Sayaka Awao, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Sayaka Awao joined CHDI in 2026 as a Postdoctoral Fellow and works on initiatives focused on improving children’s behavioral health in Connecticut. Sayaka also contributes to research at the Yale Child Study Center. Sayaka completed her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University of Maryland. Her research examined how early experiences of adversity, such as childhood loss (death of a loved one), impact socioemotional development, with a focus on how the social environment may contribute to variation in adaptation following adversity. Sayaka has broad experience in developmental research, including research on interventions such as Circle of Security - Classroom and Circle of Security - Parenting.