Ivan W. Miller, Ph.D.

Director and Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior  ivan_miller_iii@brown.edu

Dr. Miller is the Director of the Psychosocial Research Program at Butler Hospital and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University where he directs the Brown Consortium for Research Innovation in Suicide Prevention (CRISP). Dr. Miller has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health for over 40 years for his work on developing and evaluating treatments for individuals with severe mood disorders and suicide risk during care transitions. Dr. Miller has published over 300 articles, chapters and books focused on suicide risk and prevention, clinical trials for severe mood disorders and the role of the family in psychiatric disorders. Dr. Miller was one of the Principal Investigators of the multi-site ED-SAFE study investigating the efficacy of screening and brief interventions in reducing suicide among emergency department patients – one of the largest studies of suicide prevention conducted in the US. For this work, he was recently awarded the Minerva award for “Best Clinically Useful Original Research Paper in Mental Health.” Dr. Miller is a member of the Scientific Review Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and has consulted regularly with National Institute of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and The Joint Commission on issues of screening and prevention of suicidal behavior.

Cynthia L. Battle, Ph.D.

Associate Director | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior                                                                                                    cynthia_battle@brown.edu

Dr. Battle is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, and her masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She did predoctoral internship and continued her training by pursuing a NIMH postdoctoral fellowship focused on treatment development research. She has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous NIH research grants focused on mood disorders among perinatal women and other populations. Additional interests include perinatal substance use and anxiety. Her work is based at both Butler and Women & Infants’ Hospitals.

Brandon A. Gaudiano, Ph.D. (he/him)

Associate Director | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior                                                                                                   brandon_gaudiano@brown.edu

Dr. Gaudiano holds joint academic appointments as Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the School of Public Health. He is the Director of the Transitional Outpatient Program at Butler Hospital, and is a Research Psychologist at the Providence VA Medical Center. In addition, he is Primary Faculty in the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.

Dr. Gaudiano has published over 150 articles and other works, and has published books with Oxford University Press and Routledge. His research has been supported by numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, and private foundations, such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Gaudiano’s research focuses on developing and testing novel psychosocial treatments for patients with mood and psychotic disorders, including suicidality.  His studies involve cognitive-behavioral and acceptance/mindfulness-based therapies, digital and mobile health technologies, and dissemination/implementation issues. The ultimate aim of this research is to improve the standard of care for individuals with difficult-to-treat clinical conditions, including during treatment transition periods (e.g., from inpatient to outpatient care). His research and experience of direct provision of care includes working with patients who deal with poverty, discrimination, and homelessness.

Dr. Gaudiano has served in editorial roles for several scientific journals, including as the inaugural Associate Editor for Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. He Chairs the Publications and Communications Committee for the Society of Clinical of Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA), and is Vice Chair of the APA’s Advisory Steering Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines, which oversees guideline development and dissemination.

Sarah Arias, Ph.D.

Research Psychologist | Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior                               sarah_arias@brown.edu

Dr. Arias is a Research Psychologist in the Psychosocial Research program at Butler Hospital and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. She has experience with the design and implementation of multi- and single-site suicide intervention trials, including the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) study, the Coping Long-term with Active Suicide Program (CLASP) study, and the Suicide Prevention Intervention for at-Risk Individuals in Transition (SPIRIT) study. In addition to study coordination and data management, she has extensive experience with participant safety and monitoring. Dr. Arias has served as safety officer and DSMB liaison on NIH-funded suicide intervention trials (e.g., ED-SAFE, CLASP, SPIRIT). She has developed several effective data and safety management protocols attuned to issues specific to suicide and behavioral health research in high-risk samples. Her expertise also includes informing the development of suicide prevention and intervention work using large-scale databases, such as the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), in addition to electronic health record data collected during multi-site suicide intervention trials (e.g., ED-SAFE, CLASP, SPIRIT). Dr. Arias’ current work involves suicide prevention efforts for those involved in the criminal legal system (P50MH127512-01 8577) and development of computational approaches for identifying suicidal ideation and behavior in the electronic health record (Advance-CTR; NIGMS U54GM115677).

Heather Schatten, Ph.D. (she/her)

Research Psychologist | Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior                   heather_schatten@brown.edu

Heather Schatten, Ph.D., is a Research Psychologist in Butler Hospital’s Psychosocial Research Program and Assistant Professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her work centers around identifying novel risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior and developing real-time smartphone interventions targeting these risk factors.

