Faculty and Staff

"Millions of people struggle with eating- and health-related concerns on a daily basis and these struggles profoundly impact psychological and health-related quality of life. The WELL Center pulls together scientific experts from multiple disciplines to develop, test, and implement cutting edge behavioral and technology-based interventions to promote healthier lifestyles. I am excited to be a part of a dynamic and far-reaching effort to improve the health—and the lives—of members of our community and across the world."

- Evan Forman, PhD

Core Faculty & Staff


	Evan Forman, PhD evan.forman@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile \| Vita Evan Forman received his BA from Cornell University and his PhD from the University of Rochester. He completed clinical internships and fellowships at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the University of Pennsylvania and the Beck Institute. Currently he serves as professor of Psychology and WELL Center Director. He has interests in the development, evaluation and dissemination of innovative behavioral and technology-based interventions for health behavior change.
	Meghan Butryn, PhD mlb34@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile \| Vita Meghan Butryn received her BS from Cornell University, and her PhD in clinical psychology from Drexel University. She completed her clinical internship at Brown Medical School. Currently she is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of Research at the WELL Center. Her primary research interests are innovations in behavioral approaches to obesity treatment and prevention; developing interventions for physical activity promotion; and disseminating evidence-based eating disorders prevention programs.
	Adrienne Juarascio, PhD asj32@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD in clinical psychology from Drexel University. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of Training at the WELL Center. Her research is focused on the identification of factors that maintain eating pathology (e.g. emotion dysregulation, altered reward responsivity, impulsivity) that are inadequately targeted in existing treatment approaches and the development of novel treatment approaches that can better target these maintenance factors.
	Stephanie Manasse, PhD smm522@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile Stephanie Manasse, PhD, received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University. She is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Program at the Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center) and also directs the mPOWER program, a summer fellowship for underrepresented minority trainees who wish to pursue research careers. Her research program is centered around developing novel treatments for adolescents and adults with eating and weight disorders, with a particular focus on improving self-regulation. She also is particularly interested in discovering maintenance factors (e.g., neurocognitive, affective, sleep-related) of disordered eating behavior that can serve as novel intervention targets.
	Jeanna Stokes, PsyD jas952@drexel.edu Jeanna received her PsyD in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She completed her clinical internship at Indiana University Counseling and Psychological Services and her post-doctoral fellowship at Veritas Collaborative, a specialty eating disorder hospital setting. Jeanna currently serves as the WELL Clinic Director. She has experience working in a variety of clinical settings where she developed expertise in providing evidence-based treatment for eating disorders and body image concerns. Jeanna approaches therapy from a cognitive behavioral and interpersonal perspective. Her interests include eating disorders, body image, anxiety disorders, self-acceptance, and enhancing awareness of stigma on psychological well-being.
	Paakhi Srivastava, PhD ps887@drexel.edu Paakhi Srivastava earned her PhD from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India in Clinical Psychology. She has received postdoctoral training at the WELL Center, Drexel University. She is interested in identifying modifiable cognitive and emotional factors that maintain transdiagnostic binge eating disorders. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the role of body image disturbances in maintaining transdiagnostic binge eating. She is also interested in developing novel treatments, and treatment augmentations such as digital health technology tools to improve body image disturbances in individuals with eating disorders. Her current project involves development and examination of a smartphone application that is designed to deliver interventions to improve body dissatisfaction in real-time to individuals with transdiagnostic binge eating. Paakhi is also the Chair of Career and Professional Development Committee for the Humanities and Social Sciences for the Drexel Postdoctoral Association. She is interested in building and implementing resources for career, personal and professional development of postdoctoral fellows in the Humanities and Social Sciences field.
	Judy Swanick jes527@drexel.edu Judy is originally from St. Louis and attended Southeast Missouri State University on an academic scholarship where she majored in accounting. Upon graduation, she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. She subsequently served for 23 years primarily in the healthcare administration field and also earned an MBA from Golden Gate University before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following retirement from the Air Force, Judy moved to Kentucky and continued her work in the healthcare field serving on staff at the Louisville VA Medical Center. Judy currently serves as the Operations Manager for the WELL Center.

Postdoctoral Fellows


	Mallory Frayn, PhD Vita [PDF] 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.
	Margaret Sala, PhD Vita [PDF] 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.

Mallory Frayn, PhD
Vita [PDF]

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.

