Our Team

 

Lab Director


David Dodell-Feder, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester
Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center

d.dodell-feder@rochester.edu

Graduate Students


Lisa Lin, M.A.
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
lisa.lin@rochester.edu

Lisa’s research focuses on using computerized methods to quantify the degree of coordination of nonverbal behaviors (i.e., nonverbal synchrony) between pairs of individuals during social interactions. She is interested in understanding the role that nonverbal synchrony plays in various types of social interactions and how the degree of nonverbal synchrony may be predictive of both clinical and social outcomes.

Beth Kruse, B.S.
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
ekruse2@ur.rochester.edu

Beth’s research interests revolve around psychotic spectrum disorders, social cognition, and MR imaging. She is particularly interested in the onset and progression of social functioning deficits across the psychosis spectrum, and disruptions in the underlying structural neural circuitry involved. Additionally, she is interested in the degree to which volitional control can be employed by individuals with psychotic disorders to regulate brain activity in key pathways associated with social cognition. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, running, hiking, and camping!

Katie Gibbs, B.S.
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
kgibbs4@ur.rochester.edu

Katie’s research interests include psychotic spectrum disorders and neuroimaging. She is particularly interested in the onset and progression of these disorders, and using fMRI to investigate the networks and mechanisms of brain regions involved. She is also interested in utilizing computational models to study systems of delusions and social functioning in psychotic spectrum disorders.

Kaitlyn Kaiser
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
kaitlyn_kaiser@urmc.rochester.edu

Kaitlyn’s research interests center around visual perception and social functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. She is particularly interested in the relationship between atypical visual functioning and social cognition, such as how early visual processing impairments might contribute to affect recognition difficulties.

 

Research Assistants


Catherine (Chrys) Lee

Brian Taliano

Matea Bardhi

Yunsu Shin

 

Graduate Student Alumni


Abhishek Saxena, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology PhD Alumnus, Postdoctoral Associate at PRIME Clinic, Yale School of Medicine
asaxena8@ur.rochester.edu

Abhi’s research investigates the role of socio-cultural and environmental factors on neural social information processing in relationship to risk for severe mental illness. More specifically, Abhi is interested in how experiences of chronic social defeat and isolation may increase risk for psychopathology and if social cohesion can act as a buffer. Abhi has particular interest in psychosis-risk among adolescents and young adults, as well as in the experiences of minorities (e.g., racial, immigrant, sexual, gender, etc). Additionally, Abhi is interested in the potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications of neuroplasticity and neuromodulation in relation to psychopathology.

Bridget Shovestul, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology PhD Alumnus, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, VA Maryland Health Care System
bshovest@.rochester.edu

Bridget’s research examines how negative perceptions of one’s social environment might explain the exacerbation and precipitation of social-cognitive and pleasure deficits in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. To the extent that negative perceptions are due to faulty information-processing, she is interested in how we can use fMRI to help explain these deficits and their relationship to pernicious symptoms, such as social anhedonia. Additionally, Bridget is interested in how these relationships may differ when negative perceptions are instead a product of recognized, adverse treatment (e.g., discrimination).

Emily Przysinda, Ph.D.
Neuroscience PhD Alumnus, MD Student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry

emily_przysinda@urmc.rochester.edu

 

Collaborators


Elizabeth Handley, Department of Psychology, University of Rochester

Steve Silverstein, Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, University of Rochester Medical Center

Judy Thompson, Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center

Brian Keane, Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center

Laura Germine, Institute for Technology in Psychiatry/Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Christine Hooker, Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center

Edmund C. Lalor, Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience, University of Rochester/University of Rochester Medical Center

J. Steven Lamberti, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center

Feng V. Lin, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center

Diana Tamir, Department of Psychology, Princeton University

 

Lab Alumni


Aaron Johnson

Abby Strugger

Aly Chenaille

Angie Chen, B.S.
Human Subject Research Coordinator, University of Rochester Medical Center

Arisha Ansari, B.A.
Graduate Student, Boston University Medical Sciences

Brooke Gotthelf, B.A.
Intern, Disney College Program

Chenwei Wu, B.S.
Technology Analyst, Credit Suisse New York

Chenyuan Qu, B.S. & B.A.

Daniella Deis, B.S.
Behavior Technician, Kids First

Elena Barr

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Schupbach, B.S.

Emanuela Natali, B.A.
Healthcare Informatics Analyst

Emily Dudek, B.S.
Clinical Research Coordinator, The Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai

Emma Saubermann, B.S.

Epiphany Adams

Gloria Liu, B.A.
Department Administrator, Rochester Optical Research & Development

Isabel Adeniji

Jessica Woodyatt, MSc

Jiayin Han, B.S.
Graduate Student, Carnegie Mellon University

Jojo Dong, B.A.
Graduate Student, University of Washington in St. Louis

Jonathan Lai

Kailin Zhuang, B.S.
Lab Manager, Jagust Lab, University of California, Berkeley

Lia Rodriguez

Madeline Ruoff

Mars Scharf, B.A.
Research Assistant, Lowe Lab, Drexel University

Natasha Kruelski

Nicole Calcagno, B.S.
NIH Postbac Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA), Lab of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging

Nya Robinson

Paige Amormino, A.B.
Pyschology PhD Student, Georgetown University

Rachel Bordonaro, B.A.
Patient Care Technician, Unity Hospital Emergency Department

Rachel Seo, B.A.
Graduate Student, Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Sanoelani Lanais, B.A.
Clinical Research Coordinator, Finger Lakes Clinical Research

Sara Signorelli, B.A.
Research Associate in K-12 Education at Hanover Research in Arlington, VA

Sarah Preuss

Shangzan (Sunny) Liu, B.S.
Research Analyst, Morality Lab, Boston College

Siddhant Iyer, B.A.
Research Assistant, Dartmouth Social Neuroscience Lab, Dartmouth College

Stephanie Reda, B.A.
Senior Analyst, Consumer Insights at Peacock, NBCUniversal

Tori Popov, M.S.
Graduate Student, Drs. Foxe and Freedman’s Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab (CNL), University of Rochester Medical Center

Yiheng Hua