Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

Ph.D. | May 2025 | Human Development and Family Science | The University of Georgia

M.S. Ed | 2020 | Counseling and Mental Health Services | The University of Pennsylvania

B.A. | 2018 | Psychology & Criminology| Pennsylvania State University

GRANTS & FUNDINGS

Title: Adolescent Neural Associations with the Parent-Child Interaction: Piloting a Novel fMRI Task

Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Franklin Foundation (UGA Bio-Imaging Research Center FACS funding) 

Amount: $6,000

HONORS&AWARDS

2023               $1,500 Franklin Foundation Neuroimaging Travel award, University of Georgia 

2023         $1,145 Hazel and Gene Franklin Scholarship, University of Georgia

2023         $400 College of Family and Consumer Sciences Travel Award University of Georgia 

2023         $1,000 Graduate Student Travel Funding, University of Georgia 

2022         $1,400 Graduate Student Travel Funding, University of Georgia 

2022         $1,600 Iris Price Dover Scholarship, University of Georgia

2021-2022 $500 College of Family and Consumer Sciences Travel Award, University of Georgia   

2021       $800 FACS Funds for Excellence Scholarship, University of Georgia

2021       $1,000 Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, University of Georgia

2019       $5,000 GSE Merit Scholarship, University of Pennsylvania

2018       Psi Chi Award for Best Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, Penn State

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Zhang, L., Cui, Z., Sasser, J., Carvalho, C., Oshri, A. (2022). Family stress during the pandemic worsens the effect of adverse parenting on adolescent sleep quality. Child Abuse & Neglect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105390, (IF = 4.863).   

Zhang, L., Cui, Z., Huffman, L., Oshri, A. (in press). Sleep mediates the effect of stressful environments on youth impulsivity: The moderating role of default mode network connectivity. Sleep Health. (IF=4.207).  

MANUSCRIPT UNDER REVISION OR REVIEW

Zhang, L., Sasser, J., Doane, D. L., Peltz, J., & Oshri, A. (revise and resubmit). Latent profiles of sleep patterns in adolescence: associations with behavioral health risk. 

Azarmehr. R., Reck, A., Zhang, L., Oshri, A (under review). COVID-19 Stress Exacerbates the Effect of Child Maltreatment on Negative Affect via Increased Identity Confusion During Adolescence. 

MANUSCRIPT IN PREPARATION

Howard, C. Zhang, L., Huffman, L., Brown, G., Oshri, A. (analyses completed). The link between family functioning patterns and negative affect in the context of physiological reactivity.

Zhang, L., Oshri, A., Nataga, J., Carvalho, C., Backer, F., Kiss, O. (analyses completed). Sensation seeking, sleep duration and screen usage in early adolescents: Findings from ABCD Study. 

SYMPOSIUMS

Symposium title: Sleep During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence Among Youth, Adolescents, and Parents

Chair: Sasser, J. & Zhang, L.

Paper: Zhang, L., Azarmehr, R., Carvalho, C., Friedman, B., Evans, A., Oshri, A. (March 2023). Pre-Covid Sleep predicts Sleep Quality During the Pandemic: The Exacerbating Role of Stress and Loneliness. Presented at SRCD 2023 Biennial Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Symposium title: Pubertal Change, Deficient Sleep, and Mental Health Problems: Understanding This Slow Moving Trainwreck. 

Chair: Peltz., J.

Paper: Zhang, L., Sasser, J., Peltz, J., Doane, L., Barth, M., & Oshri, A. (March 2023). Latent Typologies of Sleep Patterns: Associations with Pubertal Development, Internalizing and Externalizing Problems.

Paper: Peltz, J., Oshri, A. Doane, L., Sasser, J. & Zhang, L. (March 2023). The Impact of Pubertal Development on Children’s Sleep and Family Conflict.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS 

Zhang, L., Kiss, O., Nagata, J., de Zambotti, M., Backer, F. & Oshri, A. (June 2023). Sleep Duration Moderates The Link Between Youth Impulsivity And Mature-Rated Media Usage One Year Later. Poster Presentation at SLEEP 2023, the 37th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC (APSS), Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Friedman, B., Zhang, L., & Oshri, A. (June 2023). Sleep duration variability moderates the effect of cortisol reactivity on negative affect in adolescents. Poster Presentation at the 44th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Phoenix, AZ.

Carvalho, C., Howard, C., Zhang, L. & Oshri, A. (November 2022). Autonomic Functioning in Intergenerational Processes of Risk and Resilience. Poster presentation at ISDP 2022 Hybrid: 55th Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA. 

Azarmehr, R., Reck, A., Zhang, L., Huffman, L., & Oshri, A. (November 2022). COVID-19 Stress Exacerbates the Effect of Negative Affect via Identity Confusion in Adolescence. Poster presentation at ISDP 2022 Hybrid: 55th Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA. 

Zhang, L., Carvalho, C., Azarmehr, R., Cui, Z., Howard, C., & Oshri, A. (September 2022). Latent Typologies of Sleep Patterns: Associations with Resting-State Functional Connectivity, Internalizing and Externalizing Problems. Poster presentation at the Flux Congress at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France.

Cui, Z., Zhang, L., Howard, C., Oshri, A. (March 2022). Early Life Stress and Internalizing Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Socioemotional Neural Sensitivity to Positive Social Reward. Accepted for poster presentation at Society of Research on Adolescence. New Orleans, AL. 

Zhang, L., Huffman, L., Cui, Z., Oshri, A. (September 2021). The Default Mode Network Resting-State Functional Connectivity as a Protective Factor in the mediating link between Environmental Unpredictability and Impulsivity via Sleep Duration. Accepted for poster presentation at the Flux Virtual Congress. 

Cui, Z., Zhang, L., Huffman, L., Carvalho, C., Oshri, A. (September 2021). Family Material Hardship, Youth Future Orientation, and Perseverance: The Protective Role of Resting-State Functional Connectivity. Accepted for poster presentation at the Flux Virtual Congress.

Zhang, L., Cui, Z., Sasser, J., Oshri, A. (June 2021). COVID-19 Related Stress Intensifies the Impact of Child Maltreatment on Sleep Quality. Accepted for oral and poster presentation at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). 

Huffman, L. G., Zhang, L., Carvalho, C., Oshri, A. (May 2021). Neural Activation During Emotion Processing Predicts Callous-Unemotional Traits in Youth: The Moderating Role of Parental Acceptance.  Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of Society for Research on Child Development. Stratigic Plan Poster Winner.  

TEACHING EXPERIENCES

2023 Spring        Co-instructor, HDFS 5110: Research Methods in Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia

2021 – 2022 Teaching assistant, HDFS 7170: Introduction to Research Statistics, University of Georgia

2021, 2022         Guest lecturer, HDFS 7170: Introduction to Research Statistics

2021               Guest lecturer, HDFS 3700: Adolescent Development

2017-2019       Undergraduate teaching assistant, PSYCH100: Introduction to Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS

Certified video coder for Family Interaction Macro-Coding System (FIMS)

MRI Safety & Scanning Human Subjects Training

Adolescent Brain & Cognitive Development Workshop

Actigraphy cleaning and analysis

REVIEWER EXPERIENCE

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Clinical Experiences 

2019- 2020                          Graduate Practicum Intern, Children Crisis Treatment Center, Philadelphia, PA

2017- 2018                          Hotline Counselor, Centre Helps, State College, PA


Leadership Experience

2021-2022                          HDFS Interview Coordinator & Diversity Representative, University of Georgia

 2018-2019                          Orientation Leader, Global Penn State, Pennsylvania State University


Professional Affiliations

Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)

Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS)

FLUX Society