Lab Director/Principal Investigator
Jasmeet Pannu Hayes, Ph.D.
Dr. Hayes is Associate Professor of Psychology with primary affiliations in the Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Areas. She is also a faculty member in the Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, Chronic Brain Injury, and Sports Medicine Programs. Dr. Hayes graduated with High Honors from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (specialization in Neuropsychology) at the University of Arizona. Prior to OSU, Dr. Hayes worked with Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars at the National Center for PTSD and Boston University Medical School. She has received several honors including the Early Career Investigator Award from the International Brain Injury Association, the Arts & Sciences Early Career Excellence Award, and the Fred Brown Research Award. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Hayes’ clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment of TBI, PTSD, and dementia.
Graduate Students
Sarah Prieto
Sarah graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Psychology and Early Childhood/Childhood Education in 2015. Following graduation, she worked on a study examining the effects of mindfulness training on measures of stress and inflammation in older adults with HIV. She joined the clinical psychology program at The Ohio State University in 2018. Her research interests include the effects of chronic and traumatic stress on metrics of cognitive and physical health.
Jena Moody
Jena joined the MINDSET lab in 2018. She is a recent graduate of St. Olaf College and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include stress, TBI, and the relationship between the brain and behavior. Outside of lab, she enjoys running, going to her cabin in northern Minnesota, and spending time with family and friends.
Kate Nolan
Kate is a recent graduate from Stony Brook University with a master’s in Neuroscience. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include TBI and the relationship between brain and cognition. In her free time, Kate loves to read European historical fiction, bake cookies for her loved ones, and travel.
Erica Howard
Erica graduated from Fordham University in 2017 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She then worked with neurodegenerative disease patients at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the MINDSET lab in 2021. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Her research interests include brain injury and its interaction with other biopsychological risk factors for neurodegeneration. For fun, Erica enjoys traveling, auto racing, and hanging out with family and friends.
Savana Jurgens
Savana graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Psychology and Biology in 2020. Before joining the MINDSET Lab, she worked as a research assistant on a study examining the long-term effects of stress and TBI in veterans at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Her research interests include neural and genetic correlates of symptom outcomes in TBI and stress-related disorders. Outside of the lab she enjoys hiking, music, travel and the occasional reality TV binge.
Nicole Saltiel
Nicole joined the MINDSET lab in 2022 as a clinical psychology Ph.D. student with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Prior to beginning her Ph.D. at OSU, she conducted research on neurodegenerative diseases and TBI at the Roskamp Institute and the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers. Her research interests include neuroimaging markers of early-stage neurodegenerative disease and risk/resilience factors for cognitive decline including sex, cardiovascular fitness, head trauma exposure, and sociodemographic factors.
Kendra Mehl
Kendra graduated from the University of Missouri with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2022 studying working memory and attention. Following graduation, she conducted research on music cognition at Missouri University of Science & Technology. She is excited to join the MINDSET lab and begin her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience in the fall. Her research interests include using various neuroimaging techniques to explore how post-traumatic stress alters the brain and cognitive abilities, and discovering practical interventions to combat PTSD symptoms. In her free time, Kendra enjoys cooking, crocheting, reading, and hanging out with her friends.
Alyssa Miller
Alyssa graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 2020 with a B.S. in neuroscience and psychology. Before joining the MINDSET lab in 2024, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Yale School of Medicine’s Alzheimer Disease Research Unit studying preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease. She is pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology. Her research focus is brain injury’s impact on later life cognition, neurodegeneration, and AD pathology development. Outside of the lab, Alyssa enjoys reading, exploring museums and art galleries, and board game nights with friends.
Research Assistants
Sinae Park (Stacey)
Stacey is a graduate from The College of Wooster with a B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests include the relationship between the brain and cognition (decision-making, recognition, attention), mental health, and TBI using brain imaging tools. Outside of lab, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her close friends.
Robrielle Pierce
Robrielle is a graduate from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and a B.A. in Philosophy. Her research interests include evaluating how TBI affects cognition and white matter integrity in older adult populations through neuropsychological assessment and DTI. In her free time, Robrielle enjoys playing the harp, watching anime, and spending time with her loved ones.
Undergraduate Students
Dalia Einstein
Dalia is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University studying Psychology and Neuroscience with a minor in French. Her research interests include mental health and neurodegenerative disorders, specifically in children and adolescents, and developing the best ways to combat these disorders early. Outside of the lab, she is a Neuroscience Ambassador and a member of the OSU chapter of Nu Rho Psi. In her free time, Dalia loves to run and hike, bake, and walk her dogs.
Sydney Rohl
Sydney is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University studying Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. Her research interests include neurological changes post injury and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Outside of the lab, she is a Neuroscience Ambassador, a mentor for College Mentors for Kids, and a member of the pre-health sorority Delta Omega Kappa. In her free time, she loves to read, cook, and play with her dogs.
Riya Reddy
Riya is an undergraduate student and Neuroscience major at The Ohio State University. She is interested to pursue research in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Disorder, particularly how they interact with age and personal experiences. Beside her research at the lab, Riya is also a volunteer at the Columbus Free Clinic and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her hobbies include painting, yoga, and reading!
Ciera Fankhauser
Ciera is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University majoring in Psychology with minors in Human Development and Family Science as well as Substance Misuse and Addiction. She is interested in working with the Veteran population and studying the etiology and treatment of mental illness within this demographic, particularly PTSD, depression, addiction, TBI, and suicide. Outside of the lab, Ciera is a student leader in Ohio State’s Suicide Prevention Program and works as a behavior technician at a therapy clinic for children with autism. In her free time, she enjoys working out, watching documentaries, and spending time with friends and family!
