Maria Berbakov is a research specialist for the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy in the Social and Administrative Sciences Division. She has a bachelor’s degree from Penn State in psychology with a minor in human development & family studies. Maria is experienced in technical writing and mental health interventions, and she was recently lead teacher at an early elementary school. Her undergraduate experience in Penn State’s Cognition, Affect, and Temperament lab prepared her for research recruitment, participant engagement, and IRB submissions at UW–Madison.

Maria began working in the Chui lab in January 2021. Her expertise in empathy and human development gives her a unique perspective from which to study over-the-counter medication use in older adult populations. Her focus is on collaborative writing, recruitment, and data collection for grant research projects.