Lab Manager
Lauren Taylor: Lab Manager
Lauren recently graduated from Ohio State University where she received a BA in Psychology with a minor in neuroscience. In the past she has worked with health research, but now intends to shift that focus to neuropsychology research. Her interests lay in abnormal psychology and degenerative diseases, learning how to treat or prevent them. In the future, she wishes to attend graduate school for clinical psychology.
Vivian Ku: Lab Manager
Vivian recently graduated from UofM with a BS in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She was a previous undergraduate research assistant in the Zahodne Lab, and is now a full-time lab manager! She’s particularly interested in how socially-patterned neighborhood environments contribute towards health disparities in cognition and how neuropsychological assessments can be adjusted to serve diverse cultures/communities. She hopes to further pursue these interests as a lab manager and within a clinical neuropsychology PhD program.
Mary Lesniak: Lab Manager
Mary graduated from University of Michigan with her bachelor’s in Psychology and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology with interests in health disparities in underrepresented populations. Outside of academia, she also enjoys cooking, hiking, crocheting, and board games.
Research Investigator
Dr. Ketlyne Sol: Research Investigator
Dr. Sol is a clinical psychologist with a clinical training emphasis in rehabilitation psychology, which focuses on the holistic assessment and treatment of individuals with chronic/progressive disabling illness and acquired/traumatic physical disability. Trained within a scientist-practitioner framework, she is interested in evaluating psychosocial factors, contextual factors such as sociocultural and physical environment as well as neighborhoods, and processes to help improve coping and quality of life of individuals with physical disabilities. Due to the disproportionate amounts of older adult ethnic minorities who develop Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD), she is further leveraging her clinical training and research experiences to conduct research in racial/ethnic disparities in cognitive aging and ADRD to inform culturally relevant points of intervention and policy changes to reduce this disparity in aging.
Post Doctoral Research Fellows
Dr. Monica Nelson: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Monica is a postdoctoral research fellow working with Dr. Zahodne focused on Alzheimer’s disease inequalities. She completed her PhD in Aging Studies at the University of South Florida. During her doctoral studies, her research focused on assessing the discrepancy between biological markers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the clinical manifestation of dementia, often studied with the cognitive reserve concept. Her current research aims to understand how biological and contextual factors across the life course and at multiple bioecological levels relate to racial disparities in cognitive and brain aging. In the future, she hopes to pursue a research-exclusive career studying multilevel biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying racial and ethnic disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and identifying ways to ameliorate them. Outside of research, Monica enjoys baking, watching musicals, and going to cafés.
Clinical Science Doctoral Students
Emily Morris: Clinical Science Doctoral Student
Emily is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in Clinical Science studying racially patterned psychosocial stressors, such as discrimination, that influence racial disparities in cognitive and brain aging. She recently received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) entitled “Multilevel Biopsychosocial Stress Mechanisms Underlying Racial Disparities in ADRD Risk” to support her dissertation research, which utilizes data from MCAP and the HRS. She hopes that her research will help inform structural, systemic interventions to improve health equity. Clinically, she is interested in the clinical neuropsychology of cognitive aging and medical comorbidities (e.g., HIV) among diverse older adults, as well as improving normative samples. In her free time, she enjoys finding new coffee shops, walking her dog, and playing soccer.
Jordan Palms: Clinical Science Doctoral Student
Jordan is a first-year student in the Clinical Science PhD program. He received my B.A. in Cognitive Science and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Georgia. During his time in undergrad, he developed an interest in studying neurodegeneration and factors that may play a role in the risk or prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. He plans to evaluate how cognitive reserve and other psychosocial factors can mitigate impacts of neurodegeneration along with utilizing brain imaging techniques to better understand how underlying processes and structures of the brain may be affected. Through his research, his hope is to leverage his findings to create interventions that can either help reduce or prevent negative consequences of neurodegeneration and highlight possible areas and patterns of disparities in healthcare services and education in minority groups.
Kiana Scambray: Clinical Science Doctoral Student
Kiana is a first year student in the Clinical Science PhD program. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine and an MA in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern University. She aims to utilize neuroimaging to examine how psychosocial factors can influence underlying brain changes. Additionally, she is interested in assessing the impact psychosocial factors have on cognitive outcomes and how these relationships differentiate by race and gender
Research Assistants
Xiaotong Li: Research Assistant
Xiaotong is a senior student majoring in psychology. His research interests are behavioral psychology, developmental psychology and neuropsychology, specifically on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatment within the Asian community. After undergrad, he hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. Outside of research and class, he enjoys cooking, gaming and playing with his dog and cat.
Eva Mannino: Research Assistant
Eva is an undergraduate at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience with a minor in Biology. Her research interests include neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive aging. After undergraduate she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and later go into academia and continue research. Outside of academics she is a CNA at a memory care facility and enjoys playing volleyball and going on walks.
Isabella Balza: Research Assistant
Isabella is a junior majoring in Neuroscience. She is very interested in exploring the inner workings of neuroanatomy to better understand psychiatric and neurological disorders and their ties to health disparities and social factors. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school. Outside of studying, Isabella is a synchronized swimmer at the University of Michigan, fluent Spanish speaker, a research assistant at the Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Biomechanics Laboratory, and a board member of UM WISE. Intrigued by the puzzle of the mind and dedication to addressing health disparities align seamlessly, I am thrilled to be part of this lab!!!
Cora Scott: Research Assistant
Cora is a junior majoring in psychology and minoring in crime and justice. Her research interests include forensic psychology, developmental psychology, and cognitive aging. After completing her undergraduate career, she plans on pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology with a focus on forensic psychology. Outside of classes and research, she enjoys watching movies, antiquing, and playing rugby.
Victoria Balza
Victoria is a junior majoring in psychology. Her research interests include developmental and abnormal psychology. She is interested in the diverse range of human experiences and the underlying contributors to psychological disorders. Her goal is to foster understanding and diminish the stigma surrounding mental health. Moreover, she is intrigued by the intricate process of human development—how physical, emotional, social, and cognitive dimensions intertwine to shape behavior and decision-making across different life stages. After undergrad, she wants to pursue an MSW or a PhD in clinical psychology. Alongside academics, Victoria is a synchronized swimmer at Umich, works at PureBarre, speaks fluent Spanish, and loves to travel.
Alexis Buckley
Alexis is a junior majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Her research interests include clinical and abnormal psychology, along with health disparities in mental healthcare. After graduating she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. Outside of academics she enjoys dancing, doing makeup, and spending time with her cat, Romeo.
Sophia MacKinnon
Hi! I’m Sophia. I am a sophomore studying psychology. I plan on finishing my undergrad in three years and completing an accelerated master’s degree in my fourth year before studying for a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology. I’m absolutely fascinated by neuropsychology so this lab is right up my alley. I also love traveling, learning languages, anything related to nature, baking, and really any sort of live music.
Anthony Newman
Anthony is an undergraduate junior at the University of Michigan majoring in Biology, Health, and Society, as well as minoring in Business. His research interests include neuropsychology and nerve regeneration. Outside of academics he enjoys playing soccer and basketball, climbing, and baking.
Noah Green
Noah is a junior majoring in Psychology planning to graduate in May, 2025. His research interests are abnormal psychology, developmental psychology and personality psychology. After graduating, he hopes to pursue an MA and Psy.D. in clinical psychology. Outside of academics, Noah is a peer facilitator for UROP and the Global Scholars Program. He loves Star Wars, video games, building computers, and reading.