POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Kirstin Aschbacher, PhD - first year fellow

(Biography to be posted)

Bulent Turan, PhD - first year fellow

(Biography to be posted)

Lisa M. Groesz, PhD - second year fellow

Lisa Groesz completed her undergraduate work at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH. She served as a psychology research assistant at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center before attending University of Texas, Austin where she received her PhD in clinical psychology in August 2008. She completed her predoctoral clinical internship in behavioral medicine at University of California, San Diego Medical Center and VA. Lisa's research interests focus on obesity prevention with an emphasis on physical activity. At UCSF, she is extending her work to examine the role of mood, stress, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in the onset of obesity.

Yan Leykin, PhD - second year fellow

Yan Leykin completed his undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, and received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is interested in the range of approaches that could lead to improvements in the delivery and outcomes of empirically supported therapies for use in the treatment of mood disorders. These include using information technology to offer treatment access to underserved populations, and understanding decision-making of depressed individuals, especially as it relates to decisions regarding treatment.

Aoife O’Donovan, PhD - Visiting Scholar

Aoife O’Donovan completed a BA in Applied Psychology at University College Cork and a Masters of Psychological Science in Health Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. During her Masters degree, she conducted psychophysiological research and developed a strong interest in examining the effects of psychological variables on the immune system. For her PhD degree, she conducted research projects in Psychoneuroimmunology at the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, University College Dublin. In particular, she examined immunological pathways by which psychological distress could contribute to the development and progression of diseases of aging. At UCSF, Aoife is examining psychological and biological mechanisms by which psychological distress may contribute to accelerated immune system aging.

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