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

Ximena Díaz Torrente, Ph.D., MSc.

ximenadt@umich.edu

Fall 2023 – Present

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.

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 is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and former research assistant for the FAST Lab. During her time as an undergraduate, she majored in Psychology with 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 swimming, biking, and running outdoors.

Noor Khalaf, B.A.

nkhalaf@umich.edu

Spring 2023 – Present

Noor is a lab manager for the FAST Lab. She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, 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.

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 third 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 first-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 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

Vinayak Swaroop, B.A.

Fall 2023 – Present

Vinayak is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan with a major in Biology, Health, and Society (BHS). He is interested in the addictive potential of ultra-processed foods and how these foods may be related to overall mental wellbeing. He plans to apply to medical school next year.

Blythe McCurry

Fall 2023 – Present

Blythe is a junior 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 sophomore 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.

Jordan Hersh

Fall 2023 – Present

Jordan is a junior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN), with a minor in Food and the Environment. She is interested in the gut-brain axis, and more specifically how more processed diets contribute to the prevalence of mental illness. After undergrad, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Lauren Roe

Spring 2022 – Present

Lauren is a senior studying Psychology, with minors in Crime & Justice and Community Action & Social Change. She is interested in addiction and eating disorders, as well as studying how nutrition is important in order to fuel the body and brain. She intends to earn her Master's of Social Work after undergrad.

Ritika Tiwary

Fall 2023 – Present

Ritika is a junior 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.

Karenna Mansour

Spring 2022 – Present

Karenna is a senior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Community Action and Social Change. She is interested in the study of addiction in all forms and has a special interest in the environmental triggers of food addiction. Karenna hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Alena Johnson

Fall 2023 – Present

Alena is a junior double majoring in Psychology and Biology, health and society. She is interested in the FAST lab because it’s an area of psychology that connects her interests in a way that is often overlooked. While taking a public health course at the University of Michigan she became interested in food deserts and swamps surrounding underprivileged areas and how it can affect the development of people within that area. After graduating, she is planning on attending PA school after taking a gap year to get more involved in research.

Chloe Kazaglis

Spring 2022 – Present

Chloe is a junior 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.

Laine Boitos, M.A.

Fall 2023 – Present

Laine graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 with bachelor’s degrees in PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Philosophy, and Russian Studies. After graduating from Harvard University in 2022 with an M.A. in Russian Studies, she made the decision to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to enroll in an M.D. program in the future. She is interested in the relationship between ultra-processed foods, food addiction, and diet-related and metabolic diseases. She is also interested in exploring how the clinical treatment of diet-related diseases is shaped by a deeper understanding of food addiction.

Julia Petroni, B.A.

Fall 2022 – Present

Julia graduated from the University of Michigan, with her Bachelor’s in Psychology, along with a minor in Crime & Justice. She is interested in the psychopathology and underlying mechanisms that contribute to substance use disorder and other addictive behaviors. She is now applying to medical school, and planning to pursue an M.D. to further her studies in psychiatry.

Isabelle Perraut

Fall 2023 – Present

Isabelle is a sophomore 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.

Madison Quinn

Fall 2022 – Present

Madison is a freshman pursuing a degree in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She is interested in researching eating disorders, food addiction, and anxiety and depression disorders in children. After her undergraduate studies, she hopes to pursue an MD-PhD program in psychiatry.

Roxane Li

Fall 2023 – Present

Roxane is a junior studying psychology and plans to minor in business. 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.

Sara Zimmerlee

Fall 2022 – Present

Sara is a junior studying Psychology and Women and Gender Studies. She is interested in the link between food addiction and eating disorders, as well as their underlying mechanisms. After undergrad, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Dominika Urbaniak

Fall 2022 – Present

Dominika is a junior 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.

Janhvi Mate

Spring 2023 – Present

Janhvi is a sophomore 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.

Abinivesh Hemakumar

Spring 2023 – Present

Abinivesh is a junior studying Cognitive Science as well as Biology, Health, and Society. He is interested in researching eating disorders and food addiction in relation to the impact it has on underprivileged populations and children. He plans on attending medical school following his undergrad.

Rowan Klar

Spring 2023 – Present

Rowan is a senior studying Gender and Health with a minor in Food. She is interested in the psychology behind disordered eating as well as food addiction prevention. She intends of pursuing a master's degree in dietetics to become a registered dietitian.

Abigail Murray

Spring 2023 – Present

Abigail is a senior majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, with minors in Sociology of Health and Medicine and Statistics. She is interested in studying the prevalence of addictive foods in lower income families and dismantling stigma in food addiction. After undergrad, she plans to pursue a Master's in Social Work.

Annie Costello

Spring 2023 – Present

Annie is a junior 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.

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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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, B.S.

jsmeal@umich.edu

Lab Manager Spring 2015 – Summer 2018

Julia graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in statistics and actuarial mathematics. She is interested in the self-perceptions of addictive eating, especially pertaining to age and gender. She plans to attend medical school and become a primary care physician so that she can identify and work with patients facing issues such as disordered eating.

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.