Director
George M. Slavich, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Founding Director, Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research
Investigator, Staglin One Mind Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
Research Scientist, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
B.A. with honors, M.A., & M.A., Stanford University
M.S. & Ph.D., University of Oregon
Clinical Internship, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School
NIMH Postdoctoral Fellowship, UCSF & UCLA
Interests: psychoneuroimmunology, social safety, stress, depression, social genomics, health
Email | Website
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Jenna Alley
Postdoctoral Fellow
Chair, CAL STAR Network Diversity Equity and Inclusion Workgroup
Ph.D., University of Utah
Interests: Biopsychosocial underpinnings of early adversity experience on sexual development, experience, and health in sexually diverse populations.
Jeff Gassen
Postdoctoral Fellow
Senior Statistician, UCLA-UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network
Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, Texas Christian University
Interests: Psychobiology of stress, adverse childhood experiences, immunometabolism, multivariate statistical methods
Summer Mengelkoch
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-chair, CAL STAR Network Community Partnerships Workgroup
Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, Texas Christian University
Interests: stress, health, immune function, inflammation, hormonal contraceptives, hormones, decision-making, evolutionary psychology
Daniel Moriarty
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-chair, CAL STAR Network Science & Research Workgroup
Ph.D., Temple University
Interests: Inflammatory phenotyping of psychopathology, physiometrics, and inflammation and cognitive vulnerabilities
Lydia Roos
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-Chair, CAL STAR Network Education & Professional Training Workgroup
Ph.D., Health Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Interests: Psychobiological stress reactivity and health, resilience, stress measurement and methodology, social processes, coping and emotion regulation
Lab Coordinator
Lauren Kim
Lab Coordinator
Chair, CAL STAR Network Project Coordinator & Community Partnerships Workgroup
B.A., UCLA
Interests: mental health, health disparities, resilience, community, loneliness, risk factors
CAL STAR Network Executive Director
Anna Ginther
CAL STAR Network Executive Director
B.A., UC Berkeley, 2020
Current Master of Public Health and Master of Social Welfare student at UCLA
Interests: social buffering of stress, adverse childhood experiences, child maltreatment, social determinants of health
STRAIN Project Coordinators
Zach Gray
STRAIN Project Coordinator
B.A., Hendrix College, 2020
Interests: stress, decision-making, habit formation, health outcomes
Chandler Spahr
STRAIN Project Coordinator
M.A., San Diego State University, 2020; B.S., UC Davis, 2017
Interests: stress, mental health, relationships, social interactions
Research Assistant Coordinators
Juliet Cushing
Research Assistant Coordinator
Co-Chair, CAL STAR Network Education & Professional Training Workgroup
Current UCLA Student
Interests: stress disparities, social determinants of health, stress mitigation in primary care, resilience
Crystal Hsueh
Research Assistant Coordinator
Current UCLA Student
Interests: psychopathology, mental health and neurodegenerative diseases, stress
Shareef Tubeileh
Research Assistant Coordinator
Current UCLA student
Interests: biotechnology and bioengineering, psychosocial aspects of health, psyconeurology
Luyan Zhang
Research Assistant Coordinator
Chair, CAL STAR Network Communications & Social Impact Workgroup
B.S., Neuroscience and Global Health, UCLA, 2023.
Interests: mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, depression, health disparities, developmental neuroscience
Lab Members
Amara Ajon
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: psychopathology, mental health, population health disparities, and pharmacology
Gigi Alioto-Pier
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current Brown University Student
Interests: Mental health, chronic stress, healthcare inequality
Ayushi Banerjee
Research Assistant
B.S., Psychobiology and Global Health minor, UCLA, 2023
Interests: health disparities, minority health, women’s health, intersections of mental and physical health
Kimya Afshar
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: Memory and aging, social determinants of health, stress/mental health disparities, drugs, chronic stress
Theresa Bui
Graduate Research Assistant
B.S., UCLA, 2017
Interests: stress, genetics of depression, cultural psychology, mental health
Milton Cazassa, Ph.D.
Ph.D., PUCRS/UCLA (Visiting Graduate Researcher), 2019
Specialist in Clinical Psychology, Federal Council of Psychology (Brazil), 2018
M.S., B.A., PUCRS (Brazil)
Interests: stress, mental health, psychoneuroimmunology, social genomics
Michael Chen
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: immune system, stress neurobiology, drugs, resilience
Terrence Chi
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: physical & mental health, health disparities, stress risks factors, depression
Nur Emanet
Research Assistant
M.Ed., Human Development, Harvard Graduate School of Education; M.A., Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University
Interests: adverse childhood experiences, SES differences, effects of environmental exposures on neurodevelopment
Ayaan Ekram
Digital Content Specialist & Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student, Human Biology & Society
Interests: Physical manifestations of stress, stress education, impact of stress on development
Matthew Figueroa
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: Stress, coping, chronic illness, resilience, psycho-oncology, health-related adversity
Katie Firestone
Project Coordinator
B.A., University of Washington
Interests: mind-body connection, stress, physical activity, digital mental health
Sofia Flynn
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current Harvard student
Interests: biomarkers of anxiety and depression, neuro-imaging, mental healthcare delivery, adolescent mental health
Emily Furtado
Project MHISS Coordinator
B.A., Psychology and Organizational Studies, University of Michigan
Interests: early life stress, depression, effects of adverse experiences on social and neurodevelopment
Sutapa Goswami
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current University of Delhi Student
Interests: Childhood adversity, resilience, contemplative practices- mindfulness meditation, yoga etc., transdiagnostic treatment approaches to mental illness
Adelina Grusca
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UNC Chapel Hill Student
Interests: chronic stress, epigenetics, gut-brain axis, social determinants of health
Grace Hajjar
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Currently UCLA Student
Interests: long term implications of stress and resilience.