Margaret Sala, PhD
Vita [PDF]

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.

Affiliated Faculty


	Santiago Ontañón, PhD santi@cs.drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile Santiago Ontañón's research focus lies in the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer games, machine learning and case-based reasoning. He has published over 90 scientific articles in these areas. Previous to joining Drexel University, he spent three years at the Georgia Institute of Technology as a postdoctoral researcher, and two years as a researcher at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA) in Barcelona, Spain.
	Zoe Zhang, PhD fengqing.zhang@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile \| Vita [PDF] Zoe Zhang, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. Prior to joining Drexel University, she obtained her PhD in Statistics at Northwestern University. Her general research interests lie in neuroimaging data analysis and quantitative research methods including hierarchical models, multivariate analysis, generalized linear models, data mining, and Bayesian modeling. She is particularly passionate about statistical modeling and methodological development for social, behavioral, and biomedical related problems.
	Dani Arigo, PhD arigo@rowan.edu \| Faculty Profile \| Vita [PDF] Dani Arigo received her BS from Drexel University and her PhD in clinical psychology from Syracuse University. She is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Rowan University and holds appointments with the Department of Family Medicine at Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The overarching goals of her research program are to better understand psychological and social influences on health behaviors such as physical activity and dietary intake, and to effectively harness these influences in digital health behavior change interventions. A critical component of this program is differentiating stable, person-level relations from those that vary within-person (e.g., at the day or moment levels). Her current work focuses on (1) understanding within-person relations between social perceptions and physical activity engagement among midlife women with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, and (2) tailoring the social features of digital physical activity interventions to meet the needs of this population. She has worked closely with WELL Center investigators on these and related research topics since 2012.

Drexel Assistant Professor of Computer Science Santiago Ontanon

Santiago Ontañón, PhD
santi@cs.drexel.edu | Faculty Profile

Santiago Ontañón's research focus lies in the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer games, machine learning and case-based reasoning. He has published over 90 scientific articles in these areas. Previous to joining Drexel University, he spent three years at the Georgia Institute of Technology as a postdoctoral researcher, and two years as a researcher at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA) in Barcelona, Spain.

Zoe Zhang, PhD
fengqing.zhang@drexel.edu | Faculty Profile | Vita [PDF]

Zoe Zhang, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. Prior to joining Drexel University, she obtained her PhD in Statistics at Northwestern University. Her general research interests lie in neuroimaging data analysis and quantitative research methods including hierarchical models, multivariate analysis, generalized linear models, data mining, and Bayesian modeling. She is particularly passionate about statistical modeling and methodological development for social, behavioral, and biomedical related problems.

Dani Arigo, WELL-Center-Affiliated Faculty

Dani Arigo, PhD
arigo@rowan.edu | Faculty Profile | Vita [PDF]

Dani Arigo received her BS from Drexel University and her PhD in clinical psychology from Syracuse University. She is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Rowan University and holds appointments with the Department of Family Medicine at Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The overarching goals of her research program are to better understand psychological and social influences on health behaviors such as physical activity and dietary intake, and to effectively harness these influences in digital health behavior change interventions. A critical component of this program is differentiating stable, person-level relations from those that vary within-person (e.g., at the day or moment levels). Her current work focuses on (1) understanding within-person relations between social perceptions and physical activity engagement among midlife women with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, and (2) tailoring the social features of digital physical activity interventions to meet the needs of this population. She has worked closely with WELL Center investigators on these and related research topics since 2012.

