For a better experience, click the Compatibility Mode icon above to turn off Compatibility Mode, which is only for viewing older websites.

WELL Center Alumni

Post-Docs



WELL Center Alumnus Dani Arigo

Danielle Arigo, PhD

Dani Arigo was a postdoctoral research Fellow for the Innovation Lab (now the WELL Center) and Lowe Labs. She is a graduate of Drexel University (BS, Psychology). She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology (Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine emphasis) from Syracuse University and completed her clinical internship at the Syracuse VA Medical Center. Her research investigates the effects of psychological and social processes on health and health behaviors, and how these processes can be optimally harnessed in digital health interventions. This work emphasizes the role of social comparison (i.e., self-evaluation relative to others) in interventions for weight control, physical activity, type 2 diabetes, and disordered eating. Dani also specializes in the design of health behavior change programs for women and the delivery of cognitive-behavioral interventions for health behavior change in medical settings. She is now an assistant professor of Psychology at the Rowan University.

Katherine Godfrey

Kathryn Godfrey, PhD

Katie received her PhD from the San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology and completed her clinical internship at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Before graduate school she was a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Massachusetts General Hospital. Her program of research examines the impact of stress on health, with an emphasis on obesity and pain, to uncover the biopsychosocial factors involved in developing and treating these two widespread health conditions. She is especially interested in physiological measures, mindfulness-based interventions, and technology for behavior change. Katie is now the Care for the Caregiver Program Manager at Christiana Care’s Center for Provider Wellbeing.

Alison Infield Kaufman, PsyD

Alison Infield Kaufman, PsyD

Alison Infield Kaufman is a Licensed Psychologist in Pennsylvania and Delaware. She conducts group therapy for the treatment of obesity and is an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Drexel University. She received her BA from Skidmore College, and her MS and PsyD in clinical psychology from Loyola University Maryland. She completed her residency in clinical psychology at Regional Mental Health Center in northwest Indiana, near Chicago. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Drexel University’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the Laboratory for Innovations in Health-Related Behavior Change. She was a visiting fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology of the University of Pennsylvania. Her primary research interests are behavioral approaches to obesity treatment and prevention, including acceptance-based therapies, and disseminating evidence-based eating disorders prevention programs. Alison specializes in cognitive-behavioral treatments for eating disorders, obesity, and chronic health conditions, specifically gastrointestinal disorders. She has joined the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Katherine Schaumberg

Katherine Schaumberg, PhD

Katherine received her BA in Psychology from Trinity University, and her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University at Albany - State University of New York. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Her dissertation examined the health of staff members at weight loss summer camps as they followed a weight management program, evaluating the safety and efficacy of such an approach as an obesity prevention effort. Her interests include the prevention of eating disorders and obesity and examining the role of dietary restraint in weight management and eating disorder interventions. Katherine is currently a T32 fellow in Eating Disorder Research at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Margaret Sala

Margaret Sala, PhD

Margaret Sala received her BS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Southern Methodist University, and her clinical internship training from the Connecticut VA in West Haven. Margaret Sala's research interests focus on understanding the role that mindfulness plays in promoting adaptive eating and exercise behaviors and alleviating eating pathology.

WELL Center Postdoc Mallory Frayn, PhD

Mallory Frayn, PhD

Mallory is a Clinical Postdoctoral Fellow in the WELL Center at Drexel working with Dr. Adrienne Juarascio, where she provides treatment to individuals with binge eating and other eating disorders. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from McGill University and for her doctoral dissertation she studied emotional eating and its relationship to weight outcomes. Her clinical experience has included the treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating, and obesity in both individual and group contexts. Mallory practices within an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) frame. Her research interests include using qualitative methodologies to better understand disordered eating processes.

Students



Britt Evans, PhD

Britt Evans, PhD

Britt received her PhD in June 2020 under the mentorship of Evan Forman, PhD. Britt received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Amherst College in 2011, and worked as a research coordinator at the National Institute of Mental Health prior to beginning graduate school. Britt completed her predoctoral internship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the Clinical Child Psychology Track. Britt’s interests include novel treatments for pediatric feeding/eating disorders, parent training, and child anxiety disorders, and her dissertation project developed and piloted a novel parent coaching intervention for healthy eating in children using video-conference technology. Britt will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at Chicago Psychotherapy in the fall of 2020 focusing on evidence-based treatment for youth with anxiety concerns.

