Meet our Team

Vijay A. Mittal, Ph.D.

Research Coordinators

sophie parmacek, m.s.

Assessment Specialist

Sophie graduated from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science with an M.S. in Clinical Counseling (Research Track) and from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in investigating executive functioning and social development in adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. Sophie plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and is excited to join the ADAPT lab!

nashya linares, b.a.

Nashya graduated from Florida International University with a B.A. in Psychology. She previously worked in a biopsychology lab focused on early development of learning using animal models. Her plans are to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology where she hopes to intersect education and clinical interventions in adolescents.

MAEVE HOFFMAN, B.A.

Maeve graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior and Psychology. There, she worked in the Kurtz lab investigating the effects of cognitive remediation therapy for individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. She hopes to go to medical school in the future and is excited to gain more clinical experience in the ADAPT lab!

Hailey Rich, B.S.

Hailey graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022, receiving her B.S. in neurobiology. After graduating, she worked at the BRAVE Research Center using neuroimaging to investigate how trauma and affective disorders affect brain development in youth. Hailey plans to pursue a PhD in neuroscience and is excited to gain more research experience in the ADAPT Lab!

Catherine Spencer, MA, LCSW

Assessment Specialist

Cathy received her Master of Arts degree in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration from the University of Chicago with a clinical and school social work concentration. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Truman State University. Cathy has worked with adolescents and their families in various settings, specializing in eating disorders, autism spectrum disorders, student assessment in schools and youth alcohol and drug prevention. She looks forward to continuing to build her expertise in adolescent and young adult mental health in the ADAPT Lab.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Danielle Pratt, PH.D.

Danielle Pratt received her PhD from the University of Minnesota where she studied the psychometric properties of cognitive measurements in people with psychosis as well as identifying how cognitive mechanisms differ for those individuals using classical and computational methods. She joined the ADAPT lab in 2021 to examine what cognitive patterns or altered mechanisms might indicate risk for developing psychosis.

victor pokorny, PH.D.

Victor Pokorny joined the ADAPT lab in the summer of 2024. He is interested in neural mechanisms of atypical visual experiences. In particular, his PhD was focused on altered use of visuospatial context in psychosis spectrum disorders. In his future work, he hopes to use computational models, psychophysics and neuroimaging to identify low-level brain circuits that are altered in psychotic psychopathology.

Juliette Lozano Goupil

Juliette received her PhD in Human Movement Sciences from the University of Montpellier, France, where she studied nonverbal behavior and social skill deficits in individuals with schizophrenia using multimodal analysis. She will be joining the ADAPT lab in the fall of 2024 to investigate which motion variables or impaired interpersonal skills might indicate a risk for developing psychosis.

Graduate Students

Jessica Fattal, b.s.

Jessica graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Neuroscience. During her baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate training, Jessica worked as a research assistant and lab manager in the Michigan State Clinical Neuroscience Lab studying visual and oculomotor changes in schizophrenia. Jessica is currently a graduate student in Dr. Vijay Mittal's ADAPT lab in Chicago. Her research interests center on identifying basic physiological changes that may act as markers for risk in prodromal populations.

Matthew Miller, B.S.

Matthew graduated from Yale College in 2024 with a B.S. in neuroscience, where his thesis focused on the relationship between circadian irregularity and brain connectivity in adolescents and young adults with mood disorders. He is currently completing his fall rotation in the ADAPT lab as a first-year student in the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN) PhD program. Matthew’s interests lie in neuroimaging, actigraphy, computational modeling, psychiatric illness, and adolescence.

Luz maria alliende serra, M.A.

Luz Maria graduated from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile with a BA in Clinical Psychology. After graduation she worked as a research assistant under Dr. Nicolas Crossley at the same institution, studying early psychosis with a focus on neuroimaging approaches. She also worked as a clinician in an inpatient unit for first episode psychosis. In 2021, she obtained an MA in Psychology from The University of Chicago working under Dr. Molly Erickson. Her MA thesis focused on thalamocortical connectivity and its role in explaining 2 consistently found EEG and fMRI patterns in working memory deficit in schizophrenia. She is part of the ANDES network for the study of early psychosis in Latin America. Luz Maria is interested on how environmental stressors affect the onset and presentation of early psychosis and how this can be translated onto the study of biomarkers through imaging and EEG.

Luz Maria is also part of the ANDES network for the study of early psychosis in Latin America and is interested in the study of psychosis from a global perspective.

Vanessa Zarubin, B.s., b.a.

Vanessa graduated from Wofford College with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in French. Following graduation, she joined the Translational Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience lab at the University of California, Davis, where she was the coordinator and technical specialist for a longitudinal study examining cognitive deficits and treatment response in first-episode psychosis. Vanessa is currently a graduate student in Dr. Vijay Mittal’s ADAPT lab. Her research interests include using multimodal approaches to better predict the onset and course of sub-threshold and full-threshold psychosis symptoms, with the goal of facilitating access to effective treatment sooner and improving treatment outcomes.

Claire Bertrand, B.S.

Claire Bertrand completed her B.S. in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following graduation, she worked as a research assistant at the UCSF Brain Imaging and EEG Lab, where she utilized multimodal techniques, including fMRI and EEG, to explore the neural mechanisms underlying schizophrenia and depression in veterans. Following this, Claire became lab manager at the Stanford Personalized and Translational Neuroscience Lab, coordinating neuroimaging studies aimed at advancing personalized treatments for depression. In 2024, Claire joined the ADAPT Lab, where she is now investigating neural biomarkers associated with psychosis through a transdiagnostic lens.

