Celina Pluim, BS, MA
PhD Candidate
Celina, a PhD candidate in the clinical psychology program at Boston University (co-mentors: Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb and Dr. Yakeel Quiroz), is currently completing her pre-doctoral internship in neuropsychology at Brown University. She is broadly interested in examining factors related to health and wellbeing — such as sleep, purpose in life, and loneliness — that may increase or reduce cognitive decline risk. She completed a T32 predoctoral fellowship with the Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School (preceptor: Dr. Jeanne Duffy) to examine associations among sleep, circadian rhythms, and cognitive functioning in older adults, and was subsequently awarded an F31 NRSA from the National Institute on Aging to support this work as part of her doctoral dissertation (defended May 2024). She enjoys spending her free time outdoors hiking, camping, and backpacking with her husband Ryan, baking delicious treats, and exploring New England.
Jairo E. Martinez, BA, MA
PhD Student
Jairo is a second-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program of Boston University (BU). He matriculated in BU in the fall of 2021 where he is co-mentored by Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb and Dr. Yakeel Quiroz. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 2018 with a major in Neuroscience and Behavior from Columbia University. Prior to becoming a student at BU, he worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) from 2018-2021. He also completed summer internships with the Harvard Aging Brain Study and MAPP in 2016 and 2017. Currently, his interests include investigating how subjective cognitive decline, stress, emotional memory, and/or cardiovascular risk factors may be related to cognitive decline and pathology in a population with autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease. In his free time, he enjoys sketching, dancing, and spending time with friends and family.
Averi Giudicessi, BS, MA
PhD Student
Averi is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Boston University (BU). She is co-mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz and Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Fordham University with a major in Psychology and an MS in Neuropsychology from Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Prior to becoming a student at BU, she worked as a Research Assistant for UCSD. Broadly, her research interests include sex differences in aging populations and how reproductive factors unique to women may be related to higher rates of AD and dementia in women. She was awarded an NINDS F31 grant in 2024 to examine the sex-specific effects on white matter integrity and brain function in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and hanging out with her dog.
Meredith Rowe, BA, MA
Meredith is a first-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Boston University (BU). She is co-mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz and Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb. She completed her bachelor’s degree at McGill University with a major in Psychology and an MA in Psychology at Boston University. Prior to becoming a student at BU, she worked as a neuropsychometrist for the Clinical Neuroscience Institute in Dayton, Ohio. Broadly, her research interests include examining sex differences in populations with autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease, and in neuropsychological assessment and how it can be better developed and utilized across diverse populations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking (and eating), exploring Boston with friends, and doing puzzles.
Laura González, BA, AA
Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Student
Laura Gonzalez is a second-year master’s student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She is co-mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz and Dr. Lauryn Zipse. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Emerson College, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and holds an A.A. in Psychology from Miami Dade Honors College. Prior to becoming a student at MGH, she worked as a Research Assistant at Emerson College. Her research interests include bilingualism, neuropsychological assessments, and culturally competent practices in speech-language pathology. In her free time, she enjoys painting, cooking, and engaging in community service.
