John E. Roberts, Ph.D., Director
B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Ph.D. Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
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Dr. Roberts received his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 after completing his clinical internship at the University of Chicago Medical School. He is currently an associate professor of clinical psychology at the University at Buffalo and serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Training. Dr. Roberts is on the editorial boards of Personality and Individual Differences, Cognitive Therapy and Research, and AIDS Patient Care and STDs and has previously served as an associate editor for Cognition & Emotion and Cognitive Therapy and Research. At the undergraduate level he frequently teaches a course in Mood Disorders, while at the graduate level he teaches Adult Treatments and Advanced Psychopathology, and provides clinical supervision in the clinical program’s practicum sequence.
Xinyao Ma
B.A. Psychology, Tsinghua University
Current doctoral student
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Xinyao is a fourth-year doctoral student in clinical psychology. Her research interests lie primarily in understanding the cognitive processes in psychopathology. Currently, her research focuses on maladaptive future thinking in depression, specifically insensitivity to the potential future consequences of one’s behavior. Outside of the lab, Xinyao enjoys traveling, hiking, diving, and cooking.
Dakota Hughes
B.A. Psychology, University of California: Santa Cruz
Current doctoral student
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Dakota is a second-year doctoral student in clinical psychology. His research interests lie primarily in understanding the role of environmental factors and climate change on depression and related psychopathology, and vice versa. Currently, his research focuses on examining the role of urban green space in mental health outcomes, specifically in examining the psychological, behavioral, and social variables that moderate and mediate these effects. Outside of research, Dakota enjoys hiking, traveling, baking, and video games.
Crystal Hong
Current undergraduate student
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Crystal is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology. Following graduation, she hopes to pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and ultimately work as a practitioner in a mental healthcare setting. She is particularly interested in depression and anxiety disorders.
Xinyao and Dakota presenting at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), 2024
