Members – Food and Addiction Science & Treatment Lab

Lab Director

Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D.

Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan. She also earned her B.A. in psychology from The University of Michigan as an undergraduate. While working on her doctorate in clinical psychology at Yale University, Dr. Gearhardt became interested in the possibility that certain foods may be capable of triggering an addictive process. To explore this further, she developed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) to operationalize addictive eating behaviors, which has been linked with more frequent binge eating episodes, an increased prevalence of obesity and patterns of neural activation implicated in other addictive behaviors. It has been cited over 1,000 times and translated into over ten foreign languages. Her areas of research also include investigating how food advertising activates reward systems to drive eating behavior and the development of food preferences and eating patterns in infants. She has published over 100 academic publications and her research has been featured on media outlets, such as ABC News, Good Morning America, the Today Show, the Wall Street Journal, and NPR.

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Research Staff

Celina Furman, Ph.D.

furmancr@umich.edu

Spring 2023 – Present

Celina earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University of Minnesota in 2023 and has joined the FAST Lab for her postdoctoral fellowship. Her research uses a dynamical systems approach to understand how people sustain their engagement in repeated health behaviors across contexts and time, with a specific focus on eating and exercise.

Ingrid Worth, B.A.

worthin@umich.edu

Spring 2023 – Present

Ingrid graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Gender & Health. She is interested in the overlap between the mind and body, particularly as it pertains to diet and physical activity, and improving treatment methods for those with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her cat and being outdoors.

Jacki Zhang, B.A.

jackiz@umich.edu

Winter 2023 – Present

Jacki graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with honors in Psychology, and double majored in Anthropology. Broadly, her research interests include the intersection between medical anthropology and psychology, outlining the idea of “care” in clinical psychology. She is especially interested in the use of idiographic aspect in developing treatment models, reacting to real-time influences in individuals’ response to food addiction and craving triggers. In her spare time, she’s a full cat-lover, and likes to sew, hike, and keep herself overly caffeinated.

Graduate Students

Lindzey Hoover, M.S.

lindzeyh@umich.edu

Fall 2020 – Present

Lindzey earned her B.S. in Psychology at Eureka College in the spring of 2016 and worked as lab manager for the FAST Lab from Summer 2018 – Summer 2020. She is currently a fifth year graduate student in Clinical Science. Her current research explores the co-occurrence between food addiction and traditional substance use disorders as well as risk factors (e.g., family history of addiction, trauma exposure) associated with an increased risk for food addiction.

Lucy Loch

lucyloc@umich.edu

Fall 2023 – Present

Lucy earned her B.A. in Psychology and Women & Gender Studies from the University of Michigan in 2021 and worked as a research fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) before joining the FAST Lab as a graduate student. She is currently a second-year Clinical Science doctoral student and she is interested in exploring the life course development of food addiction using both longitudinal and cross-sectional age cohort data.

Jackie Katz

katzjac@umich.edu

Fall 2023 – Present

Jackie is a second year grad student who graduated from Tufts University in 2021 with a B.A. in Community Health and worked at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK/NIH) the following two years before joining the FAST Lab as a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student in 2023. Jackie is very excited about research in which she can apply her natural sciences background to the study of food addiction, with a specific focus on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying reward-driven eating.

Research Assistants

Isabelle Perraut

Fall 2023 – Present

Isabelle is a junior studying Psychology with a minor in Spanish and Statistics. She is interested in studying relationships with different types of food in regard to the effects of marketing, eating disorders, and addiction. After undergrad, she hopes to continue her education and obtain a Master's or Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Roxane Li

Fall 2024 – Present

Roxane is a senior double major in Psychology and Cognitive Science. She is interested in the link between food and depression and wants to research social surrogates, especially how comfort food as a social reminder could impact one’s emotions. She plans on pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology.

Isla Gleeson

Winter 2024 – Present

Isla is a sophomore studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience in the LSA Honors program. She is interested in the lasting psychological effects of eating disorders and external factors that contribute to disordered eating patterns. After completing her undergraduate studies, she hopes to pursue a postgraduate degree in Clinical Psychology.

Amanda Yu

Spring 2024 – Present

Amanda is a junior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) with a minor in Sociology of Health and Medicine (SHM). She is interested in psychopathology, particularly the underlying neurobiological processes of addictive and other maladaptive behaviors. Following her undergraduate studies, she hopes to continue her education and pursue a PhD in Biopsychology or Pharmacology.

