Laboratory Members





Wes Barnhart joined Team Cohen as the Project Director in October 2006. His responsibilities include data collection, management, and analysis as well as the day-to-day operation of the current Pittsburgh Cold Study. He earned a B.S. in Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004.

Wes lives with his wife Amy, daughter Chloe, and their three cats, Cap'n, KitKat and Paddington. In his spare time he enjoys TV, eating, video games, fantasy sports and other highly productive activities. He also plays softball in the Pittsburgh Sports League, where his team won the Thursday night Fall championship.



                                                                                     WES & AMY'S CHILDREN:


                                                                                                                                                                        Wes can be emailed at wcb@cmu.edu







 

Rodlescia Sneed is a graduate student in the lab. She studied molecular biology as an undergraduate at Princeton and did a master's program in public health/epidemiology at Columbia University. Rodlescia is interested in the impact of close relationships on immune function and also in psychosocial factors surrounding chronic disease activity and progression. Outside of the lab, Rodlescia enjoys singing and playing violin (perhaps to the chagrin of her roommate and neighbors). Although Rodlescia has enjoyed many honors and awards over the years, her greatest accomplishment to date has been winning the Pittsburgh City Paper's doggie look-alike contest with her adorable Shih Tzu, Gracie.

Rodlescia can be e-mailed at rssneed@gmail.com



















Ellen Conser is a research associate in the lab, and assistant to Dr. Sheldon Cohen. She has helped recruit for, plan, and implement Pittsburgh Cold Studies and other health psychology - related research studies since 2000. In 2000, she received an MA in medical ethics from Michigan State University. Ellen has served as a CMU Staff Council representative since 2006. She enjoys gardening, international & independent films, reading, and showering affection on canine passersby.







                                                                                                                                                            Ellen can be e-mailed at conser@andrew.cmu.edu










Jeffrey Horenstein earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Physics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. from CMU in 2008. Jeffrey’s doctoral work was focused on identifying a plausible neurobiological pathway linking early childhood stressors with adult depression; specifically, he used functional and structural MRI techniques at the Brain Imaging Research Center. He plans to complete medical school in 2009, and is pursuing a career as a physician scientist within Pain Medicine. After receiving his M.D., Jeffrey will be a post-doctoral fellow at the Cohen laboratory.






     






Jeffrey can be e-mailed at jhorn1@andrew.cmu.edu







Denise Janicki Deverts is a post-doctoral fellow who joined the lab in January, 2006. She received a Ph.D. in Biological and Health Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her present work focuses mainly on the effects of socioeconomic status and psychosocial stress on physiologic mechanisms relevant to cardiovascular disease risk.








                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                Denise can be e-mailed at djanicki@andrew.cmu.edu












Kunjal Modi joined Team Cohen in 2008 as a research assistant. He is currently pursuing a psychology degree at Carnegie Mellon, and hopes to attend medical school upon graduation. Kunjal lives in New Jersey with his parents and sister.







Kunjal can be emailed at kmodi@andrew.cmu.edu








 



Crista Crittenden is a graduate student in the lab. Her research interests are related to pediatric chronic illness, particularly asthma, and associated biopsychosocial factors. She received her undergraduate degree in brain and cognitive science, as well as her Masters in Public Health, at the University of Rochester. When she is not thinking of, entering data on, or analyzing cortisol samples, she enjoys kayaking, reading, sleeping, and watching copious amounts of television.


Crista can be emailed at ccritten@andrew.cmu.edu








Dr. Zora Crittenden received her Ph.D. from Cornell University. Her main area of interest deals with hostility in squirrels, especially as manifested through inter-species taunting. Her secondary research relates to apathy in pigeons. In her free time, she enjoys chasing plastic bottle caps and staring blankly at the wall.











These are the Fur Girls. Dr. Cohen shares a house with them. Ypssi is 3 years old, Sadie is 10, and Irma is 16. All three have PhDs from MIT where they majored in nuclear engineering. They are helpful in writing (or at least sitting on) papers being prepared in our laboratory and have rubbed against many famous psychologists. They are best known for their classic paper on mousing and chipmunking techniques. The Fur Girls were drawn by their grandmother, Eleanora Miller. (We have received multiple emails suggesting that we shouldn't have drugged Ypssi to get her to pose. The truth is it was us who needed the drugs.)

Lab Alumni

Ian Brissette, a former graduate student in our lab, is a Research Scientist in the Bureau of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance of the New York State Health Department, where he is the director of surveillance, evaluation and research for the obesity prevention and cardiovascular disease prevention programs.

He can be contacted at the following e-mail address: ifb01@health.state.ny.us

 



Pamela Feldman, a former post-doctoral fellow in our lab, is currently Project Officer (European Team) with the Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service (UK) . She can be reached at the following address: Dr. Pamela Feldman, Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service, 14 Dufferin St., London, England, EC1Y 8PD.

Her e-mail address is pam@education-action.org

 








Natalie Hamrick, a former graduate student in our Lab, is Clinical Research Coordinator/Visiting Assistant Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesia. In addition to pursuing her stress, coping and health research, Natalie is currently working to develop the clinical research program at the Department of Anesthesia at Indiana University School of Medicine.

You may e-mail her at nhamrick@iupui.edu . She receives mail at Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesia, 1120 South Drive, Fesler Hall Rm. 204, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5115.

 









Gregory Miller, a former post-doctoral fellow in our lab, is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia (Canada). He receives mail at the University of British Columbia, Department of Psychology, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Or you may e-mail him at gemiller@psych.ubc.ca

Dr. Miller's web page is at http://www.psych.ubc.ca/~healthpsych





 


Deb Polk, Ph.D., a former post-doctoral fellow in our lab, is currently Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Division of Pediatric and Developmental Dental Sciences Salk Hall, 3501 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, Pa 15261. She may be e-mailed at dpolk@pitt.edu.

 

 

 

Sarah Pressman, a former graduate student in the Lab, received her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 2007, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Beatrice Wright Scholar at the University of Kansas. She received her B.S. in Biopsychology from Mount Allison University in Canada. Her work at the Cohen Lab included a project assessing the role of stress, social factors, health practices, and personality in antibody production following flu immunization. She also ran a study looking at ways to verify upper respiratory illnesses.

She may be e-mailed at pressman@ku.edu











Staff Updated Nov. 17, 2009