VIP Team
Director and Principal Investigator
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Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, MD
VIP Founder, Director, and Principal Investigator Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Population Health Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Faculty Website Dr. Mendelsohn is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center. He is the Director and Primary Investigator of the Video Interaction Project, as well as the Director of Research for the Divisions of General and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Co-Director of Biostatistical Analysis Coursework for the NYU Clinical and Translational Science Institute - Masters of Science Program in Clinical Investigation, and member of: the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood, the Academic Pediatric Association Child Poverty Task Force, and the NIH/NICHD Biobehavioral and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee. He has received national recognition for his work as a Zero to Three Leaders for the 21st Century Harris Fellow. Dr. Mendelsohn's research has focused on poverty-related disparities in critical child outcomes including child development, obesity and chronic disease. He has investigated the role of environmental factors, both psychosocial (parent-child interactions, electronic media exposure, maternal depression, maternal literacy/health literacy, feeding practices) and biologic (lead), in relation to these outcomes. Dr. Mendelsohn's studies have demonstrated the potential role for the pediatric primary care setting as a universal platform for promotion of school readiness through enhanced parenting, through interventions such as Reach out and Read and the Video Interaction Project. Dr. Mendelsohn has been the recipient of NIH/NICHD R01 funding as a Principal Investigator since 2005. Dr. Mendelsohn is also a co-author of an instrument (StimQ) that can be used to assess the cognitive home environment in low income households. |
VIP Center of Excellence
Center of Excellence Directors
Caitlin Ford Canfield, PhD
VIP Director of Research
Caitlin is a developmental psychologist who completed a T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship program in Pediatric Primary Care Research at NYU School of Medicine. Her research focuses on how children’s characteristics and environments affect their individual development. She is currently studying how stressful life circumstances affect the regulation of children’s stress hormones, and how this relates to their physical and mental health, as well as their school functioning. Caitlin’s long-term goals involve using her research experience to determine how interventions aimed at improving children’s cognitive and emotional well-being can be tailored to meet each child’s individual needs.
VIP Director of Research
Caitlin is a developmental psychologist who completed a T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship program in Pediatric Primary Care Research at NYU School of Medicine. Her research focuses on how children’s characteristics and environments affect their individual development. She is currently studying how stressful life circumstances affect the regulation of children’s stress hormones, and how this relates to their physical and mental health, as well as their school functioning. Caitlin’s long-term goals involve using her research experience to determine how interventions aimed at improving children’s cognitive and emotional well-being can be tailored to meet each child’s individual needs.
Anne Seery, PhD
VIP Director of Operations
Annie is a developmental psychologist who joined our team in 2014. She received her BA in Psychology and Mathematics from Rutgers University and her Ph.D. in Human Development from Boston University, where her research focused on the linguistic, cognitive, and neural development of infants and young children. In particular, she is interested in language acquisition and development in infants and children who are at risk for developmental disorders or other issues as a result of biological and environmental factors.
VIP Director of Operations
Annie is a developmental psychologist who joined our team in 2014. She received her BA in Psychology and Mathematics from Rutgers University and her Ph.D. in Human Development from Boston University, where her research focused on the linguistic, cognitive, and neural development of infants and young children. In particular, she is interested in language acquisition and development in infants and children who are at risk for developmental disorders or other issues as a result of biological and environmental factors.
Center of Excellence Staff
Aida Custode, MA
VIP Implementation Specialist
Aida has a Master's degree in Human Development & Social Intervention from NYU and started with our team in December 2013. She previously worked an applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapist, addressing the needs of children with autism and/or cognitive delays. Her research interests include immigrant families and the experiences that promote school-readiness as well as the development of interventions to close the achievement gap in education.
VIP Implementation Specialist
Aida has a Master's degree in Human Development & Social Intervention from NYU and started with our team in December 2013. She previously worked an applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapist, addressing the needs of children with autism and/or cognitive delays. Her research interests include immigrant families and the experiences that promote school-readiness as well as the development of interventions to close the achievement gap in education.
Jenny Arevalo
VIP Clinical Trainer & Supervisor, Senior VIP Interventionist
Jenny received her BA in Psychology from New York University. She previously was a Junior Research Scientist for the NYU Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education and a Research Associate for the BELLE Project. She is a Senior VIP Interventionist at Belleuve and has seen families for VIP 0-3 and VIP 3-5, and is currently the VIP Clinical Trainer and Supervisor. She is interested in furthering her career in Psychology and continuing her work with under-resourced families, education and program development. She is especialy interested in promoting active parental engagement in children’s developmental trajectories as it is related to school readiness and future academic outcomes.
