopping, and watch movies with her partner and cats.

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Rachel Marcus

Doctoral Student

Rachel Marcus is a second-year Developmental Psychology doctoral student working with Dr. Rina Eiden. She graduated from UC Berkeley in Spring 2019 with a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology and Minors in Public Policy and The Developing Child. At Berkeley, Rachel worked under Dr. Alison Gopnik and Dr. Robert Levenson. After graduating, Rachel was a Study Coordinator for Dr. Wei Gao at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Under Dr. Eiden, she plans to utilize statistical methods and evidence-based interventions to better understand pathways to adolescent substance use and internalizing symptoms. She is currently evaluating how the interaction of parenting styles and peer engagement is associated with adolescent substance use. She is specifically interested in how early adolescent risk factors predict late adolescent outcomes. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, running, and training her puppy, Cali.

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Olivia Bell

Doctoral Student

Olivia is a first-year doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program working with Dr. Rina Eiden and Dr. Koraly Pérez-Edgar. In 2023 she graduated from Buffalo State University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a certification in Child Advocacy Studies. Here, she worked with Dr. Pamela Schuetze, examining prenatal co-exposure to tobacco and cannabis’ role in autonomic dysregulation. She completed an honor’s thesis here, working with data from the Growing Up Healthy study, entitled “The Association between Prenatal Cigarette and Marijuana Co-exposure and Autonomic Dysregulation in Early Childhood: The Mediating Role of Maternal Harshness.” She also completed a year of post-baccalaureate work within Dr. Jamie Ostrov’s Social Development Lab at the University at Buffalo, where she conducted interviews with pre-school aged children regarding self-regulation and academic readiness, and lead collection of biological specimens, primarily to test acute and chronic stress. Olivia is currently interested in the mechanisms by which prenatal and early life stressors impact physiological regulation in infancy and early childhood, and how socioenvironmental factors, such as parenting, play a role in these associations. When not at work or school, Olivia loves to read, try different coffee shops, and spend time with her partner and their four cats!

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Post-Doctoral Scholars

Zülal İşcanoğlu

Postdoctoral Scholar

Zulal Iscanoglu is a postdoctoral scholar in the Development, Risk, and Resilience Lab at Penn State. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Mersin University and her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Hacettepe University. Her research focuses on how environmental adversities influence positive development from infancy to adolescence. She investigates protective mechanisms that buffer the effects of early risks, fostering improved social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Additionally, her work examines factors critical for disadvantaged children’s successful societal engagement, such as educational involvement, which can help mitigate the impact of early adversity. Zulal studies developmental processes such as attachment, emotional development, executive functioning, and self-regulation, as well as parenting factors like parental attachment, sensitive parenting, emotion socialization, and parents’ ability to regulate their emotions during interactions with their children. Her broader goal is to identify pathways that either perpetuate cycles of disadvantage or promote resilience and positive outcomes for children and families.

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Danielle Seay

Postdoctoral Scholar

Danielle Seay is a postdoctoral scholar in the Gene Environment Interplay Across the Lifespan and the Development, Risk and Resilience Labs at Penn State. She got her B.S in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Texas at Austin, a M.S. in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a Ph.D. in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. Her research broadly focuses on processes that contribute to risk, resilience, and competence in children, particularly the interplay between genetic, cultural and environmental influences on young children’s socio-emotional development.

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Research Coordinators

Makenna Luzenski

Research Study Coordinator

Makenna is the Research Study Coordinator for the PA Birth Cohort Study in the Development, Risk, & Resilience Lab and Exercise Psychology Lab at Penn State. She graduated summa cum laude from Bucknell University in May 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and Economics with departmental honors. Her prior research experience includes investigations of parent-child dynamics, childhood autonomy, emerging adult outcomes, and caregiver psychology, as well as close work with Dr. Chris Boyatzis. Makenna intends on attending graduate school to earn her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, where she will pursue her research interests in the mechanisms by which parenting and parent-child relationships impact development across childhood and adolescence. Specifically, she strives to investigate outcomes within the context of socioeconomic adversity, substance exposure, and early childhood risk and resilience. In her free time, Makenna enjoys reading, listening to music and podcasts, and spending time with her family, friends, and cat, Violet.

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Research Assistants

Alison Harvey

Undergraduate Researcher

Alison Harvey is a first-year student in the Schreyer Honors College majoring in biobehavioral health. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to attend medical school and eventually specialize in pediatrics. Alison is interested in how physical health and well-being are directly related to the environment a child lives in and the social experiences they have. In her free time, Alison enjoys hiking, snowboarding, working out, and traveling.

Kavya Iyer

Undergraduate Researcher

Kavya is a third-year student double majoring in Psychology as well as Human Development and Family Studies. She hopes to work with adolescents and young adults after graduating. She is specifically interested in pursuing a career that combines both of these majors, such as clinical psychology or behavioral health therapy. Her specific interests include anxiety, PTSD, and LGBTQIA+ topics. In her free time, she loves reading, playing tennis, traveling, and being with friends and family.

Ella McCoy

Undergraduate Researcher

Ella is a Senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies, as well as a Business Fundamentals Certificate. She intends to go to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in counseling and work with children and families in the future. Ella spends her free time reading, working out, being outdoors, and getting involved in her THON organization as much as she can.

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Yejin Park

Undergraduate Researcher

Yejin is a senior majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. Her primary interests lie in understanding children’s development and mental health, particularly as they relate to parenting and family dynamics. With a long-term goal of working in research focused on child development and family interactions, Yejin plans to pursue graduate studies in developmental psychology. Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys listening to music, cooking and traveling.

