Dr. Karen Smith, PhD

Email: karen.e.smith@rutgers.edu

CV

Dr. Karen Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers, Newark and Director of the Stress Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN) Lab.

Dr. Smith earned both her B.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Chicago. Following her graduate studies, she spent four years conducting research as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This training provided her with the ability to integrate theoretical and methodological perspectives across fields, including psychophysiology, affective neuroscience, developmental psychology, and genetics. Together this allows her to utilize a multi-level multi-disciplinary approach to examine the biological and psychological mechanisms underlying differences in individuals’ responses to stress, especially stress occurring in early childhood. Dr. Smith’s broader goal with this research is to provide insight into the mechanisms through which stress shapes development across the lifespan that can be used to inform more targeted and effective interventions.

Mary Mousa

Email: msm299@newark.rutgers.edu

Mary is a Ph.D student in the Psychology department at Rutgers Newark. She earned her B.A. from Rutgers Newark majoring in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience. Afterwards she accepted a position of a post baccalaureate MBRS “PREP” Fellow in the Delgado lab at Rutgers Newark.

Her research interests include understanding the mechanisms of stress and its relation to various cognitive performance and behavioral outcomes across different stages of development. With her background from the Computational Cognitive Development lab and the Delgado Lab, Mary possesses a wide variety of skills and knowledge relating to different areas of psychology and cognitive neuroscience.

Katie Archer

Email: ka651@psychology.rutgers.edu

Katie holds a MA in Psychology from NYU and a BA in Psychology from Lehman College. Her research interests include the development of episodic memory, how failures of attention impact memory and learning, and how environmental factors such as stress impact learning and memory. She previously worked in the NYC Public schools for 10 years as a paraprofessional, her background in education brings a valuable perspective of the real-world application of the impact of stress in a learning environment.

Yebin Won

Email: yw1322@scarletmail.rutgers.edu

Yebin is a Master’s student in the Psychology department at Rutgers Newark. She earned her B.A. from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, double majoring Economics and Italian Language. Her research interests include how socioeconomic factors impact emotional development and decision-making process. With her economic background, Yebin brings a unique perspective to explore complex interaction between economic variables and psychological outcomes.

Arianna Serra

Email: ajs652@scarletmail.rutgers.edu

Graduated Spring 2023

Major: Psychology

Minor: Cognitive Neuroscience

Arianna graduated from Rutgers Spring ’23, and has been a research assistant in the lab for a few months. Ever since she took Dr. Smith’s course, “Stress and the Social Brain,” in her final semester, she quickly became interested in stress mechanisms and the variability in the human experience of stressors, as well as coping and resilience. Arianna is currently participating in the Post-Baccalaureate Research Experience Pilot (PREP) program to gain more research experience before applying to PhD programs.

Anais Geronimo Jimenez

Student at Hamilton College. Expected Graduation: Spring 2025: Major: Psychology Minors: Sociology and Art. Anais chose the SPAN lab because she is interested in how social factors influence people’s developmental trajectories.

Hi, my name is Anais Geronimo Jimenez! I am an undergraduate at Hamilton College, majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology and art. I am joining the SPAN Lab through an NSF-funded internship for the REU program. After graduation, I am interested in going to a PhD or master’s program that focuses on both social and developmental psychology.

Kennedy Law

My name is Kennedy Law. I am a rising senior at Prairie View A&M University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Kinesiology. I have future aspirations of attending graduate school and receiving my degree in Sports Psychology, specifically looking into anxiety. Being part of the SPAN lab will help me begin to look into the effects of anxiety on the human psyche, in relation to one’s memory. I enjoy being in sport’s environments and want to look deeper into the mind of an athlete, as I was once in the same position as them. Outside of my academics, I have a deep passion for music, staying physically active, and listening to podcasts.

Gaby Rivera Martinez

Expected Graduation: Spring 2026

Major: Psychology

Minor: Social Justice (HLLC)

Gaby chose the SPAN Lab due to her experience working with children from diverse communities, which ignited her curiosity about factors influencing stress and the development of stress as children age. Gaby also has an interest in mood disorders in children. Her post-graduation goal is to pursue Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Alexis Rosario

Rutgers University–Newark freshman, currently part of the Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC). I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Social Justice and pursuing a Pre-Med track. My goal is to become a psychiatrist and attend medical school. My research interests focus on understanding anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depressive moods. Outside academics, I enjoy going to the gym, reading novels, playing video games, and writing poetry. At Rutgers, I am actively involved in the LSAMP organization as part of their Social Relations Committee and the Rutgers Health Promotion Division, where I work as a Peer Educator engaging with the campus community. During high school, I was a member of the Union City High School HOSA club, where I had the opportunity to compete in the International Conference in Houston, Texas, representing New Jersey. I earned an international placement for the state in the competition.