PSC Director
Amy Cohen, PhD
amycohen@illinois.edu
Dr. Amy Cohen received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminology from the University of Miami. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University, where her research and clinical work focused on applied behavior analytic (ABA) strategies for learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr. Cohen completed her doctoral internship at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital, specializing in delivering evidence-based psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and families. She received advanced training during her postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in the division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, where Dr. Cohen specialized in the assessment of developmental disabilities, with a focus on the early identification and diagnosis of ASD. Additionally, Dr. Cohen completed a secondary, interdisciplinary fellowship through the South Carolina Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND).
Dr. Cohen returned back to her home state to join the University of Illinois faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor in 2015, serving as the Director of the Psychological Services Center since 2017. In her role at the PSC, Dr. Cohen also directs the University of Illinois Autism Clinic, where she trains doctoral level clinicians in the assessment and diagnosis of ASD across the lifespan. Dr. Cohen’s research interests include the symptomatology of ASD in women and girls, and supporting the transition to motherhood in caregivers with ASD. In addition to her work in the PSC, Dr. Cohen is a co-investigator on a federally funded grant investigating the association between child and maternal gesture use and dyadic language in order to inform intervention for early language development in Fragile X syndrome.
PSC Office Manager:
Sara Dubson, B.S.
dubson@illinois.edu
I graduated from Illinois State University in 1993 with my B.S in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I’ve worked at the University of Illinois since 1996 and I’ve been at the PSC since 2010. In my time away from the office I enjoy spending time with my family and rescuing and fostering dogs.
PSC Assistants:
Jae Wan Choi, M.S.
Jae Wan is a doctoral student in the Clinical-Community Psychology program. His research interests include exploring different inter- and intra-personal risk factors for psychopathology among children and adolescents across multiple units of analyses, and translating the clinical implications of research through evidence-based practices. In his free time, Jae Wan enjoys listening to and playing music, cooking, playing games, and watching movies.
Kameron MacNear, M.S.
Kameron is a PhD student in the UIUC Clinical-Community Psychology program. Born in Detroit, he graduated with his B.A. in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. His research interests include culturally informed and strengths-based protective factors for Black and African American mental health. Kameron’s clinical goals include addressing disparities in access and treatment effectiveness for underrepresented minority populations. He spends his time at home cooking (and eating) in his kitchen, playing games on his PlayStation, and watching movies with his fiancée.
Maya Marder, M.S.
Maya Marder is a doctoral student in the clinical-community psychology program. Her clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment, interventions for internalizing symptoms, and supporting clients to explore equanimity and self-acceptance as they engage in the therapeutic process. Maya’s research focuses on neural activation associated with threat perception, cognition, and performance. Outside of work, she enjoys sports, cooking, dancing, and spending time in nature.
Haley Skymba, M.S.
Haley Skymba is the current NAS clinic coordinator and a doctoral student in the clinical/community division of psychology at UIUC. Prior to moving to Illinois, she received her BS from Moravian College and worked as a junior specialist at the TCAN lab at UC Davis. Broadly, she is interested in neuropsychological assessment for neurodevelopmental conditions and understanding brain-behavior relationships in childhood and adolescence. She currently studies how early life experiences of peer and family adversity can impact emotional development in adolescence. In her free time, she enjoys trying new recipes and taking advantage of nice weather with hiking, camping, or kayaking.
Hena Thakur, M.S.
Hena grew up in Maryland and enjoys reading, spending time with friends and cooking (that last one is a skill gained during quarantine!). She graduated from Boston University and is currently a 4th year graduate student in the Clinical-Community Psychology PhD program.
