Martins contributed to data-driven research in the lab focused on adolescent mental health, supporting statistical analyses using large-scale longitudinal datasets. During their time in the lab, they co-authored work examining adolescent depressive symptom trajectories before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to analyses and interpretation of developmental patterns across time. Through this role, Martins developed strong skills in applied data science and research workflows. They are now pursuing a Master of Science in Data Science at Sapienza Università di Roma.

Alex grew up in Eastern Europe before moving to Long Island, New York and she first came to Philly in 2013 when she attended Haverford College for her undergraduate degree. While at Haverford College, she studied biology and worked in the laboratory of Dr. Jean Bennett at the University of Pennsylvania, evaluating how inherited forms of retinal degeneration can be treated via gene therapy. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in 2017, Alex continued her education in the MD-PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2023 she completed her PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology. During her PhD, Alex studied how the transcription factor RUNX1 regulates inflammation in hematopoietic cells.
In the Barzi Lab, Alex will be characterizing the association between asthma and suicide attempts. She will also be applying to psychiatry research residency programs where she hopes to study how adverse childhood exposures affect depression and suicidality in relation to inflammatory mediators and epigenetic dysregulation.

Christina Ly joined the lab as a third-year undergraduate majoring in Cognitive Science with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience. During her time in the lab, she was supported by CURF funding and contributed to a peer-reviewed publication examining developmental and mental health–related outcomes. She is now an M.S.Ed. candidate at the Penn Graduate School of Education.

Lydia joined the Barzi Lab in 2023, where she supported research on environmental and developmental influences on youth mental health. She co-authored "Deconstructing the role of the exposome in youth suicidal ideation: Trauma, neighborhood environment, developmental and gender effects," which examined how trauma, neighborhood conditions, development, and gender shape suicide risk in young people. Lydia is now a Psychiatry Resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Class of 2029).

Kevin Hoffman joined the lab as a CHOP Psychiatry fellow. During his time in the lab, his research focused on stress biology and early adolescence, culminating in a first-author publication examining gene–environment contributions to allostatic load and implications for mental health. Following his fellowship, he transitioned to an academic clinical role and is now a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford Children’s Health.

Ingrid began working with the Barzi Lab in 2020 as a student researcher while she was pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. While in the lab, Ingrid worked diligently to do the groundwork for the Exposome project, as well as assisted on the CovidSilience project studying resilience during the pandemic.

Dallas began working with the Barzi Lab in 2020 as a student researcher while she was pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. In the Barzi Lab, Dallas worked on a project examining the association between racial discrimination and suicidality in preadolescent children.

Brendan grew up in Cincinnati Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati, where he developed an interest in medicine and research. As a child life volunteer at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center(CCHMC) and a gymnastics coach, he found a passion for working with children. At CCHMC, he conducted basic science research on the role of intracellular signaling pathways in neonatal brachial plexus injuries. While volunteering in clinics and as a crisis counselor, he found himself gravitating towards treating mental health conditions. Brendan applied to medical school and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Pennsylvania. During medical school, he confirmed his interest in psychiatry, especially in regard to how mental health conditions arise from and interact with childhood experiences, culture, and genetics. He is heavily involved in the Philadelphia Human Rights Clinic, which provides free mental health evaluations for survivors of persecution and trauma seeking an affidavit supporting asylum in the US. He explored an interest in the genetic underpinnings of mental health conditions through two research projects exploring the utility of polygenic risk scores in predicting the development and progression of substance use disorders, as well as in predicting response to the antiepileptic medication topiramate using a machine learning model. This year, Brendan is excited to be applying to psychiatry residency programs to begin a career as a psychiatrist.

Caitlin O’Loughlin joined the lab as a PhD student, where her work focused on neurodevelopmental and clinical neuroscience, contributing to a publication in Biological Psychiatry. Her research examined clinically relevant brain–behavior relationships in youth, aligning with the lab’s translational focus. She is now completing a neuropsychology residency at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

Joshua joined the lab as a psychiatry resident and contributed to multiple publications during his time with the Barzilay Lab. He first-authored work examining developmental and clinical predictors of psychiatric outcomes, including neurodevelopmental trajectories and risk for psychopathology (Gordon et al., 2022; 2023). After leaving the lab, Joshua is now a psychiatry resident at the University of Pennsylvania, where he continues to integrate research and clinical practice.

Ashley graduated from Harvard College in 2021 with Highest Honors in Neuroscience and Anthropology, a Secondary Field in the History of Science, and a Language Citation in French. She received her MPhil in Health, Medicine, and Society from the University of Cambridge in 2022 (First Class Honors with Distinction) where she served as the Lionel de Jersey Harvard Scholar. She also holds a Master of Science from Harvard Medical School in Media, Medicine, and Health. In the BarziLab, Ashley's research centralizes upon suicidality health outcomes, with a particular emphasis on racial and gender disparities in suicide.

Sara started research with the Barzi Lab in 2022 while she was a medical student within the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sara is currently a Psychiatry Resident at Georgetown University Hospital and is interested in Community Psychiatry and Women’s Mental Health.

Stirling joined the lab in 2020 and quickly became a key contributor. During his time in the lab, he published three first-author papers examining the impact of discrimination on early development and mental health. His work included studies on discrimination-related stress and suicidality in preadolescent children (Argabright et al., 2022, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) and on associations between racial and ethnic discrimination and pubertal development in early adolescence (Argabright et al., 2022, Psychoneuroendocrinology).
After two years in the lab, Stirling matriculated into the MD/PhD program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Jeremy began working with the Barzi Lab in November of 2020, following his interest in the role of the environment in mental health. While working in the lab, Jeremy was a fourth-year MD-MPH student at the Perelman School of Medicine. During his time in the lab, Jeremy worked on the CovidSilience Project and studied the protective effects that urban greenspace had on the mental health of study participants throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. His work led to his first-author paper on greenspace published in Frontiers in Sustainable Cities (Wortzel et al., 2021).