People
Cecile Ladouceur, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology
Dr. Ladouceur’s research program focuses on the development of brain systems supporting emotion processing and emotion regulation in typically developing children and adolescents as well as those diagnosed with or at-risk for anxiety and mood disorders. She is particularly interested in the effects of puberty on the teen brain as a way to understand risk and resilience for mood disorders. Her lab uses different neuroimaging methods along with measurements of emotion and behavior in the lab and in the real-world. Her research is funded with grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Brain and Behavior Foundation.
Rasim Diler, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Dr. Diler’s research focuses on early detection, treatment, and understanding of what may predict depressive and bipolar disorders in youth. He has successfully used neuroimaging data to predict best treatment options for youths with depression. He enjoys working at mental health community clinics and training colleagues on leading techniques for detecting mood disorders in adolescents.
Allison Brown, MS
Research Coordinator
Allison Brown completed her Master of Arts degree in applied social psychology and evaluation at Claremont Graduate University. The focus of her graduate research was observing adolescents’ use of healthy habits. Allison is currently the Research Coordinator for the MBA research study, which is being conducted by the Cognitive-Affective Neuroscience and Development (CAN-D) Lab, a division of UPMC-Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
Allison’s research interests include; adolescent social behavior, habits of non-daily smokers, and developing novel ways to treat and prevent adolescent mental health disorders. A few of Allison’s favorite things include; testing new research equipment, facilitating collaboration among research staff, and designing posters showcasing research findings.
Kate Thurston-Griswold, BA
Research Associate
Kate’s research and professional interests in psychology center around clinical interventions for adolescents and young adults with affective and anxiety disorders, as well as increasing cultural competence among practicing psychologists so as to help make mental health services more accessible and effective for traditionally under-served populations. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree from a clinical or counseling psychology program and ultimately become a licensed therapist.
Madeleine Goldberg
Research Assistant
Madeleine’s professional and research interests in psychology include clinical practice and intervention for adolescents with mood disorders, as well as examining environmental and genetic factors influencing familial inheritance of said disorders. She plans to attend a clinical doctoral program and contribute to relevant research after her undergraduate career.
Contact Us
To contact the lab directly, you can send us an email, call us at 412-624-8121, or text MBA Study to 412-999-2758.
