Our Team

Michael Milham, MD, PhD

is the chief science officer at the Child Mind Institute and the founder and director of the Healthy Brain Network. He is a board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. He is a research psychiatrist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, an internationally recognized expert in open science and neuroimaging, and the founding director of the Center for the Developing Brain at the Child Mind Institute. Dr. Milham has been a leader in using open science to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery. Dr. Milham received his PhD in cognitive neuroscience and MD at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Milham completed his general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at New York University. Dr. Milham is the Principal Investigator for the Healthy Brain Network, NKI Rockland Sample, and the Longitudinal Pediatric Rockland Sample.

Michelle Freund, PhD

is the director of Strategic Data Initiatives at the Child Mind Institute. Her independent research has studied the role of monoamine neurotransmitters in the action of antidepressant drugs and the interactions of stress and drug misuse. Dr. Freund has also worked in various capacities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Dr. Freund earned her PhD in Neuroscience at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University.

In her current role at the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Freund oversees multiple data and research cores, including the Healthy Brain Network, each focused on providing reproducible scientific results to transform the lives of children and their families. Dr. Freund is also the director of innovations in Clinical Assessment and Interventions, part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. This initiative will build, test and deploy technologies to expand access to mental health care and research in low- and middle-income countries.

Through her work, Dr. Freund continues to champion the broad sharing of valuable data resources.

Lindsay Alexander, MPH

is the research operations director for  the Child Mind Institute.  She provides critical operations support across multiple CMI initiatives including the Healthy Brain Network and the EMR Discovery Science study. Lindsay earned her BA in Psychology from CUNY Hunter College and completed an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the CUNY Hunter College School of Public Health. Her research interests focus on the field of psychiatric epidemiology.

Cindy Gil, MSW

is the project manager for the Healthy Brain Network. Cindy brings an extensive background in clinical operations and administrative management to her role at the Child Mind Institute, where she will ensure that projects are run efficiently and with operational excellence. Prior to this position she was the operations manager for the Healthy Brain Network. She received her Masters of Social Work degree from the Hunter College School of Social Work while working for a behavioral health agency.

Cindy has clinical experience working with adults with mental illness and substance abuse in both residential and clinic settings. Her management and oversight of an Office of Mental Health-licensed Treatment Apartment Program, where she oversaw the delivery of clinical service to consumers through a trauma-informed approach, resulted in her team and program receiving a top tier certification from the Office of Mental Health within the first year of the program’s operation.

Cindy comes to the Child Mind Institute from Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, where she was the senior clinical applications support specialist. Her role focused on staff training and development as well as administrative oversight and implementation of the Cerner Behavioral Health electronic health record, ensuring production and maintenance of quality data and outcomes.

Maki S. Koyama, PhD

is a research scientist at the Center for the Developing Brain (CDB) and the head of Data Assessment, Refinement, and Testing (DART) at the Child Mind Institute.

Dr. Koyama uses scientifically rigorous approaches to test, validate and evaluate accessible, remotely deliverable digital tools generated through Child Mind Institute projects. Those projects include the Next-Generation Digital Therapeutics (NGDT) program that aims to develop, validate, and deploy digital therapeutics and biometric response monitoring tools specifically designed to support children and adolescents with mental health and learning disorders.

Dr. Koyama is a neuroscientist by training, and her research interests include investigating the relationship between the brain, physiology, and behavior in children with learning disorders and mental health disorders. She has extensive experience in experimental design, data collection, and data analysis.

Before her current position at the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Koyama was the director of research and evaluation at the CUNY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. Her primary role was to promote evidence-based policies for early childhood care and education. Between 2013 and 2017, Dr. Koyama worked at the Child Mind Institute as a research scientist and clinical-research integration project manager.

Marijayne “Mj” Bushey

is a research marketing specialist at the Healthy Brain Network.  She does outreach to let parents know that participating in this study

• can deliver valuable information that may help their child with behavior, development, learning and mental health disorders, and
• allows families to play an active role in building a world where their children can be happy, healthy and reach their full potential.

Mj is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University. Over the last 20 plus years, she has coordinated and managed research projects at Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Kings County Hospital/SUNY Downstate, and conducted marketing effort analysis for digital marketing gurus Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg.

