.png)
Spatial Development Labs
Yingying (Jennifer) Yang, Ph.D.
Lab Director
973-655-7639
Dickson Hall 227
Dr. Yang is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Montclair State University. Previously, she was a Research Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. She graduated with a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama with a concentration in Developmental & Cognitive Psychology and a minor in Quantitative Psychology. ​
Dr. Yang's research interests focus on spatial cognition in adults, children, and individuals with intellectual/learning disabilities. She is interested in observing how people interact with and remember their environment in both cognitive and developmental contexts.
​
See Dr. Yang's profiles:
​
Interested in joining the lab?
Our lab is always looking for undergraduate and graduate research assistants who are warm and kind, and passionate about research! If this describes you, please email Dr. Yang directly. Our lab values diversity. So students from diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.
Nardin Yacoub
Nardin Yacoub is a sixth-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program. Nardin graduated with her BS in Biology from Penn State University in 2017 and obtained her MS in Clinical Psychology from Chestnut Hill College in 2020. Her research interests include studying behavioral biomarkers of developmental disabilities such as autism and cognition in individuals with disabilities. Nardin’s clinical interests include the assessment and early intervention of autism as well as disseminating research to immigrant and underserved communities. As a graduate assistant for Dr. Yang, Nardin is studying the development of spatial skills, such as wayfinding, in children.
Daria Lasc
Daria Lasc is a fifth-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program. Daria graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2019 with her BS in Cognitive Science. Her research interests are in cognitive development and the development of early assessment and intervention tools for children with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Her clinical interests are in neuropsychological assessment and child and adolescent psychopathology. As a graduate student for Dr. Yang, Daria is researching spatial abilities in typically developing children and children with Down Syndrome
Stephanie Grinshpun
Stephanie Grinshpun is a fifth-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program. Stephanie graduated from Lafayette College with her BS in 2021. Her research interests are in the field of interventions for adolescents with intellectual disabilities and her clinical interests focus on neurodevelopment disorders and early intervention and early assessment for autism spectrum disorder. As a graduate assistant for Dr. Yang’s, Stephanie is researching the spatial abilities of typically developing children and adolescents and young adults with Down Syndrome.
Mikayla Haas (Lab Manager)
Mikayla Haas is a third-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology Program. Mikayla graduated with her BA in Psychology from Rutgers University in 2020. Her research interests include studying pediatric neuropsychology in children with neurological and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Mikayla's clinical interests are focused on neuropsychological assessments and evidence-based interventions for children with disabilities. As a graduate assistant for Dr. Yang, Mikayla is studying the development of spatial skills, such as wayfinding in children.
Samantha Zakrzewski (Lab Manager)
Samantha is a first-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology Program. Samantha graduated from Montclair State University's combined Bachelor's/Master's Program in Psychological Sciences in 2024. Her research interests include intellectual and developmental disabilities, spatial cognition, gamification, neuropsychological assessments, and evidence-based interventions. As a graduate assistant in the Spatial Development Lab, Samantha is studying spatial navigation abilities as a potential early marker of cognitive decline in older adults with Down syndrome.
PhD Graduates
Arielle Hershkovich, PhD
Dr. Hershkovich is a graduate of the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Montclair State University. Arielle graduated from Touro College with her BA in 2020. Her research interests are in the field of cognitive development and neuropsychological assessments, and her clinical interests focus on evidence-based assessments, interventions, and prevention programs for adult and child psychopathology. As a graduate assistant at Dr. Yang's spatial development lab, Arielle researched the spatial abilities of typically and atypically developing children.
Lauren Grove, PhD
Dr. Grove is a graduate of the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Montclair State University. She graduated with her BA in Psychology from Temple University in 2015 and obtained her MA in Clinical Psychology from Towson University in 2018. Dr. Grove's research and clinical interests are in forensic psychology with a focus on juvenile justice and forensic mental health assessment. As a graduate assistant for Dr. Yang, Dr. Grove researched the spatial abilities of typically developing children and children with Down Syndrome.
Sadaf Khawar, Ph.D.
Dr. Sadaf is a graduate of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D Program at Montclair State University. Sadaf received her B.S in Psychology from University of Houston and M.A. in Clinical Psychology from University of Houston-Clear Lake. Dr. Sadaf's research interests which include investigating social cognition in youth with DD/ID, neural mechanisms that influence clinical presentation of ASD, evidence-based behavioral and psychosocial interventions for improving overall functioning, and comorbidities with ASD (mainly ADHD and anxiety). Additionally, Dr. Sadaf is keen to investigate the impact of ASD on parents and siblings of youth with ASD and explore evidence-based interventions to improve their quality of life.