Meet Our Team

Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski, PhD

Dr. Goldstein-Piekarski currently directs the Computational Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Sleep Laboratory (CoPsyN Sleep Lab) as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and as a PI within the Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the Palo Alto VA. Dr. Goldstein-Piekarski’s research program aims to harness findings from trans-disciplinary clinical research that leverage her unique background in human brain imaging, computational methods, clinical psychology, and sleep research to improve the way we diagnosis and treat psychiatric disorders. The themes of her work include (a) examining the role of sleep physiology in the development, maintenance, and treatment of psychopathology across the life span, (b) identifying transdiagnostic subtypes of dysfunction that are linked to brain function, and (c) identifying objective biomarkers that predict general and medication-specific responses to pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for insomnia, anxiety, and depression. She currently is the acting PI of two ongoing clinical trials investigating moderators and mediators of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.

Raquel Osorno, PsyD

Raquel Osorno, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, where she serves as a member of the CoPsyN Sleep Lab, Sleep Health and Insomnia Program, the Psychosocial Treatment Clinic, and the Sports Medicine team. She specializes in the treatment of sleep, mood, and anxiety disorders in adults. Dr. Osorno completed her doctoral training at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and her post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Prior to her doctoral training, she worked as a research assistant in a memory and aging clinic in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Osorno holds a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University.

Natalie Solomon, PsyD DBSM

Natalie Solomon, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist, board certified in behavioral sleep medicine, and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Dr. Solomon serves as a member of the CoPsyN Sleep Lab and the Sleep Health and Insomnia Program. Dr. Solomon specializes in the treatment of sleep disorders. Her clinical interests include the intersection of sleep difficulties with overall quality of life, women’s health, and mood disorders. Dr. Solomon has a background in chronotype research, and enjoys integrating her research knowledge into her clinical work.

Dr. Solomon completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in the Sleep Health and Insomnia Program (2021). She completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP Stanford Consortium (2020) and her clinical internship at the VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center (2020).

Sarah Izabel, B.S.

Sarah was born and raised in Brazil where she attended law school before moving to the United States and shifting her interest to Neuroscience. She completed majors in Biology and Psychology at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2020. At VCU, Sarah was part of the NIH-IMSD program and worked on uncovering mechanisms of axonal pathology in the lab of Dr. Jeff Dupree. She also worked in identifying the effects of income insecurity on decision making in the lab of Dr. James Bjork. After graduating, Sarah worked at NIH as a UGSP Research Fellow and characterized a progranulin knockout mouse model in the lab of Dr. Alan Koretsky. She started her clinical work at NIH in the lab of Dr. Vijay Ramchandani where she worked to improve diagnosing of alcohol use disorder. At Stanford, Sarah is interested in treating and managing neuropsychiatric disorders and increasing the representation of socially marginalized communities in research studies. When not in lab Sarah enjoys reading, advocating for anti-poverty legislation, and hanging out with her son.

Abby Cirelli, BA

Abby Cirelli graduated from Loyola University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and minor in Statistics. As an undergraduate, she participated in the William C. Dement fellowship at Brown University and researched sleep EEG recordings of children with ADHD. Abby also presented her work on sleep and caffeine consumption in early adolescents at the World Sleep Congress in Vancouver, Canada. Abby hopes to continue researching sleep and neuroscience in adult populations. In her free time, Abby enjoys playing piano, drawing, cooking, and cycling. 

Pandora Lam, BA

Pandora graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She worked as a research assistant at the Zhou Family and Culture Lab of UC Berkeley as an undergraduate, examining the effects of grandparent involvement in parenting and children’s cognitive and emotional development. She hopes to continue pursuing research in the field of clinical psychology, particularly regarding the efficacy of interventions, in the future. In her free time, Pandora enjoys reading, trying out new recipes, and going to the movies.