Lauren Bradley, PhD

Lauren Bradley, PhD

Lauren Bradley received her PhD in May 2015. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Biological Basis of Behavior with a minor in Nutrition. Her research interests include acceptance-based therapies for the treatment of obesity and eating disorders. She is particularly interested in the treatment of post-bariatric surgery weight regain. She is now an assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center.

Greer Raggio, PhD

Greer Raggio, PhD

Greer Raggio received her PhD under the mentorship of Meghan Butryn, PhD. Greer earned an undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University and a Master in Public Health at Columbia University. She is interested in behavioral medicine broadly and more specifically, obesity and associated public health issues, psycho-oncology, and women's mental health. Greer is now a post-doctoral fellow at the Boston VA.

Jena Shaw, PhD

Jena Shaw, PhD

Jena Shaw received her PhD in May 2015. Her thesis used behavioral outcomes to measure the efficacy of an ACT-based treatment for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in an inpatient setting and her dissertation examined the impact of implicit attitudes on soda consumption. She is now an assistant professor of Psychology in the Psychiatry at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania.

Monika Gaspar

Monika Gaspar

Monika Gaspar received her BA in Psychology from Ohio State University in 2012 and her MS from Drexel University. She is interested in acceptance-based interventions broadly and more specifically, the relationship between depressive symptoms and the effectiveness of treatments for obesity.

Marie Colasanti, MS

Marie Colasanti, MS

Marie Colasanti received her MS in May 2015. She now coaches groups and individuals to achieve their weight loss goals, and continues to lead weight loss groups at Drexel.

Renee Mikorski, MS

Renee Mikorski, MS

Renee Mikorski received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Biology from Boston University and her master’s from Drexel University. During her time at Drexel, Renee developed a strong interest in body image and media images of women and, for her master’s thesis, designed a cognitive defusion intervention to buffer the effects of these images. Renee is currently in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Tennessee studying LGBT mental health, body image, sexual objectification of women, and feminist therapy.

Megan Parker, MS

Megan Parker, MS

Megan received her Master’s degree from Drexel University in 2019. While at Drexel she worked under the mentorship of Adrienne Juarascio, PhD and coordinated the Continuous Glucose Monitoring Study. She graduated in 2017 from The Pennsylvania State University at University Park with a BS in Psychology. Megan is currently pursuing her PhD in Clinical and Medical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Her research interests include examining how dysfunctional reward processes contribute to the development of disordered eating and improving prevention interventions for eating disorders in children and adolescents.

Madeline Lagacey

Madeline Lagacey

Madeline Lagacey graduated from the BS/MS program in Psychology. Her research interests include evaluation and development of treatment strategies in an effort to reduce relapse rates as well as eating disorders and body image in female athletes. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology in the future.

Caitlin Loyka

Caitlin Loyka

Caitlin obtained her BA in Psychology from The College of New Jersey in May 2017 and her MS from Drexel University. Caitlin’s current research interests include third-wave Cognitive Behavioral treatments of overweight and obesity, emotional eating, and the role of self-compassion and self-criticism in weight loss treatment and outcomes.

Stephanie Goldstein

Stephanie Goldstein

Stephanie Goldstein graduated from the PhD program in Psychology. Her research interests involve the development and evaluation of technology-based interventions for health-related behavior change. In particular, she has been heavily involved in the development of a smartphone app that is designed to predict lapses from a weight control diet.

Stephanie Kerrigan

Stephanie Kerrigan

Stephanie Kerrigan received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rowan University and her PhD from Drexel University. Prior to beginning graduate school, she served as a research coordinator for two years at Drexel University. She is interested in health behavior change, particularly adherence to behavioral recommendations, and applying advanced methodologies and statistics to health behavior research. Her thesis examined distress tolerance and executive function as moderators of the relationship between intention and behavior in individuals enrolled in a weight loss program.

Leah Schumacher

Leah Schumacher

Leah Schumacher worked under the mentorship of Meghan Butryn, PhD. She received her BS in Psychology from the University of Dayton in 2011. She completed Drexel's MS in Psychology program in 2014 before beginning her doctoral studies. Her research interests include the development of novel behavioral treatments for obesity and eating disorders, ecologically valid methods of assessment, how individuals perceive and respond to failures in adhering to health behavior change goals, and how social factors and identity impact eating and physical activity.

