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Faculty

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Adam T. Hirsh
Lab Director
Professor, Psychology
athirsh@iu.edu

I am a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI). I established the Pain Research Laboratory at IUI in 2010. I received my PhD in Clinical & Health Psychology from the University of Florida and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Washington School of Medicine. At the broadest level, I am interested in the biopsychosocial aspects of pain and functioning in humans. This allows me to examine a wide variety of clinically-important research questions (see above links for details), which challenges me scientifically and creatively and also satisfies my natural curiosity. Outside of the lab, I spend a lot of time "offline" -- running, hiking, cycling, and digging in the dirt.  
 

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Amy Williams
Clinical Director of Riley Pain Center
Associate Professor, Clinical Psychiatry
amyewill@iu.edu 

I am an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine, and am the Clinical Director of the Riley Pain Center. My clinical and research interests are in pediatric psychology. I work clinically in the Riley Pain Clinic and on the Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service at Riley Hospital for Children. My research focuses on psychological factors associated with pediatric pain. In particular, I am interested in pain coping and adjustment, strategies to identify children at risk for development of chronic pain (including quantitative sensory testing), and improving interventions to prevent and/or treat chronic pain conditions. In my free time I chase around 3 young kids…if that counts as free time. 
 

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Veronica Derricks
Research Faculty
Assistant Professor, Psychology
vderrick@iu.edu 

I am an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). I completed my MA in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado, Denver, and my MS and PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Michigan. My research program focuses primarily on understanding the psychological mechanisms that perpetuate disparities in health and academic outcomes. Moreover, I am interested in using this knowledge to develop interventions that improve healthcare delivery and mitigate threat in academic settings, particularly for members of minoritized groups. Additional information about my research interests can be found at https://www.veronicaderricks.com. In my free time, I like to try new restaurants and watch true crime documentaries. 
 

PhD Students

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Kristina Bogdan

krbogdan@iu.edu

I am a fourth-year student in the Pain Lab and the Clinical Psychology program at IUPUI. I earned my BS in Health Psychology from MCPHS University and my MS in Pain Research, Education, and Policy from Tufts University School of Medicine. My research interests broadly include the doctor-patient relationship, pain assessment, pain education for health professionals, and the long-term management of complex pain disorders (such as fibromyalgia). I plan to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to answer research questions about pain. In my leisure time I enjoy working on various art projects, playing cooperative online games with friends, exercising, gardening, and spending time with my birds.

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Margaret Rose-McCandlish

mrosemcc@iu.edu

 

I am a third-year student in the Pain Lab and the Clinical Psychology program at IUPUI. I earned my BA in psychology from Middlebury College. My research interests include psychosocial factors affecting pain perception and treatment, gender and racial disparities in pain care, and barriers to pain management. In my spare time I enjoy listening to podcasts and audiobooks, cooking, and exploring the parks around Indy.

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Ashley Bocanegra

asdboca@iu.edu

I am a first-year student in the Pain Lab and the Clinical Psychology program at IUPUI. I earned my BS in psychology from the University of North Texas at Denton. My research interests include racial disparities in pain treatment, with an emphasis on low income, pediatric populations. I am also interested in how immigrant populations integrate cultural and religious beliefs into their coping strategies. I intend to utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods in my research. Beyond graduate school, I enjoy having game nights, walking with my dogs on various trails, and spending time with family and friends.

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Emma Estrella

ecestrel@iu.edu

  

I am a first-year student in the Pain Lab and the Clinical Psychology program at IUPUI. I earned my BS in psychology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. My research interests include biopsychosocial factors related to managing and coping with pain and multimorbidity, the relationship between chronic pain/illness and stress and adversity, and barriers to receiving an informed diagnostic process and long-term care for complex conditions (such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome). In my free time, I enjoy participating in pop culture and fandom-related activities, listening to music, drinking bubble tea (and searching for new shops), and watching a variety of TV shows. 

Research Assistants

Jill Gonzalves

Parneet Manjal

Allie Todd

Lab Alums

Graduate/Postdoctoral

Alexis Grant, MS, PhD candidate (graduate)

Pre-doctoral Intern, Connecticut VA Health Care System

Philip Procento, MS, PhD candidate (graduate)

Pre-doctoral Intern, Indiana University School of Medicine

Tracy Anastas, PhD, 2022 (graduate)

Postdoctoral Fellow in Integrated Behavioral Health, University of Washington School of Medicine

Lauren Mehok, PhD, 2022 (graduate)

Postdoctoral Fellow in Clinical Health Psychology, New Mexico VA Health Care System

Mary Milder, PhD, 2021 (postdoctoral)

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine

Megan Miller, PhD, 2019 (graduate), 2021 (postdoctoral)

Assistant Professor, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics

Nicole Hollingshead, PhD, 2017 (graduate)

Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Samantha Meints, PhD, 2017 (graduate)

Assistant Professor, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Jennifer Steiner, PhD, 2013 (graduate)

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Emory School of Medicine

Undergraduate

Kaylee Murphy

Hannah Illuzzi

Erin Clark

Alexis Ridenour

Kaitlyn Walsh

Eva Kimberly

Tori Rone

David Wuest

Kayla Jackson

Madison Stout

Sam Abplanalp

Kayla Najera

Anna Squillace

Macey Miller

Charnelle Free

Amanda Neufer

Stephanie Middleton

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