Faculty

Raul Gonzalez, PhD

raul.gonzalezjr@fiu.edu 
305-348-4921
Dr. Gonzalez's CV
Google Scholar

Dr. Gonzalez is Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Immunology at Florida International University (FIU) and Director of the Substance Use and HIV Neuropsychology Lab. He is a faculty member of the Department of Psychology Clinical Science and Cognitive Neuroscience Programs and is affiliated with the Center for Children and Families (CCF) and the Center for Imaging Science (CIS).

Dr. Gonzalez graduated with his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program, where he specialized in Clinical Neuropsychology. He has approximately 20 years of experience conducting research on neurocognitive contributors and consequences of substance use and addiction, with a focus on cannabis. Most has been funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Through his research, Dr. Gonzalez aims to identify neurocognitive differences that may place individuals at risk for substance use disorders or that emerge from their use. He is currently the site Co-Principal Investigator of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study: a landmark project that brings together scientists and clinicians from across the United States with a broad range of knowledge and expertise to enroll 11,000+ healthy children and follow them from age 9-10 into early adulthood in order to better understand biological and environmental contributors healthy development, including risk factors and consequences for substance use disorders.

Dr. Gonzalez is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of Florida and has substantial experience conducting neuropsychological evaluations in English and Spanish.

Samuel Hawes, PhD

Research Assistant Professor
shawes@fiu.edu 
305-348-5439
CV
Google Scholar

Dr. Hawes' research is focused on understanding the affective and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the early-onset and developmental course of distinct facets of psychopathology (e.g., callous-unemotional features, psychopathy, negative emotionality) across childhood and adolescence. His work is particularly targeted toward identifying how these processes contribute to the onset, maintenance and desistance from high-risk behaviors (e.g., conduct problems/antisocial behaviors, impulsivity, substance use, violence) via unique etiological pathways. Dr. Hawes also has a strong methodological interest and his work uses a combination of MRI-based functional and structural imaging and advanced latent variable modeling (e.g., Bayesian SEM, growth mixture modeling) techniques.

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Erin Thompson, PhD

Postdoct
erthomps@fiu.edu

Dr. Thompson is a NIDA T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Children and Families under the primary mentorship of Dr. Raul Gonzalez.  She completed her graduate studies in clinical psychology through Virginia Commonwealth University and her pre-doctoral internship through the National Center for School Mental Health within the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine. Her research focuses on mechanisms to explain the relations between stressful life events and comorbid mental health problems and substance use within adolescence.  

Project Coordinators

Dayana Paula, MPH

dpaula@fiu.edu 
305-348-6638

Ms. Paula has been the Program Manager for the SUN lab since 2013. She has a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As the manager, Ms. Paula maintains effective working relationships with the other sites, laboratories, companies, and liaisons, and coordinates all aspects of the research. She is interested in adolescent health/risky health behaviors, Maternal & Child Health and enjoys interdisciplinary research projects, such as the ABCD study. She initially joined the SUN lab working with the Choices study. A few years before joining the lab, she assisted in managing a large-scale study in Ecuador. She enjoys reading nonfiction and fiction, outdoor adventures, art in all forms, and cycling.

Jorge Limia, MS

BA in Psychology, MS in Organizational Psychology
jlimia@fiu.edu 
305-348-3390

Jorge is an FIU alumni born in Cuba and raised in Miami. He has a Master of Organizational Psychology from FIU. He joined the SUN Lab in 2017 as a volunteer and is now the Project Coordinator for the RECOVER Study, which is a sub study focused on better understanding the effects of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (“Long COVID”) on teen’s health and why some teens remain sick many months after getting COVID. Some of his academic interests include the intersectionality of psychology and the workplace. This includes talent development, job satisfaction, organizational development, and quality of work life. His other interests include playing Dungeons & Dragons and listening to podcasts.

Graduate Students

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Ashley Adams-Fanning, MS 

BA in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Neuroscience,  MS in Developmental Psychology
asadams@fiu.edu

Ashley enrolled as a doctoral student in the Child and Adolescent Clinical Science Program at FIU in Fall 2020. Before attending FIU, she graduated with a BA from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, in Spring 2018, where she double majored in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Neuroscience. In the Spring of 2020, Ashley obtained an MS in Developmental Psychology with an emphasis in Quantitative Methods and Cognitive Sciences. Her research interests have been primarily centered on at-risk populations during the transitional period between adolescence and young adulthood. Her research aims to understand interactions between neurobiological systems, neurocognition, and environmental factors that lead to substance use and risky sexual behaviors. With a diverse background, she values interdisciplinary approaches to science and aims to apply skills gained in other disciplines to her clinical training in Neuropsychology. Ashley hopes to integrate her perspectives in a future career as a Neuropsychologist in an academic research setting. As a Midwesterner, Ashley enjoys making her family jealous of the Miami weather in the winter and visiting breweries with her fur babies.