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Macy Watkins

Undergraduate Researcher

Macy is a junior in the Schreyer Honors College pursuing a double major in Psychology and Spanish with a minor in Political Science. Macy is fascinated by many fields of psychology but finds developmental psychology particularly interesting as she holds a strong desire to help children. After graduation, Macy plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. Outside of psychology and the lab, Macy works as a mentor at Penn State’s Public Speaking Center where she enjoys helping her peers feel more comfortable with public speaking. Macy also volunteers with THON and is very passionate about the work THON does to improve the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. Macy is looking forward to Spring 2024 where she will be spending the semester in Granada, Spain immersing herself in Spanish language and culture.

Diana Lopez

Undergraduate Researcher

Diana is a third-year student with a major in Psychology and minors in Spanish and in Child Maltreatment & Advocacy Studies. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue her occupational therapy master’s. She hopes to specialize in early intervention with children. In her free time, she enjoys working out, reading, and hanging out with friends and family.

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Lyric MacDonald

Undergraduate Researcher

Lyric is a senior pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. She has a strong interest in developmental psychology and counseling, especially with children and family relationships. After graduation, Lyric intends to get her Master’s Degree in School Psychology. Along with being a Research Assistant in our lab, Lyric is an active member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. She also really enjoys dancing. Lyric is in Volé, a Dance Company at Penn State. Lyric has also had an active role in THON, a fundraiser at Penn State that raises money for children and their families affected by childhood cancer. Lyric enjoys reading, listening to music and participating in community service activities in her free time.

Olivia Robertson

Undergraduate Researcher

Olivia is a fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to attend graduate school and obtain a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. In her free time, she likes to read, listen to music, and hangout with her friends and family. She’s excited to be a part of the lab and gain valuable knowledge from this experience!

Aryana Harris

Undergraduate Researcher

Aryana is currently a third-year student majoring in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy. Aryana is passionate about understanding and supporting children who have experienced trauma and how that trauma can later manifest into adulthood. Her goal after undergrad is to go to graduate school and become an Adolescent Trauma Psychologist. Aryana is also particularly interested in the psychological effects of maltreatment and how we can create prevention systems that support children at risk. Outside of academics, Aryana likes to read, listen to music, and hang out with friends.

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Amanda Miklos

Undergraduate Researcher

Amanda is a third-year student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. She has a strong interest in developmental psychology and a passion for mental health advocacy. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in occupational therapy. She intends to specialize in pediatrics. Within Penn State, she is a peer educator with HealthWorks, an involved member of PSI CHI (Psychology International Society), and an active volunteer with THON, the student-run philanthropy committed to improving the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Sophia Santos

Undergraduate Researcher

Sophia is a second-year Schreyer student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Spanish. After undergrad, Sophia wants to go to graduate school and work in the mental health field. She is interested in how children’s social environments reinforce and lead to negative outcomes later in life. Outside of academics, she likes to listen to music and journal.

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Collaborating Staff

Meghan Casey Leising

Lab Manager

Meghan is a Lab Manager and Project Coordinator at the University at Buffalo. She is currently managing the Strong Foundations, Maternal and Child Health Study, and Growing Up Healthy projects after working for several years coding observational assessments and managing a prospective study of children of fathers with alcohol problems. She has a particular interest in racial/ethnic disparities in maternal and child health.

Additional Collaborators

Shannon Shisler, PhD.

Junru Zhao, PhD.

Elizabeth Young

Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, PhD.

Craig Colder, PhD.

Kurt Dermen, PhD.

Danielle Downs, PhD.

Mary Dozier, PhD.

Mark Feinberg, PhD.

Stephanie Godleski, PhD.

Douglas Granger, PhD.

Karen Grewen, PhD.

Larry Hawk, PhD.

Kai Ling Kong, PhD.

Jenae Neiderhiser, PhD.

Amanda Nickerson, PhD.

Jamie Ostrov, PhD.

Abigail Pauley, PhD.

Lijun Li, PhD.

Pamela Schuetze, PhD.

Payanotis Thanos, PhD.

Xiaozhong Wen, PhD.

Alumni

Rachel Level

Clinical Psychologist

Rachel Level is currently working her internship at Allegheny General Hospital. She was a doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology doctoral program at Penn State. Rachel received her undergraduate degree at Vassar College, where she worked in an infant lab studying the effects of infant cries on mothers’ emotion regulation and stress response. Her master’s research examined mother-infant relationships in the context of maternal depression and family conflict. Rachel is interested in understanding mechanisms of risk and resilience in the context of parental psychopathology to promote optimal emotional development and regulation within families. She spends her free time cooking, dreaming of traveling, and playing with her dog, Birdie.

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Kristin Perry

Assistant Professor

Kristin Perry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services at the University of Oregon. She completed a T32 funded postdoctoral fellowship in the Prevention and Methodology Training Program working with Drs. Rina Eiden and Stephanie Lanza. She received her B.A in Psychology from the University of California Santa Barbara and a M.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University. She completed her clinical internship with a focus on child and adolescent populations at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Dr. Perry’s research employs a prevention science and developmental psychopathology approach to study prenatal substance exposure and its impact on child outcomes into early childhood. She is particularly interested in the role of protective family and peer processes in modifying outcomes for children.

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Rebecca Lim

Previous Lab Manager

Becca holds her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Education from UC San Diego, where she assisted with research studying child development, child and community wellbeing, and social emotional learning in diverse school and community contexts. Becca has worked with children and adolescents in a number of K-12 settings, and she is interested in studying how school and community partnerships can empower under-resourced communities and advance community, child, and ecological wellbeing. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Education, Development, and Community Engagement at Penn State.