Alexandre R. Franco, PhD

is a research scientist at the Child Mind Institute. With a strong signal processing background, he brings extensive knowledge of MRI image processing and analysis methods to support several research initiatives. Through functional and structural neuroimaging, he aims to create novel techniques to understand how mental illnesses affect neurodevelopment. He also assists clinical researchers with computational and statistical methods.

Dr. Franco was a pioneer in neuroimaging in southern Brazil, where he built a neuroinformatics laboratory. His lab was responsible for processing and analyzing the images of all MRI studies at the Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul. This generated a wide network of collaboration, which lead Dr. Franco to study a variety of neurological and psychiatric illnesses, including  multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dyslexia, microcephaly (caused by Zika virus), ,and ADHD, as well as conditions  such as use of crack cocaine, excessive use of social media, biological effects on children in violent communities, and adolescent obesity.

Dr. Franco was also a pioneer in teaching researchers in Brazil how to conduct neuroimaging studies. He has led an annual hands-on fMRI course in Brazil, which is taught in partnership with the Child Mind Institute. He has mentored 12 graduate students and over 20 undergraduate students, all on projects focused on neuroimaging.

Nathalia Bianchini Esper, PhD

is a Neuroimaging Data Analyst at the Child Mind Institute’s  Center for the Developing Brain. Her responsibilities include organizing and processing incoming data from several neuroimaging sites, assuring the quality and completeness of neuroimaging data, managing and improving neuroimaging pipelines, preparing data for open sharing efforts, and assisting with statistical analysis of imaging data and preparation for publication.

Dr. Esper’s research is focused on neuroimaging studies. She has extensive experience working in a research institute, conducting functional and structural MRI studies. During her academic career, Dr. Esper focused on developing novel fMRI processing methods. Dr. Esper completed her doctoral degree in neuroscience at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Her dissertation focused on the structural MRI and functional connectivity in infants with congenital microcephaly associated with Zika virus infection.

Prior to joining the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Esper worked at Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil, supporting researchers in the day-to-day operations of fMRI, fNIRS, and TMS projects and maintaining the neuroinformatics infrastructure of the institute. Her work there generated a wide collaboration network, leading Dr. Esper to study a wide range of health disorders.

Alexia Cole

is an intake coordinator with the Healthy Brain Network at the Child Mind Institute. As an intake coordinator, she is responsible for screening potential participants for eligibility, answering any initial questions families may have about participation, and scheduling initial appointments.

Alexia earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Columbia University where she developed an interest in the study of emotional and behavioral disorders in children. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant and Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity at the Center for Justice at Columbia University, where she explored the effects of youth-adult partnership on positive youth development and community connectedness.

Currently, Alexia is enrolled in the Master of Social Work program at Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work. As an aspiring school social worker, she is passionate about helping children reach their full potential in school and in life.

Jared Fisse

is an intake coordinator with the Healthy Brain Network. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and marketing from Bentley University. During his time at Bentley, Jared interned at Park Avenue Psychotherapy Associates, where he first interfaced with patients in a clinical setting. Jared also pursued several research opportunities and published a paper on the topic of adverse childhood experiences and mental health outcomes in adulthood.

In his role at the Healthy Brain Network, Jared is responsible for screening potential participants for eligibility, maintaining records of children and families inquiring about the Healthy Brain Network, and scheduling clinical intakes. Jared especially enjoys working with children in settings that allow them to become the best version of themselves and plans to one day work in the field of child psychology.

Camille A. Gregory

is the site operations manager for the Healthy Brain Network. She is primarily responsible for overseeing the daily operations at the Harlem facility. Prior to this position she worked as both a research and data supervisor, and a research assistant with HBN for several years, and has experience in several other academic laboratories at CUNY Brooklyn College, Princeton University, and the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology. She is passionate about scientific education and outreach, and her own interests lie in elucidating the neural circuits involved in decision making and motivation across development. Following her time at CMI, Camille plans to apply to a PhD program in neuroscience so she can continue to learn more about the human brain and its development.

