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
Anna Sherman, M.A.
Anna Sherman is a doctoral candidate in the Behavioral Science PhD program at URI. After obtaining her B.S. in psychology from URI in 2017, she was a research assistant at Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. While at Butler, she assisted on studies investigating the epigenetic impacts of early life stress, coordinated multiple fMRI and neuromodulation studies exploring the neurocircuitry involved in OCD, impulsivity, and depression, and acted as clinical coordinator in the OCD Neurosurgery program. Currently, Anna’s research examines socio‑cognitive factors associated with substance use and related consequences among young adults. Her work focuses on how cognitive (e.g., impulsivity, reward sensitivity) and social (e.g., trauma, minority stress) factors influence alcohol use behaviors and outcomes, with particular emphasis on the simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana/cannabis (SAM). In 2026, Anna was awarded an Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellows (F31), her grant will utilize ecological momentary assessment to examine momentary factors surrounding impaired driving decisions during SAM use. Ultimately, she aims to use novel methodologies (e.g., neuroimaging, driving simulators etc.) to understand neurocognitive processes during SAM use.
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
Sydney Dubois
Rachel Karanda
Josh Levine
Talya Traub-Cooper
Tori Berman
Former Graduate Students and First Position Post-Grad
Sabrina Todaro, Ph.D. (2021-2026): T32 post-doctoral student at Rutgers University
Melissa Rothstein, Ph.D. (2021-2026): T32 post-doctoral student at Yale University
Christina Schulz, Ph.D. (2020-2022). T32 post-doctoral student at University of Pittsburgh
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, Phoebe Flasko, Grace Harrington, Bethany Nordstrom, Maeve Squier, Leany Gil