Education
Doctorate of Philosophy in Neuroscience
Expected May 2031Upstate Medical University - Syracuse, NY
B.S. in Psychology, Minor in Philosophy - Summa Cum Laude
May 2026State University at New York - Brockport, NY
Honor’s College | President’s Citation (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025)
Research Experience
Research Assistant - Motivation & Achievement Lab
Spring 2025-CurrentDepartment of Psychology, State University at New York - Brockport, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Emily Hangen
- Contributed to all stages of a study developing a novel self-report measure of self-worth, including literature review, scale construction, validation, and manuscript preparation.
- Co-developed items, conducted item analyses and exploratory factor analyses in R, and assessed psychometric properties and construct associations.
- Prepared IRB proposals and wrote major sections of a manuscript in progress for peer-reviewed publication.
Research Assistant - Child Development & Prevention Lab
August 2025-May 2026The Children’s Institute - Rochester, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Erinn Duprey
- Conducted mixed-methods research evaluating early school-based intervention programs for at-risk youth, including data collection, coding, and analysis.
- Synthesized findings to inform intervention implementation and contributed to manuscript preparation.
SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Undergraduate Research Assistant - Human Operant Lab
May-August 2025Human Operant Behavior Study, Upstate Medical University - Syracuse, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Courtney Mauzy
- Administered human operant tasks and maintained data integrity in a controlled lab setting.
- Supported experimental protocols investigating choice and reinforcement sensitivity
- Wrote R scripts to analyze and visualize behavioral data; collaborated on task design and troubleshooting.
Undergraduate Research Assistant - Behavior Analysis Murine Lab
May- August 2025Biomedical Sciences, Upstate Medical University - Syracuse, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Craig
- Conducted behavioral experiments in rodent models to study decision making & relapse
- Operated behavioral apparatus, handled rodents, and ensured compliance with animal care protocols.
- Collected and analyzed data to investigate behavioral markers in models of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Clinical Experience - Fellowship
Clinical Shadowing Intern
May- August 2025Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University - Syracuse, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Courtney Mauzy, Summer 2025
- Shadowed clinical psychologists delivering evidence-based treatment to children with autism spectrum disorder and severe behavioral disorders
- Assisted in behavioral data collection and analysis to track treatment progress and inform clinical decision-making.
- Gained exposure to multidisciplinary collaboration in a pediatric specialty center providing coordinated medical and behavioral care to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Conference Presentations
*Indicates presenter
Oral presentation at SUNY Undergraduate Research conference (SURC), Syracuse, NY. Merhab, B., Hangen, E. (2026, April). The Socio-contextual Associations of Unconditional Self-Worth: Basic Psychological Needs, Parental Conditional Regard, and Perceived Social Support. [Oral Presentation] SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.
Paper presentation submitted at Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting (SPR), Washington, DC. Duprey, E. B., Cao, V., Merhab, B., & McFall, J. P. (2025, May). Strengthening social and emotional adjustment in early childhood: An optimization study of a school-based therapeutic play intervention [Individual paper presentation]. Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
Oral presentation at Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), New York City, NY. Tyler, L. J., Nguyen, T., Arroyo-Antunez, B. E., Smith, S. W., Ferris, E. L., Merhab, B., Race, H., Loroz, M., Ekama, L., Hanchar, R., & Craig, A. R.(2025, Jan.). Within resurgence with mice: An initial exploration. [Oral Presentation] SUNY Upstate Medical University, Golisano Center for Special Needs, Syracuse, NY.
Oral presentation at Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), New York City, NY. Nguyen, T., Arroyo Antúnez, B. E., Ferris, E. L., Smith, S. W., Tyler, L., Merhab, B., Race, H., Loroz, M., Ekama, L., Hannchar, R., & *Craig, A. R. (2025, Jan.). Differences in voluntary abstinence from alcohol self-administration in Long Evans and Indiana alcohol preferring rats. [Oral Presentation] SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.
Poster presentation at Northeastern Psychological Association (NEPA), Boston, MA. Hangen, E., & Merhab, B.* (2025, October). Redefining Worth: Unconditional Self-Worth and its Relation With Feeling Cared for by God [Poster Presentation]. Northeastern Psychological Association (NEPA), Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Poster presentation at New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) Annual Conference Mauzy, C., Race, H., Merhab, B., Arroyo, B. E., Campos-Rivera, R., Ferris, E., Sullivan, W. E., & Craig, A. R. (2025, October). A human-operant evaluation of procedural variables used in schedule thinning in the context of multiple schedules [Poster presentation]. New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) Annual Conference.
