Alex Baker, B.A. (CV)
Ph.D. Entry Year: 2023-2024
Email: abaker36@ur.rochester.edu

My research interests center on two interconnected themes. First, I seek to precisely classify and measure early adversity, with particular attention to specifying dimensions of early adverse family processes. Second, I am passionate about understanding how adversity shapes youth socioemotional adjustment. Specifically, I investigate how children adapt or develop “hidden talents” that may emerge in adverse contexts, such as heightened social inferencing, stronger affect recognition, and elevated pattern recognition.

Laura Taglioni, B.A. (CV)
Ph.D. Entry Year: 2025-2026
Email: ltaglion@ur.rochester.edu

I am broadly interested in developmental psychopathology, with a focus on individual differences in how children adapt to family adversity. My research examines how temperament and family processes (e.g., interparental conflict, parent-child relationships) influence children’s emotional and social development, using multilevel methods to parse these dynamics across contexts and levels of analysis. In my free time, I enjoy crochet, home DIY projects, and spending time with my dog, Matilda.

 

Chenchen Liu, M.S. (CV)
Ph.D. Entry Year: 2026-2027

My research passion lies in applying ecological frameworks to study emotional and positive development within families across sociocultural contexts, with the goal of reducing psychopathological risks and fostering resilience in children. Currently, I am studying emotion socialization in early childhood within family systems and how it is shaped by broader ecological contexts. Outside of research, I enjoy cuddling with my two cats, Fufu and Bobo, and discovering great local restaurants—Cats heal the world, and food is power!

 

Katie Kremer, B.S. (CV)
Master’s Entry Year: 2026-2027

My research interests involve self-regulation (executive function and emotion regulation) deficits in children and how different parent-child and child-peer relationships may impact these deficits. I also enjoy playing the cello, needle felting, and exploring new local restaurants!

 

 

Arian Kim, M.A.
Visting Scholar: Summer 2026

I am a recent M.A. graduate in Psychological Sciences from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and originally from Los Angeles, California. My research interests focus on family dynamics and examining the factors that influence socioemotional functioning among youth. I am particularly interested in understanding how environmental, interpersonal, and developmental experiences shape emotional well-being and adjustment across childhood and adolescence. Outside of academics, I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and exploring nature, and I also have a passion for music and DJing.

 

Shofan Wang, M.A., B.Ec., B.Sc.
Visiting Scholar: 2026-2027

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hong Kong. Committed to pursuing “Psychological Research in Real Lives,” I aspire to become a family and developmental psychologist. My current work examines the effects of early life adversity from both deficit-based and strength-based perspectives including working toward an integrative model that incorporates dimensions of threat, deprivation, and unpredictability. Additionally, I explore heterogeneity in developmental outcomes following these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), drawing on adaptation-based approaches to resilience (e.g., hidden talents) and considering individual differences in responses to environmental influences (e.g., susceptibility). Outside of academia, I enjoy music, hiking, traveling, and daydreaming, with a particular passion for photography and writing handwritten letters.