WELL Clinic Staff


	Jeanna Stokes, PsyD WELL Clinic Director & Clinical Psychologist jas952@drexel.edu Jeanna Stokes received her PsyD in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She completed her clinical internship at Indiana University Counseling and Psychological Services and her post-doctoral fellowship at Veritas Collaborative, a specialty eating disorder hospital setting. Jeanna currently serves as the WELL Clinic Director. She has experience working in a variety of clinical settings where she developed expertise in providing evidence-based treatment for eating disorders and body image concerns. Jeanna approaches therapy from a cognitive behavioral and interpersonal perspective. Her interests include eating disorders, body image, anxiety disorders, self-acceptance, and enhancing awareness of stigma on psychological well-being. Jeanna believes that recovery is not only possible, it is probable with the right treatment.
	Danielle Kerns Clauss, PhD Clinical Psychologist danielle.kerns@drexel.edu Danielle received her BA from The College of New Jersey and her PhD in clinical psychology from Drexel University. She completed her clinical internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She is currently an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Danielle has worked in the areas of health psychology and behavioral medicine for the past ten years, providing empirically supported behavioral health treatment to military service members, veterans and individuals with chronic medical conditions. She has also worked in the area of weight management for the past five years, providing behavioral interventions for obesity as part of the research teams led by Meghan Butryn, PhD, and Evan Forman, PhD.
	Anika Khan, MS Clinical Extern Anika is a fourth year doctoral student studying clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She recently joined the WELL clinic as a therapist for the external practicum. Anika has experience working with children and adolescents to address a range of mood disorders. Her approach combines cognitive behavioral techniques with other evidence-based practices to best support the individual. Anika's interests include baking, reading, and playing board games.
	Kristen Hawk-Purcell, MA Clinical Extern Kristen Hawk-Purcell recently joined the WELL Clinic team as a clinical extern. She holds a master of arts in counseling psychology from Arcadia University and is a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, with expected completion in 2023. Kristen’s clinical work has primarily been as a college counselor, and she has also facilitated groups in an inpatient setting. In addition to her clinical work, she is a passionate educator and mentor, teaching at both the undergraduate psychology and graduate counseling levels. Her professional experience also includes presentations on such topics as body image, suicide prevention, diversity, and relationship violence. Kristen's clinical and research interests are focused on body image and disordered eating, as well as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She approaches therapy from a strengths-based, person-centered perspective. Kristen is passionate about working collaboratively with patients to achieve healing and health within the context of evidence-based treatment methods.
	Ilana Liss WELL Clinic Administrative Coordinator il333@drexel.edu Ilana graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with her BA in Psychology and a minor study in Cognitive Science. Since graduation, Ilana spent two years working at a local private equity firm. After a fruitful learning experience, Ilana decided to pursue a career closer to her academic background and joined the WELL Clinic as the Administrative Coordinator. Eventually, she plans to return to school to earn her doctorate in Psychology. In her free time, Ilana enjoys spending time with her dog, cooking, and enjoying all that Philadelphia has to offer with friends and family.

Research Staff


	Stephanie Fan sf856@drexel.edu Stephanie is a research coordinator for Adriene Juarascio, Ph.D., and Paakhi Srivastava, Ph.D., 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.
	Olivia Horgan oh65@drexel.edu Olivia is 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.
	Laura Boyajian leb338@drexel.edu Laura Boyajian is 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.
	Laura D'Adamo lad374@drexel.edu Laura is a research coordinator for Meghan Butryn, PhD, working primarily on Project Health. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2018 with a BA in Psychology. During her time there, she worked as a research assistant in a lab focused on emotion dysregulation in the context of self-injurious behaviors, disordered eating and smoking. Her honors thesis examined the role of sexuality-specific social support as a buffer against the impact of minority stressors on distress outcomes in daily life among sexual minority women with overweight or obesity. Her research interests include risk factors, prevention and treatment development for eating disorders, particularly in racial and sexual minority populations. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
	Lindsay Gillikin lmg374@drexel.edu Lindsay Gillikin in 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.
	Mandy Lin, MPhilEd, MSEd ml3598@drexel.edu Mandy is a research coordinator for Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, working primarily on the Continuous Glucose Monitoring project. She received her BA in Psychology from the City University of New York Hunter College and her Masters’ degrees in Counseling and Mental Health Services and Professional Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania. Mandy has had a wide range of clinical experience working with the eating disorder population and plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests include the role of psychiatric comorbidity in individuals with eating disorders and the role of family dynamics in eating disorders.
	Gabrielle Patarinski gp479@drexel.edu Gabrielle Patarinski is 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.
	Adam Payne-Reichert amp572@drexel.edu Adam Payne-Reichert is working as a Research Coordinator under Stephanie Manasse, PhD, primarily helping to evaluate and develop a virtual reality training tool intended to treat people with subthreshold binge eating. He graduated from Fordham University with a BS in Psychology and a B.A. in Philosophy. His senior honors thesis explored the longitudinal association between teacher stress and student attributional biases. After working at the WELL Center, he intends to pursue a PhD in neuroeconomics or behavioral economics with a focus on biases in decision-making.
	Lauren Taylor lct42@drexel.edu Lauren Taylor is a research coordinator for Evan Forman, PhD, working primarily on Project Activate. In 2020, she graduated with honors from Lehigh University earning a B.A. in Psychology and Health, Medicine, and Society. During her time at Lehigh University, Lauren worked as a research assistant in two faculty members' labs. One focusing on the development of a technological aid for the treatment of eating disorders, and the other looking at the relationship between parental alcohol communication and their college-aged children's subsequent risky drinking and sexual behaviors. Lauren also completed an honors thesis that examined how different alcohol-specific messages are perceived by both mothers and children. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.


