Doctoral Students
Megan Renna
6th Year Ph.D. Student
Megan Renna is a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Megan obtained her B.A. from Simmons College in 2010 and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital prior to joining the READ Lab as a graduate student in August 2013. She received her M.A. in Psychology from Hunter College in 2016. Megan’s primary research interests include the impact of psychotherapy on both psychological and physical processes associated with anxiety and depressive disorders and examining mechanisms underlying treatment change for these conditions. She is also interested in examining cognitive, emotional, and physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between psychopathology and poor health. Her current research involves examining immunological, cardiovascular, and endocrine functioning in both treatment and laboratory-based experimental studies. Specifically, her dissertation is examining the impact of an experimental manipulation of worry and relaxation on inflammation, cortisol, and heart rate variability among high and low trait worriers.
Jean Quintero
4th YeaR Ph.D. Student
Jean Quintero is a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Broadly speaking, Jean’s clinical research interests revolve around the etiology, identification, and treatment of affective disorders, as well as the examination of the neural and psychophysiological correlates of emotion dysregulation in anxiety and depression.
phillip spaeth
1st YeaR Ph.D. Student
Phillip earned his BA from the CUNY Baccalaurete for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus in psychology, philosophy, and Asian wisdom traditions. He graduated summa cum laude and was awarded the Thomas W. Smith Fellowship for academic excellence. His research interests include emotional reactivity and regulation, transdiagnostic mechanisms of anxiety and mood disorders, and change across treatment. Prior to pursuing his academic career, Phillip performed on Broadway for 13 years.
Research Assistants
Hana Lee
Hana Lee earned her BA in Psychology from Hunter College in 2016. She joined the READ Lab as a post-bac RA to understand the onset and development of mood and anxiety disorders. Hana is interested in using psychophysiological measures to identify and examine early risk factors of depression and anxiety and investigate the biological and psychological processes that can be targeted for intervention and prevention. When Hana is not in the READ Lab, she can be found working on her research project on Decision making among pain patients in the ED at the New York Presbyterian-Queens, TA-ing at Hunter College, or binge watching the Travel Channel.
Ryan Zurich
Ryan joined the READ Lab in the summer of 2015 as a Research Assistant, and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Psychology and Queer Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. They earned their B.A. from Hunter College in Psychology, Studio Art, and Religion through the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. Broadly, Ryan’s research interests are in etiology and treatment of psychopathology, health disparities, and the role of social support in maintaining treatment effects. Specifically, Ryan has been researching psychotherapy process, client perceptions of treatment, and clinical case conceptualization in Emotion Regulation Therapy. After graduation, Ryan plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, and their aspirations are driven by a commitment to improving access to and quality of mental healthcare, especially for queer and trans*people. Outside of the lab, Ryan is a painter and ceramicist, a life-long swimmer, and loves spending time with family.
Ceewin Louder
Ceewin joined the READ Lab in Fall of 2017. She is currently pursuing a MA in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned degrees in Psychology (BS) and Biology (BA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ceewin is broadly interested in the relationship between emotion and motivation. Specifically, she would like to investigate how emotion regulation (and difficulties with this process) can affect aspects of motivation and goal setting. Prior research experiences include investigating differences in emotional socialization in various cultures and investigating how personality influences one's perception of health risk. After completing her master's degree, Ceewin intends to continue her education by obtaining a PhD in Clinical Psychology. In addition to being a research assistant with the READ Lab, she is a Crisis Counselor with Hopeline, Inc., an avid watcher of documentaries, and an earnest reader of speculative fiction.
Joanne O.S. Qinaʻau
Joanne is a 2nd year Master’s student in clinical psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her B.A. from Tufts University and worked as a consultant at the Regional Educational Laboratory of the Pacific before joining the READ Lab. Her broad research interests in clinical psychology lay at the intersections of clinical assessment and treatment, context (e.g. culture, identity, environment), and the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of mindfulness- and compassion-based approaches in regulating emotion and alleviating transdiagnostic symptoms in distress disorders, especially for women from marginalized communities. Joanne has been teaching yoga and meditation for ten years and enjoys hiking and reading on the beach in her home state (Hawaiʻi) when she is not in session at Columbia
Emily Ho
Emily is a 2nd years Master’s student in the psychology program at New York University. She earned her B.S. in psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is interested in the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness in treating anxiety and affective disorders. After completing her master's degree, she intends to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab, Emily enjoys practicing yoga and hiking with her dog.
Hansee Karamchandani
Hansee is a Clinical Psychology Master’s student at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Cognitive Sciences. Hansee is primarily interested in examining the effects of early adverse experiences (e.g. poverty, maltreatment, institutionalization) and chronic illness. More specifically, she is interested in how such events can alter brain structure and put children at risk of developing cognitive delays, emotion regulation deficits, and future psychopathology. Outside of the lab, Hansee enjoys exploring new places in the city and immersing herself in different cultures and cuisines.