Members

Annelise A. Madison is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Psychology (Clinical Science area) and affiliate member of the Eisenberg Family Depression Center at the University of Michigan. She is interested in psycho-neuro-immunology (mind-brain-immune connections) as a lens to develop preventative interventions for inflammatory disorders, including autoimmune disease and some cases of depression. By bridging the gap between clinical science and psychoneuroimmunology, psychology can become a first-line tool of medicine, with potential to impact disease onset, severity, trajectory, and treatment efficacy. As the gut plays a role in immune function, her work also includes exploration of the gut-brain axis. Zooming out, she is interested in a pathway from social stress to immune dysregulation to increased risk for psychopathology (especially depression). Her lab includes work that is mechanistic (e.g., using laboratory stress paradigms and other immune stimuli to provoke a physiological and emotional response and examine psychosocial factors that moderate this response), as well as applied (e.g., implementing an EBT for depression at the start of biologic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis to improve treatment outcomes.) Her research exists at the nexus of psychology and medicine. 

Dr. Annelise Madison

Principal Investigator

[email protected]

CV / Google Scholar

Jack Chermside

Lab Manager

[email protected]

Jack is the lab manager for the Michigan PNI lab. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan while studying psychology and philosophy.

I am a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. candidate from Seoul, South Korea, working with Dr. Annelise Madison in the Psychoneuroimmunology Lab. I am driven by a core research question: while stress and adversity are universal, how might we reimagine our responses to them? My research centers on the role of psychological flexibility in shaping physiological flexibility and inflammatory responses, with the broader goal of identifying mechanisms that contribute to depression and disease risk. I am particularly interested in exploring promotive factors and resilience within models that often emphasize deficits in psychopathology. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family, getting lost in a good book, and occasionally indulging in the guilty pleasure of binge-watching. In the long term, I hope to bring the top-notch training I’ve received back home and help mentor the next generation of psychologists in South Korea.

Lauren Kim

PhD Candidate

Research Assistants

Tanvi Surapaneni

Tanvi is a freshman studying Neuroscience and plans to pursue an MD/PhD program. She is curious about how the brain and body interact and how innovations like AI could shape the future of medicine. In her free time, she enjoys playing golf, trying new foods, and listening to music.

Ava Schaefer

Ava is a junior on the pre-med track studying Biology and Spanish at the University of Michigan. She has research interests in the social determinants of health and the influence of mental health on physical health. In her free time, she likes to try different cafes around Ann Arbor and going on nature walks.

Tanisha Parikh

Tanisha is currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan, interested in studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She grew up in Novi, Michigan, which is about 30 minutes away from Ann Arbor. Some of Tanisha’s favorite artists are Zayn and Adele. She also loves dancing, reading, and is a coffee fanatic!

Jasnoor Kaur

I am a junior studying  Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. My research interests include studying neural mechanisms and circuitry underlying psychological disorders and how these neural systems evolve through the progression of such disorders. I hope to attend medical school in the future. Some of my hobbies include working out, drawing, and traveling. 

Nikki Kamath

Nikki is a sophomore at the University of Michigan from Long Island, New York, majoring in Neuroscience. Her academic interests focus on exploring the connections between the brain, mind, and health, while also being passionate about science communication. In the future, she plans on attending medical school. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, playing board games, and traveling.

Maryam Altayeb

Maryam graduated from the University of Michigan in 2026 with a B.A. in Psychology and iInternational Studies. She will be continuing as a student in the accelerated masters degree program. She is interested in the underlying factors mental health factors that contribute to mind–body disease and the role of adversity and culture in shaping disease outcome. In the future, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology.

Lab Alumni

Drew Bornstein

Drew graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2026 with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. He is currently a research assistant at the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Before pursuing graduate school in affective and translational neuroscience, Drew plans to spend a season as a ski patroller. Outside of research, he can be found road biking, hiking, playing word games, and searching for fresh snow on the mountains.

John Deering

John graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2026 with a B.A. in Psychology and English.
John is currently working as a lab Manager in Dr. Megan Renna’s Psychophysiology Emotionality and Treatment lab at the Ohio State University.


Seoyoon Chang

Seoyoon graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2026 with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and Biology, Health, and Society. She has broad interests in interdisciplinary brain research, neuroimaging techniques, and sensory neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys playing the guitar and trying different video games.

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Catherine Ashare

Catherine graduated from the University of Michigan in 2026 with a degree in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She is currently working as a medical assistant in ENT and facial plastic surgery while applying to medical school.

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Jessica Stout

I’m a post-bac volunteer for the PNI lab from Dexter, MI with a research interest in the mind-body connection and interventions that effectively target both mental and physical health. I hope to pursue graduate school for clinical psychology in the future. Outside of work, I enjoy playing volleyball and traveling. 

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Rachel Savur

Rachel earned a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Her research explores how self-transcendent emotions, such as awe and gratitude, aid health and emotional well-being, particularly via vagal tone. She is passionate about developing innovative mental health interventions that promote both clinical and community mental health outcomes. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her kids, travel, and write.

Visiting RAs

Dylann Cullinane

Dylann is a third-year psychology major and neuroscience minor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with a specific interest in the interactions between physical health and psychological wellbeing. Dylann is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys dancing, climbing, hiking, reading, and listening to music in her free time. She is excited to spend her summer at the University of Michigan as an undergraduate research assistant!

Nadia van den Berg

Nadia is an incoming senior at Northwestern University, double majoring in Psychology and Communication Sciences and Disorders. At Northwestern, she works on clinical trials involving digital sensor therapeutics and swallowing interventions for cancer and Parkinson’s patients. Additionally, as lab manager and a researcher in Northwestern’s Personality Across Development Lab, she studies how personality influences stress responses. Nadia hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology to research how stress impacts disease progression and how psychological interventions can improve health outcomes in chronic illness. In her free time, she enjoys yoga and soccer!

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Emily Gunther

Emily is a rising third-year student at Loyola University Chicago, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. In Chicago, she volunteers in the Rogers Park community, tutoring middle and high school students at FORA, an education center that supports refugee families. Emily plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology, with a focus on mind-body connections, the role of stress in chronic illness, and the harmful physiological effects of early-life trauma. She is also interested in epidemiological approaches to PNI. Outside of academics, Emily enjoys baking sourdough, exploring new restaurants, and running with friends.

Our Values

In the Michigan PNI Lab, all are welcome. We recognize that the current psychological science is skewed due to systemic injustice that privileged white participants and investigators above others, resulting in data collection procedures fraught with unexamined -isms of the past. The best work comes from the most diverse teams, in which individuals feel safe to ideate and collaborate. It is an explicit, orienting principle that all members of the lab will humbly work to identify and overwrite biases, create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and uplift one another in their learning and research endeavors, recognizing that success is not a zero-sum game.

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