Lab Director
Amy F. Sato, Ph.D.
Amy F. Sato, Ph.D., directs the Pediatric Health & Stress Lab at Kent State University. Dr. Sato completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral T32 fellowship in Child Mental Health (with a focus on pediatric obesity) at Brown Medical School. Dr. Sato’s research and clinical interests are focused within the area of pediatric, child-health psychology. She is interested in promoting health in children & adolescents by helping youth and their families to establish healthy weight management. Dr. Sato's program of pediatric psychology research includes lab-based experimental studies, intervention/treatment studies, and clinical research in partnership with Akron Children's Hospital. She is particularly interested in research aimed at better understand and reducing pediatric obesity health disparities.
Dr. Sato's research has been supported by several intramural and extramural awards, including funding from the National Institutes of Health (PI Sato: 1R21HD095099-01A1, 1R03HD079509-01). Dr. Sato has served on the editorial boards of multiple scholarly journals, including Children's Health Care, the Journal of Adolescent and Family Health, and the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. She has published 36 peer-reviewed manuscripts (13 first-authored by KSU graduate students!), many of which have been published within top journals within the field of pediatric psychology. Please see Dr. Sato's CV for a listing of publications, including those in partnership with her graduate students. Dr. Sato is part of the Child Clinical Faculty within the Department of Psychological Sciences. Her interests also overlap with the Health Psychology Faculty. Dr. Sato is an active member of the APA Div 54. Society of Pediatric Psychology.
Amy F. Sato, Ph.D., directs the Pediatric Health & Stress Lab at Kent State University. Dr. Sato completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral T32 fellowship in Child Mental Health (with a focus on pediatric obesity) at Brown Medical School. Dr. Sato’s research and clinical interests are focused within the area of pediatric, child-health psychology. She is interested in promoting health in children & adolescents by helping youth and their families to establish healthy weight management. Dr. Sato's program of pediatric psychology research includes lab-based experimental studies, intervention/treatment studies, and clinical research in partnership with Akron Children's Hospital. She is particularly interested in research aimed at better understand and reducing pediatric obesity health disparities.
Dr. Sato's research has been supported by several intramural and extramural awards, including funding from the National Institutes of Health (PI Sato: 1R21HD095099-01A1, 1R03HD079509-01). Dr. Sato has served on the editorial boards of multiple scholarly journals, including Children's Health Care, the Journal of Adolescent and Family Health, and the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. She has published 36 peer-reviewed manuscripts (13 first-authored by KSU graduate students!), many of which have been published within top journals within the field of pediatric psychology. Please see Dr. Sato's CV for a listing of publications, including those in partnership with her graduate students. Dr. Sato is part of the Child Clinical Faculty within the Department of Psychological Sciences. Her interests also overlap with the Health Psychology Faculty. Dr. Sato is an active member of the APA Div 54. Society of Pediatric Psychology.
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Graduate Students
Caroline West, M.A.
Caroline is a sixth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a second major in Economics from the University of Rochester in 2014. Caroline is interested in studying obesogenic and disordered eating behaviors in children and adolescents, specifically within underserved populations. Her future career goals include developing and refining effective prevention and intervention methods for eating- and weight-related disorders that can be readily disseminated into clinical practice in order to effectively reach those in need of care.
Caroline is a sixth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a second major in Economics from the University of Rochester in 2014. Caroline is interested in studying obesogenic and disordered eating behaviors in children and adolescents, specifically within underserved populations. Her future career goals include developing and refining effective prevention and intervention methods for eating- and weight-related disorders that can be readily disseminated into clinical practice in order to effectively reach those in need of care.
Miranda Frank, M.A.
Miranda is a fifth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at Kent State University. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and minor in sociology from Bowling Green State University in 2018. She is interested in researching the role of food insecurity in adolescents’ eating behaviors and mental health. Miranda is a member of APA Div. 54 Society of Pediatric Psychology and acts as the Social Media Representative for Div. 54's Obesity Special Interest Group. Miranda plans to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center, serving children and adolescents with eating-related concerns.
Miranda is a fifth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at Kent State University. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and minor in sociology from Bowling Green State University in 2018. She is interested in researching the role of food insecurity in adolescents’ eating behaviors and mental health. Miranda is a member of APA Div. 54 Society of Pediatric Psychology and acts as the Social Media Representative for Div. 54's Obesity Special Interest Group. Miranda plans to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center, serving children and adolescents with eating-related concerns.
Christina Korth, M.A.
Christina is a fourth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Psychology from Chapman University in 2018. Christina is interested in studying the influence of early life adversity on emotion-related processes and disordered eating among children and adolescents. Her future career goals include becoming a child psychologist at an academic medical center and implementing evidence-based interventions for youth who have experienced trauma.
Christina is a fourth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Psychology from Chapman University in 2018. Christina is interested in studying the influence of early life adversity on emotion-related processes and disordered eating among children and adolescents. Her future career goals include becoming a child psychologist at an academic medical center and implementing evidence-based interventions for youth who have experienced trauma.
