Faculty
Dr. Kathy S. Chiou is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and an affiliate faculty at the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior. Her doctoral training in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology was completed at the Pennsylvania State University, with a year of clinical internship also in neuropsychology done at the University of Florida Health Science Center. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Traumatic Brain Injury research lab at Kessler Foundation. When Dr. Chiou is not in the lab, you're likely to find her: on a couch somewhere (reading or binge watching movies on Netflix), on one of the trails in town (biking or running), or on a mountain somewhere (backpacking or snowboarding).
Graduate Students 1
Rachel Snyder
Rachel is a sixth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a concentration in Neuropsychology. She is interested in investigating novel rehabilitation methods for both the acute and chronic phases of recovery from traumatic brain injury and how these methods may be applied clinically to optimize quality of life after injury. Rachael obtained a dual Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and Spanish from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. She then spent time with the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Laboratory where she administered neuropsychological assessments and investigated high definition transcranial direct current stimulation as a potential treatment for mild cognitive impairment. In her spare time, Rachael enjoys watching Food Network, cheering for her favorite football team (Michigan), and spending time with her family.
Michael Walsh
Michael Walsh is a fifth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His scientific interests concern the neurobiological processes that underlie cognitive and psychiatric impairments following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Specifically, he aims to understand the brain's resilience to trauma and how neural plasticity can be harnessed to improve one's prognosis after head injury. He hopes to develop new rehabilitation strategies, guided by advances in neuroimaging, to restore functioning and quality of life for TBI survivors. Mike received his B.S. in psychology from the University of California, San Diego. His undergraduate research examined cerebral blood flow irregularities in carriers of allelic variants associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. After receiving his degree, Mike managed the TBI Neuroimaging and Cognition Laboratory at the San Diego VA Hospital. His work there used structural, functional, and vascular brain imaging modalities to predict cognitive health outcomes in military veterans with combat-related TBI. Outside of his professional pursuits, Mike enjoys playing music, traveling, and rooting for his favorite baseball team, the New York Mets.
Jessica Stump
Jess Stump is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is interested in examining the impact of traumatic brain injuries on underserved populations. Her research focuses on intimate partner violence-related brain injuries and assessing disparities in access to rehabilitative care and resources. Additionally, Jess is interested in exploring the influence of rural versus urban status on rehabilitation outcomes. Her goal is to develop new assessment and rehabilitation tools that consider individual differences and trauma to better serve the underserved. Jess graduated from UNL in 2022 with a B.A. in psychology. After graduation, she worked at UNMC in Omaha as a clinical research coordinator. Outside of academia, Jess enjoys hiking, organizing, and spending time with loved ones.
Seima Al-Momani
Christopher Waller
Christopher Waller is a fourth year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Following his graduation from the University of Southern Maine with a B.A. in Psychology in 2012, Chris gained years of experience working with children and families in both residential treatment and case management settings. In 2019, Chris earned his M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where his thesis research focused on the influence of sleep on recovery following traumatic brain injury (TBI) under the guidance of Dr. Laura Pawlow. Chris received training at Saint Louis University's Neuropsychology Services as a part of a year-long externship. Subsequently, he contributed to a longitudinal research study on Parkinson's Disease at Washington University in St. Louis. Since joining the CNN lab, Chris’ research interests have expanded to more broadly include neuroinflammatory risk factors and their impact on TBI recovery. In his free time, he enjoys playing bass, gaming, camping, reading, and traveling with his family.
Kara Stevens
Kara Stevens is a first-year Clinical Psychology Training Program graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Kara graduated from the University of Minnesota with her B.S. in Psychology in 2021. Post-grad, Kara worked at the Minneapolis VA working with veterans with PTSD or traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In her current work, Kara is broadly interested in neuropsychological measurement and outcomes following TBI. Specifically, Kara is interested in working with under-represented or vulnerable populations such as survivors of Intimate Partner Violence or currently/previously incarcerated populations. She is also interested in individual differences and comorbid diagnostic impact on recovery post-TBI. Outside of academia, Kara likes to read, try new restaurants around town, hang out with friends, and spoil her cat.
Research Assistants
Meklit Aga (undergraduate)
Autumn Schramm (undergraduate)
Bobby Vogt (undergraduate)
Jordyn Oliver (undergraduate)
Tess Barnes (post-baccalaureate)
Jessica Phelps (post-baccalaureate)
Mara Godfrey (undergraduate)
Drake Reinke (undergraduate)
Lan Volberding (undergraduate)
Past Members & Graduates
Grace Amadon (undergraduate research assistant)
Ava Berkey (undergraduate research assistant)
Mackenzie Cissne (undergraduate research assistant/lab manager)
Andrew Cwiek (post-baccalaureate research assistant)
Valeriya Dedushkevich (undergraduate research assistant)
Emily Johnson (undergraduate research assistant)
Megan Jones (undergraduate research assistant)
Alec Miller (undergraduate research assistant)
Jared Noetzel (undergraduate research assistant)
Emily Overend (undergraduate research assistant)
Emma L'Heureux (undergraduate research assistant)
Carly Moran (undergraduate research assistant)
Teagan Mieth (undergraduate research assistant)
Aaliyah Miller (undergraduate research assistant)
Scarlett Ramos (undergraduate research assistant)
Mikki Schantell (undergraduate research assistant)
Trevor Scarlett (undergraduate research assistant)
Kole Smith (undergraduate research assistant)
Jessica Stump (undergraduate research assistant)
Jessie Tibbs (graduate student)
Lauren Weis (undergraduate research assistant)
Friends of the Lab
Research in the lab would not be possible without the help of our collaborators:
- Dr. Karen Hux, Department of Special Education & Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Lincoln & Omaha
- Quality Living, Inc. (QLI), Omaha
- Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior (CB3) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Kessler Foundation, East Hanover, NJ
