Meet the CPL Team

Director of the CPL

Dr. Jason Moser (he/him/his) received his B.A. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Delaware. Prior to arriving at MSU as an assistant professor and director of the MSU Clinical Psychophysiology Lab (CPL), Dr. Moser completed a one-year clinical internship at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology where he received training in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military veterans. Dr. Moser’s previous clinical training was at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.

Dr. Moser’s interests focus on the ability to regulate cognition, emotion, and behavior. Specific interests are in understanding their underlying mechanisms and in examining their clinical significance in terms of their roles in the development, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety and depression. His work lies at the intersection of clinical, cognitive neuroscience, social-personality, and developmental research. Dr. Moser aims to advance our knowledge of regulatory abilities across the range of normal to abnormal functioning through a multi-method approach, in addition to building integrative models of how they operate.

Curriculum Vitae | email: jmoser@msu.edu

Post-Doctoral Researchers

Dr. Kathryn Schertz is broadly interested in how our surrounding physical environment influences cognition, emotions, behaviors, and wellbeing, and the mechanisms of these effects. She combines experimental, ecological momentary assessment, social media, and spatial data to examine the ways in which natural spaces, across the urban to rural gradient, impact cognitive and affective processes. In several current projects, she is investigating how nature experiences interact with other emotion regulation processes to promote mental health.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: schertzk@msu.edu

Graduate Students

Courtney Louis (she/her) is a seventh-year graduate student in the MSU Clinical Science program currently on internship. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Hunter College in 2016, and previously worked as a RA and lab coordinator in Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary’s Emotion Regulation Lab. She is broadly interested in the association between anxiety and cognitive processes (e.g., cognitive control) in female populations, and the use of neurobiological measures to assist with our understanding of this. Importantly, she is also committed to expanding our understanding of these processes in Black women. She hopes that her work will help better inform treatment approaches, our knowledge of mental health, and policy. In her free time, Courtney enjoys listening to music, spending time with family, and cooking.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: louiscou@msu.edu

Chris Webster (he/him) is a sixth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program. He received his B.A. in Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and his M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to joining the MSU Clinical Psychology department, Chris has worked as a research assistant in various psychological labs at Rutgers and Columbia. Chris is interested in using physiological tools (EEG) to measure the effectiveness of emotion regulation techniques. He is particularly interested in identifying specific emotion regulation techniques that are most effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in individuals who are at risk of experiencing high levels of potentially traumatic events. Outside of research, Chris enjoys traveling, attending sports events, listening to music, and spending time with family.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: webst230@msu.edu

Grace Anderson (she/her) is a third-year graduate student in the MSU Clinical Science program. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Wake Forest University in 2020. Afterwards, she worked as a postbaccalaureate fellow in the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at NIMH under Drs. Carlos Zarate and Jessica Gilbert, studying neural networks associated with cognitive and affective reactivity. She is interested in how reward processing and approach/avoidance behaviors contribute to the onset and maintenance of internalizing psychopathology, and how neurophysiological indices of these constructs can contribute to dimensional models of psychopathology. To this end, she hopes her work aids in the differentiation of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as well as the development methodology techniques and behavioral task design. In her free time, Grace enjoys baking, yoga, hiking, and spending time with her dog.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: ande2458@msu.edu

Kenan Sayers (he/him) is a third-year graduate student in the MSU Clinical Science program. He graduated with a BA in Psychology and minors in Exercise and Sport Science and Hispanic Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Prior to coming to MSU, he conducted research as an undergraduate research assistant in the Anxiety and Stress Lab and in the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes in the Matthew Gfeller Center (UNC). His research interests include the effect of exercise on anxiety and depression and mental health in athletes. He is also a co-founder of Black Men in Psych, a developing organization dedicated to supporting the success of Black men in psychology and encouraging more black men to explore careers in psychology. During his free time, Kenan likes to workout, watch and play sports, spend time with friends and family, and listen to music.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: sayersk1@msu.edu

Reid Davis (she/her) is pursuing a dual-PhD in Clinical Psychology and Kinesiology. She will be joining us in Fall of 2024. She is looking at psychological trauma responses and mental health policies surrounding sport-related injuries, particularly concussion. Her research practicum is currently investigating the prevalence and efficacy of written mental health policies in NCAA DI, II, and III institutions. An idea for study in development is which therapeutic interventions (talk therapies, somatic therapies) can aid in injury recovery and fear of injury and reinjury. She plans on also investigating current mental health clinicians' views of, interventions for, and knowledge base of sport-related injuries in collegiate and professional settings.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: davise82@msu.edu

Ashley Hayden (she/her) is an incoming first-year graduate student in the MSU Clinical Science Program. She will be joining us in Fall of 2024. She previously worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Division of Neurotherapeutics at Massachusetts General Hospital under Dr. Darin Dougherty and Dr. Tina Chou examining the effects of neurotechnology in the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders using neuroimaging and physiological measures. Her research interests include behavioral, cognitive, and neurophysiological pathways of positive and negative emotions, emotion regulation, and cognitive control within populations with and without anxiety and mood disorders. She is also interested in the ways social or environmental determinants influence these constructs as well as the treatment and prevention of psychopathology.

