Iris Arnold

Iris graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a degree in Mathematics. She joined the ABCD research assistant team in March of 2020. Iris helped the team navigate through the pandemic and then back into in-person operations. She loved in-person visit components like blood draws and found meaning in the connections she made with the participants and families she had the opportunity to work with. Her three years of work with ABCD teens at OHSU has greatly influenced her next step – starting the accelerated bachelor’s degree program at the OHSU School of Nursing in January, 2024.

Sammie Barnes

Sammie graduated with a Master of Social Work from Portland State University in June 2023. She started as a volunteer in DBIL back in 2017, and was hired as a Research Assistant a year later. She has worked on various studies throughout the years, and ended her time in the lab as a Senior Clinical Research Assistant coordinating the PBS Study. A few months after graduating, she was hired as a Social Worker in Family Medicine at OHSU, and is now working towards her clinical licensure. When Sammie is not working, she loves to explore new food spots in Portland, and takes her dog with her wherever she goes.

Kiley Brevik

Hello! I completed my M.A. in Applied Psychology at Pacific University and now I am excited to open up my own clinical practice to support individuals struggling with mental health. I am still interested in neuropsychology and the brain and will continue to learn and incorporate neuro topics into my practice to support others in understanding diverse maladies. I completed my thesis on “Cannabidiol and the Relationship to Mental Health” during my studies as a way to better understand alternative methods to combat anxiety and depression. I continue to work with kids and enjoy seeing them make progress while laughing and having fun at the same time. I am grateful for the opportunity to work in the brain lab and for the flexibility to work on the weekends. Now that my weekends have opened up, I will be exploring hobbies and have already booked two fencing classes, which I have never done before. My goal is to keep exploring and keep learning!

Zenette McCoy

Zenette graduated from Washington State University Vancouver with a B.S. in neuroscience and minors in psychology and biology in May of 2019. She is currently a senior research assistant working on F.A.C.T and CTRE study. Her research interest is in preventative and developmental psychology and psychopathology of psychosis/psychotic disorders and mood disorder (specifically bipolar disorder). In the future she hopes to continue her education in a graduate program for clinical psychology. In her free time she likes to draw, go on hikes with her dog and partner, watch anime or play video games. 

Ana Howard

Ana graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Neuroscience. Ana was a senior research assistant working on the ABCD study. Research interests include developmental psychopathology, neurogenetics, and the role empathy plays in the diagnosis, progression, and treatment of mental disorders. 

Rhys McCaughran

Rhys was a Research Assistant with the NCANDA study in the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab. He received his B.S. in Psychology from Portland State University and is getting his Master’s in Translational Neuroscience at the University of Oregon. His personal research interests include improving outcomes for transgender youth through caregiver education and support. When Rhys isn’t working or studying, he is spending time with his dog and cat, reading sci-fi, playing video games, or bouldering.

Sydney Gilbert

Sydney was a research assistant and data manager for the NCANDA study. She developed a passion for neuroscience at the University of Oregon, where they graduated from the honors college with a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in biology. They are now a dual-degree graduate student in Masters in Social Work (MSW) at Portland State University and Masters in Public Health (MPH) at OHSU. She is departing from DBIL to begin a community health internship with Central City Concern’s Street Outreach program.

Keegan King

Keegan is a PhD Student at Pacific University in Hillsboro, OR working under Dr. Peter Vik. His primary focuses include technologically assisted neuropsychological assessment and repeated non-concussive head trauma. In addition, I have worked with personality/identity development, extremism, chosen cultures, and CTE/TBI more broadly. He received his BA in Psychology from Eastern Washinton University and his Masters of Science from Pacific University. Currently, he works on the ABCD project, but you might see him working with other labs in his spare time. Outside of psychology, Keegan writes music, reads books, watches movies, practices archery, and goes out to explore Portland.

Abigail Masters, MA

Abigail graduated from Southern Oregon University (Ashland, Oregon) with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies in 2016. She is now a doctoral candidate in the Health Emphasis of the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Pacific University's School of Graduate Psychology. Abigail completed her research practicum with the NCANDA study and "loved every minute." She is departing from OHSU to complete her final clinical practicum at Legacy Maternal and Fetal Medicine and Legacy Midwifery providing behavioral health clinical services to pregnant parents. Abigail's passion for research was fueled by her time working with DBIL and she continues to be interested in capturing phenomenological experiences of current events (e.g., COVID-19, political climate, etc) utilizing qualitative and mixed-methods research designs. 