Emily Forth, B.A.
Emily is a third year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at Kent State University. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in history from Villanova University in 2019. She is interested in researching health-related quality of life, psychosocial outcomes, and eating behaviors among adolescents with overweight/obesity. Emily plans to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center.
Emily is a third year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at Kent State University. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in history from Villanova University in 2019. She is interested in researching health-related quality of life, psychosocial outcomes, and eating behaviors among adolescents with overweight/obesity. Emily plans to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center.
Elise Weber, B.A.
Elise is a first year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at Kent State University. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and biology from Luther College in 2020. She is interested in researching factors that influence disordered eating behaviors, particularly binge eating in adolescents, and the implementation of effective prevention and intervention methods for disordered eating in children and adolescents. Elise plans to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center.
Elise is a first year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology program at Kent State University. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and biology from Luther College in 2020. She is interested in researching factors that influence disordered eating behaviors, particularly binge eating in adolescents, and the implementation of effective prevention and intervention methods for disordered eating in children and adolescents. Elise plans to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center.
Lab Alumni
Amy Fahrenkamp, Ph.D.
Amy is currently a licensed pediatric psychologist in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Amy graduated with her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology (Child Track) from Kent State University in December 2018, working in Dr. Amy Sato’s Pediatric Health and Stress Lab. Amy completed her pre-doctoral internship in the Pediatric Psychology Track at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, OH) in August of 2018. She then completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Psychology (Clinical Child Track) at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) in September 2020. Her clinical areas of interest include providing assessment and intervention to youth and families of youth presenting with various medical conditions and physical symptoms, specializing in inpatient consultation/liaison services and pediatric pain rehabilitation. Her clinical research interests focus on the role of stress on pediatric health outcomes, such as chronic pain/symptoms, with a more specific focus on how stress impacts avoidant/restrictive eating in the context of physical health.
Katherine (Katy) Darling, Ph.D.
Katy is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center and Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Katy graduated with her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Child Track) in the Pediatric Health and Stress Lab at Kent State University in August 2019. She is currently supported by an F32 individual postdoctoral fellowship through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality focused on qualitatively understanding engagement in clinical weight management programs for adolescents from low-income backgrounds. Katy’s research interests focus on reducing the negative physical and psychosocial impact of obesity in adolescents, with focus on the negative impact of stress on weight status and related health outcomes, especially for adolescents from underserved communities. Katy is an active member of the Society of Pediatric Psychology and has previously served on the Student Advisory Board, as well as on the board of the PRISM (Pediatric Research/Innovative Statistical Methodologies) Special Interest Group of Div. 54.
Katy is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center and Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Katy graduated with her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Child Track) in the Pediatric Health and Stress Lab at Kent State University in August 2019. She is currently supported by an F32 individual postdoctoral fellowship through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality focused on qualitatively understanding engagement in clinical weight management programs for adolescents from low-income backgrounds. Katy’s research interests focus on reducing the negative physical and psychosocial impact of obesity in adolescents, with focus on the negative impact of stress on weight status and related health outcomes, especially for adolescents from underserved communities. Katy is an active member of the Society of Pediatric Psychology and has previously served on the Student Advisory Board, as well as on the board of the PRISM (Pediatric Research/Innovative Statistical Methodologies) Special Interest Group of Div. 54.
Elizabeth (Libby) Ruzicka, Ph.D.
Libby is a fifth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a second major in Educational Studies and a minor in Children's Studies from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. Libby is interested in childhood obesity treatment and prevention. She is particularly interested in obesity treatment in children and families and the transmission of eating patterns in families. Her future career goals include the development and implementation of effective obesity treatment for families.
Clarissa Shields, Ph.D.
Clarissa is a sixth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.S. with a double major in Psychology and Elementary/Middle Education from Marquette University in 2015. Clarissa's research interests include the role of neurocognitive functioning (e.g. executive functioning, memory) on eating/physical activity behaviors and obesity treatment outcomes. She is currently an active student member of the APA Div 54. Society of Pediatric Psychology and serves on the Student Advisory Board . Clarissa's future career goals include becoming a pediatric neuropsychologist in a medical center to further research on the impact of neurocognitive functioning in youth with pediatric health conditions (e.g. obesity, TBI, oncology, congenital heart disease) to improve disease management, psycho-social adjustment, and treatment outcomes.
Clarissa is a sixth year doctoral student in the Child Clinical Psychology Program at Kent State University. She received her B.S. with a double major in Psychology and Elementary/Middle Education from Marquette University in 2015. Clarissa's research interests include the role of neurocognitive functioning (e.g. executive functioning, memory) on eating/physical activity behaviors and obesity treatment outcomes. She is currently an active student member of the APA Div 54. Society of Pediatric Psychology and serves on the Student Advisory Board . Clarissa's future career goals include becoming a pediatric neuropsychologist in a medical center to further research on the impact of neurocognitive functioning in youth with pediatric health conditions (e.g. obesity, TBI, oncology, congenital heart disease) to improve disease management, psycho-social adjustment, and treatment outcomes.