Nainika Hira
Graduate Research Assistant
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Delhi
Interests: contemplative practices, mindfulness based interventions, e-mental health, stress, positive psychology, third wave psychotherapies
Japneet Kaur
Graduate Research Assistant
B.A., Psychology, University of Delhi (India)
Interests: chronic stress, body dysmorphia in adolescence, adverse childhood experiences, mood disorders, resilience
Briana Lay
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: Epigenetics, adverse childhood experiences, public health, health disparities
Albert Luu
Research Assistant
B.A., Physiological Science, UCLA
Interests: social determinants of health, relationship between stress/ACEs and health outcomes
Taylor Martin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA student, Psychobiology major
Interests: Mental Health, Gut Microbiome, Relationship Between Mental and Physical Health, Genetics, Mindfulness Interventions
Andrea Miller
Graduate Research Assistant
B.S. & B.Ed., University of Toronto
M.Sc., King’s College London
Interests: adverse childhood experiences, mechanisms of depression, sex differences, mindfulness interventions
Nandani Patel
Digital Content Specialist & Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: Digitial content/marketing, nanotechnology, public health disparities, microbiology, healthcare equity, reproductive health justice
Ritika Prasad
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: mental health, risk factors for mood disorders, relationship between stress and mental illnesses
Rizun Sharma
Research Assistant
M.A., Counseling Psychology, Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2022
Master Diploma in Training & Development, Indian Academy of Training & Development, 2019
B.M.S., SIES College of Arts, Science & Commerce, University of Mumbai, 2017
Interests: Stress, Memory, Trauma, Depression, Resilience, Decision Making and Positive Psychology
Stassja Sichko
Graduate Research Assistant
B.A., Pomona College, 2015
Interests: stress, physical & mental health, mindfulness, intergenerational transmission of risk
Abhinaya Sridhar
Research Assistant
Current Christ University Student
Interests: Neurodevelopmental disorders, child psychotherapy
Tanvi Tomar
Graduate Research Assistant
B.A. (Honors) in Applied Psychology, 2022, Amity University (India)
Current M.A. Applied Psychology student, Jamia Millia Islamia (India)
Interests: Psychoneuroimmunology, Stress Reactivity, Health, Resilience, Psychosomatic Medicine, Neuropsychology, Health Technology
Mathilda Von Guttenberg
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student, Neuroscience
Interests: Immune-gut-brain axis, psychoneuroimmunology, stress and mental health disparities.
Makaila Williams
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: mental health, depression, resilience, social support, developmental neuroscience
Saja Zidan
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Current UCLA Student
Interests: social determinants of health, health equity, health disparities, stress inequality
Collaborators
Randy P. Auerbach, Ph.D., ABPP, Harvard Medical School | Website
Larry W. Barsalou, Ph.D., University of Glasgow | Website
Julie E. Bower, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
Melynda D. Casement, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh | Website
Steven W. Cole, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
Naomi I. Eisenberger, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
Elissa E. Epel, Ph.D., UCSF | Website
Ian H. Gotlib, Ph.D., Stanford University | Website
Greg Hajcak Proudfit, Ph.D., Stony Brook University | Website
Constance Hammen, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
Kate L. Harkness, Ph.D., Queen’s University | Website
Michael R. Irwin, M.D., UCLA | Website
Farrah Jacquez, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati | Website
Michael R. Jarcho, Ph.D., Loras College | Website
Margaret E. Kemeny, Ph.D., UCSF | Website
Mark F. Lenzenweger, Ph.D., SUNY | Website
Susan K. Lutgendorf, Ph.D., University of Iowa | Website
Jennifer Malat, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati | Website
Greg E. Miller, Ph.D., Northwestern University | Website
Scott M. Monroe, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame | Website
Matthew K. Nock, Ph.D., Harvard University | Website
Aoife O’Donovan, Ph.D., UCSF | Website
Hector A. Olvera, Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso | Website
Elizabeth A. Phelps, Ph.D. | Website
Diego A. Pizzagalli, Ph.D., Harvard University | Website
Mitch J. Prinstein, Ph.D., UNC Chapel Hill | Wesbite
Roxann Roberson-Nay, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University | Website
Nicolas Rohleder, Ph.D., Brandeis University | Website
Karen D. Rudolph, Ph.D., University of Illinois | Website
Suzanne C. Segerstrom, Ph.D., University of Kentucky | Website
Grant S. Shields, Ph.D., University of Arkansas | Website
Anil K. Sood, M.D., MD Anderson Cancer Center | Website
Shelley E. Taylor, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
April D. Thames, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
Loren Toussaint, Ph.D., Luther College | Website
Heather L. Urry, Ph.D., Tufts University | Website
Roland von Känel, M.D., Klinik Barmelweid AG | Website
Tor D. Wager, Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder | Website
Aidan G.C. Wright, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh | Website
Gail E. Wyatt, Ph.D., UCLA | Website
Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., Stanford University | Website
Lab Alumni
Mashal Ali
Jacob Allely
Lauren Anas
Daniel Araiza
Kayla Ardebilchi
Erica Aronson
Kaitlyn Breiner
Theresa Bui
Siong-Guan Chng
Alberto Collazzoni
Pauline de Lange
Bailey Deal
Christopher DeMatteo
Corrie Doyle
Elizabeth Fisseha
Chantal Gabayan
Stephen Imperiale-Hagerman
Asako Kanazawa
Dora Kirigin
Halina Kowalski
Brandi Lewis
Abigail Looi
Mimi Lu
Robert Manley
Kimberly Merrill
Natalie Muren
Rachel Ogata
Santhosi Samudrala
Kelly Sun
Tiffany Thornton
Hilary Wilson