Helen Murray

Helen Murray

Helen was a doctoral student, working under the mentorship of Adrienne Juarascio, PhD. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Georgetown University in 2011. Prior to beginning graduate school, Helen worked as a research coordinator at Children’s National Medical Center and then in the Eating Disorders Clinical & Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research interests include the development and evaluation of methods to detect and treat individuals with eating disorders, feeding disorders, and functional gastrointestinal conditions.

Jocelyn Remmert

Jocelyn Remmert

Jocelyn was a doctoral student working under the mentorship of Meghan Butryn, PhD. She graduated in 2013 from Middlebury College with a BA in Psychology, and then spent two years as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital in Behavioral Medicine. Her research interests include evidence-based interventions for obesity, particularly at the intersection of primary care, and physical activity promotion.

WELL Center Masters Student Sophie Abber

Sophie Abber

Sophie Abber was a graduate student working under the mentorship of Evan Forman, PhD and Stephanie Manasse, PhD. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and Anthropology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of San Diego in 2019. While at USD, Sophie worked on several projects related to the stigmatization of eating disorders and also conducted a grant-funded project on the contemporary relevance of the Salem Witch Trials. She is particularly interested in the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and creating interventions to help individuals with treatment-resistant eating disorders.

WELL Center Masters Student Olivia Clancy

Olivia Clancy

Olivia Clancy was a graduate student working under the joint mentorship of Adrienne Juarascio, PhD and Paakhi Srivastava, PhD. She graduated from New York University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Psychology and a concentration in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. During her time at NYU, Olivia used machine learning analysis to better understand social media trends relating to anorexia nervosa. Her research interests include integrating technology into treatment and assessing treatment efficacy.

Rebecca Crochiere

Rebecca Crochiere

Rebecca Crochiere was a graduate student working under the mentorship of Evan Forman, PhD. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Middlebury College in 2014. Prior to beginning graduate school, she worked as a research assistant at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth College. Her research interests include using advanced technologies, specifically passive sensor technology, and statistical techniques to model the relations between momentary risk factors and maladaptive eating behaviors.

Christine Call

Christine Call

Christine was a PhD student working under the mentorship of Meghan Butryn, PhD. She is currently completing her clinical internship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Prior to coming to Drexel, Christine received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Princeton University and then worked as a research coordinator at the Columbia Center for Eating Disorders at New York State Psychiatric Institute. Her research interests include identifying predictors of outcome in obesity and eating disorder interventions with the long-term goal of tailoring interventions to meet the needs of individuals who experience suboptimal outcomes in existing treatments. She is particularly interested in elucidating the role of weight history and physical activity in intervention outcomes.

Diane Dallal

Diane Dallal

Diane Dallal was a doctoral student working under the mentorship of Evan Forman, PhD. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, she worked as a research coordinator at the UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Center. Diane’s primary research interests are focused on developing and improving treatments for obesity and eating disorders. In particular, she is interested in the use of acceptance-based treatments to understand and intervene on cognitive and affective processes that maintain unhealthy eating.

Mary Martinelli

Mary Martinelli

Mary Martinelli was a doctoral student working under the mentorship of Meghan Butryn, PhD. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Maryland in 2011 and her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Towson University in 2013. Prior to starting at Drexel, she worked as a psychology associate and supervisor at the Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her research interests include technology-based interventions for obesity and eating disorders, and using novel assessment methods to understand how neuropsychological factors relate to health behavior.

hannah_dart

Hannah Dart

Hannah Dart is originally from Australia, and has also lived in China and Toledo, Ohio. She attended Southern Methodist University where she was a varsity rower, and majored in Applied Physiology and Health Management and English. Through the Applied Physiology major, she became interested in health behaviors and health promotion, and is particularly interested in the utilization of technology to improve compliance to health recommendations. She has worked in SMU’s Health Psychology and Anxiety and Depression labs on mindfulness, and depression and gait studies. She enjoys reading, playing video games, hiking, baking, writing and reading.

karly_derrigo

Karly Derrigo

Karly was a MS student working under the mentorship of Drs. Erica LaFata and Meghan Butryn. She attended The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she graduated with a bachelor's in science in psychology and a concentration in neuroscience. After graduation, she worked as a mental health counselor at an eating disorder clinic, where she became interested in disordered eating behaviors. Her research interests focus on food addiction and binge eating behaviors.

