Biography

Dr. Gabriel “Joey” Merrin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Syracuse University, where he directs the Methodology, Adolescent Development, and Prevention (MAP) Lab. A prevention scientist and applied developmental methodologist, Dr. Merrin’s research advances understanding of how risk and protective processes shape adolescent development and the transition to young adulthood. His work emphasizes resilience, equity, and the translation of rigorous quantitative methods into actionable prevention strategies that improve outcomes for youth and families.

Research Program

Dr. Merrin’s program of research examines how individual, peer, family, school, and community contexts interact to influence developmental pathways related to harassment, victimization, mental health, and risk behaviors such as substance use and aggression. His work highlights not only risks but also protective factors that promote resilience and positive development.

His research includes three interconnected lines of inquiry:

School-Based Prevention and Harassment – Investigating how school environments shape adolescent development, with a focus on bullying and identity-based harassment. This work uses longitudinal models, social network methods, and randomized controlled trials to evaluate school-based prevention programs such as Second Step, WITS, Boston vs. Bullies, and Sources of Strength.

Substance Use and Developmental Transitions – Examining trajectories of adolescent and young adult polysubstance use and related developmental changes. Using advanced person-centered methods such as latent class analysis and multidimensional growth mixture modeling, this work explores how shifting social roles contribute to both risk and resilience.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Psychosocial Outcomes – Synthesizing decades of research and conducting new longitudinal studies to understand how distinct ACEs shape peer relationships, mental health, and resilience. This work challenges cumulative ACE models and informs trauma-informed, prevention-oriented practices.

Methodological Innovations

Dr. Merrin led the development of CATAcode, an innovative R package that addresses critical gaps in measuring and analyzing identity categories in social science research. Now published on CRAN, this tool provides principled methods for coding Check-All-That-Apply demographic items, offering significant contributions to transparency, generalizability, and reproducibility in research. The package includes comprehensive documentation and a detailed vignette demonstrating its applications across diverse research contexts.

Recognition & Awards

• 2025-2027 National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program Award

• Syracuse University 2024 Falk College Faculty of the Year Award for Excellence in Research

• Syracuse University 2024 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Award

• Texas Tech University 2021-2022 Alumni Association New Faculty Award

Laboratory Leadership

Dr. Merrin directs the Methodology, Adolescent Development, and Prevention (MAP) Lab, which focuses on translating rigorous research into actionable prevention and intervention strategies. The lab has produced 13 student-led publications and provides extensive mentorship opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Together, these efforts place Dr. Merrin’s work at the intersection of developmental science, prevention science, and methodological innovation, advancing knowledge while translating findings into meaningful strategies that foster healthy development for diverse youth populations.

As an applied scholar committed to community impact, Dr. Merrin works with schools and community organizations serving at-risk youth, which includes serving on the board of directors at Elmcrest Children’s Center. His work addresses four fundamental questions: (1) What long-term processes influence healthy adolescent development? (2) When and for whom do these processes differ? (3) How do these processes interact? (4) How can findings inform prevention and intervention efforts?

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