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Department of Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry
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Meet Our Team

pearl members

Principal Investigator

charlie taylorCharlie Taylor, Ph.D.

Dr. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego and the Director of the Positive Emotion & Anxiety Research Laboratory (PEARL). He received his B.Sc. in Psychology at McMaster University (Hamilton, ON, Canada) and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada). He has over 15 years of experience specializing in the assessment and treatment of anxiety and depression. Dr. Taylor directs an active program of clinical research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and Brain and Behavior Foundation.

Members

Doctoral Students

  • Madeleine Rassaby

    Madeleine Rassaby

    Hi there! My name is Madeleine, and I am a 5th-year doctoral candidate at the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology working under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Taylor and Dr. Murray Stein. My research interests focus on optimizing evidence-based treatments for anxiety, depressive, and trauma-related disorders with the goals of reducing symptom severity and promoting positive emotional and social functioning. Outside of my research and clinical work, I love spending time with my family and friends, being active outdoors or at the gym, cooking, traveling, and admiring San Diego's beautiful beaches.
  • Isabella Spaulding

    Isabella Spaulding

    Hello! My name is Isabella and I’m a first year doctoral student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. Before joining PEARL I completed my B.S. in Clinical Psychology at Tufts University and then worked as a postbaccalaureate fellow in the Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health. My research interests are focused on exploring the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms underlying mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders, and how these insights might inform the development of novel treatments. I’m also particularly interested in better understanding the impacts (e.g., biological, social) of early adversity on individuals with psychological disorders in adulthood, in an effort to identify potential treatment targets and ultimately improve outcomes for this population. Outside of the lab I love to spend time at the beach, try new recipes, and travel! 

Research Coordinators

  • Marissa Larkin

    Marissa Larkin

    Hello! My name is Marissa, and I am a lab coordinator at PEARL. I graduated from the University of Utah in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Applied Positive Psychology. During my undergraduate career, I worked in the Child Adaptation and Neurodevelopment Lab as a research assistant and wrote an honors thesis focusing on emotion dysregulation and trauma history. Soon after graduation, I joined PEARL! I work mainly with the CBD study, but also assist with all other areas of work within the lab. I plan to attend graduate school for clinical psychology and work as a practicing clinician long-term. My research interests broadly surround anxiety and depression intervention. In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach, on a hike, or to concerts.
  • Juliana Himawan

    Juliana Himawan

     Hi! I’m Juliana, and I graduated from UC San Diego in December 2024 with a B.S. in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in General Biology. I’ve been a part of the PEARL team since 2022, and I wrote my senior thesis titled, "Elevated Anxiety is Associated with Greater Activation in the Striatum in a Transdiagnostic Sample." Currently, I work as a coordinator, focusing primarily on our anxiety and depression study. Outside of lab, I enjoy practicing yoga, baking sourdough, and spending time at the beach.  

Clinical Research Assistants

  • Isabella Agajanian

    Isabella Agajanian

    Hi! My name is Bella, and I am an incoming fourth-year student at UC San Diego, majoring in Human Biology on the pre-medical track. I joined PEARL in April of 2024 because I wanted to gain clinical research experience and learn more about the depth of anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders. In the lab, I am currently responsible for overseeing Confederate tasks and phone screening. Outside of the lab, I like to play pickleball, crochet, go to the beach with my friends, and try new food places! In the future, I hope to go to medical school and become a practicing physician.
  • Amani Javiya

    Amani Javiya

    Hi! I'm Amani, and I am a 2025 UCSD graduate. During undergrad, I studied neurobiology and psychology with aspirations to work in behavioral healthcare. I joined PEARL in the spring of my senior year to study my interests outside of the classroom and connect with people who share them with me. I am also working as a mental health technician at an OCD treatment center during my gap years before I apply to graduate school. In the future, I am hoping to obtain a PsyD in clinical psychology to treat children and adolescents. Outside of work and school, I enjoy going to concerts, the beach, watching new movies and TV shows, yoga, and trying new coffee recipes!