Théa Prince, MA

Théa Prince is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Pacific University. Théa received a BA in psychology from Washington & Jefferson college and MA in clinical psychology from Pacific University. Thea’s research interests include individual diversity variable in neuropsychological assessment, specifically assessment for speaker of English as a second language. Thea is completing a research practicum with the ABCD study.

Leila Karout

I will be graduating this year and intend to take some time to relax, as well as begin an EMT program to get some experience in medicine. I had a fantastic time as a volunteer at DBIL and have learned so much that I look forward to using in my future endeavors.

Kiersten Kelly, MA

Kiersten completed her research practicum with the ABCD study. She graduated from Chapman University (Orange, CA) with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2015. She is now a doctoral candidate in the Adult Emphasis of the Clinical Psychology PsyD program of Pacific University’s School of Graduate Psychology. Kiersten is completing her final stage of her PsyD program in a predoctoral internship with the George Fox Integrated Care Internship Program, where she will be providing behavioral health clinical services with Providence Medical Group. Kiersten’s clinical practice and research interest focus on benefiting survivors of trauma and identifying resilience factors that promote health and well-being following experiences of adversity. She defended her dissertation in 2021, in which she investigated the ability of gender-role flexibility to enhance resilience for survivors of interpersonal trauma. 

Hannah Brassell, M.A.

Hannah earned her masters degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University's School of Graduate Psychology and enjoyed gaining experience and insight into what it is like to be part of a research team while training with OHSU's Developmental Brain Imaging Lab. She completed her research practicum working on the NCANDA study. She is departing from OHSU to complete her final year of her PsyD working in integrated behavioral health.

Nicole Stark, M.A.

Nicole holds a B.S. with a double major in Psychology and Political Science from Portland State University and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology obtained during her current pursuit of a Psy.D. (forensic emphasis) in Clinical Psychology at Pacific University. She is completing her last year of her Psy.D., at a pre-doctoral internship at a forensic psychiatric inpatient hospital located near Tulsa, OK. She is also working on publishing her dissertation in which she conducted a meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship between exogenous oxytocin and empathy in non-clinical samples, and reviewed these results in the context of psychopathy research. Nicole’s interests predominantly include psychopathy in general and exploring the biological basis of the disorder, as well as forensic psychology more broadly. Her future career goals include conducting forensic psychological evaluations such as mitigation, competency, and violence risk evaluations. In addition to her prior part-time employment with OHSU’s Developmental Brain Imaging Lab, Nicole has also worked part-time with a remote trial consulting organization, as a practicum student conducting intake evaluations at Oregon Department of Corrections, and at a private practice conducting forensic pre-trial psychological assessments in Eugene, OR.     

Elise Anderson

Elise graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Biology and German. During her time at DBIL, she was a volunteer with the 21 Brain Study. She is currently attending medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, WA and hopes to become a pediatrician.

Sydney Duran

Sydney received a Bachelor's in Psychology from Portland State University and volunteers regularly with NW Noggin. She is interested in studying psychedelics and hopes to help develop therapeutic applications for cannabis in graduate school. Sydney was a volunteer with the Risk-Taking study. 

Victoria Liu

Victoria graduated from Reed College, Portland, OR, with a major in Psychology. She joined DBIL as a research volunteer in Jan 2020, and worked closely on the ABCD study. Outside of school and research, she enjoys reading, kayaking, and food hunting. She will be joining the Duckworth Lab at the University of Pennsylvania as a research coordinator starting in June 2021!

Abby Kosiara

Abby graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in Psychology and minors in Neuroscience and Education. She was a research assistant on the ABCD Study and her professional interests broadly include how the neurocognitive development of adolescence influences psychological disorders

David Amy, M.A.

David graduated with an M.A. in Research and Experimental Psychology from San José State University. David's research interests are mainly in cognitive areas including consciousness and perception. During his time in the lab David was the project coordinator for the 21BrainStudy and BRAINY Study. He is now working as a Clinical Trials Project Manager at the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente.