Research Assistants

Branden Chen

Branden is a rising third-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology on the Pre-Med track. After his undergraduate education, he hopes to go on to medical school to pursue an MD/PhD and a career in psychiatry. Within research, he is interested in the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric disorders and how understanding that can inform future treatments and propel discussions about psychological health. Outside of the lab, he is on the Men's Club Volleyball team and hosts his own podcast. He is incredibly excited to join the ADAPT Lab!

Alani Cox-Cáceres

Alani Cox-Cáceres is a senior undergraduate at Northwestern University majoring in Cognitive Science with a minor in Data Science. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in Neuropsychology, driven by her passion for exploring the complex intersections between science and social justice. She is excited to join the ADAPT Lab to deepen her understanding of the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. 

Louis Flagel

Louis Flagel is a second-year undergraduate at Northwestern University, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychology. After graduating, Louis wants to pursue a career in pediatric psychiatry. He would like to better understand predispositions to mental health disorders and learn about the various clinical interventions that can be employed. He is looking forward to this engaging research experience with the ADAPT program!

Grace Lee

Grace is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in Psychology and Human Development in Context. She hopes to pursue a career in clinical child psychology! Her interests lie in the development of psychological disorders and sharing knowledge to destigmatize mental health care. She is delighted to work with ADAPT lab!

Taera Kaka

Taera is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern majoring in Psychology with a minor in Data Science. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and is interested in studying the social factors that affect diagnosis of mental health disorders, particularly schizophrenia. Taera is extremely excited to work with the ADAPT lab and gain experience in clinical research!

Isha Nayak

Isha is a first year undergraduate at Northwestern University majoring in Psychology and Global Health. She hopes to attend medical school after graduation and wants to go into pediatrics. Isha is also very interested in clinical psychology and is excited to be working with ADAPT to further her understanding of mental disorders.

Lauren Lee

Lauren is a first-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Psychology. She is pursuing a career in the medical field and is interested in the relationship between psychological disorders and genetics. Outside the lab, she enjoys swimming, playing music, and shopping. Lauren is very excited to work with the ADAPT lab!

ishika arora

Ishika is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University studying Psychology and Global Health Studies with a minor in Computer Science. She hopes to pursue clinical psychology after college and is excited to join the ADAPT team. Ishika is interested in studying societal factors that influence mental health and how these can inform prevention and treatment strategies for mental disorders.

claire marrie

Claire is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Critical Theory and Classics. After graduating, she plans to pursue a career in clinical psychology. She is very excited to join the ADAPT lab and gain experience in clinical research! 

julianna schuch

Julianna is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Julianna is particularly interested in studying how linguistic markers can predict mental disorders, as well as how environmental factors, such as family dynamics and nutrition, play a role in the onset and duration of disorder. She is delighted to gain valuable clinical research experience with ADAPT!

JULIE PASKA

Julie is a second-year undergraduate at Northwestern University majoring in the biological sciences and minoring in psychology. She is interested in pursuing a career in medicine and believes gaining research experience with the ADAPT lab will help her succeed in this goal. Among other subjects, Julie is interested in the many biological and social factors that contribute to the development of human psychological disorders. 

emily park

Emily is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University, where she is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Global Health. Her goal is to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology after graduation. Emily is dedicated to mental health advocacy and is particularly interested in identifying youth who are at risk for psychosis and developing early intervention strategies. She is thrilled to be joining the ADAPT team to gain clinical research experience!

molly zwiebach

Molly is a first-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in Cognitive Science. After graduating, she is hoping to pursue a career in the medical field. She is interested in studying a hands-on approach to mental illness and potential treatments. She is very excited to join the ADAPT team and engage in clinical research!

natalie larson

Natalie is a second-year undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in Biology and Psychology. She is pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology and is interested in the biological and genetic factors underlying mental health disorders. She is excited to gain experience in a clinical research setting at the ADAPT lab!

Ismail Guenoun

Ismail is a first-year undergraduate student at Northwestern pursuing a double major in Psychology and Data Science. He is interested in studying psychopathology, the effects of trauma on developmental disorders, and the interactions between culture and mental health. After graduating, Ismail hopes to pursue a Psy.D in clinical psychology. He is thrilled to join the ADAPT team and gain research experience!

Aastha Patel

Aastha is a third year undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring Neuroscience and minoring in Data Science. She hopes to go on and attend medical school after graduating. She is interested in learning more about the relationship between neural networks and the development of psychotic disorders as well as identifying biomarkers of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Aastha is looking forward to working with the ADAPT Lab! 

Ben Geduld

Memorial

Shane Colombo, B.A.

Shane was prepared to start in the fall of 2018 as a graduate student at Northwestern and new member of the ADAPT lab. His research interests centered around understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that link psychosocial stressors with self-knowledge deficits observed in psychosis. Shane received his B.A. in psychology from San Francisco State University. As an undergraduate, he assisted with research at the University of California, San Francisco that examined the inhibition of imitative behavior in patients with schizophrenia. After graduation, he conducted research at Columbia University using functional neuroimaging techniques to characterize the relationship between stigma and social cognition in patients at clinical-high risk for psychosis. 

Shane was taken from us, in an untimely and violent way, shortly after arriving in Chicago. He had only just begun to touch our lives, but in that short time, had already become an important member of our group. He will be missed, but never forgotten. The ADAPT lab team and our community are still reeling from this loss and trying to come to grips with what has happened. We are dedicated to honoring Shane’s memory through continuing his important work, aimed at reducing stigma and improving our understanding of how societal stress may exacerbate risk for serious psychopathology.

Randal Ross, M.D.