Rebecca Neuhaus, PsyD

is a New York State licensed clinical neuropsychologist and clinical training and assessment manager for the Healthy Brain Network. She received her bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University and her doctorate in school psychology from St. John’s University. She holds a Bilingual Extension in which she acquired specialized training in providing culturally sensitive and evidence based psychological treatment for individuals of all backgrounds and ages. Dr. Neuhaus completed post-doctoral training in pediatric neuropsychology at the Center for Attention and Learning at Lenox Hill Hospital. There, she provided neuropsychological evaluations to over 100 low income families and worked with lawyers and the NYC Department of Education to implement services and ensure appropriate placement in the educational system.

Dr. Neuhaus worked as a school psychologist for several years in New York State, in a wide range of settings, including private, charter and public schools. Her experience and knowledge of the school system provides her with valuable insight into helping children with behavioral, emotional and learning challenges succeed. In addition to her expertise in providing comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, she also has a strong background in educational advocacy, cognitive rehabilitation, culturally sensitive assessment and school-based mental health. As the clinical training supervisor for the study she manages the training of externs, post docs and current staff.

Spencer Morenko

is the Research Coordinator for the Healthy Brain Network. His responsibilities include supervising data collection and management, and coordinating the daily operations of the research assistant team.

Spencer graduated from Pitzer College with a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and Linguistics. As an undergraduate, he worked as a Research Assistant for a Cognition and Aging study, and wrote his thesis on aging and emotion cognition. During this time, he also worked as a Corps Member for Jumpstart’s early childhood literacy program.

Prior to working for the Healthy Brain Network, Spencer worked as a counselor for an after school education program. As a counselor, he assisted students (Ages 4-12) and their families meet specific educational and behavioral goals. Additionally, he worked as an Emergency Medical Technician here in New York City. As an EMT, Spencer assessed medical and psychiatric emergencies, ensured his patients received appropriate treatment, and provided a calming and reassuring environment.

Spencer is passionate about improving therapeutic treatments for children and young adults struggling with mental illness and learning disorders. His goals include completing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and working to increase accessibility to psychological services.

Sydney Autorino

is an administrative coordinator for the Healthy Brain Network at the Child Mind Institute. In this role, Sydney works as part of the operations team to coordinate study initiatives and logistics and to sustain participant-study relationships. Her responsibilities include assisting in the preparation of IRB documentation, managing records requests, and sending confidential reports to study participants. Sydney previously was a participant navigator for the program, facilitating MRI visits and data collection, conducting participant interviews, and scheduling families.

Sydney graduated from Colgate University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychological science with a minor in sociology. As an undergraduate, she worked in a cognitive science lab and wrote her thesis on daydreaming and attentional control. Sydney also has experience as a volunteer teacher’s assistant to children with learning disabilities.

Sydney is passionate about improving access to mental health care, and her research interests include understanding consciousness and exploring new therapeutic approaches to treating mental health disorders. Ultimately, her goal is to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Elif Bengi

is a research assistant with the Healthy Brain Network. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University with a minor in child and adolescent mental health. At NYU, she worked with Professor Selcuk Sirin and completed the psychology honors track as a Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund recipient. Her thesis focused on the effect of parental verbal responsiveness on children’s language and social-emotional skill development. During her time at the Sirin Lab, Elif also led a project in Turkey that aimed to empower parents and children with a new library focused on stimulating babies through dialogic reading. Besides her passion for research, Elif also has experience working with both youth and adults in clinical settings including the Moodist Psychiatry and Neurology Hospital in Istanbul, where she worked with addiction and general psychiatry inpatients as a clinic assistant.

Elif is currently working toward becoming a child psychologist and hopes to pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. At the Healthy Brain Network, she facilitates enrollment and data collection from participants and caregivers, while also providing support for clinicians by assisting with assessments and conducting interviews.

Jennifer Birchler, MS, CAS

is a school psychologist with the Healthy Brain Network. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Jennifer also earned a master’s degree in educational psychology and methodology and a certificate of advanced study in school psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY. She is currently completing her dissertation, the final step in earning a doctorate in school psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY.