Marissa Viramontes, B.A.

Marissa received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Portland. She was the Project Coordinator for the Risk Taking Study from 2018-2021. She came to realize that she had a niche for project coordination and went on to coordinate the midwifery and psychology mental health nursing graduate programs for OHSU’s School of Nursing.

Brittney Edwards

Brittney volunteered on the Risk-taking study.

Ryan Van Fossen

Ryan was the project coordinator for the N-CANDA study. His interests include clinical/health psychology, integrative health care, and personality. He is currently pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of South Dakota.

Brockton Dowling

Brockton is completing a Bachelor’s in Psychology and is enrolled in the pre-med program at Portland State University. He is a volunteer at the Adult Neurology unit at OHSU and with the ABCD study. Brockton is interested in medicine, neuro-affective development, and philosophy.

Hannah Smith, M.A.

Hannah holds an MA in Clinical Psychology obtained during her current pursuit of a PsyD (child emphasis) at Pacific University. Her clinical interests include integrated care, gender diverse youth, anxiety, and trauma. Her research interests include effectiveness of trauma treatments, cultural adaptations to assessment and interventions, and adolescent brain development. During her time with DBIL, Hannah worked with the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study conducting assessments. Hannah's future practicum placements include working at OHSU's Pediatric Anxiety Treatment Clinic, Providence Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit, and continuing her work with Laura Edwards-Leeper, PhD conducting transgender youth assessments. 

Natalia Kazakova, M.S., M.A.

Natalia holds an M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Western Illinois University and is pursuing a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Pacific University. While at OHSU, Natalia volunteered in DBIL with the Risk Taking study, administering neuropsychological assessments and collaborating on a manuscript with a postdoctoral fellow. In September 2020, Natalia will start her clinical internship at Southwest Behavioral & Health Services in Phoenix, AZ. Her interests include the development and treatment of anxiety-related disorders in individuals with personality pathology.

Julia Krantz

Julia graduated from the University of Puget Sound where she studied psychology and bioethics. She volunteered with the 21 Brain Study and worked as a medical scribe during her gap year and is now attending medical school in Wisconsin.

Elizabeth Goldsmith

My name is Elizabeth Goldsmith and I worked in the DBIL lab with the ABCD Study for about two years. I first joined the lab as an intern as an undergraduate before becoming a full-time RA after graduating. The lab as a whole helped foster my ongoing interest in neurological and emotional development in youth. Since being an RA I have moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to begin a Doctorate program in School Psychology where I will study the increased risk of trauma for children with developmental disabilities.

Tari Kurman

Tari volunteered with the Risk Taking Study

Jessica Patching-Bunch

Jessica obtained her B.S in Psychology with a focus in Neuroscience and Spanish language from Portland State University's Urban Honors College. She worked as a research assistant on the ABCD study. Jessica's research interests include intercultural relations, social neuroscience, cultural neuroscience and acculturation as a variable in functional connectivity.

Mitchell Passadore

Mitchell graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS in psychology and is currently at Lewis and Clark College earning his MA in counseling psychology. During his time in the lab, Mitchell worked as a research assistant with the 21 Brain Study and the NCANDA study. In his free time, Mitchell loves playing basketball, trail running, and taking photos. If you see him outside the lab, he is probably with his golden retriever Wesley.

Alicia Johnson, MPH

Alicia graduated with a BA in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California. While working as a Research Assistant in the lab, she obtained her MPH in Biostatistics from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. She worked on the NCANDA study as well as helping with data management and analysis. She is now a Biostatistician in the Biostatistics and Design Program at OHSU.

Ally Chiapuzio

Ally graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and minor in Psychology. She was a research assistant on the ABCD Study and her interests include medicine, neuroimaging, and the adolescent brain.

Aaron Oda

Aaron volunteered with the ABCD study.

Ashley McWaters

Ashley worked on the NCANDA study as a Research Practicum student with Pacific University.

Carisha Kelsey

Carisha worked on the ABCD study as a Research Practicum student with Pacific University.

Dayna Stierley

Dayna is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Pacific University. She is currently completing her internship with Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis, Oregon. Dayna looks forward to finishing her doctoral training and pursuing postdoctoral opportunities. Dayna’s primary research interests center on the role of social factors in cognitive function and physical health.

Holly Cooke, M.S.

Holly Cooke is currently a fourth-year doctoral candidate at Pacific University in Hillsboro, Oregon.  She is expecting to graduate with her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in August of 2021.  Holly received her BS in pre-professional psychology from East Texas Baptist University in 2013 and her MS in clinical neuropsychology from The University of Texas at Tyler in 2015.  She received her MS in clinical psychology from Pacific University in 2018. Holly has experience presenting on and researching various topics in the field of psychology including prospective memory; adult ADHD; secular, spiritual, and religious perspectives as a diversity factor important in graduate training; depression and sexual drive; college campus sexual assault; and adolescent chronic pain. During her time as a volunteer at OHSU, she assisted the Risk-Taking study with data collection, double-scoring archival data, and joined the post-docs in writing a manuscript.

Katie Olsen

Katie is a senior receiving her B.S in Psychology at Portland State University. Her professional interests include psychopathology and behavioral neuroscience. She plans to be a medical doctor working in the field of forensic psychiatry or neurology. Katie was a research volunteer in the ABCD study. 

Meriam Sahak

Alissa Ehlers, B.S.

Alissa graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and Biology (Neurobiology option) from the University of Wisconsin. Alissa's interests include behavioral neuroscience, functional neuroimaging (particularly resting state functional connectivity), psychopathology, and epigenetics. During her time with DBIL, Alissa was the project coordinator for the 21BrainStudy. Alissa is now an Associate Research Analyst for Cascade Insights in Portland.

Ariel Carter-Rodriguez, M.S.

Ariel received her M.S. in Psychology from the University of Oregon, and is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at Portland State University. Her long-term goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) working in a clinical setting (e.g., college/university, medical/integrated health, group/private practice) doing individual and group therapy with adults across a variety of ages and presenting problems (e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma, sexual violence, substance use, etc.).

Alexandria Cook, B.A.

Alexandria graduated from Reed College with a B.A. in psychology. In her time at the lab, Alexandria worked as a volunteer research assistant. She assisted with data processing and entry, and worked as a scan assist for the Risk Taking study. Alexandria is currently bringing parents and professionals together to support individuals with complex communication needs as a the research assistant on the Communication Matrix project at OHSU.

Alexi Shean, B.A.

Alexi Shean is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College (LC). At LC she graduated in 3 years with a major in chemistry while being pre-med. She was also a member of the varsity Women's Track and Field Team earning all-conference honors for her 2nd and 3rd place finishes at the Northwest Conference track meet in 2014 and 2015. Alexi is also actively involved with Special Olympics as an assistant volleyball coach. She is currently attending the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University of Health Sciences.

Alison Gemperle, M.S.

Alison received her MS in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Sussex. She is interested in cognitive and neurological development, particularly in decision-making processes and attention control during adolescence.

Amanda Wagner, M.A.

After graduating with a B.A. in psychology from San Diego State University in 2007, Amanda worked as a research assistant at the Center for Behavioral Teratology investigating the neuropsychological underpinnings of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. She has since received her M.A. in school psychology from the University of Texas at Austin where she is currently enrolled in her 5th year of graduate school and is working on completion of her doctoral dissertation. Amanda's research and clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment, developmental disorders, and acquired brain injury in pediatric populations.  

Colin Boehnlein

Colin was a research assistant on the NCANDA study.

Courtney Ball

Courtney graduated from Oregon State University in 2016 with a BS in Psychology. She is currently a second year graduate student pursuing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Pacific University's School of Graduate Psychology in Hillsboro, Oregon. At OHSU she is a volunteer research assistant working on the ABCD study in the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab. Her interests include child and adolescent pediatric populations with an emphasis on chronic illnesses as well as neurodevelopmental disorders and neuropsychology.

Courtney Vacek

Courtney is a student at the University of Portland studying Biology and Neuroscience. While in the lab, she was a volunteer research assistant working with the ABCD study.

Darby Dyar, B.S.

Darby received her B.S. in Psychological Science from Purdue University. She worked as a research assistant on the PARC study in collaboration with Dr. Suzanne Mitchell's Translational Neuroeconomics Lab. She is interested in clinical psychology, particularly risk taking and development of alcohol use disorders and addiction. Previously involved in research on intervention for alcohol-facilitated intimate partner violence, her research interests also include neuropsychological correlates of violence, aggression and psychopathy.

Darya Veach, M.S.

Darya received her M.S. in Social and Developmental Psychology from the University of Oregon in 2000. During her time in the lab, she was the project coordinator for NCANDA and ABCD. Her research interests include the social and neurological development of children and adolescents, the formation of self-concept, and the effect of social relationships on decision-making processes, particularly with regard to peer influence and substance use.

Devin Hoover

Devin attended Lewis & Clark College and began his involvement at DBIL through a school-sponsored summer internship program. He worked extensively on imaging preprocessing for a number of lab projects before concluding his volunteering to study abroad.

Elizabeth Sosa, M.A.

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs with a master's degree in Clinical Psychology in 2008. After taking two years off to conduct research at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, she enrolled in the School of Professional Psychology's doctoral program at Pacific University. Elizabeth's clinical and research areas of interest include: neuropsychology, traumatic brain injury, multicultural assessment, complex trauma, and military psychology.

Ellie Sceeles

Ellie worked on the ABCD study as a research assistant.

Gabriela Alarcón, Ph.D.

Gaby graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California with a degree in Neuroscience in 2009.  After taking two years off to conduct research at the National Institute of Mental Health, she enrolled in the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at OHSU where she earned her Ph.D. Gaby is interested in understanding sex differences in healthy and at-risk adolescent neurodevelopment and how emergent differences may confer risk for psychopathology.  

PubMed publications

Gaby Alvarez

Gaby received her Bachelor's Degree in Biological Psychology from the University of California, Davis in 2011. She is earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Neuropsychology at Pacific University's School of Professional Psychology. Gaby's clinical and research interests include pediatric neuropsychology and developmental disability, cross-cultural assessment and treatment, and social-emotional correlates of cognitive functioning.  

Hannah Scheuer, M.S.W.

Hannah graduated from Reed College with a B.A. in Psychology. During her time in the lab, she was the project coordinator for the Risk Taking study. Her research interests include the study of adolescent neurodevelopment and the mechanisms underlying the onset of psychopathology.  

Jennifer Peraza, M.A.

Jenny Peraza completed her BA in Psychology with honors at Scripps College and MA in Counseling Psychology at Pacific University. She received her doctoral degree through the clinical psychology program at Pacific University on the neuropsychology track. Her research interests include executive functioning, human diversity, and risk and protective factors for neuropsychological and psycho-social outcome.

Jesse Chiem, B.A.

Jesse received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Portland, with minors in Neuroscience and Computer Science. During his time in the lab, Jesse was in charge of developing software used by the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab, working with other members to provide efficient and effective programs for processing data. His research interests include cognitive neuroscience, neurobiology of addiction, and machine learning. He now works at University of Washington as a Computing and Technology Manager!

Jessye Lavine

Jessye worked on the ABCD study as a research assistant.

Jill Waldman, M.S.

Jill received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Colorado in Spanish and Business Administration in 2000. She then went on to earn her Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Lewis and Clark College in 2006. She earned her Psy.D. from Pacific University, with an emphasis in Pediatric Neuropsychology. Jill's research interests include hormones and neuropsychological functioning in the developing brain.

Jordan Bromley, B.S.

Jordan graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and Biology and a minor in Neuroscience from Washington State University. He is a volunteer in the lab assisting with MRI Scans in the PARC study. He's also a volunteer in the ADHD lab. Jordan's professional interests include behavioral neuroscience and functional neuroimaging. He plans to pursue a graduate degree following his experience in the lab. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and skiing.

Jordan Lueras, B.A.

Jordan was a graduate student in the Behavioral Neuroscience program.

Julie Pirkle, B.A.

Julie Pirkle graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2013 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in rhetoric & media studies. Julie spent her time in the lab as a research assistant working on the ABCD project, after working as a volunteer on the Risk Tasking project from 2013-2015. Her research interests include neuropsychological development in youth, and more specifically, how technology/new media impact adolescent development. She hopes to continue work in brain imaging, and to pursue a PhD in clinical neuropsychology.  

