Center for Children and Families of WNY - FIU

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!

• Amy Boeckel

  Email: aboeckel@fiu.edu

  Amy Boeckel is a Research Coordinator at the Center for Children and Families in WNY. Amy has her Master's degree from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY in School Counselling. Previously Amy was a Case Coordinator at a residential treatment facility providing mental health counselling to children and families. She enjoys meeting with families and working in the schools with teachers and students.

  Fun Fact: Amy enjoys spending time outdoors with her children and traveling.

• Devon Tower

  
  
  Email: dtower@fiu.edu 

  Devon Tower is a project coordinator at the Center for Children and Families in 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.

• Gwen Davis

  

  Email: gdavis@fiu.edu

  Gwen Davis is a research assistant at the Center for Children and Families in WNY. Gwen has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo Michigan. She enjoys working with kids and schools and strives to achieve a better academic and social outcome for them.

  Fun Fact: To de-stress, Gwen loves to cook new and exciting recipes and paint landscapes.

• Helena Destro

  

  Email:hdestro@fiu.edu

  Helena Destro is a research coordinator at the Center for Children and Families in WNY.  Helena attended the University at Buffalo and earned her Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology.  Previously, Helena worked as a school psychologist where she provided psychoeducational services to students of all ages.  She is passionate about improving the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing of children.  Helena hopes to make a positive and lasting impact on the wonderful families who work with the CCF of WNY!

  Fun Fact: If Helena could travel anywhere in the world, she would visit Antarctica.  She would love to see the icebergs, penguins, and mountains.