Joshua Fox-Fuller, BA, MA
PhD Student
Josh is currently pursuing his postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan) and the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center as of September 2023. Josh completed his APA pre-doctoral internship in adult/geriatric neuropsychology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Boston University (BU) where he is co-mentored by Dr. Alice-Cronin-Golomb and Dr. Yakeel Quiroz (MGH). Josh’s dissertation – which was supported by an F31 NRSA and was defended in May of 2022 – examined working memory in the preclinical and early clinical stages of autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease. Josh also has developed an additional line of research relating to the development of computerized cognitive assessments and the administration of traditional face-to-face cognitive tests over telehealth. In his spare time he enjoys playing tennis, watching lots movies, playing board games with friends, and going to the dog park with his partner, Kate, and their Golden Doodle (Sully). As Josh prepares to graduate in the coming year, he aspires apply what he has learned from working with Dr. Quiroz and the MAPP team to reducing mental health disparities, particularly in the field of clinical neuropsychology. To see some of Josh’s research, click here
Stephanie Langella, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Langella joined the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) as a postdoctoral fellow in September 2021 after finishing her PhD in Psychology & Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her main research interests are in the investigation of cognitive and biological markers of the development of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly within preclinical stages. Her research has focused on brain-based biomarkers for dementia, including functional network properties and accumulation of tau pathology. Dr. Langella was awarded a research fellowship from the Alzheimer’s Association (AARF) to investigate subregional amygdala tau accumulation in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease, along with its relationship to cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms. She is a 2022-2023 Research Education Component Affiliate at the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Outside of her time at MAPP, she enjoys hiking with her dog, cooking, and (loudly) cheering on Boston sports teams.
Nadine Schwab, PhD
Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow at MARC
Dr. Schwab is a Clinical Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellow at the Multicultural Assessment and Research Center (MARC). She attended the University of Florida where she earned both a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. Outside of her clinical work within MARC, her research within the Alzheimer’s Clinical and Translational Research Unit focuses on identification of novel digital biomarkers of cognition collected through passive game play. In her free time she enjoys going on roadtrips, gardening, and hiking with her dog, Pepito .
Vanessa Giffoni M N P Peixoto, MD, MSc
PhD Student
Vanessa is a Geriatrician in Brazil and a fourth-year doctoral student in the Psychobiology program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil. Her PhD studies focus on understanding how older adults’ cognition is affected after COVID-19 infection. At MAPP, she is engaged in the Portuguese branch of the Boston Latino Aging Study. In her free time, she loves dancing ballet, going to the Catholic church, and traveling with her family.
Erika Pugh, PhD
Predoctoral Intern at MARC
Predoctoral Internship site: Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Multicultural Neuropsychology Internship Track
Erika is largely interested in utilizing neuropsychological approaches to examine predictive factors of cognitive changes and decline in older adults. She is particularly interested in investigating these predictive factors in community and minority populations. Outside of school, Erika enjoys live music, yoga, reading, exploring coffee shops, and hiking with her dog.
Crystal Castillo, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Crystal Castillo, BS, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2019, with a degree in Clinical Psychology. She joined the Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program (CPRP) in April of 2022, as the primary Research Coordinator for the MAPP study (a PP-MI behavioral intervention for patients with symptoms of metabolic syndrome), the GOALS study (a positive psychology intervention for patients who have recently had bariatric surgery), and the WISH study (a positive psychology intervention for patients with irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]). In addition to her role at the CPRP, Crystal works with the MGH Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program, working to understand the development of Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and the prevention of cognitive decline, through culturally informed memory assessments, biomarker research and lifestyle interventions. She will be pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Duke University’s Psychology and Neuroscience program.
Alex L. Badillo Cabrera, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator II
Alex was a bilingual (Spanish & English) Clinical Research Coordinator at MARC. He joined Dr. Quiroz’s group on February of 2021. He received his Bachelor of Science of Psychology and a second concentration in Multidisciplinary Art from the University of Puerto Rico in 2020. Alex is interested in neuroaesthetics and clinical psychology. In his free time, he enjoys baking and painting. Alex is now pursuing his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Louisiana State University.
Perla Ortiz, BA
PhD Practicum Student
Perla Ortiz is a fifth-year student in the PhD Clinical Psychology program at the University of Puerto Rico. She is currently completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Miami. She started working in the MGH Disparities Research Unit in 2020 with minority-populations mental health research. She is a MAPP Scholar 2022 and currently is completing an advanced practicum at the Multicultural Assessment and Research Center (MARC). She is also pursuing a certification in Gerontology at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine Her clinical research interests primarily focus on lifestyle factors and sociodemographic variables and their impact on older adults’ cognition. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, singing karaoke, reading, traveling, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.
Elizabeth Kaplan, BS, BA
Research Assistant
Liz joined the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) in January of 2022 as a Research Assistant. She received her B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience and B.A. in Contemplative Studies in 2022 from Brown University. She is interested in novel biomarkers and treatment interventions for individuals on the Alzheimer’s Disease pathology spectrum. Liz is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science at the University of California San Diego She enjoys going to the beach with friends, reading, and meditating in her free time.
