Current Members

Dr. Wan-Ling Tseng is an Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Section on Mood Dysregulation and Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Tseng is committed to a long-term career as a developmental affective neuroscientist conducting innovative and collaborative research focused on irritability and related symptoms. Her research program, currently funded by her NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2), aims to delineate mechanisms and predictors of chronic irritability across multiple levels of analysis from neural circuits, physiology, behaviors, social experiences (e.g., peer interactions), to familial and environmental factors and across development. In addition to the New Innovator Award, Dr. Tseng’s work has been recognized by other prestigious awards and organizations including the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), Society of Biological Psychiatry Travel Award, Career Development Institute for Bipolar Disorder, NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence, NIMH OFT Trainee Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award, Doris Duke Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists, and Charles H. Hood Foundation Child Health Research Award.

I am an undergraduate student at the University of New Haven and I am currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. My research interests focus on the impact of the foster care system and Child Protective Services on children’s mental health. Following graduation, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in Human Factors.

Siyi is a second-year MRes student in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Social Work at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and has also worked as a research assistant in several neuropsychological labs. Her current research interest lies in the diagnosis of depression and anxiety.

Hello! I'm a undergraduate student at Yale studying psychology with an interest in medicine and public health. I'm from Philadelphia and really enjoy exploring the city (and am excited to explore many more cities!). Outside of school, I enjoy dancing, taking long walks, and hanging out with friends!

Abena Opoku is an undergraduate student at Yale planning to major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology or History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health on the premedical track. Abena’s research interests include how biological and neural mechanisms are influenced by external factors such as socioeconomic background, opportunities, and experiences, and how these factors affect treatment outcomes particularly among marginalized communities. She joined the YAY Lab in June 2025, and her current project is focused on how access to neighborhood resources influences amygdala reactivity in frustrated youth.

After graduating from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in 2025 with a bachelor’s of science in psychology and a minor in education, Alexa joined the YAY Lab as a postgraduate associate, studying the neurological and behavioral indices of youth irritability. At UCR, she was involved in multiple research labs and fellowships, with a specific focus of empathy, climate anxiety, and future-oriented cognition. Her research interests remain consistent, with a desire to translate her previous research experiences and skills to the YAY lab.