Team
Director
Amy L. Stamates, Ph.D. (she/her)
Dr. Stamates is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Faculty Core in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, and Co-Director of the Behavioral Science Ph.D. program at the University of Rhode Island. In the Department of Psychology, she is a faculty member of the Behavioral Science concentration and teaches graduate research methods, graduate F31 seminar, undergraduate cognition, and undergraduate alcohol use and misuse. Her research interests primarily include to examine risky decision making while drinking and factors that heighten risks associated with alcohol use. Dr. Stamates is a first-gen student, and she graduated from the Applied Experimental Psychology doctoral program at Old Dominion University in 2019 and received her B.S. in Psychology (Honors) from Northern Kentucky University in 2010. She joined URI in Fall 2019. She enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and all things home renovation. Learn more about Dr. Stamates.
Current Graduate Students
Sabrina Todaro, M.A.
Sabrina is a doctoral candidate in the Behavioral Science Ph.D. program. After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2016, she became an integral member of both the Cardiac Neuroscience Laboratory and the Athlete Health and Neuroscience Laboratory at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies. During her time as an RA, she earned her master’s in psychology from Rutgers University – Camden, defending her thesis on the effects of treatment engagement on substance use outcomes. In the HARP lab, she is continuing to explore her research interests in risk and protective factors for substance use. Sabrina was awarded the F31 application from NIAAA assessing protective behavioral strategies on alcohol and cannabis co-use occasions, which will serve as her dissertation project. Outside of the lab, her interests include animals & the environment, baking (and really anything involving sugar), puzzling, party planning, and playing ultimate frisbee. She will gladly chat for hours about any of the above!
Melissa Rothstein, M.A.
Melissa Rothstein is a doctoral candidate in the Behavioral Science Psychology program. Melissa graduated from SUNY Purchase College in 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and with the Purchase College Natural and Social Sciences Service Award. Her master’s thesis focused on perceived norms and impulsivity facets in young adults who co-use alcohol and cannabis simultaneously, which was awarded the Enhancement of Graduate Research Award at the University of Rhode Island. Melissa’s dissertation explores the influence of emotion on craving and alcohol use among women, using our simulated bar laboratory. Her primary research interests include how normative perceptions, personality, and environmental context shape substance use behavior. She has also developed a niche for quantitative methods in psychology and enjoys teaching statistics and research methods. Melissa enjoys yoga, painting, and traveling in her free time (when she finds any).
Anna Sherman, M.A.
Anna Sherman is a graduate student in the Behavioral Science PhD program. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree for URI in 2017, she spent four and a half years working at Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. While at Butler she assisted in running studies investigating the epigenetic impacts of early life stress (ELS), coordinated multiple studies involving neuromodulation for OCD, impulsivity, and depression, and acted as clinical coordinator in the OCD Neurosurgery program. Her master’s thesis examined the interaction between impulsivity facets and sensitivity to reward on alcohol craving in college students. More recently, her interests are concentrated on factors associated with alcohol use behaviors, with specific focus on perceptions of risk related to use and consequences (e.g., impaired driving). In her free time she enjoys reading, portrait drawing, painting, and spending time with her dog Laika.
Jessica Glenn, M.A.
Jessica is a graduate student in the Behavioral Science Ph.D. program at the University of Rhode Island. Prior to her time at URI, she tested patients for neurological disorders for 6 years at MARS Memory Health Network and taught General Psychology for 4 years at Forsyth Technical Community College. Jessica received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2019 and her M.A. in Psychological Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2022. In the HARP lab, Jessica hopes to explore impulsivity’s impact on aggression, alcohol and substance use, and other behaviors. When there is free time you may find Jessica reading, cooking, baking, skiing, or cuddling with her cat (Luna).
Mariyam Abbas, M.A.
Mariyam Abbas is a doctoral candidate in the Behavioral Science Ph.D. program with a focus on Health Psychology and quantitative methodology. She holds an M.A. in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology from Aligarh Muslim University and was previously trained as a clinical psychology intern in the Psychiatry Department at King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India. She earned her B.A. from Avadh Girls’ Degree College, University of Lucknow, majoring in Psychology and English, with a minor in Political Science. Mariyam’s research examines tobacco use as part of a broader system of multiple health risk behaviors (MHRBs), with a focus on understanding why high-risk and structurally marginalized populations experience persistent tobacco use and reduced cessation success. Her work centers on traditional and under-regulated tobacco products (e.g., bidis, roll-your-own tobacco, little cigars) and investigates how behavioral dependence, affective processes (e.g., anxiety sensitivity), and chronic stress exposures jointly shape tobacco use patterns and quitting behavior across diverse populations. Using a range of advanced methodological approaches (e.g., structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, ecological momentary assessment), Mariyam’s research aims to identify mechanisms that maintain tobacco-related risk over time and across contexts. Her work spans domestic and international settings and informs culturally grounded prevention and intervention efforts relevant to tobacco regulatory science, cancer prevention, and equity-focused public health strategies, particularly within South Asian and immigrant communities. Outside of research, Mariyam enjoys reading, learning new skills, cooking, and learning to swim, drive, and ski 😀
Current Undergraduate Students
- Cindy Ayuninjam
- Phoebe Flasko
- Grace Harrington
- Bethany Nordstrom
- Maeve Squier
- Leany Gil
Honorary HARP Lab Members
Former Graduate Students
Christina Schulz, Ph.D. (2020-2022). Christina Schulz graduated from the Behavioral Science program in Spring 2022 with a certificate in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Certificate program. Christina is currently a Health Program Administrator at the RI Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
Former Undergraduate Students
Hannah Anderson, Emma Cohen, Sarah Cook, Sarah DelBonis, Emily Glatt, Agnes Holm, Jianna Iaciofano, Gillian Mitkowski, Michael Moran, Ritsuko Tani, Bella Simone, Kira Zanetti, Emily Renzoni, Faith Tanski, Helin Can, Daisy Williams, Sarah Amore, Hannah DeMarco, Mia Silva, Isabel Healy, Sarai Stone, Tim Nolan, Sarah Ribas, Brad Judd, Ali Knapp, Lexa D’Onofrio, Vlera Kutllovci, Mya O’Rourke, Bradley Lopez, Sarah Naughton, Alana Sinclair