Graduate Students
Averi Giudicessi, MA
4TH YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENT
Averi is a fourth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Boston University (BU). She is co-mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz and Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Fordham University with a major in Psychology and an MS in Neuropsychology from Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Prior to becoming a student at BU, she worked as a Research Assistant for UCSD. Broadly, her research interests include sex differences in aging populations and how reproductive factors unique to women may be related to higher rates of AD and dementia in women. She was awarded an NINDS F31 grant in 2024 to examine the sex-specific effects on white matter integrity and brain function in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and hanging out with her dog.
Amanda Gonzalez, BS
1ST YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENT
Amanda is a first-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Boston University (BU) where she is mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz. She completed her bachelor’s degrees at UC San Diego with majors in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Biology. Prior to becoming a student at BU, she worked as a Research Coordinator for the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego Health. Her research interests include early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease through cardiovascular and MRI biomarker profiling. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, traveling, and writing to her penpals.
Vivian Ku, BS
1ST YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENT
Vivian is a first-year clinical psychology doctoral student at Boston University, where she is mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, where she obtained a bachelor’s of science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Before joining the doctoral program, she worked as a Lab Manager at the University of Michigan, where she conducted research examining modifiable factors in cognitive decline. Now, her research interests surround how macro-level contextual environments relate to markers of Alzheimer’s disease. In her free time, Vivian enjoys taking walks across Boston’s neighborhoods, trying new restaurants, and spending nights making fun crafts.
Jairo E. Martínez, MA
5TH YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENT
Jairo is a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program of Boston University (BU). He matriculated in BU in the fall of 2021 where he is co-mentored by Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb and Dr. Yakeel Quiroz. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 2018 with a major in Neuroscience and Behavior from Columbia University. Prior to becoming a student at BU, he worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator for the MAPP Lab from 2018-2021. He also completed summer internships with the Harvard Aging Brain Study and MAPP in 2016 and 2017. Currently, he is focused on understanding how lifetime exposure to stress and coping responses may shape vulnerability to cognitive decline and neuropathology in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in underrepresented communities. In his free time, he enjoys sketching, dancing, and spending time with friends and family.
Meredith C. Rowe, MA
2ND YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENT
Meredith is a second-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Boston University (BU). She is co-mentored by Dr. Yakeel Quiroz and Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb. She completed her bachelor’s degree at McGill University with a major in Psychology and an MA in Psychology at Boston University. Prior to becoming a student at BU, she worked as a neuropsychometrist for the Clinical Neuroscience Institute in Dayton, Ohio. Broadly, her research interests include examining sex differences in populations with autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease, and in neuropsychological assessment and how it can be better developed and utilized across diverse populations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking (and eating), exploring Boston with friends, and doing puzzles.
Andres Avila Paz, BA
MASTER’S STUDENT
Andres is a Master of Public Health student at the Boston University School of Public Health, focusing on Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He is particularly interested in research addressing health disparities among vulnerable populations, advancing LGBTQIA+ health and inclusion, and infectious disease prevention and control. Outside of school, Andres enjoys lifting weights, playing video games, and spending time with his friends, family, and diva cat Kuro.
Undergraduate Students
Isabella Cordon
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Isabella is a senior at Boston University (BU) pursuing a major in Political Science and Public Health. She joined the MAPP Lab in September 2025, where her interests include health equity, environmental health, and the intersection of social and cultural factors with public health. She is particularly interested in how these factors may relate to Alzheimer’s disease in diverse populations. In her free time, she enjoys running and is training toward completing a triathlon, baking gluten-free recipes, and learning new languages.
