Emily Thomas, Ph.D.

(formerly Emily Kroska)

Dr. Thomas is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa. She received her PhD from the University of Iowa in 2018, mentored by Michael O'Hara, PhD. Dr. Thomas completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2017-2018 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018-2019 under the mentorship of Zachary Stowe, MD_.

Ti Hsu, M.S.

Ti is a fifth-year student in the clinical psychology program. She received her B.A. in liberal arts from St. John’s College, and worked with research teams at National Cheng Kung University hospital and National Chiayi University after graduating. She then received her M.S. in experimental psychology from William & Mary, where she examined the effects of stress and emotion dysregulation on disordered eating. Ti’s current research focuses on associations among psychological processes such as psychological flexibility, distress tolerance, and mindfulness on key psychosocial and health outcomes in at-risk emerging adults, as well as on improving self-report measures of different processes using advanced statistical methods. In her spare time, she enjoys long runs, large dogs, and good books.

Allie Schneider Carlson, M.P.H.

Allie is a fifth-year student in the clinical psychology program. She received her B.S. in psychology from Allegheny College, following which she worked at the National Institutes of Health within the NIAAA studying psychosocial factors that relate to binge drinking. She then received her M.P.H. from Yale University, where she studied social and behavioral science and focused her thesis on the intergenerational transmission of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) from mother to child in a community-based sample. She is currently interested in exploring the impact of psychological flexibility on both psychological and physiological outcomes among those who report ACEs. She is particularly interested in the effect of psychological flexibility on vascular endothelial function. Outside of school Allie enjoys Peloton rides, skiing, watching college basketball, and spending time with her husband, Kory and dog, Emma. 

Zoe Sirotiak, DPT

Zoe is a graduate student at Iowa State University. She received her B.S. from Iowa State with majors in kinesiology and psychology and minors in biology and sociology. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Iowa. Her research interests include investigating how psychological symptoms relate to functional somatic syndromes, as well as medical trauma and grief. Outside of school, Zoe enjoys reading philosophy texts and being active with friends.

Tess Filip, M.A.

Tess is a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa's Psychological and Brain Sciences doctoral program in Clinical Psychology in the Mechanisms of Adult and Youth Psychopathology Lab (MAYPL). She received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Michigan in 2015. Tess' research interests include utilizing mobile technologies to better detect and understand symptoms of psychotic disorders and social/environmental factors that may improve functioning in people with serious mental illness. Tess is a graduate research assistant working with Dr. Thomas on an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention for cardiometabolic conditions in rural veterans.

Micah Williams, B.S.

Micah graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minors in Human Relations and French in 2024. He plans to attend graduate school to work towards a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and to pursue a career in research. Micah's research interests include the conceptualization and structure of psychopathology, network analysis, and transdiagnostic intervention approaches. Outside of academics and work, Micah enjoys playing sports, hanging out with friends, watching movies, and listening to music.

Jules Sweet, B.S.

Jules graduated from Bradley University with a B.S. in Psychology and minors in Criminology and Business Administration in 2025. Her research interests focus on the effects of trauma and adverse life events on behavior across the lifespan, as well as how trauma-related disorders and broader psychopathology influence neural markers and cognitive functioning. Jules plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, with the goal of integrating research and clinical practice. Outside of the lab, Jules enjoys reading, staying active at the gym, cooking, and spending time outside.

Stephanie Nettleton, B.A. 

Carly Olney

Carly is an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa pursing her major in Psychology, a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Resilience and Trauma. After graduating, she hopes to pursue her PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests include mindfulness based therapeutic intervention, cultural influences on children’s development and disordered eating. Carly enjoys reading, practicing yoga, and listening to music in her free time. 

Hailey Amro 

Hailey is a licensed mental health therapist (LMSW), who received her Master of Social Work from the University of Iowa, with a clinical practice specialization. She previously received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Kansas. She currently works as a mental health therapist. Her research interests include contributory and resiliency factors in trauma exposure, grief, mood and anxiety disorders, and how research can work to inform therapeutic interventions and clinical best practice. Outside of research and clinical work, she enjoys reading, staying active, and spending time with loved ones. 

Stella Mesch 

Stella is a third-year student at the University of Iowa, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Human Relations. After graduating from Iowa, she plans to attend graduate school to work towards a Ph.D. in either counseling or clinical psychology. Stella's research interests include ​substance use and depression and anxiety on academic performance, positive psychology effect on wellbeing in college students, and intervention effectiveness for college aged students. Outside of academics, Stella enjoys hiking, snowboarding, playing board games, and watching movies.

Hannah Thomsen 

Jake Lamartine 

Leah Pena

Berkley Johnson

Adrianna Prado

Christian Ortner