VIP Clinical Trainer & Supervisor, Senior VIP Interventionist
Jenny received her BA in Psychology from New York University. She previously was a Junior Research Scientist for the NYU Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education and a Research Associate for the BELLE Project. She is a Senior VIP Interventionist at Belleuve and has seen families for VIP 0-3 and VIP 3-5, and is currently the VIP Clinical Trainer and Supervisor. She is interested in furthering her career in Psychology and continuing her work with under-resourced families, education and program development. She is especialy interested in promoting active parental engagement in children’s developmental trajectories as it is related to school readiness and future academic outcomes.
Yuliya Gurevich
VIP Administrative Project Assistant
Yuliya graduated with honors from New York City College of Technology with a BA in Healthcare Administration, and she joined the BELLE Project in 2017. Her extended experience in the healthcare field, as well as her volunteer experience at NYU Lutheran Medical Center, brings unique organizational and administrative skills. Yuliya plans to further her career in Public Health and Administration. Her interests include child and adolescent mental health, as well as policy improvement in order to establish easy access to services and to deliver quality care.
VIP Administrative Project Assistant
Yuliya graduated with honors from New York City College of Technology with a BA in Healthcare Administration, and she joined the BELLE Project in 2017. Her extended experience in the healthcare field, as well as her volunteer experience at NYU Lutheran Medical Center, brings unique organizational and administrative skills. Yuliya plans to further her career in Public Health and Administration. Her interests include child and adolescent mental health, as well as policy improvement in order to establish easy access to services and to deliver quality care.
Center of Excellence Investigators
Dr. Benard Dreyer, MD, FAAP
VIP Co-Founder and Co-Investigator
2016 President, American Academy of Pediatrics
Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine
Faculty Website
VIP Co-Founder and Co-Investigator
2016 President, American Academy of Pediatrics
Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine
Faculty Website
Carolyn Brockmeyer Cates, PhD
VIP Co-Creator, Co-Investigator
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Faculty Website
VIP Co-Creator, Co-Investigator
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Faculty Website
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
Faculty Website
Marymount Manhattan Website
VIP Co-Creator, Co-Investigator
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Psychology- Marymount Manhattan College
Faculty Website
Marymount Manhattan Website
Adriana Weisleder, PhD
VIP Co-Investigator
Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Northwestern University
Faculty Website
Adriana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University School of Communication, and was previously an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health and the project director for the BELLE Project for Early Language, Literacy, and Education Success. She received her PhD in Psychology from Stanford University, where she conducted research on infants’ language processing. Her research focuses on how early environments, particularly parent-child interaction, shape trajectories of language and cognitive development in diverse groups of children. She is particularly interested in translating knowledge and methods from developmental psychology to inform and evaluate pediatric-based interventions seeking to promote school readiness in at-risk children.
VIP Co-Investigator
Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Northwestern University
Faculty Website
Adriana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University School of Communication, and was previously an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health and the project director for the BELLE Project for Early Language, Literacy, and Education Success. She received her PhD in Psychology from Stanford University, where she conducted research on infants’ language processing. Her research focuses on how early environments, particularly parent-child interaction, shape trajectories of language and cognitive development in diverse groups of children. She is particularly interested in translating knowledge and methods from developmental psychology to inform and evaluate pediatric-based interventions seeking to promote school readiness in at-risk children.
Erin Roby, PhD
T32 Postdoctoral Fellow
Erin is a developmental psychologist and a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Pediatric Primary Care Research Program at the NYU School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the factors that contribute to social cognitive development during the first years of life as well as individual differences in social cognitive skills that exist across the lifespan. More specifically, Erin is interested in how particular aspects of early parent-child interactions facilitate children’s social and cognitive development, and how interventions on these interactions can promote positive outcomes for at-risk children and families.
T32 Postdoctoral Fellow
Erin is a developmental psychologist and a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Pediatric Primary Care Research Program at the NYU School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the factors that contribute to social cognitive development during the first years of life as well as individual differences in social cognitive skills that exist across the lifespan. More specifically, Erin is interested in how particular aspects of early parent-child interactions facilitate children’s social and cognitive development, and how interventions on these interactions can promote positive outcomes for at-risk children and families.
VIP Team at NYC H+H/Bellevue
Maya Matalon
VIP Interventionist
Maya received her BA in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Oberlin College in 2012 and joined our team in 2014. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English at the University level, and during that time also volunteered with women from Amazon communities in the Peruvian Amazon. She is planning on continuing her education in Public Health and Social Work, and is interested in maternal well-being and its intersection with parent child interaction and child development as well as working with underserved families.