Research Coordinators



Colleen Kase

Colleen Kase

Colleen was a research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD, from 2014 to 2016. During her time at Drexel, she worked primarily on Project ENACT. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 with a BA in psychology and a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. In 2016, she began her doctoral studies in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research interests include the development and experience of gender, sexual, racial/ethnic, and political identities and how these identities affect psychological well-being.

Amani Piers

Amani Piers

Amani is a former research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD. During her time in the lab, she worked primarily on Project Impact. She continues to be interested in eating and weight disorders, and is pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology at Drexel University under the mentorship of Michael Lowe, PhD.

Emily Wyckoff

Emily Wyckoff

Emily Wyckoff was a research coordinator for Evan Forman, PhD, working on the Mind Your Health II study. She graduated from Goucher College in 2014 with a BA in psychology and is currently pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology at University of Connecticut under the mentorship of Amy Gorin, PhD.

Drew Frohn

Drew Frohn

Drew Frohn was a research coordinator for Evan Forman, PhD, primarily working on the second iteration of the Mind Your Health project. Drew received his BA in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo, and his Barista and Coffee Steward Certifications from Counter Culture Coffee. Drew is currently serving as shop manager and resident competitive barista at Ultimo Coffee, where he is pursuing further knowledge of third wave café systems, international specialty coffee economics, and acceptance-based interventions for customer-induced fatigue.

Madeline Kirch

Madeline Kirch

Madeline Kirch is a former research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD, and worked on the Body Project and ENACT during her time at Drexel. In January 2014 she began the Master's in Public Health program at the Milken Institute School for Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She has continued her work on research projects involving weight loss and physical activity and currently works as a graduate research coordinator in the Health Promotion and Exercise Science departments at GWU.

Alyssa Matteucci

Alyssa Matteucci

Alyssa Matteucci earned her BS in Psychology from Drexel University. Alyssa has pursued interests in both eating and weight disorders, focusing on neural correlates of eating disorders, and neurocognitive functioning in obesity. Alyssa is currently working under the mentorship of Angela Duckworth, PhD, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Samantha Siwulec

Samantha Siwulec

Samantha Siwulec was a research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD, primarily working on Project ENACT. She graduated from Goucher College in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Cognitive Studies. Her research interests include eating disorders and acceptance-based interventions. In the future, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Cara Dochat

Cara Dochat

Cara Dochat was a research coordinator for Evan Forman who primarily coordinated Project DASH. She received her BA in Psychology and Public Policy from Gettysburg College and spent two years working in crisis intervention before joining the lab. Cara is now pursuing her PhD at the Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at University of California San Diego/San Diego State University, with a focus in Behavioral Medicine. Her current research interests include evaluating acceptance-based and CAM interventions for chronic pain and weight and eating concerns. She is interested in developing acceptance-based interventions for patients with medically-relevant dietary restrictions to assist in dietary adherence and prevent disordered eating. She can be found drinking “Bulletproof” coffee and practicing her tree pose on the beach. Contact Cara at cdochat@gmail.com or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/cara-dochat-b9023628.

Gerald Martin

Gerald Martin

Gerald Martin was a research coordinator for Evan Forman, PhD, who primarily coordinates Project DietAlert, Project DASH, and Mind Your Health. He graduated in 2015 from Temple University with a BA in Psychology. Gerald will be pursuing a PsyD in clinical psychology at La Salle University, beginning Fall of 2018. His primary research interests include behavioral treatments for anxiety and mood disorders, specifically among children and adolescents.

Eddie Lieber

Eddie Lieber

Eddie is a member of the WELL Clinic at Drexel. He received his bachelor's degree in International Business and Economics and his Master’s of Business Administration both from Temple University in 2012 and 2015, respectively. He joined the WELL Center in 2017 as a research assistant, providing support to both Project DASH and Project ReLearn. Eddie plans to pursue a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. His research interests include employee motivation, work-family conflict, job stress, organizational culture and occupational health.

