Email: theo.waters@nyu.edu

Curriculum Vitae: theo.waters.CV

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Dr. Waters is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University Abu Dhabi and a Global Network Associate Professor of Psychology in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. He received his PhD from Emory University in 2013. His research focuses on the development, organization, and impact of attachment representations and representations of self/identity across the lifespan.

Email: rui.yang@nyu.edu

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Rui obtained her Ph.D. from the Developmental Psychology program of New York University. Her research focuses on understanding parenting and child's gender development in the Chinese context. She has been the coordinator of a multi-cohort 10-year longitudinal study with over 1100 families in Nanjing, China. With Dr. Waters, Rui will explore how early maternal care quality affects Chinese children’s attachment secure script, and their gender development (e.g., masculinity).  

Email: vsv9970@nyu.edu

Curriculum Vitae: stefania-vacaru-cv-2024

University Teaching Portfolio: BKO portfolio_Vacaru

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Stefania earned her doctorate degree in Developmental and Experimental Psychology at the Donders Institute in The Netherlands. Over the past years, Stefania has investigated the role of early attachment relationships for socioemotional and cognitive development. Her interdisciplinary approach has been marked by the integration of diverse psychological and biological metrics, encompassing both clinical and normative study populations. Her primary objective has been to discern the extent to which the prenatal and postnatal early-life caregiving environment contributes to variations in child development, both optimal and suboptimal. In the forthcoming years, Stefania is looking forward to examining the role of secure attachment scripts for psychophysiological stress regulation. In her free time, Stefania dives, plays tennis and dances salsa.

Email: yg1262@nyu.edu

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Yufei Gu is a PhD student in Developmental Psychology in New York University Abu Dhabi's Global PhD Program, co-mentored by Dr. Theodore Waters and Dr. Niobe Way. She pursued her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Interactive Media at NYUAD and her Master's Degree in Learning, Science & Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. She has been working on the coding of mother-child interaction videos during infancy. She conducted her bachelor's capstone project on the relationship between infants' attachment security level and their later development of interpersonal relationships. Yufei is interested in the relationship between children's early childhood experience with caregivers and their mental health, academic performance and peer relationships later in life.

Email: sb10429@nyu.edu

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Sophie Barriault holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Ottawa and an MA in Psychology from the Université de Moncton in Canada. Her professional experience includes coordinating a lab that investigates the effects of adversity and intervention in early childhood, where she gained proficiency in assessing maternal sensitivity. Sophie is passionate about research and dedicated to contributing to meaningful work in developmental psychology. Outside of work, she enjoys working out, spending time at the beach, and exploring new restaurants.

Azka is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with minors in Economics and Creative Writing from New York University Abu Dhabi. Her capstone project explores how early childhood attachment influences memory and emotional interpretation in adult relationships. After graduating, Azka hopes to pursue her research interests in early traumatic stress and the role of family dynamics and early attachment in trauma recovery. In her free time, Azka enjoys reading, painting, and traveling.

Greeshma is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minors in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies and Social Research and Public Policy at New York University Abu Dhabi. Her capstone project aims to explore the psychophysiological markers of attachment representations in adult relationships. Following graduation, Greeshma aspires to pursue her interests in developmental psychopathology and chronic stress by advancing her
studies in a Clinical Psychology graduate program.

Aisha is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at New York University Abu Dhabi. Her capstone project aims to explore how nanny care and caregiver stability affect attachment styles, relationship quality, mental health, and future childcare preferences.