Center for Children and Families of WNY - FIU | Center for Children and Families

Who We Are

Florida International University (FIU) is one of the largest Florida state campuses and is present in many national and international communities. The Center for Children and Families of Western New York (WNY) - FIU is a satellite office of FIU, located in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Fabiano and his team have worked in the area for over 20 years, and study effective approaches to help individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across the life span.

What We Do

The activities within the center include research studies to find out the best way to help support individuals with ADHD. Almost all of the studies include treatments, and many participants receive these evidence-based treatments as part of the studies.

Because the studies collect information on how the participants respond, the results also help others in the future.

Past research studies have investigated the best approach to helping students with ADHD in special education; how to support children and their fathers during sports activities; how to help new drivers with ADHD enter the transition to independent driving safely; and what areas of strength and weakness individuals with ADHD demonstrate in a simulated pizza restaurant work setting.

Our mission is to improve the lives of children and families struggling with mental health concerns by:

Advancing evidence-based knowledge of the causes, mechanisms, outcomes, and interventions for mental health and learning problems of youth.
Promoting the development of effective treatments services to children and families in Western New York.
Disseminating knowledge to students, consumers, and professionals in mental health, education and primary care.

Current Studies

Positive Behavior Supports for Children with ADHD in grades 1-5
Enhancing Individualized Education Programs for children with ADHD grades K-7
Promoting effective school starts for relatively young children in kindergarten

Resources

Team

Gregory Fabiano

Email: gfabiano@fiu.edu
CASE Profile
Dr. Fabiano is a professor of psychology at Florida International University (FIU). He is a core faculty member in the Clinical Science in Child in Adolescent Psychology Doctoral Program and the Center for Children and Families (CCF).
His program of research has focused on the development, validation and implementation of effective assessments and interventions for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their families. He has expertise in assessment and intervention development and implementation for youth with ADHD. This has included the development a rating scale teachers and parents can use to indicate impairment in daily life functioning, a parenting intervention for fathers of children with ADHD, a school-based behavioral intervention for children with ADHD in special education placements and an intensive psychosocial intervention for novice teen drivers with ADHD. He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple clinical trials that investigated psychosocial and/or pharmacological treatments for ADHD, and these studies have included multiple designs (single-subject, cross-over, between group, adaptive treatment).
Fun fact: When not at work, Dr. Fabiano enjoys coaching one of his children’s sports teams or cheering them on from the sidelines!
Brittany Merrill

Email: brmerril@fiu.edu
Dr. Merrill is a postdoctoral researcher and clinician at the Center for Children and Families in WNY. Dr. Merrill joined the team in Buffalo in 2020 and was a doctoral student at FIU working at the CCF in Miami until 2019. Her domains of research are the evidence-based treatment of childhood ADHD as well as the long-term outcomes of ADHD into adulthood. Her work centers around the goals of 1) improving the academic functioning of children with ADHD, and 2) improving the reach and availability of evidence-based behavioral treatments. Toward these goals, she is currently developing technology-assisted behavioral interventions targeting academic functioning and homework management among children with ADHD.
Fun Fact: Dr. Merrill recently adopted her furry friend Binx who is fondly referred to as a cat-dog because of his skills in fetch and overt friendliness! Dr. Merrill has spent the pandemic cuddling with Binx and watching all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in chronological order, and she is very excited to get back outside and enjoy Buffalo this year!
John Monopoli
Email: wmonopol@fiu.edu
Dr. Monopoli is a postdoctoral researcher and clinician at the CCF- WNY working with Dr. Gregory Fabiano. His research interests include the conceptualization and measurement of emotion regulation, as well as promotion of healthy socioemotional adjustment, in adolescence and emerging adulthood. He is specifically interested in investigating risk and protective factors for adjustment difficulties in these developmental time periods.
Fun fact: when not studying emotion regulation, you can find Dr. Monopoli at a Bisons game (in the summer) or a Sabres/Bills game (in the winter), unless it’s a pandemic – then he’ll be watching on TV!
Devon Tower

Email: dtower@fiu.edu
Devon Tower is a project coordinator at the CCF- WNY and has been working with Dr. Fabiano since 2017. Previously Devon was an elementary teacher in Manassas Park, Virginia for twelve years and holds an MS in Educational Psychology from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She enjoys meeting with the families that visit our Buffalo office!

Fun Fact: Devon enjoys spending time outside with her two young daughters and her yellow lab, Cannoli.
Emilea Rejman
Email: erejman@fiu.edu
Emilea Rejman is a Research Assistant at the Center for Children and Families in WNY. Emilea has her Master’s in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests are in aggression and bullying, chronic victimization as well as developing interventions aimed at promoting positive peer relationships for children with ADHD. Emilea plans to return to university to obtain her PhD in School Psychology.
Fun Fact: Emilea is an avid Bills fan. Pre-pandemic, Emilea enjoyed traveling to cities around the world. Emilea loves to run outside, hike and try out new local restaurants when she has free time. Feel free to share any recommendations with her!