MANATEE LAB
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MANATEE LAB
  • Research
  • Publications
  • People
  • FAQ
  • Contact
Aaron S Heller
Aaron S Heller, PhD

Aaron is a licensed clinical psychologist and affective neuroscientist. Using naturalistic, goal-relevant events he uses a combination of mobile health and fMRI methods to better understanding the temporal dynamics of emotion and how they relate to individual differences in psychopathology.
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UM Faculty
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William Villano
Postdoctoral Fellow
Bill is interested in affective dynamics, and how individual differences in the features of our emotional lives predict risk and resilience in psychopathology. A goal of Bill's research is to use computational modeling to uncover the factors that compel our emotional lives, and to identify the sources of aberrant affective experiences in clinical populations. As a member of the MANATEE Lab, Bill is involved in the preprocessing and analysis of neuroimaging data, and Ecological Momentary Analysis (EMA) programming and data analysis. In his spare time, Bill practices the trumpet and plays jazz music.
Nicole Fridling-Cook
Graduate Student
Nicole is interested in building idiographic, comprehensive models by examining the drivers of complex behavior to investigate individual differences in resilience profiles and how resilience is exhibited in daily, real-life behavior. A goal of Nicole’s research is to develop clinically responsive technology, which integrates predictive modeling to select a treatment and then modifies the treatment provided as data is collected over time. As a member of the MANATEE Lab, Nicole is involved in the preprocessing and analysis of GPS data, language data, and Ecological Momentary Analysis (EMA) programming and data analysis. Nicole is a NSF GRFP Fellow and Tillman Scholar. In her free time, Nicole enjoys exploring Miami with her guide dog Savannah.
Runan Wang
Graduate Student
Runan is a first-year graduate student in the MANATEE Lab. She is interested in the temporal dynamics of emotion and emotion regulation, especially context-appropriate emotional responses, and the relation between their individual differences and susceptibility to psychopathology. A goal of Runan’s research is to use neuroimaging, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), and computational methods to explore the factors shaping the time course of affects and to identify the mechanisms underlying affective disorders in clinical populations. In her spare time, Runan enjoys exercising and watching crime TV shows.
Isabella D'Ottone
Graduate Student
Isa is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychological & Brain Sciences and French. She is interested in research examining affect and emotion regulation. In her free time, she enjoys running, creating art, and learning new dance styles. 
Saidy Burch
Lab Manager
Saidy is a graduate of the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Statistics and a Bachelor of Arts in English. Her interests include human cognition, especially as relates to sensory processing, and the biological processes underlying neurological disorders. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master's in Neuroscience. In her free time, Saidy enjoys painting, playing musical instruments, and writing poetry.
Anthony Navarro
Lab Manager
Anthony is a graduate of the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology. His research interests span from the interaction of the nervous and immune systems to multi-dimensional emotion models and machine learning applications. He plans to pursue an MD/PhD to integrate cutting-edge research and innovative techniques into clinical practice while using patient experiences to inform his research. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys playing video games and guitar.
GianCarlo Cannone
Undergraduate Research Assistant
GianCarlo is a Psychology and Political Science double major on the Pre-Law track, minoring in Marine Science. His interests include social psychology and the interaction of people with their environment. After graduation, GianCarlo plans on going to law school and becoming a litigation attorney. In his free time, GianCarlo enjoys scuba diving, playing music, and baking.
Vanessa Velasquez
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Vanessa is a Psychology and Spanish major. She is primarily interested in research involving mental health, memory, the dynamics of the learning, and many other topics. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to deepen her knowledge of improving mental health in society. Outside the lab, Vanessa enjoys reading, playing pickleball, and baking.
Clarisse Coelho
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Clarisse is a Computer Science major with minors in Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering. A Jack Kent Cooke Scholar and ISEF Finalist, she aims to develop healthcare technologies that reduce medical error and prioritize patient individuality. She plans to pursue a Master’s and PhD to further her contributions to innovative research. Outside the lab, Clarisse is active in UM Student Government, the Tufaan a cappella group and the UM debate team. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano and guitar and discussing film cinematography.
Rebecca Fox
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Rebecca is a Psychology major with a minor in Exercise Physiology. She is passionate about the biological mechanisms of emotion and the mind-body connection. Her research interests focus on how physiological systems interact to influence mental states and behavior, with a particular emphasis on the neurobiology of stress. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in Health Psychology or Neuropsychology to help bridge the gap between academic research and clinical practice. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga and cooking.
Cate Hartley
Cate Hartley
Collaborator
Cate's research focuses on characterizing the development and dynamics of the learning, memory, and decision-making processes that shape our behavior. She uses a broad array of methodological approaches to examine the cognitive, computational, and neural processes that inform our choices and actions.
Ross Otto
Collaborator
Ross Otto is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at McGill University. Ross’s work relies on a combination of computational, behavioral, and psychophysiological, and (more recently) “big data” techniques to understand how people make decisions both in the laboratory and in the real world. 
Kiara Timpano
Kiara Timpano
Collaborator
Kiara's primary focus lies in researching factors that play a role in the etiology, comorbidity, and maintenance of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. She is particularly interested in translational factors and integrative risk models, including the role of stress, self-regulatory deficits, and emotional tolerance.

MANATEE Lab Alumni

Claire Landon · Claire Landon is currently a Clinical Psychology PhD student at University of Texas
Clara Meyerfreund Lavrador · Clara is an Evolutionary Psychology PhD student at UC Santa Barbara studying social dynamics.
Brittany Jaso, PhD ·  Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) | Current position: Research Manager, Reliant Medical Group/OptumCare
Lara Baez ·  Lara is currently a T32 in digital mental health at Northwestern's Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs) in the Department of Preventative Medicine.
Nikki Puccetti ·  Nikki is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working with Dr. Jay Fournier in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State University.
Chiemeka Ezie  ·  Our fearless former lab manager is now a medical student at NYU
Jackie Yang  ·  Jackie is currently a medical student at NYU
Ariel Gonzalez  ·  Ariel is currently a graduate student with Dr. Angela Laird at FIU
Betelhem Yimer  ·  Betelhem is currently pursuing a Master's in International Health at Georgetown University
Andrew Boateng-Poku  ·  Andrew serves as a Senior Media Strategist for a political firm and pursuing a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Evelyn Menkes  ·  Evelyn is currently a medical Student at New York Institute College of Osteopathic Medicine
Claudia DeLorenzo  ·  Claudia is currently working at Cato Institute
Anuj Shah ·  Anuj is currently a medical student at University of Florida
Lauren Thomas ·  Lauren is currently a research assistant with Dr. Christian Grillon at NIH 
Travis (Rick) Reneau ·  Rick is currently a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis
Conor Gibbons ·  Conor is currently a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania
Gillian Mitchell ·  Gillian is currently a graduate student in the PsyD program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a specific interest in Neuropsychology
Vilet Torrez ·  Vilet is currently working as a distribution engineer at Florida Power and Light
Noah Kraus ·  Noah is a medical student at the Wake Forest School of Medicine
Allegra Papera ·  Allegra is currently a Data Scientist at Vetcove
Sarah Catherine Gillard ·  Sarah Catherine is currently pursuing a Master's in Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh
Emily Moraes ·  Emily is currently a data analyst for Vetcove
Madalyn Florczak ·  Madalyn is currently working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and plans to attend nursing school in the future