Mai Jiaying Xu

I recently completed my M.A. in Experimental Psychology at Brandeis University, where I was mentored by Dr. Raymond A. Knight. My thesis investigated how patterns of alcohol use predict sexual aggression recidivism across different post-release timeframes, using archival data from the Massachusetts Treatment Center and a National Institute of Justice follow-up study.

Currently, I am working at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, identifying protective traits and mechanisms that support cognitive functioning in individuals with high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Alongside, I continue to work at Harvard University with Dr. John Weisz’s lab on the SMILE Project, examining school-based intervention outcomes, and with Dr. Mark Shuquan Chen’s team on the Emotion Regulation Project in the Emotion and Psychopathology in Context Lab, studying how emotion regulation strategies affect mental health across cultures.

Broadly, I am interested in uncovering mechanisms that can inform prevention and intervention efforts in developmental psychopathology.

Outside of research, I enjoy baking sourdough and other treats and am committed to fostering warmth and positivity in both my personal and academic life.

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Starting in June 2025, I will be working with Dr. Hang Xu and Dr. Weiwen Wang on projects exploring the neurobiological and psychological impacts of early adversity, including a neuroimaging study and an investigation into protective traits linked to preserved executive function.

Contributing to meta-analysis project on the role of emotion regulation in mental health across cultural contexts. Responsibilities include assisting in a meta-analysis examining the impact of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression on depression, anxiety, and well-being, with tasks such as literature screening, data extraction, data cleaning, and analysis.

Engaging in comprehensive research on youth mental health interventions, with a focus on school-based settings. This includes conducting a meta-analysis of approximately 300 studies addressing social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) problems in K-12 students, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and conduct issues. Responsibilities include testing the overall effectiveness of these interventions, analyzing factors that enhance or diminish their outcomes, and examining the relationship between improved mental health and academic performance. Additional duties involve assisting in a meta-analysis on the impact of homework completion in psychotherapy, with tasks such as data collection, cleaning, management, and preparation of manuscripts for publication. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to generate insights into how interventions affect student functioning, academic outcomes, and mental well-being.

During my time in the Knight Lab, I began by assisting Dr. Sonja Krstic with studies on sadism, psychopathy, and sexual offending, providing a strong foundation for my independent research. Under the mentorship of Dr. Raymond Knight, I designed and conducted my thesis project, Alcohol as a Predictor of Sexual Aggression Recidivism, using archival data from the Massachusetts Treatment Center (MTC) Dictionary. This project has been accepted for presentation at the ATSA 2025 conference, and I am currently preparing the manuscript for publication.

In the lab, I studied the developmental trajectories and typologies of aggressive behaviors, particularly sexual aggression and psychopathy. I gained extensive experience in data analysis, managing the Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex, and Aggression (MIDSA), and contributing to research publications. I also developed skills in scientific writing, conference presentations, statistical analysis, programming (R, Python, SPSS), IRB protocol preparation, and completed CITI training.

At the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Psychology, I contributed to research on poverty-related psychological issues, female parenting behavior, and the relationship between income and happiness. As part of Dr. Xiufeng Chen’s project, I was trained in data collection and entry while also providing support in the analysis and writing process for work that was later published in Applied Research in Quality of Life. Beyond my project work, I actively engaged in weekly journal readings and discussions, which deepened my understanding of current psychological research and fostered critical thinking. This experience allowed me to develop valuable research skills, including methodological rigor, data management, collaborative writing, and an appreciation for the broader research landscape in psychology.

At Boston Children’s Hospital, I worked on the front lines of clinical practice, gaining extensive experience in patient-centered care. I led a project to develop a digital tool aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of treatment by fostering stronger connections between clinicians and their patients. Utilizing Umbrella, SurveyMonkey, and Qualtrics, I designed and distributed surveys to clinicians across Massachusetts, collected and cleaned the data using RStudio, and analyzed key priorities for the tool’s development. This work focused on improving treatment outcomes while ensuring patient privacy and obtaining parental consent.

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