PlayReadVIP National Center

The PlayReadVIP National Center is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of pediatricians, developmental psychologists, parent coaches, researchers, and more leading program implementation, delivery, optimization, and nationwide expansion.

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Alan Mendelsohn, MD

PlayReadVIP Founding Director and Principal Investigator 
Professor of Pediatrics and Population Health
Division Director, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYC H+H/Bellevue 

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Dr. Mendelsohn is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYC H+H/Bellevue. He is the Founding Director and Primary Investigator of PlayReadVIP, as well as the Division Chief for the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Director of Research for the Divisions of General and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Co-Director of Biostatistical Analysis Coursework for the NYU Clinical and Translational Science Institute - Masters of Science Program in Clinical Investigation, and member of: the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood, the Academic Pediatric Association Child Poverty Task Force, the NIH/NICHD Biobehavioral and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee, the Society for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Board of Director, and former Chair of the NIH/NICHD Subcommittee.

Dr. Mendelsohn was born and raised in Queens, New York. He graduated from Jamaica High School and Princeton University. Dr. Mendelsohn’s medical training included receipt of his MD from SUNY Stony Brook, followed by Residency in Pediatrics and Fellowship in Academic General Pediatrics providing training in clinical research.

Dr. Mendelsohn is a nationally and internationally-recognized pediatric scientist. His work has focused on poverty-related disparities in critical child outcomes including child development, obesity and chronic disease. He has investigated the role of environmental factors, both psychosocial (parent-child interactions, electronic media exposure, maternal depression, maternal literacy/health literacy, feeding practices) and biologic (lead), in relation to these outcomes. Dr. Mendelsohn's studies have demonstrated the potential role for the pediatric primary care setting as a universal platform for promotion of school readiness through enhanced parenting, through interventions such as Reach out and Read and the Video Interaction Project. Dr. Mendelsohn has been the recipient of NIH/NICHD R01 funding as a Principal Investigator since 2005. Dr. Mendelsohn is also a co-author of an instrument (StimQ) that can be used to assess the cognitive home environment in low income households.

Dr. Mendelsohn has received numerous awards recognizing his work, including as a Zero to Three Leaders for the 21st Century Harris Fellow, and receipt of the NYU CTSI Translational Mentor of the Year Award and the NYU Department of Pediatrics Mentorship Award. In 2021, Dr. Mendelsohn was the recipient of the Academic Pediatric Association Research Award, among the highest honors in this field.

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Anne Seery, PhD​
​
Director
​PlayReadVIP National Center

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Anne Seery, PhD is the Director of the PlayReadVIP National Center.  Dr. Seery has been working with PlayReadVIP since 2014, where she has been leading expansion and growth, including helping to grow the program from its initial two locations while supporting development of program materials, training structure, and implementation processes.  She is a developmental psychologist with a goal of ensuring that all children have the resources to thrive and start school ready to learn.  She completed her BA in psychology and mathematics from Rutgers University, and her PhD in Psychology/Human Development from Boston University, where her doctoral work focused on investigation of the early progression of autism spectrum disorder, including working to understand early symptoms or biomarkers in infancy before a diagnosis is possible.

PlayReadVIP National Center Leadership Team

Aida Custode, MA

Director of Implementation
​Joined in 2013

Xochitl Arechiga, M. Ed

Director of
​Training & Programs
​Joined in 2022

Jinjoo Han, PhD

Director of
​Research
Joined in 2024

Nicole Kesoglides, MA

Manager,
Fundraising & Communications
​Joined in 2020

Jessica Lee, MPH

Manager,
​Operations

​​Joined in 2023

Meredith Ansell, LMSW

Manager,
Health Policy
Joined in 2025

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PlayReadVIP National Center Program Team

Maya Matalon, MPH

Supervisor,
​Training
​Joined in 2014

Leonela Tutasig

Coordinator,
​Sites
Joined in 2020

Emma Dean

Coordinator, 
Logistics
​Joined in 2025

Ashley Griffin, MS

Supervisor,
​Training
​Joined in 2016

Nina Buscone, SLP

Coordinator,
​Training​
Joined in 2017

​Carleny
​Cardoza

Coordinator,
Training
Joined in 2023

Sara
​Benitez Ramirez

Coordinator,
Training
​Joined in 2020

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PlayReadVIP National Center Research Team

​Juliana Gutiérrez​

Research Coordinator
​Joined in 2019

Margaret Griffin, MS Ed

Research
​Coordinator
​Joined in 2022

Vicky Guevara

Research
​Coordinator
​Joined in 2023

Janae ​Kuttamperoor

Research Coordinator
Joined in 2024

Jade Turbides, MS

Research Data Associate
Joined in 2025

Denise Mazzuchelli, PhD

Research Scientist
Joined in 2023

Anne Martin, DrPH

Research Scientist
​Joined in 2023

Yu (Tina) Chen, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
Joined in 2023

Allyson S. Masters, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
​Joined in 2024

Diana Walther

Project Coordinator
Joined 2025

PlayReadVIP Coaches

Jasmine
Perez

Sandra Sanchez Ramirez

HuiHua ​
​Ye

Laura
​Rios Veliz

Sophia
Gomez

Karina
​Ariza

Yvonne
​Rodriguez

Rosanna
​Thomas

Jordan Wuerth

Isabella Barden

​Kyrstin Loney

Allie ​Rogina

Amanda Nimick

PlayReadVIP National Center Investigators

Benard Dreyer, MD, FAAP
PlayReadVIP Co-Founder & Co-Investigator
2016 President, American Academy of Pediatrics​
Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine
Director of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Director of Pediatrics at NYC H+H/Bellevue

​Carolyn Brockmeyer Cates, PhD
PlayReadVIP Co-Creator & Co-Investigator
​​Assistant Professor of Psychology, SUNY Purchase

​Samantha Berkule-Johnson, PhD
​PlayReadVIP Co-Creator & Co-Investigator
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Caitlin Canfield, PhD
PlayReadVIP Co-Investigator
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Caitlin is a developmental psychologist who focuses on how children’s characteristics and environments affect their individual development. She is currently studying the impacts of stress at the family and neighborhood levels on family well-being, parenting, and children’s early development. Caitlin’s long-term goals involve using her research experience to determine how interventions aimed at improving children’s cognitive and emotional well-being can be tailored to meet each child and family’s individual needs. 

Erin Roby, PhD
PlayReadVIP Co-Investigator
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

​Adriana Weisleder, PhD
​PlayReadVIP Co-Investigator
​Assistant Professor of Communication ​Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University

Suzy Tomopoulos, MD
PlayReadVIP Co-Investigator
​Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,  NYU Grossman School of Medicine