Jessica Stark
Jessica is a clinical psychology graduate student. Her research interests are focused on early identification of cognitive decline and interventions to promote healthy aging. Jessica’s goal is to promote individualized treatments to prevent or ameliorate cognitive dysfunction, and to educate our aging population through community outreach. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, and exploring new cities.
Matthew Stauder
Matthew is a graduate student in Clinical Psychology. He graduated in the Ohio State University Class of 2018 with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience. After graduation, Matthew coordinated clinical trials in the Neurological Clinical Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research interests involve advancing our understanding and promotion of brain health – physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning – throughout the adult lifespan. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys all sorts of exercise and sports, reading about history and current events, and listening to comedy podcasts.
Annie Lee
Annie is a Clinical Psychology graduate student. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019 with a B.A. in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology, and a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience. Following graduation, she worked at the WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine, running MRI scans, and working with diffusion and EEG data. Her research interests include early detection and prevention of cognitive aging. In her free time, she enjoys finding new restaurants and cafes, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Jena Moody
Jena joined the MINDSET lab in 2018. She is a graduate of St. Olaf College and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include stress, TBI, and the relationship between the brain and behavior. Outside of lab, she enjoys running, going to her cabin in northern Minnesota, and spending time with family and friends.
Kate Nolan
Kate is a graduate from Stony Brook University with a master’s in Neuroscience. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include TBI and the relationship between brain and cognition. In her free time, Kate loves to read European historical fiction, bake cookies for her loved ones, and travel.
Erica Howard
Erica graduated from Fordham University in 2017 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She then worked with neurodegenerative disease patients at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the MINDSET lab in 2021. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include brain injury and its interaction with other biopsychological risk factors for neurodegeneration. For fun, Erica enjoys traveling, auto racing, and hanging out with family and friends.
Nicole Saltiel
Nicole joined the MINDSET lab in 2022 as a clinical psychology Ph.D. student with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Prior to beginning her Ph.D. at OSU, she conducted research on neurodegenerative diseases and TBI at the Roskamp Institute and the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers. Her research interests include neuroimaging markers of early-stage neurodegenerative disease and risk/resilience factors for cognitive decline including sex, cardiovascular fitness, head trauma exposure, and sociodemographic factors.
Jessica Cloud
Jessica is a graduate student in the Cognitive Neuroscience program. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2018 with a B.A. concentrating in Psychology and Computer Science. Following graduation, she worked at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, focused primarily on the collection and analysis of MRI and EEG data. Her research interests include identifying modifiable factors related to healthy brain aging. In her free time, she enjoys riding horses, hiking, and spending time with her many animals.
Grace Amadon
Grace is a graduate student in Clinical Psychology interested in improving classification of traumatic brain injury and understanding the reciprocal impact health behaviors (e.g., physical activity) have on long-term brain health. In 2021, she earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Humanities in Medicine at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and went on to work as a post-baccalaureate research coordinator in the Brain Injury Research Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Outside of work and school, you can find Grace in the gym, out exploring the city, or playing with her golden retriever, Breck.
Olivia Horn
Olivia is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program. She earned a B.S. from the University of Georgia in 2021 and spent the following years conducting research on preclinical Alzheimer’s disease at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research interests focus on early detection of cognitive decline and lifestyle factors that impact healthy brain aging. Outside of the lab, she can be found reading, hiking, or spinning a flag.
Kendra Mehl
Kendra is a graduate student in the Cognitive Neuroscience program. She graduated from the University of Missouri with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2022 studying working memory and attention. Following graduation, she conducted research on music cognition at Missouri University of Science & Technology. She is excited to join the MINDSET lab and begin her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience in the fall. Her research interests include using various neuroimaging techniques to explore how post-traumatic stress alters the brain and cognitive abilities, and discovering practical interventions to combat PTSD symptoms. In her free time, Kendra enjoys cooking, crocheting, reading, and hanging out with her friends.
Alyssa Miller
Alyssa is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program. She graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 2020 with a B.S. in neuroscience and psychology. Before joining the MINDSET lab in 2024, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Yale School of Medicine’s Alzheimer Disease Research Unit studying preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease. She is pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology. Her research focus is brain injury’s impact on later life cognition, neurodegeneration, and AD pathology development. Outside of the lab, Alyssa enjoys reading, exploring museums and art galleries, and board game nights with friends.
