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 [PDF] 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 has also received training in the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania and the Stanford University Eating Disorders Research Program. She is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Program at the WELL Center. She is interested in developing novel treatments for adolescents and adults with eating disorders, and utilizing novel assessment methods to identify cognitive and affective maintenance factors of binge eating pathology. Her ongoing projects aim to develop a virtual reality based inhibitory control training for reducing binge eating, and using psychophysiology to identify predictors of outcome from treatment for adolescent eating disorders.
	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.
	Nancy Sullivan, MPH nes24@drexel.edu Nancy Sullivan received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and MPH from Drexel University. Currently she is the Operations and Administrative Manager at the WELL Center. Prior to working at the WELL Center, Nancy worked as an Epidemiologist at local and state health departments in New Jersey. While there, she developed and evaluated health promotion programs while working to coordinate efforts within local communities. Nancy also worked as a Research Project Manager at Harvard Medical School. Her interests include fitness, nutrition and the use of meditation/yoga practice to manage anxiety, build resilience and improve overall wellness.

Postdoctoral Fellows


	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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
	Bridget Smith, PsyD Clinical Psychologist bes83@drexel.edu Bridget Smith received her PsyD in clinical psychology from James Madison University and her masters in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver. She completed both her clinical internship and post-doctoral residency at the James Madison University Counseling Center where she specialized in trauma, eating and body image concerns, and student athlete mental health. She also has experience working in a residential treatment center for eating disorders. Bridget integrates both CBT and ACT into her clinical work and believes that full recovery is possible.
	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.
	Gabrielle Salomone, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker gs653@drexel.edu Gabrielle Salomone received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and then a few years later her Masters in Social Work from Widener University. She believes that therapy is not one size fits all, which is why she uses a person-centered approach. She practices from the theoretical orientation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focusing on how thoughts and feelings impact our behaviors and incorporating exposure therapy to change behaviors. She encourages her clients, through behavioral activation, to slowly incorporate back into their lives enjoyable activities, routines and value-based goals that have decreased or are being avoided due to their eating disorder/depression/anxiety/OCD. Gabrielle has experience working in just about every area of mental health treatment, at every level of treatment, and with clients across all ages. She specializes in working with clients struggling with eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD. Gabrielle has received training through working at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Renfrew Center and Roger's Behavioral Health. Gabrielle provides a safe and comfortable atmosphere and she believes in building trusting therapeutic relationships with all her clients.
	Marie Colasanti, MS Behavioral Weight Loss Coach marie.g.colasanti@drexel.edu Marie has a Bachelor's degree from Temple University in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Drexel University where she studied behavioral interventions for promoting health behavior change. While at Drexel she received extensive hands on training in delivering weight loss and lifestyle modification programs. She has experience working with individuals and groups of all sizes. Marie enjoys helping people achieve their weight loss goals and find balance in their lives.
	Susan Murray, MA Extern Susan is a fifth year doctoral student studying clinical psychology at Temple University. She recently joined the WELL Clinic as a therapist for external practicum. Susan has experience working with clients looking to address a range of challenges with a particular focus on eating disorders. Her approach combines humanistic values and compassion with empirically-based techniques. Susan’s interests include reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
	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


	Katelyn Bandy kb3678@drexel.edu Katelyn Bandy is a research coordinator for Adrienne Juarascio, PhD, working primarily on The Acquire Project. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where she volunteered as a research assistant in a lab focused on the study and treatment of anxiety disorders. Katelyn’s honors thesis examined perfectionism as a moderator of the effects of fitness inspiration, or “#fitspo” on Instagram, on risk factors for eating disorders, including body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. Her research interests include the etiology of eating pathology, the development of treatments for eating disorders, and body image and steroid use in men. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical 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 B.S. 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 B.S. 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 Ph.D. 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 [PDF] 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 has also received training in the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania and the Stanford University Eating Disorders Research Program. She is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Program at the WELL Center. She is interested in developing novel treatments for adolescents and adults with eating disorders, and utilizing novel assessment methods to identify cognitive and affective maintenance factors of binge eating pathology. Her ongoing projects aim to develop a virtual reality based inhibitory control training for reducing binge eating, and using psychophysiology to identify predictors of outcome from treatment for adolescent eating disorders.
	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.
	Nancy Sullivan, MPH nes24@drexel.edu Nancy Sullivan received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and MPH from Drexel University. Currently she is the Operations and Administrative Manager at the WELL Center. Prior to working at the WELL Center, Nancy worked as an Epidemiologist at local and state health departments in New Jersey. While there, she developed and evaluated health promotion programs while working to coordinate efforts within local communities. Nancy also worked as a Research Project Manager at Harvard Medical School. Her interests include fitness, nutrition and the use of meditation/yoga practice to manage anxiety, build resilience and improve overall wellness.