Lauren Taylor

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 lie 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.

Noah Green

Noah graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in psychology. Before joining as a lab manager, he was an RA in the Zahodne lab. Noah is interested in studying the mechanisms of what makes psychotherapy effective, particularly when used to treat psychosis and other positive symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and how cognition influences these symptoms. The ultimate goal then being to help create more effective personalized treatment plans. He hopes to attend a clinical psychology PhD program in the near future. Outside of research, Noah enjoys playing the trombone, video games, all things Star Wars, and watching movies.

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.

Dr. Monica Nelson

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. 

Jordan Palms

Jordan is a fifth-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 third-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 first-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.

Isabella Balza

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!!!

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.

Megan Gerwe

Hi! I’m Megan, and I’m a junior pursuing a dual degree in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and Public Health Sciences. I am interested in the neuroscience of aging, brain injury, and improving health outcomes for low SES communities. After graduating, I hope to pursue an MPH and work in NGOs involved in international health. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with friends, running, camping, and anything else outdoors.

Vanessa Assaf

My name is Vanessa and I will be a Junior this coming fall studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience in hopes to work somewhere in the clinical psychology field one day. I love reading, coffee, and hanging out with friends

Lab Alumni