People

Originally from Austin, Claire received her undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri at Columbia and her Master’s in Social Work at Portsmouth University in England in 2014. She then worked as a case manager in Children’s Social Care in the UK for two years before returning to St. Louis to focus on preventative work with the Wyman Center. Claire later returned to case management working as a foster care case manager and eventually a supervisor covering St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Jefferson County. Needing a change in 2020, she shifted to clinical research here at WashU. Claire was with Oncology for two years before finding her way to Psychiatry where she is now combining her social work and research skills to support the EEDP and the Hermann Center. She is primarily working on the THRIVE in Schools study as a CRC II in the EEDP. Claire has also lived in Moshi, Tanzania and Sulaymaniyah, Iraq working with local and international NGO’s.

Dr. Barch is a clinical scientist whose research focuses on understanding normative patterns cognitive function and brain connectivity and the mechanisms that give rise to the challenges in behavior and cognition found in illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression, utilizing psychological, neuroimaging and computational approaches. She is Chair of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University and has been at the University since 1998. She is also a Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology. She was the inaugural Dean of Faculty Development for the School of Arts and Sciences. She is Deputy Editor at Biological Psychiatry e. She is also the incoming President-elect of the Psychology Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Barch is on the scientific boards of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the One Mind Foundation, and the Stanley Foundation and a member of the NIMH Research Diagnostic Criteria Committee. Dr. Barch was on the Executive Committee of the Association for Psychological Science and the Scientific Council of the NIMH. She is a Fellow of both the Association for Psychological Science and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and a member of the Society for Experimental Psychology. She serves on a number of national society committees, including the Women’s Task Force for the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Amanda graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a certificate in Neuroscience from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She spent time working in the Norris Lab at Washington University School of Medicine researching the neural circuitries involved in minimizing the effects of strokes, as well as solutions for opioid addiction. She has a passion for research, but her true passion lies in working with children. Prior to her work at WashU, she provided therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder and down syndrome. At the EEDP, she works on the NOA study with Dr. Kirsten Gilbert researching personality traits in children that may lead to the development of clinical disorders.

Anna is from NYC and completed a B.S. in Business and Psychology at NYU. Anna’s main research interests lie in the effects of early adversity on the brain, as well as related areas. During her undergraduate studies, she worked in the Culture, Families, and Early Development Lab under Dr. Melzi and at a community service center studying early childhood mental health interventions. She now works full-time on the NeuCorE+ and THRIVE studies at the EEDP.

Ajla graduated from Saint Louis University with a B.S. in Psychology and Communication, with a concentration in Integrated Strategic Communication. She worked on a variety of studies throughout her time as an undergraduate within both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She is interested in the development of psychopathology in children and dynamics within immigrant families. In the EEDP, she works on the GLO study conducting EEGs and clinical interviews. 

Katie received a Bachler’s of Science degree in Psychology from Creighton University. During her time there, she was a paraprofessional who aided a second-grade classroom at a bilingual school. After returning home to St. Louis, she became a Preschool Assistant Teacher in a Montessori environment. She is now a Clinical Research Coordinator I working on the GLO study, and is interested in child development, trauma and psychopathology, and family dynamics. 

Dr. Donohue (Meghan Rose) is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry.  She completed her undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Georgia State University and her clinical internship/residency at Northwestern University (Lurie Children’s Hospital).  Dr. Donohue’s research focuses on the development of moral emotions (empathy, guilt) and prosocial behaviors in early childhood, and how disruptions in these emotions and behaviors contribute to the development of psychopathology.  She uses in vivo observational paradigms, parent-child interactions and EEG/ERP techniques in her research.

Benjamin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2023 before attending Wake Forest University’s research-oriented Master of Arts in Psychology program. Benjamin’s research interests at Wake Forest include cultural comparisons of changes in family decision making and their associations with adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Additionally, Benjamin worked as an Undergraduate Lead Research Assistant in Dr. Madelyn Labella's RISE Lab at the College of William and Mary, examining associations among stressors, parenting, and toddlers’ self-regulation skills. Benjamin serves as the Research Coordinator for the STARK Study and conducts clinical interviews with parent participants. 

Sarah graduated with her Master's in Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis in 2019. She is a licensed clinical social worker with experience providing therapy, counseling, and assessment in a variety of settings, including a university counseling center, a group practice, an eating disorder treatment facility, and a few child and family non-profits. Sarah currently works on the GLO study. During her free time, she can be found snuggling with her cat, appreciating nature, or savoring a good Thai iced tea.

Carina Fowler is a clinical psychologist and post-doctoral researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Fowler completed her PhD in 2025 at Duke University and her Clinical Internship/Residency at Children's Mercy Hospital-Kansas City. Her research focuses on how stress impacts the developing mind and brain, with an emphasis on how exposure to contaminants and pollutants may act as a form of stress on development. Dr. Fowler's research uses MRI, questionnaire, and observational methods.