Jennifer has worked as a school psychologist in public schools as well as in schools for individuals with developmental disabilities. She has experience working in a child protection center, where she completed psychological evaluations of children and adults involved with the child welfare system and provided counseling services. She also led group counseling sessions in a partial hospitalization program. From these experiences, Jennifer brings knowledge of the emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges children and adolescents can encounter. She uses a trauma-informed, whole-person approach when designing interventions and making recommendations to address these difficulties.

Emily Hart, PhD

is a New York State licensed clinical psychologist and the clinical reports supervisor with the Healthy Brain Network.  Dr. Hart earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Colgate University and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. During her clinical internship at University of Rochester Medical Center, Dr. Hart completed rotations in an outpatient clinic, an inpatient unit, and a general pediatrics clinic. Following internship, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Audrey Hepburn Children’s House of Hackensack University Medical Center, where she provided forensic evaluations and trauma-focused therapy to children and families affected by abuse and neglect. Dr. Hart has also conducted research on aggressive behavior and social cognition both in young children and emerging adults. She strives to maintain an integrative focus both in her research and clinical work.

As a clinical psychologist for the Healthy Brain Network, Dr. Hart conducts diagnostic evaluations of children, adolescents, and young adults using a combination of interviews, self-report measures, and intelligence and achievement tests. She provides comprehensive reports, feedback and referrals to participating families. Dr. Hart also assists in community outreach efforts related to the project.

Julia Keene, LMSW

is a New York State Licensed Social Worker. In her role as a social worker with the Healthy Brain Network, she assists with data collection and conducts psychosocial assessments with youth and their families. Julia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut, followed by her Master of Social Work degree from Southern Connecticut State University. Julia has enjoyed working in several areas of the social work field including residential treatment, the school setting, outpatient clinics and in-home prevention work. Julia is certified in Functional Family Therapy and has clinical experience working with young children, adolescents and families.

Jarett Lee

is a psychology extern at the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in clinical psychology at William Paterson University. Jarett specializes in adolescent assessment and intervention in educational settings along with treatment for young adults with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating concerns and disorders.

Jarett uses evidence-based practices in his treatment approach that draw heavily from his training in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). He is also experienced in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) in both individual and group settings. In addition, he has experience using psychodynamics and psychoanalytic theory to provide clients with self-guided insights.

Before joining the Child Mind Institute, Jarett provided individual treatment, group intervention, and community outreach in short-term clinical settings, including Pace University’s College Counseling Center. Jarett has a strong interest in examining how cultural and family factors can influence the self-perceptions and beliefs of adolescents and young adults. He has conducted research on the familial transmission of anxiety across three generations of family members and is currently developing a study on how such factors influence eating issues and body image.

Erin Levy

is a research assistant with the Healthy Brain Network at the Child Mind Institute. She graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and human development. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Erin worked alongside professors researching pediatric HIV in the United States.

Before coming to the Healthy Brain Network, Erin worked in Tel Aviv at a school for asylum-seeking children, where she oversaw developmental and educational programs and was trained in trauma-informed care.

At the Healthy Brain Network, Erin supports the clinical research team by enrolling participants, facilitating data entry and collection, and conducting interviews and research activities with study participants.

Ultimately, Erin hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. She is passionate about promoting mental health and is eager to gain more clinical experience so she can continue helping children and families impacted by trauma and other adverse life experiences.

Amanda Lewis, M.A., M.S., NCSP

is a school psychologist for the Healthy Brain Network. Amanda earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Texas Christian University, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Golden Gate University and a master’s degree in school psychology from St. John’s University. Amanda did a postgraduate internship at the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center, where she provided psychotherapy, crisis intervention and case management. As part of her third year at St. John’s University, Amanda completed an internship with the Ardsley Union Free School District. During her internship, Amanda conducted comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, Functional Behavioral Assessments, and Behavioral Intervention Plans, as well as facilitated both group and individual research-based counseling.

As an associate school psychologist, Amanda administers, scores and interprets psychoeducational assessments in collaboration with the team at HBN. Amanda is passionate about family dynamics and understanding parent-child and parent-school interactions. She is also interested in research on how those interactions contribute to a child’s social-emotional functioning and academic success.