     
  • Gio Rodriguez

    Gio Rodriguez

    Hello! My name is Gio and I am currently a fourth year Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience major with a minor in Biology at UCSD. I joined PEARL in April 2025 to gain more hands-on research within the field of clinical psychology and to deepen my knowledge of stress and anxiety disorders. In the lab, I am currently responsible for phone screening and assisting with brain imaging. When I'm not in the lab, some things I enjoy doing are exercising, playing tennis, watching movies, and reading. In the future, I hope to pursue higher education and achieve my goal of becoming a neuroscientist to help research substance abuse and mood disorders.
  • Maxon Jin

    Maxon Jin

    Hello everyone! My name is Maxon, and I’m a fourth-year student at UCSD majoring in clinical psychology. I joined PEARL in April of 2025 because I wanted to gain experience and develop skills relevant to working with a clinical population as I work towards a career in psychotherapy. In the lab, I am currently the head of phone screening, an intake scheduler, and a trained confederate. Outside of the lab, I like to hang out with my friends, listen to music, play the guitar, play all kinds of sports, and do photography. In the future, I hope to pursue a PsyD and become a licensed therapist specializing in depression and anxiety disorders.
  • Zainab Subhi

    Zainab Subhi

    Hi! My name is Zainab, and I’m a fourth-year student at UCSD studying Human Health Psychology and Biology. As a research assistant, my responsibilities include serving as a confederate and assisting with brain imaging, data entry, phone screenings, and fidelity ratings. What I value most about PEARL is our innovative approach to exploring treatments that go beyond what is currently considered the standard. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, traveling, and exploring new makeup and skincare trends. I hope to attend medical school and become a physician dedicated to advancing PEARL’s mission of improving treatments and patient care.
  • Joshua Joslin

    Joshua Joslin

    Hi, my name is Josh. I'm a fourth year B.S. psychology major, minoring in law and society here at UCSD. I joined PEARL in May of 2025, to gain experience in working in a research lab, especially within a more clinical setting that specializes in research for treatments in anxiety and depression, which will help me on my journey to become a therapist. In the lab I work as a phone screener where I call potential candidates for our studies, I am also part of the neuroimaging team where I organize and analyze data. When I'm not in the lab I like to go out with friends, spend time at the beach, shop, play video games, listen to music, climb, and try out new food places. In the future I hope to obtain my MA and potentially a PhD in psychology and become a licensed therapist. Outside of my work goals, I want to travel around the world as much as possible. I want to be able to try out as many different dishes from other cultures, explore new sceneries, and maybe even make new friends along the way.
  • Elaine Tran

    Elaine Tran

    Hello, my name is Elaine and I am an Undergraduate Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience major with a minor in Data Science at UCSD. I began my research with PEARL in May 2025 to learn about fundamentals within clinical psychology research including working with participants, data management and the process of developing a study. During my time in the lab, I have done phone screening, fMRI scan assisting, rated therapy sessions, created case report forms, recruitment optimization and occasionally data management. My current research focus is on precision psychiatry for individuals with Anxiety & Depression, exploring different ways to refine diagnostics and treatment plans using machine learning and artificial intelligence. I was born and raised in sunny San Diego! I love going to sweet treat cafes, thrifting and vintage markets, singing in choir and church, going to concerts and listening to romance books and podcasts on self-improvement.

