Faculty & Staff
​​Dr. Stephanie Anzman-Frasca leads the Child Health and Behavior Lab. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bucknell University and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University. Her research is focused on making healthy behaviors easier for children and families. Specific areas of interest include promoting early childhood self-regulation abilities, increasing the availability and selection of healthier children’s meal options in restaurants, and examining individual differences in susceptibility to obesity interventions to ensure that prevention efforts address, rather than increase, health disparities. Finally, Dr. Anzman-Frasca is interested in ways in which childhood obesity prevention efforts may benefit other aspects of health and well-being, such as cognitive functioning and socio-emotional development. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, reading, the outdoors, and spending time with her family.
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Malena Savell  is a Project Coordinator with the HABLAB. She received her Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno and her Master's degree in Psychology from UB.  Broadly speaking, her research interests converge at the intersection of human development and behavioral medicine. She is currently coordinating the "Play With Me" study, with the aim of further developing our understanding of best practices in the promotion of positive and motivating parent-child interactions as an alternative method for decreasing the relative reinforcing value of food.  
Lily McGovern is a Senior Research Support Specialist at the Child Health and Behavior Lab. She graduated from Cornell University, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Human Biology, Health & Society with minors in Human Development and Global Health. She currently aids in the coordination of the CTSI Grocery Shopping and Restaurant studies for the HABLAB. While at Cornell, Lily served as a Youth Development and Engagement Scholar under the direction of Dr. Jane Powers. Her research focus was on a study evaluating the efficacy of a strengths-based program to combat toxic masculinity and foster healthy communication and relationships among middle-school boys. Lily was also President of the Cornell University Wind Symphony and an active volunteer at the Ithaca Free Health Clinic while in college. In her free time, she enjoys playing saxophone, cooking and spending time with her family. ​​​​
                                Graduate Students
Sara Tauriello is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Child Health and Behavior Lab. She graduated from Haverford College, receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.  She graduated from the Master's in Nutrition Program at Canisius College and hopes to pursue work related to pediatric obesity and eating disorders in the future. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University at Buffalo, with mentors Dr. Stephanie Anzman-Frasca and Dr. Julie Bowker. In the past, Tauriello has worked at Johns Hopkins Medical All Children's Neuroscience Institute and the University of South Florida's Rothman Center for Pediatric Neuropsychiatry. In her spare time, Sara enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Hope White is a Graduate Research Assistant who is assisting with intervention development for the Parenting Toolkit to Promote Healthier Eating. Hope is a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at the University at Buffalo working under the mentorship of Dr. Julie Bowker in the Child and Adolescent Relationships Lab. She graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology. Previously, Hope worked as a Project Coordinator at New York University on a longitudinal evaluation of a social-emotional learning intervention. Her current research examines close relationships in childhood and adolescence and their implications for mental health. In addition, Hope is interested in the development and evaluation of preventive interventions. In her free time, Hope enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, and cooking.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

 Mouse over or click the images below to read about each student.
We would also like to thank Parveen Attai, Annie Bennett, Jacob Bleasdale, Abbey Braun, Sarah Ehrenberg, Jessica Gill, John Hagedorn, Delaney Jones, Elizabeth Kaplan, Kaeyla Kerr, Eunice Mak, Jamie Morris, Hital Patel, Cheryl Porzi, Kaley Reardon, Breanna Sharpe, Anita Singh, Laura Weiss, and Richa Zirath for their past contributions. Updates about lab alumni can be found here.