Meryssa is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program (Child track) at SFU, supervised by Dr. Grace Iarocci.
Meryssa completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Victoria (UVic) in 2021. Her honours thesis, under the supervision of Dr. Ulrich Mueller, examined the relations between language and executive function development during the preschool years. During her studies at UVic, Meryssa volunteered with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Different Minds Academy and worked with youth and adults with various developmental disabilities as a respite worker, community support worker, and educational assistant. Meryssa has enjoyed her experiences working with individuals with developmental disabilities in long term care facilities, the community, and the classroom.
Meryssa completed her MA in Clinical Psychology in 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Grace Iarocci. You can view here thesis here: "Gender differences in relations between internalizing symptoms and social motivation among autistic and non-autistic youth".
Meryssa’s research interests include comorbid mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, barriers and gaps in services available for individuals with developmental disabilities, and community inclusion for individuals with developmental disabilities.
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