Lab Managers
Anna Holohan
Anna recently graduated from SUNY Brockport with an M.A. in Psychology focusing on clinical research. Her research interests lie in identifying how psychosocial and cognitive factors contribute to disordered eating with the goal of informing better treatment outcomes. She has a particular interest in investigating how these factors shape binge eating and emotional eating behaviors. Anna hopes to purse a PhD in Clinical Psychology in the near future. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her family, friends, and cat.
Sanaa Stough Lacking
Sanaa recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she contributed to several research projects as an RA, focused on trauma, racial stress, and cognition in diverse populations. She is interested in investigating the impact of psychosocial and contextual factors, such as racial discrimination, trauma, and neighborhood disadvantage, on cognitive health across the lifespan in marginalized communities. She also aims to identify culturally relevant protective factors that promote cognitive resilience and equitable brain health outcomes. She intends to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology. Outside of research, Sanaa enjoys reading and yoga, and is a proud plant parent.
Kylee Bernel
Kylee recently received her B.S. in Psychology from Ohio University and is currently working on finishing her master’s degree in Experimental Psychological Science. Her research interests are focused on improving the methodology, psychometric quality, and prediction of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) whilst expanding upon physiological markers of decline. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, specializing in Neuropsychology. Outside of research, Kylee is a musician, cat-mom, and spends most of her time outdoors.
Research Investigator
Dr. Ketlyne Sol
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 Walters
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
Jordan Palms
Jordan is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Science program at the University of Michigan. He attended the University of Georgia for undergrad, completing a B.A. in Cognitive Science and B.S. in Psychology-Neuroscience. Jordan first developed an interest in research after joining a neuropsychology and memory assessment lab in undergrad where he studied cognitive aging. During his time in graduate school, Jordan’s research has spanned across the life course, looking at biological, psychological, and social factors contributing to cognitive aging outcomes. His interests currently are focused on uncovering mechanistic pathways that lead to racial disparities in cognitive and brain aging in order to inform policies and interventions aimed at mitigating inequities in ADRD. To balance out the workload and stress of grad school, Jordan stays active with exercise, hiking, videography, video games, and watching sports. And if grad school already wasn’t a marathon in of itself, Jordan is aspiring to run one as well.
Kiana Scambray
Kiana is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Science PhD program. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine and her MA in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern University. In her research, she aims to take an intersectional lens towards identifying and understanding how psychosocial factors are associated to ADRD risk.
Robrielle Pierce
Robrielle is a second-year student in the Clinical Science Ph.D. Program. She earned her B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Florida. Her undergraduate experiences and role as a Discovery Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program Scholar have solidified her interests in neuropsychology, brain imaging, and cognitive aging. She utilizes diffusion tensor imaging and neurocognitive assessment to explore how risk and protective factors influence age-related cognitive changes. In 2024, she was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for her project titled “Racial discrimination, white matter integrity, and cognition in Black older adults.” Ultimately, Robrielle aims to promote health equity in aging research by addressing racial/ethnic disparities, with a particular emphasis on Black populations.
Research Assistants
Abby Stephan
Abby is a senior majoring in neuroscience. Her research interests include neuroanatomical changes in mental health disorders and improving healthcare access for underserved populations. After graduating she hopes to pursue a career in neuroscience research. Outside of school she enjoys traveling, reading, and doing anything outside.
Katarzyna Balajewicz
Katarzyna is a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience with a Medical Anthropology minor. She is extremely interested in the fundamentals of neurodegenerative disorders and how their manifestations differ between individuals. Furthermore, she is deeply passionate about identifying and addressing how healthcare disparities are directly linked to structural systems within society. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to attend medical school and one day begin practicing pediatric neurology. Outside of her academic pursuits, Katarzyna is a member of Phi Chi, a professional pre-medical fraternity at the University of Michigan, a committee chair of the state of Michigan’s College Volunteer Facilitator Corps student leadership organization, and a member of the National Honor Society of Neuroscience Nu Rho Psi. Additionally, she is a fluent Polish speaker and the Vice-President of the UM Polish Student Association. She is thrilled for the opportunity to contribute to the meaningful and essential research of the Zahodne Lab!
Julia Taylor
Hi, I’m Julia! I’m a junior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. I am currently pre-med and hope to go to medical school after graduating. I have always been very interested in medicine and psychology, particularly looking into mental health and psychosocial effects on a person’s wellbeing. I also love traveling, card/board games, and playing tennis.