Our team is dedicated to
addressing health disparities
Our team of research professionals bring over 30 years of expertise and is dedicated to advancing research that deepens understanding of health disparities and informs meaningful change. We are committed to using research to help create a healthier, more equitable world for all.
Principal Investigators
Dr. Robin Nusslock
Project DirectorRobin Nusslock is a Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University with additional appointments in Neurobiology and Neurology. Dr. Nusslock also serves as Northwestern’s Director of Clinical Psychology and Clinical Training. He studies how brain systems that shape both positive and negative emotions contribute to emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and mania. He is also interested in how stress affects brain development and communication between the brain and the immune system in generating risk and resilience for mental and physical health problems across the lifespan.
Dr. Luke Hyde
Project DirectorLuke Hyde is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, with a PhD in clinical and developmental Psychology and is a licensed psychologist in the State of Michigan. Dr. Hyde’s research focuses on understanding how nature and nurture interact to influence brain and behavioral development from early childhood through early adulthood. His work has focused on how adversity can shape development and how strengths in the family and community can promote resilience, particularly among families facing poverty and stress. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife and two kids and coaching his kids’ sports teams.
Dr. Greg Miller
Greg Miller is a Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University. Dr. Miller’s research examines the behavioral and biological mechanisms that contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in health outcomes.
Dr. Elizabeth Rhodes
Elizabeth Rhodes is the Research Director for the Unconditional Cash Study at OpenResearch. She completed a joint doctoral degree in social work and political science at the University of Michigan, where her research focused on health and education provision in informal settlements, workforce development, and poverty prevention and alleviation strategies. Elizabeth also holds an MSW from Michigan and a B.A. in government and economics from Georgetown University.
Staff
Trinh Ha
Trinh is the lab manager for the Affective & Clinical Neuroscience Lab (ACNL). She received her Master's in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on clinical child and adolescent psychology. She’s worked with Dr. Michael Telch in the Laboratory of Anxiety Disorders on projects applying principles of interoceptive exposure, trauma memory reconsolidation, and PTSD. She plans to pursue a career in clinical psychology and is interested in how psychopathology and environmental factors contribute to depression during childhood and its impact on neuroinflammation throughout one's lifetime. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, baking, and playing the piano.
Johanna Dezil
Johanna received her B.A. in Community Psychology from DePaul University. While at DePaul, she served as a peer mentor for students of color, an AmeriCorps member, and a research volunteer within DePaul’s Center for Access and Attainment. Johanna’s research interests focus on issues affecting African American girls, a population that is often underrepresented in research. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and watching documentaries.
Anoushka Parnerkar
Anoushka graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Psychology and minors in Neuroscience, Chemistry, and Creative Writing. Before joining the Affective & Clinical Neuroscience Lab (ACNL), she worked as a study coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied the impact of divorce on young kids and anxiety in parents and children. Anoushka plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is interested in looking at how life events and environments can shape children's brain and mental health. In her free time, Anoushka loves to hang out by the lake, cook, and create art.
Ashley Zhang
Ashley is a staff member for the Affective & Clinical Neuroscience Lab (ACNL). She received her B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience from UC Riverside where she studied emotion and anxiety in middle school girls! She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is interested in understanding how to better support child and adolescent mental health, particularly in marginalized communities. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports, baking, and going to the gym.
Akash Rathi
Akash is a research data analyst for the Affective & Clinical Neuroscience Lab (ACNL). He graduated from Northwestern University in 2023 with a B.A. in Data Science. He completed pre-medical coursework at the University of California, Los Angeles where he worked as a research assistant in the Biomedical Artificial Intelligence Lab and Cross Movement Disorders Lab. He is particularly interested in ethical frameworks in the ICU and the pathology of pituitary brain tumors. Akash eventually plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a critical care physician. In his free time, he loves to watch baseball, study history, and stay active.
Nina Kougan
Nina is a Clinical Psychology doctoral student. Her research interests focus on utilizing neuroimaging techniques to better understand how depression and suicidality influence reward processing across adolescent development. Nina has an A.B. in Psychological & Brain Sciences, with a concentration in Experimental Psychopathology from Washington University in St. Louis. She previously worked at WashU Medicine on the Human Connectome Project, and for the Affective & Clinical Neuroscience Lab (ACNL) as a research coordinator. Outside of the lab, Nina loves to read, bike, and spend time with her pup, Daphne.
Jungwon Kim
Jungwon is a Research Technologist. Jungwon graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Biology and has a passion for playing soccer and traveling.
Veronica Passarelli
Veronica Research Technologist. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.Sc. in Integrative Biology. Her previous research focused on the environmental and socioeconomic conditions influencing mosquito-borne disease in Central Illinois. At the Foundations of Health Research Center, she contributes towards multiple studies including On the Rise and Stress, Pregnancy, & Health.