Meet the Team
Dr. Stefanie Sequeira
Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Stefanie (she/her/hers) earned her PhD in Clinical-Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023. She is also a graduate of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), a graduate training program in cognitive neuroscience sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to starting at UVA, Stefanie completed a predoctoral clinical internship at Brown University. The goal of Stefanie's research and clinical work is to improve the lives of youth with anxiety disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Stefanie is a member of Scholars for Elevating Equity and Diversity (SEED) and is committed to improving diversity in clinical psychological science and reducing racial disparities in youth mental health. When she's not in the lab, you can usually find her exploring Charlottesville on foot, shopping around local markets and vintage stores, and spending time with family and friends (and her parents' chihuahua).
Cheyenne Harris-Starling
Research Coordinator, B.A.
Cheyenne (she/her/hers) graduated in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science from the University of Connecticut. She is interested in understanding different forms of trauma/adversity amongst BIPOC youth, and the neurobiological/genetic factors linked to mental health, specifically internalizing disorders.  She previously worked as a postgraduate associate at Yale working on a clinical trial testing a novel intervention for children with Tourette's syndrome. She hopes to go to graduate school to pursue a degree in clinical-community psychology or social work and get involved in intervention research. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cozy gaming, writing, reading, learning embroidery, watching basketball, and cuddling with her cat.
Ashley Engstrom
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Ashley Engstrom (she/her/hers) is currently in her fourth year studying Psychology here at UVA. She’s from a small town on the coast outside of Boston, MA called Swampscott. She’s interested in researching general anxiety disorders in youth as she aspires to become a children’s therapist one day. Her participation in an MRI research course at UVA has inspired her to pursue research in MRI and fMRI. For fun, she likes to indoor cycle with her friends and walk her dog.
Jumi Park
Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Hi everyone! My name is Jumi, I use she/her pronouns, and I'm a third year from Georgia majoring in psychology. My research interests include adolescent development and mental health. In the (near) future, I want to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and eventually open up my own therapy practice. In my free time, I like to bake, weightlift, and dance!
Bryanna Morales
Undergraduate Research Assistant
My name is Bryanna Morales, and my pronouns are she/her. I am currently a first year at the University of Virginia and plan to major in Psychology. I am from New Jersey, specifically the Jersey Shore! I hope to work within juvenile detention centers, rehabilitating troubled youth while also studying the correlation between childhood development and juvenile delinquency. For fun, I like to go out with my friends or spend a day at the beach!
Bora Ya Diul
Undergraduate Research Assistant
My name is Bora Ya Diul (she/they) and I am a third year majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and minoring in Data Science. Outside of school and the lab, I enjoy cooking, being in nature, and listening to all types of music. Some fun facts about me is that my family is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and that the only time I have ever had a broken bone was when I was a baby.
Margot Steinhauser
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Margot Steinhauser (she/her/hers) is a third-year Psychology major at the University of Virginia from Allentown, New Jersey. Her research interests are centered around the development and treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents. She is an aspiring therapist and plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. Outside of her professional and academic interests, she enjoys crocheting clothes and accessories, practicing guitar, DJing at the student radio station, playing with her cat, reading, cooking, and exploring Charlottesville with her friends.