David Koo

Spring 2024 – Present

David, a senior studying Psychology with a minor in Community Action and Social Change (CASC), is passionate about understanding substance abuse and addiction, particularly within the military and veteran community. Beyond his undergraduate studies, David plans to further his education at the University of Michigan in the Masters of Social Work program (MSW) and aims to obtain certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CPMC). Additionally, he aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Aysha Chowdhury

Spring 2024 – Present

Aysha is a junior double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She is particularly interested in exploring the intersection of neuroscience and psychology in understanding addictive behaviors related to food consumption. She wants to pursue further education in either clinical psychology or developmental psychology, ultimately leading towards her journey to earn an MD/Ph.D.

Maya Bittner

Fall 2024 – Present

Maya is a junior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She is interested in the addictive patterns caused by ultra-processed foods and the effects of those foods on the body, brain, and microbiome. Following her undergraduate studies, she is planning to pursue an M.D.

Lily Lev

Fall 2024 – Present

Lily is a junior studying Biology, Health, and Society with a minor in Food and the Environment. She is passionate about using lifestyle mechanisms including diet, exercise, and stress management to enhance quality of life and increase longevity. She is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying food addiction and policy work against Big Food and Big Pharma. After undergrad, she hopes to obtain an MD or PhD.

Chloe Kazaglis

Spring 2022 – Present

Chloe is a senior studying Neuroscience with a minor in French. She is interested in neural and behavioral determinants of food addiction, potential treatment models, and public health initiatives to improve food environments. After her time in undergrad, she plans to pursue an M.D. in the future.

Hailey Campbell

Fall 2024 – Present

Hailey is a junior studying Psychology. She has an interest in exploring the relationship between caregivers with addictive behaviors in relation to food and their influence on the children they care for - particularly the short - and long-term implications on the children's separate relationship with food and addiction. Following her undergraduate studies, she plans to pursue a Psy.D in Clinical Psychology.

Dominika Urbaniak

Fall 2022 – Present

Dominika is a senior studying Psychology and plans to minor in Sociology of Health and Medicine at the University of Michigan. She is particularly interested in the social and individual factors surrounding addiction and how food addiction can impact one's psychology long term. After exploring specialties in undergrad, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Psychology.

Sharon Santosh

Fall 2024 – Present

Sharon is a sophomore studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) and Actuarial Mathematics. She is interested in the mind-body connection, particularly how this connection intensifies/reinforces maladaptive behaviors and mental illnesses like PTSD and various neuropsychological disorders. Following her undergraduate studies, she hopes to continue her education and pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology or Developmental Psychology.

Janhvi Mate

Spring 2023 – Present

Janhvi is a junior pursuing a degree in psychology. She is interested in clinical research that explores the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of different diseases and disorders. After her undergraduate studies, she hopes to pursue an M.D. to further her studies in psychiatry.

Abigail Murray, B.S.

Spring 2023 – Present

Abigail majored in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, with minors in Sociology of Health and Medicine and Statistics at the University of Michigan in 2024. She is interested in studying the prevalence of addictive foods in lower income families and dismantling stigma in food addiction. Abigail is currently earning her MSW at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Annie Costello

Spring 2023 – Present

Annie is a senior studying Psychology with a minor in Gender and Health. She is interested in how food and substance addiction, as well as family relationships can impact long-term mental health. After obtaining her B.S. in Psychology, she plans on pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology.

Blythe McCurry

Fall 2023 – Present

Blythe is a senior studying Psychology and Sociology with a concentration in Law, Justice, and Social Change and a minor in History. She is interested in the complex relationship between food addiction and eating disorders in addition to the neural mechanisms of addiction. Following her undergraduate studies, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Psychology.

Hannah Cuenca

Fall 2023 – Present

Hannah is a junior studying Psychology in the honors program at the University of Michigan. She is interested in the psychological effects of eating disorders on mental health, as well as the addictive characteristics of ultra-processed foods. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology after undergrad.

Ritika Tiwary

Fall 2023 – Present

Ritika is a senior getting a dual degree in Public Health and Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She is interested in the underlying causes and potential solutions of food addiction and is curious as to how mental health issues such as PTSD, Postpartum depression, and childhood trauma, are linked to food addiction. She hopes to go to medical school after undergrad.

Past Graduate Students

Lindsey Parnarouskis, Ph.D.

lparnar@umich.edu

Fall 2018 — Winter 2023

Lindsey earned her B.S. in Psychology from Northeastern University in 2014 and worked as a research coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital before joining the FAST Lab as a graduate student in 2018. She is interested in exploring how the concept of withdrawal might apply to addictive eating and its implications for treatment. Her other interests include the relationship between the food addiction construct and weight stigma and how demographic characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status impact risk for food addiction.

