LAB PERSONNEL
Mariann Weierich PhD
Principal Investigator Dr. Weierich is the James K. and Lois Merritt Mikawa Professor of Clinical Psychology and Professor of Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is also Director of the Nevada ENDURE program. Dr. Weierich earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Yale University, where she also trained in vision science. She completed her internship and NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder/VA Boston, and a fellowship in affective neuroscience at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Weierich joined the faculty at Nevada in 2019. Contact Dr. Weierich |
Glenn Blessington MS
Doctoral Student Glenn is a third year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. Glenn earned his BA in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University, and an MS in Cognitive Neuroscience from the City University of New York. He is interested in the neurobiological underpinnings of psychopathology, with a focus on stress-related disorders and the maladaptive coping mechanisms that accompany them. |
Kieffer Christianson MA
Doctoral Student Kieffer is a second year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. Born and raised in Alaska, he earned his BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Dartmouth College and his MA in Psychology from Boston University. Kieffer is interested in leveraging digital technology to enhance understanding of brain-behavior relationships, especially in people who have experienced neurological and/or psychological trauma. |
Nandita Banik
Doctoral Student Nandita is a first year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. Nandita graduated with a BA from Grinnell College, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Policy Studies. Post college, she worked at a clinical research lab that focused on sleep and psychopathology. Nandita is interested in using a multi-method approach to study the mechanisms involved in developing and maintaining stress in individuals who have been exposed to trauma. |
Jaidyn MacDonald
Undergraduate Research Assistant Jaidyn is a senior McNair Scholar majoring in Psychology with a minor in addiction treatment. She is interested in the overlap of biology and psychology, with special interest in the ways psychological trauma affects the body. She is also interested in the effects that stress/trauma can have on vulnerable populations such as children or the elderly, and effective treatments to combat associated symptoms. Jaidyn plans to pursue a PhD to continue conducting research in psychology. |
Jennifer Espinoza Ramirez
Undergraduate Research Assistant Jennifer is a junior McNair Scholar who is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Applied Statistics and Substance Abuse. She is interested in PTSD and trauma in Latino/a/x communities and focusing on mental health barriers in minoritized communities. Jennifer plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. |
Sarah Savell
2nd Degree Undergraduate Research Assistant Sarah is a second bachelor’s degree student in Psychology. Originally from Mississippi, Sarah relocated to Reno in 2012 where she earned her first B.S. in Biology at UNR. Fascinated by the human brain, Sarah is most interested in the genetic and environmental influences on the development and course of PTSD in survivors of natural disasters. Sarah plans to pursue a career in academic medicine conducting translational research with the goal to ameliorate suffering and further the understanding of disease. |
Eio Olazo
Undergraduate Research Assistant Eio is a junior Psychology major with a minor in Geography. They are interested in the effects of stress on college students and their academic performance. They are also interested in the application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in a clinical setting alongside their research. Eio plans to pursue a PhD in psychology. |
Bella Peoples
Undergraduate Research Assistant Bella is a freshman Neuroscience major and PREP Scholar on a pre-med path, intending to become a neurologist. She is interested in the structure and function of the brain, and can’t wait to learn in depth about it along the path of her bachelors, MD, and beyond. She aspires to help those with injuries and health issues relating to the brain in the future within her career. |
Kensal Coudriet
Undergraduate Research Assistant Kensal is an ENDURE scholar and a junior studying neuroscience. She is fascinated by the cognitive and behavioral branches of neuroscience. Specifically, she is interested in the emotional regulation and mediation of stress and anxiety-related disorders. Kensal plans to earn a PhD in neuroscience after completing her undergraduate degree. |
Lab Alumni
CAP Lab Doctorates Olena Kleshchova PhD (2020) and postdoc Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Medical Student, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Email Olena Jenna Rieder PhD (2019) Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University Seungyeon Annie Yoon PhD (2018) Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Other CAP Lab Alumni Catrina Aglubat (postbacc RA, Brown University Medical School) Krista Bebis (MA student in human development, Univ of Nevada) Maxwell Miyasato (PhD student in neuroscience, Univ of Michigan) Behr Holmes Madison Moffett (PA student, University of Colorado) Tabatha Walford (MA student in counseling, Eastern Michigan Univ) Chris Liong (HPCS PhD student in Clinical Psychology) Cierra Hernandez (PsyD student, Pace University) Estephanie Balbuena (PhD student neuroscience, Univ of Rochester) Katrina Norvell Danielle Reilly Karly Weinreb (PhD student in clinical psychology, Montclair State) Michael Sugarman (PsyD student, St. John's University) Marieliz Almonte Anniesa Baldeo Gina Sissoko (PhD student in clinical psychology, John Jay CUNY; NSF Fellow, Ford Foundation Fellow) Erick Fedorenko (PhD student in clinical psychology, Rutgers University) Zareeda Wajid (MHC Queens College) Andrew Ude (PhD student in kinesiology and health, Rutgers University) Atara Siegel (2021 PhD clinical psychology, University at Albany) Sherifa Baldeo (2022 MD Albert Einstein College of Medicine) Tiffany Arango (2021 PhD perception/cognition, Northeastern University) Emma Millon (2020 PhD neuroscience, Rutgers University) Joanna Hurley (2020 PhD clinical psychology, Adelphi University) Tanice Prince (PhD student in clinical psychology, Ohio University) Jessica Astudillo (2021 MD SUNY Upstate Medical School) Nicole McBride Sarah Zell Young Amberle Cusmano (Project coordinator, Columbia University) Argyro Zaoutis Deborah Dentico-Olin Yasmin Zakiniaeiz (2018 PhD neuroscience, Yale University; NSF fellow) Sam Cooper (2019 PhD clinical science, University of Minnesota) Brian VanBuren (2018 PhD clinical psychology, Long Island University) Patrycja Klimek (2022 PhD clinical psychology, SDSU/UCSD) Nicole DaSilva (2019 PhD counseling psychology, SUNY Albany) Ileana Datcu (2019 MBA Baruch College CUNY) Sarah Hassan (2017 PhD clinical psychology, Bowling Green State University) Carey Pulverman (2017 PhD clinical science, University of Texas at Austin) Melissa London (2017 PhD clinical psychology, Northern Illinois University) Helene Ramirez (2017 MSW, Boston University) Anna Marganska (MSW, University of Southern California) Ena Ackerman (2013 MSW, New York University) Abby Zielinski (JD, Temple University) Stephanie Soto Deborah Mahanger (triathlon trainer) Doctoral rotation trainees Shawn Fagan (Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, CUNY) Azaadeh Goharzad (Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, CUNY) Jake Jordan (Biology-Neuroscience, CUNY) SPUR program summer trainees Carissa Romero (Cognitive science, CSU Fullerton) Jillian Haynes (Biology, SUNY Albany) Christine Wu (Neuroscience, Boston College) |