Oral presentation at the SOURCE Summer research Symposium, Syracuse, NY. Craig, A., & Merhab, B.* (2025, August). Investigating the persistence of alternative behavior in resurgence preparations [Oral Presentation]. SOURCE Summer Research Symposium, Syracuse, New York, United States of America.
Oral presentation at the SUNY Brockport Scholars Day Conference, Brockport, NY. Hangen, E.J., & Merhab, B.* (2025, April). Unconditional Self-Worth: Defining and Validating a New Psychosocial Construct [Oral Presentation]. SUNY Brockport Scholars Day Conference, Brockport, New York, United States of America.
Manuscripts
Merhab, B., & Hangen, E. J.(in preparation). Unconditional Self-worth: Defining and Validating a New Psychosocial Construct. SUNY Brockport.
Merhab, B., Craig, A. R., & Mauzy C.(in preparation). Persistence of Alternative Behavior: A Selective Reanalysis of Data from Laboratory Evaluations of Resurgence. Upstate Medical University.
Merhab, B., Martindale, J., & Redmond, B.(in preparation). The surrender of control: Reconsidering the role of sleep—A neurobiological review. University of Rochester.
Funding, Fellowships, & Scholarships
Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF Fellowship)
Amount: $6,200SUNY Upstate Medical University - Syracuse, NY
- Competitive research fellowship supporting full-time behavioral science and clinical translational research.
Research Internship Stipend
Amount: $1,000State University at New York - Brockport, NY
- Awarded to support undergraduate research and applied clinical training hours.
Undergraduate Research Travel Grant
Amount: $400State University at New York - Brockport, NY
- Awarded to support travel for conference presentation at NEPA
Transfer Green Scholarship
Amount: $1,500State University at New York - Brockport, NY
- Merit-based scholarship awarded to incoming transfer students demonstrating academic excellence and research promise.
Awards & Honors
Departmental Scholar Award
Spring 2026SUNY Brockport – Department of Psychology, Philosophy, and Neuroscience
- Sole recipient chosen from a department of over 400 students, recognizing outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated potential for advanced scholarly and research contributions.
President’s Citation List
Fall 2024-CurrentState University at New York - Brockport, NY
Leadership & Service
Co-Founder & President, Mind & Brain Sciences Society
Fall 2025-Spring 2026State University at New York - Brockport, NY
- Launched a multidisciplinary club integrating neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy; hosted monthly open-forum discussions including journal clubs, research presentation sessions, and graduate school information sessions to encourage campus-wide peer mentorship & dialogue on mind, brain, and behavior research.
Peer Tutor, Learning Assistance Center (LAC)
Fall 2024-Spring 2026State University at New York - Brockport, NY
- Provide individual and small-group tutoring for undergraduate students struggling in core psychology courses, including Research Methods, Biopsychology, and Personality Psychology. Focus on helping students develop scientific reasoning, statistical literacy, and evidence-based study skills.
President, Brockport Chapter - Psi Chi International Honor Society
Fall 2025-Spring 2026State University at New York - Brockport, NY
- Elected chapter president. Responsible for organizing academic programming, coordinating research-focused events for psychology majors, mentoring students interested in graduate school, and strengthening chapter–faculty collaboration.
Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant- Principles of Psychology
Spring 2026Department of Psychology, SUNY - Brockport, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Emily Hangen
- Assist in teaching an undergraduate psychology course by developing tutorial techniques, conducting review sessions, holding weekly office hours, and providing individualized student support. Participate in professional development meetings, proctor assessments, and communicate regularly with students to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
Teaching Assistant- Research Methods; Biopsychology
Fall 2025Department of Psychology, SUNY - Brockport, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Stacy Birch
- Assist in teaching core psychology courses by leading review sessions, providing office-hour support, grading assignments, and offering feedback on lab reports and research proposals.
- Help students strengthen their scientific reasoning, data analysis skills, understanding of experimental design, and brain–behavior relationships.