VIP Interventionist
Maya received her BA in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Oberlin College in 2012 and joined our team in 2014. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English at the University level, and during that time also volunteered with women from Amazon communities in the Peruvian Amazon. She is planning on continuing her education in Public Health and Social Work, and is interested in maternal well-being and its intersection with parent child interaction and child development as well as working with underserved families.
Jennifer Ledesma
Senior VIP Interventionist
Jennifer earned her BA in Psychology from Hunter College. She started her work with underprivileged families at New York University’s Steinhardt Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education and joined our team since 2010. Her research interests include cultural differences in parenting styles and its impact on children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. In addition to this she is also interested in early language development and literacy.
Senior VIP Interventionist
Jennifer earned her BA in Psychology from Hunter College. She started her work with underprivileged families at New York University’s Steinhardt Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education and joined our team since 2010. Her research interests include cultural differences in parenting styles and its impact on children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. In addition to this she is also interested in early language development and literacy.
VIP Team at NYC H+H/Woodhull
Nina Robertson
VIP Interventionist
Nina received her BA in psychology from College of the Holy Cross and joined the VIP team as an interventionist at Woodhull in 2017. She was previously involved in a cognitive development lab at Holy Cross, which explored spatial thinking and relational scaffolding in Elementary school astronomy. Nina is particularly interested in the cognitive and linguistic development of young children, especially within different socioeconomic backgrounds. In the future, Nina hopes to further her career in child development and continue working with young children at risk for language or cognitive delays.
VIP Interventionist
Nina received her BA in psychology from College of the Holy Cross and joined the VIP team as an interventionist at Woodhull in 2017. She was previously involved in a cognitive development lab at Holy Cross, which explored spatial thinking and relational scaffolding in Elementary school astronomy. Nina is particularly interested in the cognitive and linguistic development of young children, especially within different socioeconomic backgrounds. In the future, Nina hopes to further her career in child development and continue working with young children at risk for language or cognitive delays.
Sabrina Vasques
VIP Interventionist
Sabrina received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Teaching Students with Disabilities from Pace University. Sabrina completed her clinical practicum at the Escuela Hispana, Thom J McCann Q125, and Pace’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, assessing and treating a variety of speech and language disorders. Sabrina was also a research assistant at Pace University’s psycholinguistics lab where she focused on examining sex difference in sound expression mapping of schematic figures. Sabrina is planning on continuing her education in Speech Pathology and hopes to research the connection between early childhood feeding disorders and later language delays.
VIP Interventionist
Sabrina received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Teaching Students with Disabilities from Pace University. Sabrina completed her clinical practicum at the Escuela Hispana, Thom J McCann Q125, and Pace’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, assessing and treating a variety of speech and language disorders. Sabrina was also a research assistant at Pace University’s psycholinguistics lab where she focused on examining sex difference in sound expression mapping of schematic figures. Sabrina is planning on continuing her education in Speech Pathology and hopes to research the connection between early childhood feeding disorders and later language delays.
VIP at Children's Aid Society
Genay Jackson, MPH
VIP Interventionist
Genay earned her BA in English from Princeton University in 2012 and completed her Masters of Public Health at the University of Southern California in 2015. Genay is passionate about infant and maternal health, and journeying with families from early pregnancy through the transition into working out what life looks like as a brand new family unit, and desires to work to close disparities that exist for low income families and families of color in infant and maternal health outcomes and early childhood developmental milestones. To that end, Genay is excited to join the Video Interaction Project team at Children's Aid Society in 2018. Genay spent the three years before moving to NYC working at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Pennsylvania, co-facilitating Centering Prenatal groups, and as a member of the steering committee to develop Centering Parenting. Additionally, Genay provided leadership on the quality team, collecting, analyzing, and presenting both health outcomes data, as well as process evaluations, with the aim to improve overall care delivery and health center efficiency.
VIP Interventionist
Genay earned her BA in English from Princeton University in 2012 and completed her Masters of Public Health at the University of Southern California in 2015. Genay is passionate about infant and maternal health, and journeying with families from early pregnancy through the transition into working out what life looks like as a brand new family unit, and desires to work to close disparities that exist for low income families and families of color in infant and maternal health outcomes and early childhood developmental milestones. To that end, Genay is excited to join the Video Interaction Project team at Children's Aid Society in 2018. Genay spent the three years before moving to NYC working at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Pennsylvania, co-facilitating Centering Prenatal groups, and as a member of the steering committee to develop Centering Parenting. Additionally, Genay provided leadership on the quality team, collecting, analyzing, and presenting both health outcomes data, as well as process evaluations, with the aim to improve overall care delivery and health center efficiency.
