Michael Lowe, PhD
Professor and Lab Director
Education: 1978, Boston College - PhD (Clinical Psychology - Behavioral Therapy) 1973, Boston University - BA (Psychology)
Research Interests: The relation of weight suppression and food restriction to eating disorder psychopathology. The role of hedonic hunger in obesity and eating disorders. Obesity and the prevention of weight gain and weight regain. The impact of weight variability on health and future weight gain. Integrating biological and psychological influences on eating and weight regulation.

Hannah Blythe
Graduate Student
Education: 2020, University of Illinois at Springfield, BA (Psychology)
Research Interests: Hannah Blythe is a second-year Masters student from Vandalia, Illinois. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Springfield. After graduating, she completed a year of AmeriCorps service with No More Empty Pots in Omaha, NE. No More Empty Pots is a nonprofit organization that works to provide fresh, local produce to lower-income households in the greater Omaha area. Hannah is broadly interested in obesity research and creating an environment that promotes healthy eating behaviors. She is also the current administrative coordinator for The WELL Clinic.

Ingrid Friedman
Graduate Student
Education: 2022, New York University, BA (major in Psychology, minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies)
Research Interests: Ingrid is a first-year doctoral student from upstate New York. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from New York University. While at NYU, she conducted research on the impact of gender on the importance people place upon their appearance and their intelligence. Ingrid's current research interests include understanding the psychological, social, and biological mechanisms associated with the development of eating disorders, and how weight history influences the trajectory of eating disorder development and maintenance.

Mars Scharf
Research Coordinator
Education:2022, University of Rochester, BA (major in Psychology; minor in Health, Behavior, and Society)
Research Interests: Mars is a research coordinator from Rochester, New York. They earned their bachelor's degree at the University of Rochester, where they conducted research on the impact of the social environment on psychopathology risk and symptoms. Mars's current research interests include community health promotion, creation of healthy environments, building resilience and coping skills, and gender and sexual minority mental health.

Christian Stemko
Graduate Student
Education: 2022, Drexel University, BA (Psychology)
Research Interests: Christian Stemko is a current second year master’s student originally from Drums, Pennsylvania. He completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Drexel’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2022, and is currently in his second and final year of the psychology BS/MS accelerated master’s program and is expected to graduate in June 2023. Christian is interested in a biopsychosocial approach to psychological disorders, and is currently studying weight variability and how this impacts long term weight change in individuals in The Lowe Lab, while also assisting with data entry in the CHOP Student Athlete Study as well, which examines physiological aspects of student athletes who have fallen off of their growth curves.

Edward Williams, MS
Graduate Student
Education: 2019, University of Delaware, MS (Health Promotion); 2017, University of Delaware, BS (Health Behavior Science); 2017, University of Delaware, BA (Psychology)
Research Interests: Ed's previous research focused on pediatric cardiology, developmental psychology, health promotion, and biology. His current research interests encompass obesity and weight management, including weight loss, weight regain prevention, and long-term weight gain. Additional research interests include obesity and weight management related to CVD outcomes, body image and social comparison, and public perception of overweight, obesity, and weight management.