Kyle MacDonald, MS

is a psychology extern at the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the school psychology program at St. John’s University, where he also obtained a master’s degree in school psychology. Kyle specializes in conducting psychological assessments and providing therapeutic interventions for individuals from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of presenting issues.

Before joining the Child Mind Institute, Kyle provided therapy, comprehensive assessments, and consultation services in outpatient clinical and school settings. Kyle uses cognitive, academic, social-emotional, and speech evaluations to ensure tailored and comprehensive care. His approach is rooted in evidence-based practices and culturally sensitive interventions to foster a strong rapport with clients.

Kyle views psychological assessment as a collaborative journey, enabling clients to understand their strengths and challenges, supporting more effective interventions and improving well-being. He is dedicated to creating an empathic and secure environment, ensuring that each assessment meets the unique needs of every individual.

Anna Smith, LCSW

is a social work supervisor with the Healthy Brain Network. She is a a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She obtained a bachelor degree from Marist College and a graduate degree from Adelphi University, both in social work. Anna has clinical experience working with adults, children and families affected by mental health disorders, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, homelessness and medical conditions across a variety of health care settings. In her role at the Healthy Brain Network, Anna assists with data collection and providing feedback on findings to the participants.

Nicholas Vitaro, MA

is a school psychologist for the Healthy Brain Network within the Center for Strategic Data Initiatives at the Child Mind Institute. Nicholas is a certified school psychologist in New Jersey and New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Montclair State University.

Before joining the Healthy Brain Network team, Nicholas worked for a large New Jersey school district as a school psychologist and member of the preschool intervention and referral team (PIRT). He has experience working with children and adolescents within and outside of school settings and has knowledge and understanding of how psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders impact children in social and academic settings.

In his role with the Healthy Brain Network team, Nicholas is responsible for conducting psychological assessments of research participants, including cognitive, achievement, and semi-structured psychological assessments. He also leads comprehensive feedback sessions with families to discuss assessment results, clinical findings, and recommendations. Nicholas remains committed to his goal of becoming a licensed psychologist. He is currently obtaining additional training in therapeutic approaches for individuals with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions while pursuing his doctorate at Adelphi University.

Noel Xie

is a Participant Navigator for the Healthy Brain Network. She is responsible for guiding participants through visits, scheduling families, conducting interviews, and collecting data.

Noel earned her bachelor’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in sociocultural anthropology at George Washington University. She is currently completing her master’s in clinical psychology with a concentration in spirituality, mind, and body medicine at Columbia University. Noel is certified in social-emotional learning from Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics. She previously assisted with grades K–8 at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart and was a teacher at the Hollingworth Center preschool at Teachers College.

Noel’s experience in educational research supporting multicultural, multilingual, and neurodiverse children with various developmental and learning profiles inspired a passion for pediatric psychiatry. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in biomedical humanities.

Victoria Castagna, MS

is an associate clinical evaluator for the Healthy Brain Network office in Staten Island. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s in neuroscience from the College of Staten Island. During her graduate studies, Victoria worked in a neuroscience research lab that focused on understanding the uniqueness of the naked mole-rat. She helped create a novel imaging approach by rendering whole brain samples optically transparent with the addition of a Golgi stain in order to compare the neurons of naked mole-rats to other species.  She is responsible for enrolling participants, conducting and scoring assessments, and assisting in the coordination of daily protocol operations. Victoria is passionate about working with children and pursuing research in order to help those with neurological and mental illnesses.

Seda Yaman, MSEd 

is a school psychologist at the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network. She received her master’s degree and advanced certification in school psychology from Brooklyn College. She is currently enrolled in the school psychology doctoral program at St. John’s University. Seda has experience working within New York City’s special education system, as well as the planning, development, and implementation of IEPs in school settings.

As a school psychologist, Seda has worked with students to succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.  She values a collaborative approach with educators, parents, and other professionals to provide a supportive learning environment that strengthens connections between home, school, and the community for all students. In addition, she has experience with providing psychoeducational assessments, counseling support, and consultation with teachers and administrators. She has also conducted interventions for students who needed additional support.

Seda is passionate about working effectively with diverse populations through the application of cultural knowledge. She is committed to advocating for children and empowering their families to give them the support they need.