Video Interaction Project Team

Director and Principal Investigator

Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, MD
VIP Founder, director, &
principal investigator

VIP Center of Excellence

Center of Excellence Directors

Caitlin Ford Canfield, PhD
VIP Director of research
Anne Seery, PhD
VIP Director of Operations

Center of Excellence Team

Aida Custode, MA
Associate director of implementation
Maya Matalon, MPH
Associate director of training & supervision
Yuliya Gurevich
​
VIp administrative project assistant
Jessica Nunez
Sites coordinator
Nicole Kesoglides, MA
Project coordinator
Nina Robertson
VIP Trainer

Center of Excellence Investigators

Dr. Benard Dreyer, MD, FAAP
VIP co-founder &
​co-investigator
2016 President, American Academy of Pediatrics​
Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine
Director of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine
Director of Pediatrics at NYC H+H/Bellevue
Carolyn Brockmeyer Cates, PhD
VIP Co-creator &
​co-investigator
Assistant Professor of Psychology, SUNY Purchase
Samantha Berkule Johnson, PhD
VIP CO-CREATOR &
​CO-INVESTIGATOR
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Psychology, Marymount Manhattan College
Adriana Weisleder, PhD
VIP co-investigator
Assistant Professor of Communication
​Sciences and Disorders,
Northwestern University
Suzy Tomopoulos, MD
vip Co-investigator
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,  NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Erin Roby, PhD
Research scientist

VIP Coaches

Melanie Miranda
VIP coach
NYC H+H/Elmhurst &
​Children's Aid
Rubi Gonzalez
VIP Coach
NYC H+H/Woodhull
Fernanda Fernandez
Vip coach
NYC H+H/Bellevue
Maria Gonzalez
VIP Coach
NYU Brooklyn
Sara Benitez Ramirez
VIP Coach
Children's Aid
​Milbank & Bronx Health Services
Amanda Castaneda
VIP COACH
NYC H+H/Bellevue
Alessandra Villalta
vip coach
NYC H+H/Queens
Huihua Ye
VIP coach &
​project assistant
Sandra Sanchez Ramirez
Vip coach
NYC H+H/Gouverneur

VIP Research Team

Caroline Raak, MA
Research coordinator
Luciane Piccolo, PhD
postdoctoral fellow (brazil)
RESEARCH COORDINATOR (SMART BEGINNINGS)
Juliana Gutiérrez​
research coordinator
Luisa Vaca-Condado
research assistant
Leonela Tutasig
research assistant

In addition, many collaborators, student interns, volunteers, and partner organizations contribute to VIP!