Inola Howe
Inola is a graduate student in the Clinical Program with an emphasis in neuropsychology. She graduated from Kent State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. After graduation, she worked as a clinical research coordinator in the Frontotemporal Disorders Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research interests include early detection and intervention of cognitive decline. In her free time, she enjoys trying new coffee shops, listening to music, and having craft nights with friends.
Jillian Graham
Jillian is a graduate student in the cognitive neuroscience program. She graduated in May 2023 from Belmont University with a B.S. in Neuroscience and spent the following years in the B-BAL working as a research assistant. Her research focuses on investigating sex differences in aging via modifiable lifestyle factors, such as cardiorespiratory fitness, and neuroimaging. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing volleyball, and spending time with her friends, family, and hedgehog, Gnocchi.
Jared Carmichael
Jared graduated from Northern Arizona University with a double major in biology and psychology. After graduating, he worked as a research assistant at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the trauma department. Before joining the MINDSET lab, he graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2025. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology. His research focus is on the structural and behavioral long-term outcomes of traumatic brain injuries. Outside of the lab, Jared enjoys riding his bike, running, being outdoors, and cheering for Arizona sports teams.
Alexa Kondas
Alexa graduated from Emory University with highest honors in 2025 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology. She is joining the MINDSET lab in the fall and will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include using neuroimaging to improve assessment and outcomes in those who have experienced chronic stress and trauma and the interaction between TBI and PTSD. Outside of the lab, Alexa enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her friends, family, and cats.
Stacey Park
Stacey is a graduate from The College of Wooster with a B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests include the relationship between the brain and cognition, mental health, and TBI using brain imaging tools. Outside of lab, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her close friends.
Sam Bassett
Sam joined the Buckeye Brain Aging Lab in June of 2024. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2024 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. His research interests include the field of cognitive aging and looking at the effects that modifiable health factors have on cognitive outcomes. He focuses on the utilization of diet and exercise to promote healthy aging and track age-related cognitive declines. Outside the lab, Sam enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the gym, watching/attending sporting events, listening to music, and playing video or tabletop games.
Sarah Henn
Sarah joined the BBAL in June 2025. She graduated from Tulane University in 2024 and 2025 with her Bachelors and Masters in Neuroscience respectively. Her research interests surround the intersection of biology and behavior with specific interests in the neuropsychological impacts of traumatic brain injury, particularly in brain health and aging populations. Additionally, she is interested in modifiable risk factors to maintain and protect brain function and cognition. In her free time, Sarah enjoys reading, spending time with friends, hiking, and exploring the city.
Kaci Yano
Kaci is a senior undergraduate student studying psychology and neuroscience at the Ohio State University. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school. Kaci is interested in how physical fitness impacts executive functioning as people age, particularly through the use of neuroimaging. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crochet, and hiking.
Riya Reddy
Riya is an undergraduate student and Neuroscience major at The Ohio State University. She is interested to pursue research in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Disorder, particularly how they interact with age and personal experiences. Beside her research at the lab, Riya is also a volunteer at the Columbus Free Clinic and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her hobbies include painting, yoga, and reading!
Elizabeth Culp
Elizabeth joined the B-BAL in fall of 2024. She is a sophomore undergraduate studying psychology and minoring in sociology at The Ohio State University and she plans to attend graduate school after graduation. She is interested in investigating the difference between brain function in athletic and non-athletic adults, specifically their decline related to age. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports, being with friends, reading cheesy books, and singing.
Renee Duffy
Renee is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Biology. After graduation she plans on attending either PA or medical school. She is interested in researching how sleep and other factors can affect a person’s mind and cognitive function. She’s excited to work with neuroimaging and various fitness metrics to research these relationships. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, spending time with friends, and traveling.
Seline Boztepe
Selin is a rising Junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in neuroscience. She is interested in pursuing a PhD clinical psychology. Outside of the lab, she is a part of the Psychology Club and Buckeyes against Alzheimer’s. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, baking, and watching hockey.
Malcom Poindexter
Malcolm is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University majoring in psychology with a minor in Spanish. He is interested in pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology specializing in rehabilitation psychology. Outside of the lab, Malcolm is a member of BuckeyeThon, Black Student Association, and MUNDO. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing basketball, video games, and lifting weights.