Rowan Hunt, Research Staff at Drexel's WELL Center

Rowan Hunt

Rowan was a research coordinator for Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, working primarily on The INSPIRE Project and ICAT+. She graduated in 2016 from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and Economics. Rowan is currently pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Louisville. Her research interests include the role of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity in the maintenance of both eating disorders and self-injurious behaviors and predictors of recovery, remission and relapse in eating disorders.

Drexel WELL Center Research Staff Alexandra Convertino

Alexandra (Lexie) Convertino

Lexie was a research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD, working mainly on Project ImPACT and FitLink. She graduated in 2015 from Northeastern University with a BS in psychology, and spent a year working as a residence counselor on the Klarman Eating Disorders Unit of McLean Hospital. Lexie is currently pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program. Her research interests include the impact of trauma and minority stressors on the development of disordered eating and the development of modular treatment protocols for transdiagnostic treatment.

WELL Center Research Coordinator Stephanie Fan

Stephanie Fan

Stephanie was a research coordinator for Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, and Paakhi Srivastava, PhD, working primarily on Projects Compass and BODY+, respectively. She received her BA in Psychology from Stony Brook University with a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society. During her time at Stony Brook, she worked as a research assistant in a lab focused on examining eyewitness memory. As a part of the Psychology Honors Program, she completed a thesis by expanding on the topic of weapon focus. Since graduating she has worked as a Clinical Research Assistant at the Eating Disorder and Anxiety Treatment (EAT) Lab and a Peer Facilitator at Very Real Help at Vanderbilt University. Her research interest includes understanding stress and emotion regulation as maintenance factors in eating disorders and examining the intersection between eating disorders, suicide, and addiction specifically focused on traditionally minoritized or marginalized populations. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Drexel WELL Center Staff Gabrielle Patarinski

Gabrielle Patarinski

Gabrielle Patarinski was a research coordinator for Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, primarily working on The BALANCING ACT Project, a clinical trial study evaluating the efficacy of acceptance-based treatment methods for binge eating disorder. She received her BS in clinical psychology from George Mason University with a minor in neuroscience. As a part of the Honors Psychology program, she completed a thesis exploring the possible differences in the relationship of eating disorder symptoms and perfectionism in men and women. As an undergraduate, Gabrielle worked closely with Sarah Fischer, PhD, on a number of projects including her thesis, an independent-study summer grant, a dissertation study on cognitive dissonance in the perception of eating and weight, and launching a pilot fMRI study examining the effects of social drinking on impulsivity and decision-making. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Drexel WELL Center Research Staff Olivia Horgan

Olivia Horgan

Olivia was a research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD, and Evan Forman, PhD, working primarily on Projects EatWell and Activate, respectively. She received her BS in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a concentration in Criminal Justice from the University of Michigan in 2020. During her time in undergrad, Olivia worked as a research assistant in the Jonides Neuroimaging lab examining the efficacy of tDCS and cognitive training as treatment options for adult ADHD. After her time at the WELL Center, she plans to pursue a PhD in Forensic Psychology.

Drexel WELL Center Research Staff Laura Boyajian

Laura Boyajian

Laura Boyajian was a research coordinator for Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, working primarily on Project Compass. In 2020, she graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. During her time at Pitt, she worked as a research assistant in two labs studying primarily adolescent populations. One lab examined adolescent mental health, body image, and social media use, while the other studied borderline personality disorder (BPD) among adolescents and the treatment of BPD among diagnosed mothers. Her honors thesis examined body image among gender minority adolescents, with a focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms of gender minority adolescents’ elevated self-objectifying beliefs. Laura’s research interests include treatment development for eating disorders and understanding the role of body image in the development and maintenance of disordered eating behaviors, among adolescent and adult populations. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Lindsay Gillikin Research Coordinator at Drexel's Well Center

Lindsay Gillikin

Lindsay Gillikin was a research coordinator for Stephanie Manasse, PhD, working on a study that utilizes computerized inhibitory control training as an adjunct to CBT treatment for binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. She graduated from Ohio State University with a BA in Psychology and a BA in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies. Her senior thesis looked at sexual minority identity as a moderator between body image and eating disorder symptoms. Lindsay's research interests include the development of novel treatments for eating disorders and looking at how maladaptive coping strategies, particularly compulsive exercise, contributes to the development of and maintenance of eating disorders.