  • Rayya Islam

    Rayya Islam

    Hi! My name is Rayya, and I’m a 4th-year student at UCSD majoring in Psychology. I joined the PEARL lab because I wanted to gain experience in a lab setting as well as exposing myself to clinical work. I’m particularly drawn to how the lab focuses on positive emotion and how it acknowledges social anxiety, as it is often overlooked compared to other types of anxiety. My role in the lab is acting as a confederate and interacting with trial participants. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing games and exploring new places to eat. I’m a big fan of cute aesthetic cafes and love spending time around San Diego to try out different experiences. In my free time, I’m a huge fan of reality TV, like Selling Sunset and I also enjoy watching animes such as Fairytail. I also love collecting Pokémon cards! After undergrad, I would like to pursue a PsyD and be provide therapy or counseling, while specializing in depression and anxiety.
  • Lora Bednarek

    Lora Bednarek

    Hi! My name is Lora and I am a fourth-year Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience major with a Data Science minor at UC San Diego. I joined PEARL in July 2025 to gain research experience in a clinical setting, work directly with participants, and develop neuroimaging skills. I am conducting my psychology honors thesis at the lab, exploring functional connectivity during a social reward task in individuals with significant anxiety and depressive symptoms. I am also responsible for phone screening and assisting with brain imaging. Outside the lab, I enjoy Muay Thai, running, yoga, spending time at the beach, hanging out with friends, camping, hiking, exploring new coffee shops, and thrifting! In the future, I hope to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to continue studying clinical populations (particularly OCD, anxiety, and depression) with the goal of understanding brain-behavior relationships and informing treatment approaches. 
  • Orli Gollan-Myers

    Orli Gollan-Myers

    Hi! My name is Orli and I’m a 3rd year at UCSD. My major is Psychology, and I joined PEARL in October of 2025. I became a part of PEARL because I am very passionate about those who struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses, and I want to contribute to helping them. In the lab, I’m currently responsible for being a confederate. Outside of the lab, I like to dance, play instruments, lift weights, and go to cafes with my friends. In the future, I hope to get a Ph.D in clinical psychology!! 
  • Soha Shariff

    Soha Shariff

    Hii everyone! My name is Soha. I’m a 1st year Neurobiology major at UCSD. I joined PEARL in March 2026 to gain more hands-on experience working in a research lab, specifically gaining that one-on-one experience with participants that you typically don't get in many labs. In the lab, I am currently working as a confederate and will also soon become a phone screener. Outside of the lab, I like to bake, watch movies, and go to the beach with my family and friends. In the future, I hope to pursue medical school and find a career I can pursue for the rest of myself. In addition, I am hoping to become more fluent in Urdu, I would love to travel to different countries around the world to understand different medical processes and gaps they may have.
  • Nathan Su

    Nathan Su

    Hello! My name is Nathan and I am a third year student at UCSD pursuing my B.S. in Clinical Psychology. I joined PEARL in March of 2026. The reason I joined was because of the 5 core values they place a big emphasis on, which align with my values, and their research on  Anxiety and Mood disorders and new treatment methods for them. In the lab, I work as a phone screener where I conduct initial phone screenings with potential research participants, documenting and assessing eligibility for our PRAM study enrollment. Outside of the lab I am a jack of many trades. I enjoy reading (mainly self-help books), skateboarding, dirt biking, basketball, snowboarding, working out, going to the beach, thrifting, and trying new things. In the future, I plan to pursue either a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or a PsyD in Counseling Psychology.
  • Kalpita Nath

    Kalpita Nath

    Hello! My name is Kalpita Nath. I’m a third year at UCSD, and I am majoring in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive & Behavioural Neuroscience. I joined PEARL in March of 2026. I became a part of PEARL because I wanted to learn about research in therapy intervention development and I found so much value in the emphasis they place on improving positive emotions. In the lab, I am currently working as a confederate and will start working on brain imaging in the near future. Outside of the lab, I like to do oil paintings, doodle, cook and watch some good TV shows. In the future, I hope to pursue a PhD in Clinical psychology and go along the lines of neuropsychology, so that I can continue working on developing behavioural interventions for those with neurological conditions.