Olivia Magana, BA

Olivia graduated from California State University, East Bay with a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology in December 2020. After graduating, she worked as a research coordinator at the Stanford Psychophysiology Lab while simultaneously volunteering as a research assistant for the East Bay Anxiety Lab. Her primary research interests involve anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and chronic diseases–specifically, ones without current cures. She plans to attend graduate school in Fall 2023 to acquire a PhD in clinical psychology and specialize in neuropsychology. Outside of research, Olivia enjoys playing video games, ice skating, playing her kalimba, and spending time with friends.

Emilija Blozyte, BA

Emilija Blozyte earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience at Pace University in 2022. As an undergraduate, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Adult Communication Disorders Laboratory. Emilija developed her undergraduate thesis investigating links between sleep quality and disordered eating as part of the Provost's Student-Faculty Undergraduate Research Program at Pace University. Emilija hopes to continue researching the roles that life quality factors play in addictions, including substance misuse and behavioral addictions. In her free time, Emilija enjoys knitting, boxing, and making playlists.

Leah Harris, BA

Leah graduated from Stanford University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant and device lead for the Stanford Home Sleep Study in Dr. James Gross’ Stanford Psychophysiology Lab. She conducted research studying the relationship between sleep, sleep bruxism, and affective experiences. Leah hopes to continue pursuing sleep and affect research in the field of clinical psychology in the future. In her free time, Leah enjoys reading, writing and performing spoken word poetry, taking naps, and watching bad movies.

Archita Tharanipathy, BS

Archita (she/her) received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Applied Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2022. She currently works in the INDICAS Study with both the Padula BRAVE Lab and the CoPsyN Sleep Lab here at Stanford. During her time at UCSB, Archita researched the white matter tracts in the brain used for spatial navigation. She additionally worked to develop a bionic eye implant for those who lose their vision later in life. Finally, she mentored students with autism and ADHD to improve their daily functioning and success. Archita's interests lie within the intersection of neurodivergence, substance use, neuroscience, and gender and sexuality. She hopes to further explore the relationships between these after pursuing a Ph.D. in the upcoming years. Archita also has a tuxedo cat named Sourdough that she adopted in the middle of the pandemic! 

Ariel Grayson, BA 

Ariel Grayson graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Education in 2020. After graduating, she worked as the Psych One course administrator at Stanford and as a research assistant in the Stanford Culture and Emotion Lab, studying the relationship between ideal affect, romantic ideals, and relationship satisfaction cross culturally. Ariel hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and continue studying substance use disorders in the future. In particular, she is interested in researching the relationship between learning and substance use from a biopsychosocial framework with the hopes of advancing our current understanding of substance use disorder and its treatment. Outside of research, Ariel enjoys listening to music, spoiling her cat, and exploring the Bay Area. 

Jennifer Stephens M.S.

Jennifer is a first year doctoral student at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and graduated from Washington & Lee University with a B.A. in psychology. Prior to graduate school, Jennifer was a project coordinator at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center where she coordinated a NCI-funded multi-site, longitudinal, randomized trial assessing the effectiveness of telephone counseling and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation with older, long-term smokers undergoing lung cancer screening. Jennifer joined the CoPsyN Sleep lab because she is interested to explore the ways in which sleep affects mental health, particularly in the era of COVID-19. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new restaurants, going on long walks, and binging the newest Netflix series.

Kelly Showen B.A.

Kelly is a fourth year doctoral student in the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. Her primary clinical interests include health psychology and the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Kelly holds a B.A. from Stanford University. In her free time, Kelly enjoys yoga, baking, and going on long walks with friends.

Emily Fox M.S.

Emily is a 4th year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and a proud UC Berkeley grad (go bears!). Throughout her time in graduate school, Emily has received specialty training in working with LGBTQ+-identified individuals as well as in treating complex trauma. Emily enjoys using mindfulness-based approaches to help clients connect with the present moment and live by their values. In addition to her clinical work, Emily has a research background in healthy relationship functioning, early violence exposure, and cognitive aging, and has co-authored several publications and presentations on these topics. Prior to beginning graduate school, Emily worked as clinical research coordinator at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center conducting neuropsychological assessments and supporting a variety of NIH-funded research studies on cognitive functioning in the context of healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and dementia. In her free time, Emily loves to hike, do yoga, and take day trips around the Bay Area.