Julius Laxamana

Julius earned a B.S. in Psychology with pre-med emphasis from Portland State University. His time in the lab was spent working on the NCANDA and Risk Taking studies. He is very interested in the study of depression and the psychology of mental illnesses, and hopes to go to OHSU for medical school to pursue a degree in Psychiatry.

Kaitlyn Casimo, B.A.

Kaitlyn graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, CA, in 2013 with a degree in neuroscience. In her time at the lab, she assisted with data processing and analysis. She is now in graduate school at the University of Washington program in neurobiology and behavior.

Karen Hudson, B.A.

Karen graduated from the University of Oregon Honors College with a B.A. in psychology and served as a project coordinator in the lab for the Risk Taking study from 2011-2014. She is currently a Research Associate in the Translational Research of Adolescent Change (TRAC) Lab at OHSU.

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.

Kelly received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2008. Before attending graduate school at Pacific University, she worked as a research assistant at CU in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, studying abusive substances and the CNS inflammatory response. She is currently working toward a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychological assessment. 

Kevin Baradar

Kevin volunteered on the NCANDA study.

Kimberly Painter, M.S.

Kimberly received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Political Science from the University of California, San Diego in 2008. She then went on to earn her Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University in 2012. Kimberly is currently working towards her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at Pacific University. Her clinical interests include pediatric neuropsychology and developmental disabilities. Kimberly's research interests include the possible impact of obesity and its behavioral and social correlates on neuropsychological functioning in the developing brain.

Kristin Maple, B.S.

Kristin is currently a graduate student in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After graduating from Gonzaga University in 2011 with a B.S. in Biology and minor in Psychology, she worked as a research assistant in DBIL from March 2012-July 2013. Her research interests include behavioral genetics, neurogenetics, substance use, and brain development.

Laura Staeheli

Laura graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in Psychology and minors in Chemistry and Neuroscience. She volunteered in the lab, working on data entry for the Risk-Taking study. Laura plans to continue her education in medical school. When she's not studying, you can find Laura hiking, running, watching movies, or baking.

Madison L. Stroup, B.A.

Madison received her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Portland in 2010 and was a project coordinator in the lab. Her research interests include identifying the mechanisms underlying disruptions in cognition and emotion processing in youth with psychopathology. She is currently attending the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Saint Louis University.

Maria Dragulin, B.A.

Maria graduated from Portland State in 2012 with her B.A. in psychology. Maria volunteered as a scan assist for the N-CANDA study at OHSU. She is interested in applying for graduate programs related to neuroscience or neuropsychology and hopes research will be an integral part of her future career. Maria is interested in studying the effects of pharmaceuticals on adolescent brain development.

Megan Dorenkamp

Megan was a Pacific University Practicum student with the Risk-Taking Study.

Meghana Narahari

Meghana is senior at Westview High School who plans on attending a 4 year college for Neuroscience. She is a member of the ABCD community advisory board and volunteered with the lab over two summers to help process MRI data.

Michael Demidenko, B.S.

Michael graduated from Portland State University in 2012 with a BS in Psychology & Minor in Conflict Resolution. He was a volunteer research assistant in the lab working on fMRI data pre-processing. He is now enrolled in the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program at University of Michigan. When he is not doing research, you can find him on hiking trails, armed with a camera and KIND Bars.

Michael Miller, B.S.

Michael completed a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Community Health Education at Portland State University. He volunteered with the NCANDA and Risk Taking studies. After the discovery and successful removal of a tumor in his cerebellum in December of 2014, Michael's focus on health equity, neuroscience outreach, and the interaction between people and their physical surroundings has been strengthened. He intends to pursue these passions in a future graduate program. 

Neva Hauser, B.A.

Neva graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2012 with a BA in psychology. She volunteered with the NCANDA and Risk Taking Studies. Neva is particularly interested in neuropsychological development as well as substance abuse and hopes to gain research experience in Dr. Nagel's lab to eventually apply towards graduate school.    