Pets

  • Bruiser

    Bruiser

    One of Charlie's two dogs.
  • Fern

    Fern

    One of Charlie's two dogs.
  • Jerry and Harry

    Jerry and Harry

    These are Bella's two dogs. Jerry is a 1-year-old Brindle Boerboel, and Harry is a 6-month-old Rottweiler & Caucasian Shepherd mix. They love to play fight with each other. Jerry is about 150 lbs, and Harry is about 100!
  • Athena

    Athena

    Athena is Rayya's 3-year-old rescue cat and is super friendly to everyone she meets. She craves everything chicken-related and makes biscuits on your neck until eternity. She loves neck scratches, but definitely will let you know when you are overstepping her boundaries. In her free time, she likes licking plastic to annoy her mom.
  • Jackson, Molly, and Poppins

    Jackson, Molly, and Poppins

    Meet Lora's kitties: Jackson, Molly, and Poppins! This black-and-white trio fills the house with love and just enough chaos. Together, they're a goofy, cuddly, and perpetually hungry bunch... and most importantly, absolute sweethearts <3

Alumni

  • Staff

    Staff

    Alison Sweet
    Tommy Tsai
    Sarah Dowling
    Kim Potter
    Sarah Huang
    Kaitlin Latta
    Karalani Cross
    Alex Skupny
    Alexis Roach
    Margaret Satchwell
    Taylor Smith

    Postdocs

    Matt Boland
    Amanda Kahn

    Visiting Scholars

    Soo-Hee Choi
    Ho-Jun Seo, MD

    PhD Students

    Sarah L. Pearlstein
    Maria Kryza-Lacombe
    Samantha Hoffman

    Research Assistants and Honors Students

    Zoë Siddall
    Maya Cooper
    Joanna Chen
    Angela Chin
    Victor Fu
    Manmeet Kaur
    Paige Klein
    Ivory Ku
    Nana Pearson
    Bianca Pomar
    Felipe Guerrero
    Kate Elizondo
    Anna Gruszka
    Sumire Lundell
    Chris Kagoo
    Shaira Cruz
    Gage Chu
    Chris Heyman
    Natalie Dalton
    Melea Thomas
    Jenifer Dorsett
    Shayna Quach
    Maya Bunyan
    Iliana Favila-De La Trinidad
    Jasmine Ramirez
    Sarah Knapp
    Mercy Lopez
    Atiyeh Samadi
    Angelica Estrada
    Gregory Pak
    Allison Endo
    Eleni Kapoulea
    Sanskruti Kakaria
    Aaron Tay
    Vivi Dang
    Stephanie Zepeda
    Carl Bolano
    Anna Chen
    Michelle Chang
    Sarah Tran
    Jennifer Alcalde
    Nora Asi
    Melissa Perez-Ruan
    Jessica Foster
    Dina Naji
    Joelle Lam
    Alexis Andom
    Katie Price
    Katie Socha
    Lucia Chen
    Tiara Alvarado
    Deborah May
    Robyn
    Ethan Averbukh
    Gabby Arellano
    Megan
    Ari Goodman
    Alyson Johnson
    Elizabeth Tran-Nguyen
    Lina Choi
    Aly Bartolovich
    Damian Tapia
    Amanda Bruse
    Kari Siu
    Cameron Hicks
    Tom Bowers
    Angie Gross
    Jonny Brekke
    Nick Marshall
    Shivani Vasanth
    Mylon Kemp
    Elizabeth Stewart
    Nirel Ben Joseph
    Sarah Hoffman
    Kaye Han
    Ellis Conner
    Vito Vacirca
    Ivan Lagunas
    Alexa Duran
    Yian He
    Siyi He
    Brentney Reynolds
    Ana Zamudio
    Tina Dang
    Katherine Jamison
    Amy B. Nguyen
    Jess Sauceda
    Layla Farhan
    Tess Oswalt
    Sanjana Paul
    Mehar Zaman
    Sarah Benmalek 
    Ana Flores
    Trinity Do
    Anthea Roshan 
    Michael Mansour 
    Zachary Yoo 
    Maanith Shriyan
    Madeline Breaux