Aileen Kucsera M.S.

Aileen is a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She has received specialized clinical training working with Latinx populations and substance use disorders, and is current training as a clinician at the San Francisco VA Health Care System in the Integrated Care Psychology Clinic. Aileen is passionate about the mind-body connection and how psychotherapeutic interventions, especially mindfulness-based interventions, can impact positive health behaviors and physiological markers of health. Her research interests include exploring the use of psychedelic substances for various psychiatric disorders and her current research involves investigating the knowledge and attitudes of mental healthcare towards psychedelics. Prior to beginning graduate school, Aileen worked as a physician assistant in primary care and continues this work part-time as she pursues her doctoral degree. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, dancing, and taking care of her many house plants.

Michaela Moss B.A.

Michaela is a third year doctoral student in the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. Her primary clinical interests include health psychology and trauma-informed care. Michaela holds a B.A. in psychology and public health from UC Berkeley. Prior to graduate school, Michaela worked as a health educator for a federally qualified health center in San Francisco. In her free time, Michaela enjoys hiking, tending to her growing collection of plants, and exploring the Bay Area.

Rachel Braswell

Rachel is a rising junior on the pre-med track pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology with a concentration in cognition and child development. Her interests include affective neuroscience, developmental psychology, and how difficulties with sleep can have lasting effects on the body. In her free time, Rachel likes to play volleyball, paint, and karaoke with her friends.

Oluseyi Ogundipe

Oluseyi is a rising junior currently pursuing a Bachelor of Sciences in Computer Science with a concentration in bio computation. He is interested in exploring and developing the field of medical technologies that lie at the intersection between medicine and computer science. His hobbies include composing music, writing, watching videos, and playing games.

Naomi Gong

Naomi is a rising junior working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in neuroscience. She is interested in abnormal psychology and affective neuroscience and hopes to work in the intersection between these two fields in the future. Outside of her studies, Naomi likes to paint, compose music, cook, and perform stand-up comedy.

Sandra Jessen

Sandra is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, with a concentration in Neuroscience and Behavioral Development. Her interests include child development, psychological disorders, and how sleep affects these categories. She is also a member of the Stanford Women’s Gymnastics team. In her spare time she enjoys going on walks and hanging out with friends

Jiro Walther

Jiro is a sophomore studying Data Science. Along with interests in sleep psychology, he hopes to better understand broader social issues such as inequality through data analytics. His previous research involved creating an interactive dashboard to make sense of Japanese nursing home and COVID-19 data. Jiro likes to go to the beach, hang out with friends, and play with his animals in his free time.

Luca Istrate

Luca is a bachelor student in Software Engineering from the University Politehnica of Bucharest, who benefits from a special training program through research proposed  by MINES ParisTech / PSL University. In this context, he is involved in data science projects with an  interdisciplinary approach. In particular, he studies the representation of analogical reasoning in artificial intelligence. His other interests include low-level programming, Linux and solving Rubik's cubes. He can't play the guitar.

Dan Matei

Dan is a bachelor student in Computer Science from the University Politehnica of Bucarest (Romania), who benefits from a special training program through research proposed by MINES ParisTech / PSL University. In this context, he is involved in data science projects in an interdisciplinary approach. In particular, he studies the representation of analogical reasoning in artificial intelligence. Aside from academia, he enjoys reading Sci-Fi books, listening to 80's rock and taking walks around the city. Sometimes he gets a little too excited about the latest tech news.

Allison Morehouse, BA

Allison graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a BA in Cognitive Science. As an undergraduate, she researched with the Center for Human Sleep Science and the Jagust Lab investigating how sleep impacts the cognitive and brain functioning normally associated with aging. Allison worked as the Lab Manager of the CoPsyN Sleep Lab. She is now a graduate student in UCI's Cognitive Science PhD program working with Dr. Sara Mednick. Outside of research, Allison enjoys hiking, camping, reading, and going to the beach. 