Julia Rios, M.S.

jsmr@umich.edu

Fall 2017 – Winter 2021

Julia earned her B.S. in Neuroscience and minor in English at Duke University. She is now a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. Her current research explores individual differences in infant sucrose response and seeks to index reward system development in early life. She is also interested in exploring the potential effects of dietary restraint on food cue reactivity and addictive-like eating.

Emma Schiestl, M.S.

emmaschi@umich.edu

Fall 2016 – Winter 2021

Emma Schiestl earned B.A.s in Psychology and Philosophy from Colorado College in the Spring of 2015. She is currently a fourth-year doctoral student in the department of Clinical Psychology. Her current research interests include evaluating the impact of negative emotion on subsequent eating behaviors and understanding the influence of impulsivity on food-addiction status. She is especially interested in using real-time assessment technology to better understand proximal and antecedent variables that influence the decision to eat and what types of foods to consume.

Hayley Yu, M.S.

Winter 2020 – Summer 2022

Hayley is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and a former lab manager at the FAST Lab. During her time as an undergraduate, she double majored in Psychology and Creative Writing and minored in Religion. She recently graduated from the Accelerated Master's Degree Program, where she completed a Master's thesis on the association between childhood trauma and food addiction. She is especially interested in the connections between traumatic experiences, PTSD, food addiction, and substance use.

Erica Schulte, Ph.D

eorenste@umich.edu

Spring 2013 – 2019

Erica earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan and her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Kansas. Erica is interested in identifying which foods or food attributes may be implicated in addictive-like eating. Additionally, she hopes to explore whether individuals may experience symptoms of dependence, such as withdrawal and tolerance, in response to these foods.

Michelle Joyner, Ph.D

majoyn@umich.edu

Spring 2013 – Spring 2019

Michelle earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University. Her research focuses on cue-induced food cravings. She is interested in how the brain responds to food rewards, and how these responses contribute to addictive-like eating behaviors.

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Ximena Díaz Torrente, Ph.D., MSc.

ximenadt@umich.edu

Fall 2023

Ximena is a professor at the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile in the Nutrition and Dietetics Program. She obtained her Master's degree in Human Nutrition from the Universidad de Chile. She is now a fourth-year doctoral student in the Nutrition and Foods Program at the Universidad de Chile. Her current research explores the consumption trajectories of ultra-processed foods during adolescence and its impact on food addiction in young adulthood in a cohort of Chilean adults. She won a doctoral internship to explore work in the area of food addiction here at the FAST Lab.

Past Staff

Meredith Turner, B.A.

mturneri@umich.edu

Lab Manager Spring 2017 – Spring 2021

Meredith is a University of Michigan alumni. She graduated in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in English. She is interested in the treatment and prevention of eating disorders, with a specific focus on holistic treatment options involving the growing, cooking, communal, and cultural aspects of the food experience. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Jessi Lewis, B.S.

jessilew@umich.edu

Lab Manager and Project Coordinator Summer 2016 – Summer 2018

Jessi earned her B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan in 2016. She’s interested in assessment and early intervention for various developmental delays and is attending the University of Victoria to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology.

Julia Smeal, M.D.

jsmeal@umich.edu

Lab Manager Spring 2015 – Summer 2018

Julia graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in statistics and actuarial mathematics and was a lab manager from Spring 2015-Summer 2018. She is interested in the self-perceptions of addictive eating, especially pertaining to age and gender. Julia earned an MD from Wayne State University in 2022.

Hannah Xu, M.A.

xhannah@umich.edu

Lab Manager Spring 2021 - Summer 2022

Hannah earned her B.A. and M.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior at Wesleyan University. She is interested in translational models of addiction and studying the neural mechanisms underlying compulsive eating behaviors and food addiction. Hannah is currently attending the University of Michigan Medical School.

Noor Khalaf, B.A.

nkhalaf@umich.edu

Spring 2023 – Spring 2024

Noor was lab manager for the FAST Lab from Spring 2023-Spring 2023. She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan in 2023, with a B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in research on the mental health outcomes of racial/ethnic stressors such as stigma, discrimination, and intergenerational cultural dissonance. Further, she is interested in clinical practices that are inclusive of these unique stressors. In her free time, she enjoys movie nights, spending time with her cat, and hanging out with friends. Noor is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan.