Ph.D Students
Katherine Benvenuto
Katherine Benvenuto is a PhD student in the Clinical Developmental Psychology program at York University. Her research explores adolescent development and well-being, with a focus on the interplay between relationships, agency, and broader contextual factors in shaping resilience and risk. Through collaborative research with community partners, she aims to inform prevention and intervention efforts that empower young people and the social-ecological systems they are embedded in. Throughout her graduate training, Katherine has been involved in projects on the romantic relationships of girls involved with child welfare, sex trafficking prevention and intervention, the development of a sex trafficking risk assessment tool for child welfare personnel, and pathways to thriving among marginalized youth.
Email: kb15@my.yorku.ca
Research Assistants
Danah Makow
Danah Makow is in her final year of the Specialized Honours Psychology program at York University. She holds an HBA in Business Administration from Ivey Business School at Western University (2017). She is interested in research that has practical applications for the community, specifically focusing on vulnerable populations. Her independent research examined child welfare workers uncertainty when making judgements about youth sex trafficking involvement. Her current thesis explores the association between developmental disability and sex trafficking risk. Danah intends to pursue graduate studies in clinical developmental psychology.
Email: dmakow@my.yorku.ca
Grayson Hou
My research interests include the development of adolescent romantic relationships and risk factors for youth sex trafficking. I am currently conducting a scoping review on adolescent romantic relationships in non-Western populations with Dr. Jennifer Connolly. Additionally, I am involved in projects examining the effects of mindfulness on mental effort and how race shapes perceptions of trustworthiness. I hope to pursue graduate training in Clinical Psychology after completing my undergraduate studies.
Email: grayhou@my.yorku.ca
Leeor Freiman
Leeor Freiman is a Specialized Honours B.Sc. Psychology student at York University. In the Teen Relationships Lab, he has contributed to the development of an online sex trafficking screening tool for child welfare workers, with a focus on psychometric analysis, knowledge mobilization, and digital tool design. Beyond the lab, Leeor has research experience in social cognition, addiction, and cannabis use. He plans to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction, personality disorders, and anxiety disorders in vulnerable populations.
Email: freimanl@my.yorku.ca
Ojaswi Niyogi
Ojaswi is a fourth-year Psychology student working on her Honours Thesis. She is interested in the impact of traumatic childhood experiences on youth in the welfare system, and intends to explore whether they are associated with the risk of being trafficked. Her research aims to supplement the screening process for vulnerable youth so that youth at risk of trafficking can be provided with preventative interventions and additional support. She also works with Peace by Peace, where she teaches elementary school students conflict resolution skills and emotional regulation techniques.
Email: ella08@my.yorku.ca