Mateo Lopez, BS

Mateo earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology at the University of California, Berkeley in 2019. At Berkeley, he was a research assistant in the Whitney Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Computational Psychiatry and Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. Mateo hopes to further pursue neuroscience and clinical translational research in the future. Outside of research, he enjoys reading, discovering new music venues, and going out salsa dancing. 

Andrea Cordero, BA

Andrea earned Bachelor of Art degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2017. She also earned her Master’s of Education in Institutional Research from Penn State in 2020. At Penn State, she was a lab manager for the Emotion Development Lab, Child Attention and Learning Lab, and Lab of Developmental Neuroscience. Andrea hopes to continue to pursue cognitive psychology in the future.

Kathleen O'Hora, BS

Kathleen earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at Villanova University in 2017. At Villanova, she studied the cognitive architecture and neural bases of human memory in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory Lab. Kathleen worked as the Lab Manager in the CoPsyN Sleep Lab. She is currently a graduate student in UCLA's Interdepartmental Neuroscience PhD program.

Clara Lee, BA

Clara graduated from Washington University in St. Louis where she majored in Psychological & Brain Sciences and minored in Computer Science. As an undergrad she was a research assistant in Dr. Tom Rodebaugh’s Anxiety and Psychotherapy Lab. She is currrently working as a UX research deisgner.

Alison Buchanan, BS

Alison earned a double degree in Psychology and Law, Societies, and Justice from the University of Washington. During her time as a Research Assistant for the CoPsyN Sleep Lab, she realized her passion for designing and improving people’s experiences as they navigate new systems, digital or otherwise. Alison is excited to return to the University of Washington in the fall of 2018 to pursue her interests in research, design, and human behavior through a Master’s in Human Centered Design and Engineering. In her spare time Alison likes to travel, read, and show everyone pictures of her houseplants.

Tess Brown PsyD

Tess was a doctoral student at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Psychology. Her primary clinical interests are in anxiety and trauma and how sleep impacts well-being. Tess currently works as a clinician at Menlo College. In her free time, she enjoys running and spending time outdoors.

Alix Simonson PsyD

Alix Simonson completed her doctoral degree at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She has received clinical training in a variety of outpatient and inpatient adult settings and is passionate about SMI, trauma, evidence-based treatments, and underserved populations. Alix emphasizes the importance of making behavioral changes in her work with clients and is dedicated to research that investigates treatment effectiveness and increases access to care. Prior to her doctoral training she worked as a research assistant in a neuroimaging lab studying neurodegenerative diseases. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Politics from Oberlin College.

Becky Poplawski PsyD

Becky was a doctoral student at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. She is interested in examining the ways that treatment of insomnia can impact other psychiatric symptoms. In addition to working at the CoPsyN Sleep Lab, Becky also works as a clinician at Menlo College and on the Stanford DBT Team.

Margot Paul PsyD

Margot was a doctoral student at PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She has always been interested in the way sleep interacts with one’s quality of life and overall functioning. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, going on hikes, and watching movies.  

Maria Ocampo PsyD

Maria was a doctoral student at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Psychology. Her primary clinical interests are in anxiety and depression and how sleep affects and mediates a wide array of mental health diagnoses. Maria also currently works as a clinician at the Stanford Faculty and Staff Help Center. She also conducts research to provide the best psychological care for parents at Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. During her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, cooking, listening to podcasts, and playing tennis.

Eyerusalem Alemu

Eyerusalem is an undergraduate at Stanford University studying Human Biology and Symbolic Systems, on a pre-med track. Her concentration areas are human development, learning, and brain and behavior which are driven by her interest to study the human brain and improve quality of life. Her primary clinical interests include neuropsychiatry and the impact of sleep on disorders. Eyerusalem hopes to continue working in this field of research at Stanford and beyond. During her free time, Eyerusalem loves to visit parks in San Fransico and hike mountains in the Bay Area.