Principal Investigator
Sabra Inslicht, Ph.D.

Dr. Inslicht has been conducting human clinical research on the psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for the past 20 years, serving as Principal Investigator on projects sponsored by the Dept of Defense, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institute of Health. Her research goals are: 1) to identify psychobiological causes and consequences of traumatic stress symptoms; 2) to characterize sex differences in the biology of PTSD; and 3) to develop drug treatments that have potential for facilitating fear extinction and improving the treatment of PTSD. She has led clinical studies using a human laboratory paradigm to examine fear conditioning in PTSD and has examined complex steroid pathways, reproductive hormones, and immune function. Her ultimate goal is to use the knowledge gained on the neurobiology of PTSD to inform novel interventions for ameliorating prolonged posttraumatic stress responses. The possibility that there may be sex differences in the neurobiology of PTSD may lead to more tailored treatments for men and women.
Post Doctoral Fellows
Alexandra Cowden Hindash, Ph.D.

My work in the lab has focused on examining connections between cognition, emotion, and psychophysiological reactivity. My current projects include examining: (1) startle reactivity and cognitive biases in women veterans; (2) rumination processes in PTSD; (3) emotion regulation processes and tendencies in veterans with PTSD; (4) cognitive flexibility in PTSD; and (5) concurrence between self-reported, clinician observed, and psychophysiological recordings of distress during trauma processing therapy. I am also mentoring a psychology intern and a graduate student in projects related to these areas of interest.
Lab Manager
Callan Lujan, M.A.

Callan Lujan recently graduated from San Francisco State University with her MA in Psychology with a concentration in Mind Brain and Behavior studies. She has experience and interest in studying PTSD using electrophysiological measures. Callan plans on pursuing a clinical PhD in the coming years. In her free time, Callan loves to spend time with friends, family, and her dog, Reuben. She loves living in San Francisco and rooting for the Giants.
Study Coordinator
Meghan Howard

Meg has been managing care delivery systems and behavioral research studies in women's mental and reproductive health for more than 15 years. Her academic background is in neuroscience, health advocacy, and human genetics and her professional experiences include training and leading clinical teams in reproductive endocrinology practices, designing mind-body therapeutic interventions for pregnant women at risk of developing postpartum depression, and overseeing original clinical research protocols examining the impact of physiologically measured maternal distress on fetal and infant brain-behavior development. Meg is a specialized yoga instructor offering trauma- and fertility- informed breath and movement practices to veterans, to VA staff, to people with trauma exposure, and to women using reproductive technologies. She is also a dancer and is passionately curious about how trauma can be held, expressed, and healed in the body.
Research Assistants
Clinical Interviewers
Marissa Eusebio, Ph.D. Candidate

Marissa is in her third year of the clinical psychology Ph.D. program in the adult trauma area of emphasis at Palo Alto University. Marissa is predominantly interested in working with military and veteran populations in various capacities. Her current practicum placements are at the Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Unit at the Northern California VA working with patients with PTSD and substance abuse disorders and at the San Francisco VA conducting assessments for the Stress and Health Research lab. She studies risk factors for veteran suicide and physical bravery in veterans. Marissa received a B.S. in psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience and behavior from the University of California, San Diego.
Daniel Fenton, Ph.D. Candidate

Daniel Fenton is a Doctoral Candidate at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco. He has provided mental healthcare services in private and public hospitals, community mental health centers, middle schools, and psychiatric inpatient and outpatient settings. Daniel’s research interests range from respite care for parents of children with special needs, to attention and working memory in individuals diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In addition to his role as a clinical interviewer in Dr. Sabra Inslicht’s San Francisco VAMC’s research laboratory, Daniel is also working with Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Alexandra Cowden Hindash, to examine the emotional aspect of attention in individuals diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. During the next academic year, Daniel will be providing mental health and assessment services at the Iowa City VAMC as the Neuropsychology Intern. In the future, Daniel hopes to become a board-certified Neuropsychologist working within the VA healthcare system.