	Evan Forman, PhD evan.forman@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile \| Vita Evan Forman received his BA from Cornell University and his PhD from the University of Rochester. He completed clinical internships and fellowships at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the University of Pennsylvania and the Beck Institute. Currently he serves as professor of Psychology and WELL Center Director. He has interests in the development, evaluation and dissemination of innovative behavioral and technology-based interventions for health behavior change.
	Meghan Butryn, PhD mlb34@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile \| Vita Meghan Butryn received her BS from Cornell University, and her PhD in clinical psychology from Drexel University. She completed her clinical internship at Brown Medical School. Currently she is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of Research at the WELL Center. Her primary research interests are innovations in behavioral approaches to obesity treatment and prevention; developing interventions for physical activity promotion; and disseminating evidence-based eating disorders prevention programs.
	Adrienne Juarascio, PhD asj32@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD in clinical psychology from Drexel University. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of Training at the WELL Center. Her research is focused on the identification of factors that maintain eating pathology (e.g. emotion dysregulation, altered reward responsivity, impulsivity) that are inadequately targeted in existing treatment approaches and the development of novel treatment approaches that can better target these maintenance factors.
	Stephanie Manasse, PhD smm522@drexel.edu \| Faculty Profile Stephanie Manasse, PhD, received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University. She is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Program at the Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center) and also directs the mPOWER program, a summer fellowship for underrepresented minority trainees who wish to pursue research careers. Her research program is centered around developing novel treatments for adolescents and adults with eating and weight disorders, with a particular focus on improving self-regulation. She also is particularly interested in discovering maintenance factors (e.g., neurocognitive, affective, sleep-related) of disordered eating behavior that can serve as novel intervention targets.
	Jeanna Stokes, PsyD jas952@drexel.edu Jeanna received her PsyD in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She completed her clinical internship at Indiana University Counseling and Psychological Services and her post-doctoral fellowship at Veritas Collaborative, a specialty eating disorder hospital setting. Jeanna currently serves as the WELL Clinic Director. She has experience working in a variety of clinical settings where she developed expertise in providing evidence-based treatment for eating disorders and body image concerns. Jeanna approaches therapy from a cognitive behavioral and interpersonal perspective. Her interests include eating disorders, body image, anxiety disorders, self-acceptance, and enhancing awareness of stigma on psychological well-being.
	Paakhi Srivastava, PhD ps887@drexel.edu Paakhi Srivastava earned her PhD from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India in Clinical Psychology. She has received postdoctoral training at the WELL Center, Drexel University. She is interested in identifying modifiable cognitive and emotional factors that maintain transdiagnostic binge eating disorders. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the role of body image disturbances in maintaining transdiagnostic binge eating. She is also interested in developing novel treatments, and treatment augmentations such as digital health technology tools to improve body image disturbances in individuals with eating disorders. Her current project involves development and examination of a smartphone application that is designed to deliver interventions to improve body dissatisfaction in real-time to individuals with transdiagnostic binge eating. Paakhi is also the Chair of Career and Professional Development Committee for the Humanities and Social Sciences for the Drexel Postdoctoral Association. She is interested in building and implementing resources for career, personal and professional development of postdoctoral fellows in the Humanities and Social Sciences field.
	Judy Swanick jes527@drexel.edu Judy is originally from St. Louis and attended Southeast Missouri State University on an academic scholarship where she majored in accounting. Upon graduation, she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. She subsequently served for 23 years primarily in the healthcare administration field and also earned an MBA from Golden Gate University before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following retirement from the Air Force, Judy moved to Kentucky and continued her work in the healthcare field serving on staff at the Louisville VA Medical Center. Judy currently serves as the Operations Manager for the WELL Center.