Nikolaus Koren

Nikolaus studied Psychology at Karl-Franzens Universität in Graz, Austria. His time in the lab was spent with the Risk Taking and NCANDA projects. In addition to adolescent neurodevelopment, his broader interests include behavioral and social neuropsychology.

Noemi Martinez Gonzalez

Noemi is currently pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Portland State University. In addition to volunteering with the ABCD study, she works as an ABA therapist for kids on the autism spectrum. Noemi also helps conduct research for the Listos program, which aims to prepare Hispanic children for pre-school. Aside from academia, she enjoys binge-watching TV series, exercise, and different forms of art such as drawing and dance.

Oz Kesik

Oz worked as a research assistant on the Risk-Taking Study and was a project coordinator for Dr. Kristen Mackiewicz Seghete's lab, the SCAN lab.

Rebecca Sacks, B.A.

Rebecca joined the lab as part of an internship project as a Masters of Public Health student in the School of Medicine at OHSU. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Music in June 2010. Her internship project focused on fMRI differences during reward anticipation between adolescents who emerge early into alcohol use and those who do not. Her research interests lie in environmental and neurobiological risk factors for the development of depression and alcohol and substance use disorders.

Rebecca Sandoval, B.S.

Rebecca graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and worked as a research assistant for the ABCD study. Her research interests include cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychopathology and mental health.

Renee Barnett, B.S.

Renee graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy. Her intended focus for graduate school includes child psychopathology and neuroimaging. In the lab she assisted with MRI scans, data processing, and research projects. One of her projects focused on testosterone levels in females and how they relate to reward processing. Renee also worked in Joel Nigg's ADHD lab as a research assistant.

Sahil Chawla

Sahil attended University of Washington in order to complete a major in Physiology. He volunteered with the Risk Taking and NCANDA research projects at the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab. He is particularly interested in looking at the effects of athletic injuries on the body's physiology and he regularly volunteers in the physical therapy department at the University of Washington Medical Center. He is striving towards attending medical school with a focus in sports medicine.

Samantha Bellinger, M.S.

Samantha received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University. In the lab, she conducts neuropsychological assessments for the NCANDA and Risk Taking studies. She is interested in working with children, adolescents, and families in both therapy and assessment settings.   

Sara Wong

Sara graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a BA in Cognitive Neuroscience. She is currently a third year PhD student pursuing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Pacific University. At OHSU, she is a volunteer research assistant working on the ABCD study in the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab. Her research interests include patient-centered approaches in medical settings to increase patient empowerment in primary care settings. She enjoys discovering restaurants around Portland, spending time with friends and family, and traveling back home to Hawaii.

Sarah Alberti, B.S.

Sarah graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience. Her research interests broadly include cognitive neuroscience, child and adolescent socioemotional development, identity formation, decision making, and psychopathology. She worked as the project coordinator for the Risk-Taking Study

Shannon Carter, M.S.

Shannon Carter is a clinical doctoral candidate at Pacific University who conducts neuropsychological assessments for the lab and also works as a therapist at Reed College.  In her research, she is interested in documenting the social-emotional development of the adolescent brain, integrating theoretical models with their biological substrates in attempt to elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of our social brain networks.

Stephen Boyd, Ph.D.

Stephen obtained his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University in 2015. He completed his internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and a postdoctoral fellowship in Health Psychology at the Portland VA. Stephen joined the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab in 2016-2018 as a postdoctoral researcher. Stephen's research is focused on identifying risk and protective factors for the development of alcohol use disorders. Specifically, he is interested in identifying factors that contribute to variability in response to alcohol, and exploring group differences in the etiology of alcohol use disorders. Stephen is now a Clinical Psychologist at the Comprehensive Pain Center at OHSU.

Sunny Andersen, Ed.S.

Sunny received her B.A. in Business Management and her Ed.S. in School Psychology from George Fox University and is currently working toward a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Pediatric Neuropsychology. As a lab assistant for the NCANDA, Risk Taking, and Sex Differences studies, she hopes to gain continued knowledge in cognitive, neurodevelopment, and neuropsychological assessment with the child and adolescent population. 

Vanessa Somohano

Vanessa was a Pacific University Practicum student with the NCANDA Study.