Curriculum Vitae | Email: haydena7@msu.edu

Research Assistants

Acacia Meyer is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Social Science Quantitative Data Analytics. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology to become a pediatric psychologist. Her research interests are the relationship between stress and chronic illness, pain management treatment, resilience among children, and health disparities among children with chronic pain. In her free time, Acacia enjoys working out and spending time with friends.

Email: meyeraca@msu.edu

Ava Skaff is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Human Behavior and Social Services. She is interested in the field of clinical psychology and researching psychopathology and treatment options for mental health disorders. After graduation, Ava intends to pursue graduate school to become a licensed therapist. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, crocheting, and being outside.    

Email: skaffava@msu.edu

Hailey Andrews is a senior at MSU majoring in Psychology with a minor in Youth and Society. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and aspires to work with adolescents with anxiety and depression. In her free time, Hailey loves to paint, listen to music, and spend time with her friends and her cat. 

Email: andre364@msu.edu

Jordan Schebel is a senior double majoring in psychology and human biology. After graduating, she hopes to plan on attending medical school and pursuing a career in psychiatry. In her spare time, she loves to paint and explore new music.

Email: schebelj@msu.edu

Kaitlyn Wilcox is a junior majoring in Psychology and Human Biology with a minor in Creative Writing. After graduation, she hopes to pursue an M.D. and work towards becoming an OB/GYN doctor. She is interested in learning more about mental health and the ties between the brain and the body. During her free time, she likes listening to music, reading books, gardening, and going on walks.

Email: wilcox65@msu.edu

 Lauren Patrick is senior pursuing a B.S in Human Biology and a minor in Bioethics. After graduation, she plans on attending medical school and pursuing a career in ophthalmology or psychiatry. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, hiking, and photography.

Email: patri187@msu.edu

Maddie Hutchins is currently a junior pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Human Behavior and Social Services. After graduation, she plans to attend Physician Assistant school with hopes of working in pediatric psychiatry. Maddie is especially interested in the impact of adverse childhood events on mental health. In her free time, she loves lifting, doing yoga, cooking, and reading!

Email: hutch292@msu.edu

Vikshita Pallerla is a senior at MSU majoring in Physiology and minoring in Business. After graduating, she plans on attending medical school to later specialize in Pediatrics. She is interested in how the brain adapts to interventions, specifically the physiology behind these processes in kids. In her free time, she likes to sing, dance, and bake.

Email: pallerl1@msu.edu

Lucas Ring is a senior at MSU majoring in Psychology with two minors in Spanish and Resource Management. He is interested in the field of mental performance and sports psychology, particularly researching how stress can be used to have a positive outcome rather than a negative. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in I/O psychology or sports psychology. In his free time, Lucas plays rugby for MSU, enjoys building Lego, and loves to travel. 

Email: ringluca@msu.edu

Tristan Janisse is a senior at MSU majoring in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science. After graduation he hopes to further his education, working towards a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. Tristan’s research interests are mainly cognition as well as areas of clinical psychology and psychopathology. In his free time, Tristan is a big fan of playing and watching sports. He also enjoys travelling and socializing with friends and family.

Email: janisset@msu.edu

 Leah Meppelink is a senior at MSU majoring in behavioral neuroscience. She is interested in mental disorders, specifically anxiety and the physiological symptoms. She hopes to pursue a career in nursing through an accelerated nursing program post-grad. In her free time, you will find her reading on her kindle, playing board games with friends or going for a bike ride. 

Email: meppeli4@msu.edu

 Liliana Ribusovski is a senior majoring in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the Lyman Briggs College. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and pursue radiology or neurology. In her free time, she enjoys workout, reading, and spending time with friends.

Email: ribusovs@msu.edu

Grace Brow is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Law, Justice, and Public Policy. After graduating from MSU, she hopes to pursue a career in the legal field. She is interested in learning more about the intersection between human behavior and our legal system. During her free time, Grace loves to exercise, read, and hang-out with her friends.

Email: browgrac@msu.edu

Elly Millis is a senior studying Psychology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. After graduation, she plans on continuing her education in an Occupational Therapy program with hopes to become a Pediatric Occupational Therapist.  She has interests in women’s health issues and healthcare advocacy. When she is not doing her schoolwork and taking care of her 2 silly dogs, she loves to paint, swim, and golf!

Email: millsel3@msu.edu

Eva Sclabassi is a sophomore studying Human Biology in Lyman Briggs College. Her research interests include emergency medicine, human physiology and anatomy, neuroscience, and public health. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school to become a trauma surgeon. In her free time, I love to run, read, and learn about science!

Email: sclabas6@msu.edu

Curious to see where our team has gone off to?