VIP Research Team
Caroline Raak
Smart Beginnings Research Coordinator
Caroline received her BS in Human Communication Sciences from Northwestern University. Her main academic focus lies in early childhood development, particularly in atypically developing and at-risk populations. She is currently completing a master’s degree in Childhood Development at Sarah Lawrence College, and has been a part of our team since 2013. She is interested in researching different techniques and practices that would benefit families, across cultural and socioeconomic groups, in providing enriched early experiences for children in the hopes of achieving improved academic, economic, and health outcomes later in life.
Smart Beginnings Research Coordinator
Caroline received her BS in Human Communication Sciences from Northwestern University. Her main academic focus lies in early childhood development, particularly in atypically developing and at-risk populations. She is currently completing a master’s degree in Childhood Development at Sarah Lawrence College, and has been a part of our team since 2013. She is interested in researching different techniques and practices that would benefit families, across cultural and socioeconomic groups, in providing enriched early experiences for children in the hopes of achieving improved academic, economic, and health outcomes later in life.
Angelica Alonso, MA
Research / Project Associate
Angelica received her BA in Psychology from New York University and her MA in Human Development from Teachers College. She joined our team in 2015 and previously worked as a research assistant at NYU's Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education, where she became interested in the role that context and culture play in shaping children’s development. Her research interests include the effects of parental undocumented status and deportation on children’s early experiences and development, and how parent-child interactions and parental beliefs relate to young children’s cognitive and language skills, particularly among Latino families. She is also interested in developing parenting interventions to promote positive long-term developmental outcomes in children of Latino immigrants.
Research / Project Associate
Angelica received her BA in Psychology from New York University and her MA in Human Development from Teachers College. She joined our team in 2015 and previously worked as a research assistant at NYU's Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education, where she became interested in the role that context and culture play in shaping children’s development. Her research interests include the effects of parental undocumented status and deportation on children’s early experiences and development, and how parent-child interactions and parental beliefs relate to young children’s cognitive and language skills, particularly among Latino families. She is also interested in developing parenting interventions to promote positive long-term developmental outcomes in children of Latino immigrants.
Maritza Morales-Gracia, MA
Research / Project Associate
Maritza earned her Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2016 and received dual Bachelor's in Psychology and Human Development (Child Development Track) from California State University, San Bernardino in 2013. She was previously a research assistant at the Neurocognition, Early Experience, and Development (NEED) Lab and at The National Center for Children and Families. Throughout the course of her academic career she has worked on various projects examining relationships between socioeconomic statuses, parenting practices, early childhood educational settings, and child outcomes. She is interested in advocating for and informing sound evidence-based family policies as a means to lessen-poverty related disparities in child development outcomes (e.g., academic achievement) across cultural communities with a particular focus on Latinx families
Research / Project Associate
Maritza earned her Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2016 and received dual Bachelor's in Psychology and Human Development (Child Development Track) from California State University, San Bernardino in 2013. She was previously a research assistant at the Neurocognition, Early Experience, and Development (NEED) Lab and at The National Center for Children and Families. Throughout the course of her academic career she has worked on various projects examining relationships between socioeconomic statuses, parenting practices, early childhood educational settings, and child outcomes. She is interested in advocating for and informing sound evidence-based family policies as a means to lessen-poverty related disparities in child development outcomes (e.g., academic achievement) across cultural communities with a particular focus on Latinx families
Adriana Chung, MS Ed., LMSW
Smart Beginnings Family Check-Up Interventionist
Adriana received her B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College in 2009 and completed a dual degree graduate program in 2013, earning an LMSW at Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and an MS Ed. in Infancy and Family Development and Early Intervention at Bank Street College of Education. Previously, Adriana gained clinical experience across various settings – she provided individual, group and parent-child dyadic therapy to young children and families at an outpatient mental health clinic, a Head Start program, and more recently, at a maternity residence for pregnant and parenting teens. Her research interests include childhood trauma and its impact on attachment and the development of emotional co-regulation between at-risk mothers and their babies.
Smart Beginnings Family Check-Up Interventionist
Adriana received her B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College in 2009 and completed a dual degree graduate program in 2013, earning an LMSW at Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and an MS Ed. in Infancy and Family Development and Early Intervention at Bank Street College of Education. Previously, Adriana gained clinical experience across various settings – she provided individual, group and parent-child dyadic therapy to young children and families at an outpatient mental health clinic, a Head Start program, and more recently, at a maternity residence for pregnant and parenting teens. Her research interests include childhood trauma and its impact on attachment and the development of emotional co-regulation between at-risk mothers and their babies.
In addition, many collaborators, student interns, volunteers, and partner organizations contribute to VIP!
