Director
Daniel M. Bagner, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Bagner is the Director of the Early Childhood Behavior Lab, Professor of Psychology, and Director of Clinical Training in the Clinical Science Program in Child and Adolescent Psychology at Florida International University (FIU). A licensed and board-certified clinical child psychologist, Dr. Bagner studies interventions for at-risk infants and young children and their families and etiological models of early childhood behavior problems and parenting. He has published more than 100 scientific papers and chapters on these topics, and he has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for over 20 years, in addition to funding from other federal, state, and local organizations, to conduct his research. Dr. Bagner served as a member of the NIH Psychosocial Development, Risk, and Prevention (PDRP) study section, and he is on the editorial board for five journals. He also is involved in several professional and community organizations, including his role as the FIU representative to the board of directors for The Children’s Trust, an organization with a dedicated source of revenue from property taxes to fund strategic investments that improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County. Dr. Bagner also has been quoted in several media outlets, such as The New York Times, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Readers Digest, and USA Today. Click here to view Dr. Bagner's CV.
- Ph.D., Psychology (Clinical): University of Florida, 2007
- Master’s Degree, Psychology (Clinical): University of Florida, 2004
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology and Philosophy: Washington University in St. Louis, 2001
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Daniella Vaclavik, Ph.D.
Dr. Vaclavik is a post-doctoral fellow interested in the etiology and evidence-based treatments of anxiety and mood related disorders in children and adolescents. She is further interested in the developmental trajectory of these disorders from early childhood into adulthood, particularly in being able to intervene in critical developmental periods to effectively alter the trajectory of psychopathology. Her current research focuses on identifying neural markers of attentional processes and potential biomarkers of anxiety through event related potentials (ERP) and the use of neuromodulation techniques, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to intervene on these neural markers and potential biomarkers. Click here to see Daniella's CV
Graduate Students
Caroline Gillenson, M.S.
Caroline is a fifth-year doctoral student interested in the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for young children with developmental delays. Specifically, she is interested in , exploring how individual factors, including adverse pregnancy outcomes, parenting behaviors, and cultural factors, influence the development and maintenance of behavior problems in children with and without developmental delays. Click here to view Caroline's CV.
- Master's Degree, Psychology: Florida International University, 2021
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology: Ohio State University, 2017
Keara Neuman, M.S.
Keara is a fourth-year doctoral student broadly interested in treatments for children with developmental disabilities and their parents. Specifically, she is interested in 1) the role of parenting and parental psychopathology in child development and treatment outcomes, 2) emotion regulation, and 3) the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments in underserved communities. Click here to view Keara's CV.
- Master's Degree, Psychology: Florida International University, 2022
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology: University of Maryland, 2018
Anastassia Cafatti, B.S.
Anastassia is a third-year doctoral student broadly interested in utilizing early intervention to promote positive parent-child relationships to strengthen child development and outcomes. Specifically, she is interested in 1) Exploring the role of infant attachment in future childhood behavior problems and emotional regulation, 2) Differences in family dynamics across cultures, and 3) Increasing access, dissemination, and implementation of culturally sensitive evidence-based treatment and assessment tools for families and children from at risk and underserved populations. Click here to view Anastassia CV.
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology: University of Miami, 2021
Morganne Warner, B.S.
Morganne is a second-year doctoral student interested in 1) the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments for young children with behavior problems, 2) the role of parenting in early childhood behavior outcomes, 3) and psychosocial functioning and adjustment across families of pediatric patients. Click here to view Morganne's CV.
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology: University of Florida, 2021
Enid Moreira, B.A.
Enid is a first year in the Early Childhood Behavior Lab. She is interested in 1) studying the bidirectional relationship between parent and child mental health, 2) disseminating and implementing evidence-based treatments into the community, and 3) she is committed to conducting culturally sensitive work and promoting diversity in both research and clinical settings. Click here to view Enid's CV.
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology and Gender and Women's Studies: Florida International University, 2018
Lab Staff
Alexandra Schek, B.A.
Project Coordinator, PANTHERS Project
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology: Florida International University, 2022
Alexandra's interests include the development of childhood mood and anxiety disorders and the implementation of evidence-based treatments for youth and their families. Click here to view Alexandra's CV.
Oriana Zakharov, B.A.
Project Coordinator, PANTHERS Project
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology: University of Miami, 2021
Oriana is an aspiring clinical psychologist who has graduated with a BA in Psychology and worked directly in research afterwards. She is interested in the subspecialty field of pediatric neuropsychology and loves working with children. Her research interests include: 1) How media exposure shapes children brain development and alters behavior, 2) Long term behavioral outcome of strokes and head injury/concussions in children, and 3) Role of sleep disorders and their treatment on cognition/sleep problems in childhood functioning as they grow older into adolescence and adulthood. Her ultimate goal is to make a significant difference in people's lives. Click here to view Oriana's CV.
Emily Mejias, B.A.
Project Coordinator, NTA Solutions Project
- Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Florida International University, 2021.
- Minor in Religious Studies, Florida International University, 2021
Graduate Student Alumni
Dr. Brynna Heflin
Brynna received her Ph.D. in Clinical Science from FIU in 2023. She is currently a post-doctroral fellow at Northwell Health Zucker Hillside Hospital – Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She is broadly interested in evidence-based interventions for children with concurrent behavioral and emotional problems.
Dr. Perrine Heymann
Perrine received her Ph.D. in Clinical Science from FIU in 2023. She is currently a post-doctroal fellow at Children’s National Hospital. She is broadly interested in the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions for young children with behavioral and emotional problems.
Dr. Nicole E. Lorenzo
Nicole received her Ph.D. in Clinical Science from FIU in 2019. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park. Learn more about her current work here.
Dr. Dainelys Garcia
Dainelys received her Ph.D. in Clinical Science from FIU in 2016. She is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics in the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Learn more about her current work here.
Dr. Gabriela M. Rodriguez
Gabriela received her Ph.D. in Clinical Science from FIU in 2016. She is an assistant professor of clinical psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Learn more about her current work here.
Post-Doctoral Fellow Alumni
Dr. Shayl F. Griffith
Shayl received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2018, and she completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Early Childhood Behavior Lab in 2020. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Recreation, and School Psychology at FIU. Learn more about her current work here.
Dr. Frances Martinez Pedraza
Frances received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, 2016, and she completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Early Childhood Behavior Lab in 2020. She was a U.S. Federal Executive Branch Fellow (2020-2021) with the Society for Research in Child Development.
Staff Alumni
Adriana Pino, B.A.
Adriana was project evaluator for the PANTHERS Project. She received her B.A. in Psychology from University of Miami in 2021. She completed her post baccalaurate in the Early Childhood Behavior Lab in 2023. Adriana is currently a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Nova Southeastern University.
Maria Wilson, B.A.
Maria was project evaluator for the ACCESS for Families Project and for the PANTHERS Project. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University in 2017. She completed her post baccalaurate in the Early Childhood Behavior Lab in 2021. Maria is currently a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Arizona State University. She is interested in increasing treatment effectiveness and treatment engagement for low-resource and ethnic and racial minority communities through dissemination and implementation of evidence-based intervention.
Natalie Frech, B.A.
Natalie was project coordinator for the ACCESS for Families Project. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University in 2017. She completed her post baccalaurate in the Early Childhood Behavior Lab in 2020. Natalie is currently obtaining her Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.