Our Team
Dr. Talia Thompson
Talia Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver, a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Colorado, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She leads the Child Adolescent Behavioral Health and Development (CAB) Lab, which focuses on community-engaged research to inform evidence-based psychological assessment and intervention practices for youth and families navigating complex health and developmental challenges.
Dr. Thompson brings over a decade of experience in school-based mental health and pediatric behavioral health. Her research integrates qualitative and mixed methods to elevate the voices of children, caregivers, and communities, with a focus on neurodevelopmental differences, chronic medical conditions, and health equity for children with disabilities. She is deeply committed to training PsyD students in clinically relevant research and intervention delivery, and to advancing science in service of the public good.
Clio Wohlgenant
Clio Wohlgenant is a student clinician in the PsyD program at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology class of 2029. She has a background in violence prevention education, crisis response, victim and peer advocacy, and wilderness sport coaching and guiding. Clio has a long history working with children and adults of all backgrounds in extreme, dynamic environments. Her expertise is in crisis management, working mostly with women and children fleeing domestic violence and trafficking. Clio holds a BA in Environmental Studies with a focus on environmental inequality from Brown University.
At the CAB Lab she is involved primarily in projects under the neurodevelopmental arm of research; working to design, administer, and evaluate interventions to support children with neurodevelopmental differences and their caregivers. Clio is driven by a core interest in social justice, connection to place, integrative and preventative care, and improving equity in healthcare access and administration.
Sydney Climie
Sydney Climie is a first-year PsyD student at the University of Denver. She has clinical experience providing psychotherapy to adolescents and young adults, with a focus on anxiety, depression, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Sydney has worked in a range of settings, including private practice and research labs.
Sydney's research background integrates clinical psychology and neuroscience. Her prior work includes studies on emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, mild traumatic brain injury, and neurobiological correlates of psychological functioning.
As part of the CAB Lab, Sydney contributes to the development of a mobile health (mHealth) application designed to deliver and enhance the efficacy and accessibility of CBT for adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms as part of the CBT+ project.
Ameera Naif
Ameera Naif earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Creighton University, where she developed a strong foundation in behavioral science and neuroscience. As an undergraduate neuroscience researcher, she explored the intricate connections between brain function, cognition, and human behavior—an experience that sparked her enduring passion for research and discovery. Ameera ’s undergraduate research strengthened her skills in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication, and solidified her commitment to understanding the human mind through an evidence-based lens.
Currently, Ameera is pursuing a master’s degree in international Disaster Psychology in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver, where she is expanding her expertise to include the psychological effects of trauma, crisis, and humanitarian work. She is an active member of the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health and Development (CAB) Lab, contributing to research that investigates early development, resilience, and the factors that shape healthy psychological outcomes.
Outside of the lab, Ameera enjoys spending time with her cat, hanging out with friends, going on walks, and working out.
Maya Novitsky
Maya Novitsky is a PsyD student at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology Class of 2029. She grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023 with a BA in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN), where she was also a student research assistant in the Adolescent Interpersonal Relations lab. While in Michigan, she first gained clinical experience working with children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder providing behavioral therapy where she developed her passion for working with children and adolescents. In the last year, Maya also gained experience working as a clinical services assistant for adults at a residential treatment program for substance abuse, where she facilitated psychoeducation groups and supervised up to 42 residents, providing daily support through use of motivational interviewing, conflict mediation, and de-escalation skills.
In the CABLab, Maya contributes to projects focused on Adolescent Behavioral Health, primarily the CBTeX study which examines the singular and combined impacts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exercise training on depression and physical activity in adolescents at risk for depression and Type 2 diabetes. Maya is passionate about working with adolescents and fostering resilience, something she is excited to continue to do through her participation as a student researcher in the CABLab.