Dr. Christine L. Larson

Professor, Department of Psychology

CV | Email | she/her/hers
I investigate how people regulate their emotions, how cognition and affect interact in this process, and how regulation goes awry in anxiety, depression, and disinhibitory psychopathology. One major current focus of our work is to prospectively predict posttraumatic stress using multilevel assessments of adult and youth acute trauma survivors. We also aim to understand socioenvironmental risk and resilience factors, such as neighborhood resources, racial discrimination, and social support, that may affect recovery following trauma and how these factors are related to brain structure and function. We use multimodal neuroimaging, electrophysiological, and behavioral techniques to address these questions. Together with Terri deRoon-Cassini of the Medical College of Wisconsin I co-founded the Milwaukee Trauma Outcomes Project, a collective of researchers at UWM, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University, and the Milwaukee VA.

If you’re curious about my mentorship style and expectations for trainees in the lab and the mentor-trainee relationship, checkout our lab Mentoring Agreement.

Emily Albertina

CV | Email | she/her/hers
I am a second-year student in the clinical psychology doctoral program. My interests broadly involve looking at neurological (imaging and biology) predictors of adverse outcomes following stressful life experiences/adverse childhood experiences. Currently, I am working on my master’s thesis analyzing how the endocannabinoid system relates to resting state functional connectivity and the development of PTSD using data from a study the lab previously collected. I also am helping collect data for the lab’s study examining pediatric vulnerability to PTSD and depression after experiencing a traumatic injury.

Sebastiane Chen

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I am a second-year student in the Master of Health Psychology program. My research is focused on applying techniques such as machine learning to identify physiological features of the human body and medical imaging to predict PTSD. I plan to gain a deeper understanding of neuroscience and the physiological characteristics of post-traumatic stress through participation in projects such as PATT and graduate-level study to eventually become a clinical provider to support vulnerable populations from a psychological and physiological perspective.

Adriane Davis

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Adriane is a first-year clinical student. Her interests involve trauma and resilience in minority youth and how trauma shapes adolescent neurodevelopmental outcomes as they transition into adulthood.

Farah Harb

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I am a third year in the clinical psychology doctoral program. I am interested in how childhood experiences of maltreatment may modulate the vulnerability to PTSD development following a subsequent trauma in adulthood. Additionally, I also aim to understand how lived experiences of underserved communities (e.g., deprivation, community violence, racial discrimination) interact with experiences of trauma and psychopathology, both immediately and cumulatively. Currently, I am collecting data for the lab’s study examining pediatric vulnerability to PTSD after exposure to an acute trauma and hope to conduct analyses related to experiences of childhood adversity and familial relationships in the aftermath of the traumatic injury.

Michael Liuzzi

CV | Email | he/him/his
I am a fourth-year student in the clinical psychology doctoral program. Broadly, I am interested in investigating the underlying neural mechanisms (e.g., threat and reward processing) of psychopathology and (mal)adaptive functioning in childhood and throughout the lifespan. I am also interested in the role self-conscious emotions, such as shame, may play in the maintenance of psychopathology (e.g., PTSD, depression, anxiety). Currently, I am working on our lab’s grant investigating pediatric vulnerability for developing PTSD and depression following acute trauma.

Alma Vazquez-Smith

Email | she/her/hers
I am a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology department. My research interests broadly lie in the intersection between neural mechanisms, their effects on behavior, and equity research. Additionally, I have a budding interest in neuropsychology. I am currently finishing my Master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nagy, which focuses on developing novel feedback-gathering techniques from children and adolescents in the Latine community on a family-strengthening intervention.

Amy Wang

Email | she/her/hers
I am a second-year student in the clinical psychology doctoral program. My general research interests involve understanding the neural mechanisms underlying affective psychopathology (e.g., PTSD, depression, anxiety). More specifically, I am interested in maladaptive emotional processing post-trauma that leads to the development of psychopathology. In addition, I am curious about the factors that interact with psychological processes, such as socioenvironmental, cognitive, and cultural factors.

Ciara Ayala

Email | she/her/hers
I am a post-baccalaureate research intern, whom has had the opportunity to be involved in several studies developed through MTOP (Milwaukee Trauma Outcomes Project). Primarily, I will be working on the PATT (Predicting Acute Trauma Trajectories) project, which studies youth victims of violence to better understand their risk and resilience factors for developing PTSD. By being involved in this study, I hope to better understand how early childhood trauma and exposure to community violence factors into the development of PTSD. My long-term goal is to pursue my medical degree and continue to work with survivors of violence as a general surgeon with a focus on trauma and acute critical care.

Ellie Kuhlmann

Email | she/her/hers
I am one of the research coordinators working on the Pediatric Acute Trauma Trajectories (PATT) study. I’m interested in how individual and socioenvironmental factors can help us better understand risk factors for PTSD, suicide, and depression as well as identifying and eliminating mental health disparities within developmental psychopathology. I hope to one day attend graduate school to get a degree in Clinical Psychology, so I can help others through research and clinically.

Bo Malames

Email | they/them/theirs
I am a post-baccalaureate research intern working on the PATT (Pediatric Acute Trauma Trajectories) and ABCD (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development) studies with Drs. Larson and Lisdahl. My research interests include investigating the relationship between youth perceived threat on outcomes of academic achievement as well as mental health including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. My long-term goal is to obtain a PhD in School Psychology so I may work with struggling students and advocate for school mental health.

Emily Belleau

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2016
Currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Ken Bennett

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2020
Currently a staff psychologist at the Montana VA.

Sarah Damiano

Research Associate and Project Coordinator
Sarah is currently a doctoral student at the University of California at Irvine.

Jacklynn Fitzgerald

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Fitzgerald is now an Assistant Professor at Marquette University.

Lauren Ehret

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2015
Currently a psychologist at the DBT Institute of Michigan.

Alexandra Gonzalez-Van Wart

Project Coordinator
Currently enrolled in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Marquette University.

Kevin Haworth

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2018
Currently a psychologist at the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Milwaukee and an Assistant Clinical Professor at UWM.

Ashley Huggins

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2021
Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona.

Kate Isely

Undergraduate research assistant, Project Coordinator
Currently a nurse at Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee.

Jessica Krukowski

Undergraduate research assistant, Project Coordinator
Currently enrolled in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Marquette University.

Tara Miskovich

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2018
Currently a psychologist with Kaiser Permanente.

Liz Parisi

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2023
Currently a psychologist at the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Milwaukee.

Walker Pedersen

PhD, Neuroscience, 2017
Currently Senior Statistician, Professional Data Analysts.

Kevin Petranu

MS, Health Psychology, 2022
Currently a research project coordinator at Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee.

Jordan Robinson

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2012
Currently a neuropsychologist at Healtheast St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Jonathan Santiago

MS, Health Psychology, 2023
Currently a student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Concordia University.

Kyrie Sellnow

MS, Neuroscience, 2021
Currently a Rape Prevention & Education Research Analyst for the Oregon Health Authority.

Danny Stout

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2016
Currently a Research Health Scientist the VA San Diego Health Care System.

Carissa Tomas (previously Weis)

PhD, Neuroscience, 2020
Currently an Assistant Professor in the Comprehensive Injury Center and Epidemiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Richard Ward

PhD, Neuroscience, 2021
Currently Lead GPS Data Reporting and Analytics, Deloitte, Tampa, FL.

Kate Webb

PhD, Neuroscience, 2021
Currently a postdoctoral fellow at McLean Hospital with Nate Harnett and Kerry Ressler.

Youcai Yang

PhD, Experimental Psychology, 2018
Currently an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Education and Health at East China Normal University.