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Monika A Waszczuk, PhD
Dr. Monika Waszczuk is an Associate Professor of Psychology. She completed her undergraduate training at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK. Afterwards, Dr. Waszczuk received her MSc and PhD in Behavioral Genetics from the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, UK. Following her graduate training, Dr. Waszczuk joined the Department of Psychiatry at Stony Brook University in New York, where she completed her postdoctoral training and conducted research as an Assistant Professor. Many of her projects at Stony Brook University have been in collaboration with the World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program. Dr. Waszczuk is an executive board member of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) Consortium and serves as a Chair of the HiTOP Genetic Workgroup. Dr. Waszczuk joined the faculty of RFUMS in 2020.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Research Interests
The overarching goal of Dr. Waszczuk’s research program is to explicate the role of genetic vulnerability in the etiology and co-occurrence of physical and mental health conditions. Research topic include:
- Application of polygenic risk scores to predict severity and long-term course of PTSD, inflammation, and other health outcomes in responders to the 9/11 disaster.
- Interplay between personality traits, health-related behaviors, and trauma/stress exposure in mental and physical health.
- Etiology of psychiatric conditions, in particular emotional disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD), in developmental and adult populations.
- Psychiatric comorbidity, classification, and the HiTOP model, with a focus on transdiagnostic approaches.
Are you a Prospective Graduate Student?
Dr. Waszczuk will be reviewing applications for the 2027/2028 academic year. Please note that to remain unbiased in the review of applications and to be equitable across all applicants, it is our department’s policy to not meet individually with applicants prior to our PhD Interview Day. However, if you have a specific question that cannot be answered through our webpage and would influence your decision to apply, you are welcome to reach out with brief questions.
Current Students
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Amanda Masserlie, MS Amanda is an eight-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program. She graduated from RFUMS with an MS in Clinical Counseling in 2019. Her primary research interests focus on the effects of anxiety on cognitive functioning across the adult lifespan, as well as the transdiagnostic models of psychopathology and their application in clinical neuropsychology. Her clinical interest is in adult neuropsychology, specifically transplant neuropsychology, neuro-oncology, pre-surgical evaluations, and cognitive function in complex medical cases. Amanda is currently completing a predoctoral internship with a concentration in clinical neuropsychology at the New Mexico VA Health Care System. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, and traveling. |
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Krista Ekberg, MS Krista is a sixth-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program. Prior to entering the RFUMS doctoral program, she worked as a research assistant at DePaul University, assisting with an NIH-funded project investigating the prevalence of pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Broadly, Krista is interested in examining comorbid psychological and physical health outcomes in pediatric populations, with a specific focus on investigating how genetic vulnerabilities contribute as underlying factors. She is currently completing her pre-doctoral residency in pediatric psychology at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. |
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Christopher Khudari, MA, MS Christopher is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. Before joining Rosalind Franklin University, he received his BA in Psychology from the University at Buffalo and his MA in Psychology from Stony Brook University. Following his Master’s degree, he worked as a project coordinator at Stony Brook Medicine on an artificial intelligence study examining PTSD and health in World Trade Center Responders. He also served as a clinical interviewer for a Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) project. He previously completed the All of Us Research Scholar Program. He is currently completing his clinical placement practicum at Loyola's Cancer Center. He is broadly interested in how genetic risk factors and personality traits influence psychopathology and health outcomes. |
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Simran Dhaliwal Simran is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. She graduated from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 2024 with an Honours Specialization in Psychology and a Major in Biology. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Simran worked as a clinical research coordinator in the Suicide Prevention Research Collaborative at Sunnybrook Research Institute (affiliated with the University of Toronto). In that role, she coordinated studies focused on suicide, self-harm, and sex and gender differences in adolescent mood disorders. Currently, Simran is completing her clinical placement at the Lovell VA. Broadly, Simran's research interests include neurodevelopmental disorders, the HiTOP model, and adolescents and young adults. In her free time, Simran enjoys going to concerts and trying new restaurants. |
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Sophia Martignetti Sophia is a second-year student in the Psychology Clinical Counseling MS program. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Development from the University of California, Davis in 2020. Prior to beginning graduate school, Sophia gained clinical and research experience across multiple settings; including serving as a mental health worker at an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a clinical research coordinator in NYU Langone’s Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry focusing on maternal mental health, and a middle school education specialist at a foster care agency. Her academic and professional interests include trauma-informed care, the developmental impact of early childhood adversity, and resilience within families and communities. Currently, she is completing her practicum internship at Simply Bee counseling providing therapy for children and adolescents. Sophia is the Behavioral Health care coordinator for the Interprofessional Community Clinic at Rosalind Franklin. In her free time, Sophia enjoys playing volleyball, cooking, and reading! |
Lab Alumni
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Elaine Schultz, PhD |
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Palak Singh, PhD |
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Anakaren Elizondo, MS |
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Jessica Krawiec, MS, LPC |
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Youjin Kim, MS, LPC |
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Katarzyna Klimek, MS |
Recent Publications (selected)
Please see Dr. Waszczuk’s CV for a complete list of her current/previous research funding and peer-reviewed publications.
Hoy, N., Forbes, M.K., Waszczuk, M.A., Sunderland, M., Reppermund, S., & Mewton, L. (2026). Investigating the hierarchical structure of psychopathology and prospective associations between cognitive dysfunction and transdiagnostic symptom dimensions in 112,694 older adults from the UK Biobank. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.
Waszczuk, M. A. (2026). Genetic Evidence for Personality in a Hierarchical Model of Psychopathology. In Hopwood, C. & Sharp, C. (Eds.) Dimensional Diagnosis: Practical and Conceptual Issues in the Integration of Personality and Psychopathology.
Mann, F.D.*, Waszczuk M.A.*, Clouston, S.A.P, Bromet, E.J., Marx, B.P., … Kotov, R. (2025). Polygenic Risk and Exposure Severity Predict Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Design. Molecular Psychiatry.
Waszczuk, M. A. (2025). Genetic Evidence for Personality in a Hierarchical Model of Psychopathology. In Hopwood, C. & Sharp, C. (Eds.) Dimensional Diagnosis: Practical and Conceptual Issues in the Integration of Personality and Psychopathology.
Ekberg, K., Michelini, G., Schneider, K. L., Docherty, A. R., Shabalin, … , Waszczuk, M. A. (2025). Additive Contributions of Polygenic Risk Scores and Interpersonal Stressors to Adolescent Body Mass Index. Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine.
Mann, F.D., Waszczuk M.A., Clouston, S.A.P, Feltman, S., Ruggero, C.J., … Kotov, R. (2025). Long-Term Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study of World Trade Center Responders. Nature Mental Health.
Hoy, N., Waszczuk, M. A., Sunderland, M., Lynch S., Sachdev, P. … Mewton, L. (2025). Longitudinal investigation of the relationship between dimensional psychopathology, grey matter structure, and dementia status in older adulthood. Psychological Medicine.