Elise Robb
Elise is currently a senior at Colorado State University studying Psychology with a concentration in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. Elise previously worked at the United States Air Force Academy in the NCAA DOD CARE study assisting in concussion research on cadets. Her research interests include the comorbidity of traumatic brain injury and PTSD in Veterans and active duty. Elise is currently involved in the Wisdom project studying brain indicators of healthy aging. Outside of the lab, Elise professionally dances for the Colorado Eagles Hockey team in Northern Colorado. Go Eagles!
John Duffy
John Duffy is a Cognitive Neuroscience Ph.D student specializing in functional and effective connectivity in aging and psychosis. His research also examines how mindfulness affects brain connectivity and the effectiveness used to treat and augment mental health, along with performance. Mr. Duffy’s work involves years of experience in information technology and software development. He is an avid outdoorsman and rock climber, a multi-instrumentalist, a world traveled, a brewer of beer and maker of tasty things. He ‘may’ also have the most adorable baby in the world and is not at all biased about her.
Max Henneke
Max received his B.S. in Neuroscience with a concentration in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience at Colorado State University in May 2022. Previously a research assistant at the NML, he is now a first-year medical student at Long School of Medicine at the UTHealth Sciences Center San Antonio. His research interests include functional brain connectivity and how it relates to white matter structure, particularly in psychosis spectrum disorders. He is passionate about improving medical treatments and interventions through translational and clinical research. In his free time, he enjoys being outside and moving whether it’s hiking, running, cycling or swimming.
Dr. Andrea Mendez Colmenares
Andrea is a medical doctor from Maracaibo, Venezuela, with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Colorado State University, USA. Her Ph.D. research utilized advanced MRI techniques to study the decline and plasticity of white matter in aging populations. She is currently a neurology resident at Duke University in Durham, NC. Andrea aspires to become a physician-scientist specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, while continuing to advocate for underrepresented minorities in science and medicine.
Tessa Mitchell
Tessa Mitchell is a Professional Research Assistant with the Colorado Neuroscience of Behavioral Health and Wellness Research Group at Anschutz Medical Campus. She collaborates with the neurocognitive measurement laboratory on our project on adaptive cognitive testing and brain activity of participants with schizophrenia. She is originally from Pennsylvania and received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in 2016. She has previous research experience studying aging, as well as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as part of the Monongahela-Youghiogheny Healthy Aging Teamin Pittsburgh, PA. She has also worked as a Milieu Therapist at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital working with adults, teens and children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, attending concerts, and spending time in the mountains.
Eve Delao
Eve Delao is a Professional Research Assistant with the Colorado Neuroscience of Behavioral Health and Wellness Research Group at Anschutz Medical Campus. She collaborates with the neurocognitive measurement laboratory on our project on adaptive cognitive testing and brain activity of participants with schizophrenia. She is originally from Denver and received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver in 2018. She has previous research experience studying cardiovascular response to stress and has worked as a PRA at the Children’s Hospital Colorado studying childhood obesity. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, running, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.
Lauren Sarabia
Lauren is a Professional Research Assistant originally from San Antonio, Texas. Lauren graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and concentration in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. Before her current position, Lauren worked in multiple research labs investigating cognitive dysfunction associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and motor processing in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and childhood onset schizophrenia. Her primary research interests are in neuroimaging—Specifically, how it might explain the relationship between early life experiences, cognition, and neuropsychiatric outcomes.
Reed Kellam
Reed is a senior studying psychology at Colorado State University. He is currently doing an internship at a behavioral health center as well as working as an undergraduate research assistant. Currently, he is working on a project studying cognitive aging in agricultural populations, and has interests in pharmacology and physiology as well. In his free time, he opts for camping next to a lake with a beer and a campfire.
Samantha Reed
Samantha is currently a junior studying Neuroscience with a concentration in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at Colorado State University. She is currently a professional research assistant, certified nursing assistant, and a mentor for the Neuroscience program. Her research interests include brain imaging and brain disorders. In her free time, she enjoys paddle boarding on the lake and hiking.
Tristan Nyman
Tristan recently obtained his B.S. from CSU’s cognitive and behavioral Neuroscience program. Tristan served as an officer of the Neuroscience Student Organization at CSU and helped to mentor incoming freshmen within the Neuroscience major. Tristan has completed a clinical psychiatric internship and conducted undergraduate thesis research focused on using neurofeedback to mitigate auditory verbal hallucinations in individuals with schizophrenia. Tristan has interests in the neurological mechanisms underlying various mental health disorders and has professional interests in psychiatric healthcare as well as neuroimaging technology. Tristan is currently involved in the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) pilot project at the Thomas lab.
Kate McCain
Kate received her B.S. in Neuroscience with a concentration in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at Colorado State University in May 2021. Currently, she is a professional research assistant who will be attending San Diego State University in the fall of 2021 to obtain her Masters in Psychology. Kate is interested in cognitive neuroscience and is excited to expand her knowledge using EEG/ERP measures. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, paddle boarding, and trying new restaurants with friends.
Madison Musich
Madison received her B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Mind,
Brain and Behavior and a minor in Statistics at Colorado State University in May 2021. Currently she is a professional research assistant who will be attending the University of Missouri in the fall of 2021 to obtain her Ph.D in Cognitive Neuroscience. Her passions within research include healthy aging, psychosis, data analysis, and neuroimaging. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, and going on scenic drives around Colorado.
Deirdre A. Thornton
Deirdre received her B.S in Psychology with a concentration in Mind, Brain, and Behavior in December 2020 from Colorado State University. Currently she is a professional research assistant who will be attending Ohio State University to obtain her Masters in Applied Neuroscience in the fall of 2021. Her passions include schizophrenia, neurotrauma, and neuroimaging. Outside of the research lab she participates in outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking, back country skiing, and spending time with her dog and cat.
Colton Castro
Colton graduated from CSU with a degree in Biomedical Science and a minor in Environmental Health in May 2022. Currently, he is pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Health with a specialization in Industrial Hygiene along with conducting research on Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in sugarcane farmers in Guatemala.
Connor Pehlke
Connor Pehlke is currently a senior majoring in psychology with a concentration in mind, brain, and behavior. Before joining our lab, she traveled the world, but says her favorite place to camp is still in her home state of good ole’ Kentucky. Upon graduating, she plans to apply to graduate school in the hopes of earning a Ph.D. Her research interests include brain stimulation therapies and the exploration of potential treatments in psychopathy and personality disorders, which she believes deserve greater attention in the field of neurocognitive research. Outside of the lab, she can be found whitewater rafting, playing with wolves, reading, and advocating for wildlife conservation. She is also a proud mother to her son Kieran, her dog “Bear”, and her cat named “Grandpa”.