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Sarah Lehman

slehm007@fiu.edu

Sarah is a doctoral student in the Clinical Science program at FIU. Her research interests involve the examination of external factors that influence kids and adolescents to start using substances. She has a passion for anything soccer related, and spending time with her dog Murphy.

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Christine Kaiver

ckaiver@fiu.edu

Christine is a doctoral student specializing in Clinical Science in Child and Adolescent Psychology. She earned her Bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and later she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Krista Lisdahl on two pivotal studies—one investigating exercise's impact on cannabis use and another ongoing study, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Her research interests lie in understanding how environmental and biological factors intersect to influence the risk and resilience associated with substance use disorders and their cognitive consequences. Outside of her academic pursuits, Christine enjoys hiking, scuba diving, beach volleyball, and quality time with her dog, cat, and husband.

Research Assistants

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Laila Tally

BA in Psychology
ltally@fiu.edu
305-348-1347

Laila is an FIU alumni from Miami, FL. She has experience working with adolescent youth in Educational, as well as, Clinical and Research settings as it relates to the field of Child Psychology and Development. Laila plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in the Counselor Education program with a track in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at FIU. Her research interests include child and adolescent development, behavioral intervention, and interdisciplinary research projects. Laila is interested in working with children and adolescents in low-income or minority communities and providing them access to helpful programs, general support and necessary interventions where it may otherwise not be easily accessible to those in the community. Her other interests include reading, crochet, and trying out new food spots around Miami!

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Larissa Alfonso

BS in Biological Sciences, BA in Natural and Applied Sciences
laralfon@fiu.edu
305-348-4311

Larissa is an FIU alumna and a Miami native. She graduated in 2020 with Bachelor's degrees in Biological Sciences as well as Natural & Applied Sciences. Additionally, she graduated from FIU’s Quantifying Biology In the Classroom (QBIC) program, which allowed her to develop an interdisciplinary approach towards conducting biological sciences research. Larissa plans to pursue a degree in medicine and is currently applying in the 2023-2024 application cycle. She has experience working with adolescents and adults in both clinical and research settings. Larissa's research interests include the long-term effects of screen time and social media usage on adolescent mental health and neurocognitive development. In her free time, Larissa enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, and listening to music.

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Diego López

BS in Biological Sciences, Minor in Chemistry
dielopez@fiu.edu
305-348-2223

Diego is an FIU alumni born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a Minor in Chemistry. Previously, Diego has worked on several research projects from exploring the olfactory system of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to develop effective repellents, evaluating the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions in rural youth, and piloting interventions to address financial toxicity in rural cancer patients in UF Health’s Catchment Area. His research interests within the ABCD study include the sociodemographic and neural correlates of depression and anxiety, as well as the impact of substance use on adolescent interpersonal development. Further, he is interested in exploring changes in brain activation seen during meditative practices. Diego is currently applying to medical school and aspires to be a physician-scientist in the future with the goal of impacting health policy. In his free time, Diego enjoys reading, writing, and playing guitar.

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Cinthya Camacho

BS in Biological Sciences
cicamach@fiu.edu
305-348-0091

Cinthya is a UF alumna with a bachelor’s in biology from Miami, FL. She is currently finishing her second bachelor’s degree in psychology from FIU and plans on pursuing a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Her research interests lie in adolescent mental health and its relationship with substance use. Cinthya is interested in working with adolescents and adults, especially in areas where there is little to no access to affordable mental health services. In her off time, she likes to cook, bake, and watch true crime documentaries. She enjoys making cookies and pizza and is interested in learning how to make pasta and bread from scratch

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Maria Clara Albuquerque de Araujo

BS in Neuroscience, BS in Nutrition
malbuque@fiu.edu
305-348-3390

Maria Clara is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and works as Research Assistant at the ABCD Study. She graduated from Michigan State University with Bachelors degrees in both Neuroscience and Nutrition. Currently, she is a member in the ABCD Mental Health Workgroup and has a deep interest in researching development and effects of anxiety on adolescents. Maria has broad interests within ABCD data, ranging from substance use patterns to the comorbidities of anxiety, and she plans on doing independent projects on these topics. In the future, she will be pursuing medical school on an MD/PhD track. Her goal is to treat and research children and adolescents, while inspiring them to achieve their full potential. In her free time, she enjoys surfing and unwinding by the beach.