Michael Armey, Ph.D.

Research Psychologist | Assoicate Director of CRISP                michael_armey@brown.edu

Dr. Armey received his B.A. from Kenyon College and his Ph.D. from Kent State University. He went on to complete his clinical internship at Brown and was a post-doctoral fellow in the Psychosocial Research Program before becoming faculty in the department. Dr. Armey conducts research out of Butler Hospital. In addition to co-directing the CEL Lab, Dr. Armey is also an Associate Director of the Consortium for Research Innovation in Suicide Prevention.

Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD

Research Psychologist                                              Gary_Epstein-Lubow@Brown.edu

Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD, is a Distinguished Medical Scholar at the Education Development Center (EDC), a geriatric psychiatrist, and a national leader in dementia-related research and policy. Dr. Epstein-Lubow’s work focuses on enriching the lives of people living with dementia and their family members by improving the quality of dementia care and expanding access to care through workforce development and health care system transformation. His work promotes the voices of people living with dementia and caregivers, to advance health equity for groups disproportionately negatively affected by dementia.

Lauren Weinstock, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior                                      lauren_weinstock@brown.edu

Dr. Weinstock is a clinical psychologist and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. At Brown, she conducts research on the development and evaluation of adjunctive behavioral interventions for severe mood disorders and suicide prevention, delivered at highly vulnerable transitions in care (e.g., from inpatient to outpatient treatment, following ED discharge, and from criminal legal to community settings). Most exemplary of Dr. Weinstock’s research program is her current role as MPI of the NIMH-funded National Center for Health and Justice.

Integration for Suicide Prevention (NCHATS; P501MH127512), her experiences as MPI of the multi-site Suicide Prevention for at-risk Individuals in Transition (SPIRIT; U01MH106660), and as co-developer of the Coping Long-Term with Active Suicide Program (Oxford University Press, 2022). She has published over 100 scholarly works and has been PI or Co-I on over 30 federal and foundation grants and contracts with over $85M in total costs.

In addition to her active engagement in research, Dr. Weinstock has been an active and energetic member of the Clinical Psychology Training Consortium at Brown. In this capacity, she has provided clinical and research supervision at the internship and postdoctoral levels and has served in multiple leadership roles within the clinical psychology training program, including in her current role as Director of Internship Training. She is Co-Director of Brown’s NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Suicide Research and Associate Director of Brown’s Consortium for Research Innovation in Suicide Prevention.

Her service to Brown also includes membership on the Brown DPHB’s Faculty Policies Working Group of the Anti-Racism Steering Committee and on the University’s Title IX Council and Task Force on Full-Time Non-Tenure Track Teaching Faculty. Outside of Brown, Dr. Weinstock recently completed a 4-year term as a standing member of the NIMH Mental Health Services Research (SERV) study section, sits on the Scientific Advisory of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is a standing member of the NIMH Data Safety and Monitoring Board, and has served on the editorial boards of Behavior Therapy and the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science (formerly the Journal of Abnormal Psychology). She has provided consultation to numerous additional national and international workgroups on best practices in research and treatment of serious mental illness and suicide prevention.

Jennifer Barredo, Ph.D. (she/her)

Assistant Professor                      jennifer_barredo@brown.edu

Dr. Jennifer Barredo is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. She also serves as the Director of the Clinical Neuroimaging Research Core at Brown University and leads Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) cores affiliated with the Providence VA and Butler Hospital in Providence, RI. Broadly, Dr. Barredo’s research aims are to identify biological signatures of vulnerability and resilience that can be leveraged to optimize treatments for suicidality and other mental health interventions.

Christopher Hughes, Ph.D. (he/him)

Research Psychologist                      christopher_hughes@brown.edu

Christopher D. Hughes, PhD, works as a research and clinical psychologist at Butler Hospital and is an Assistant Professor (research) in Brown University’s Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.  His research focuses on improving the prediction and prevention of suicidal thoughts and behaviors through two complementary lines of work: identifying novel, proximal risk factors for suicide and developing real-time, mobile-health interventions targeting those risk factors.

Madeline Benz, Ph.D. (she/her)

Research Psychologist | Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

Madeline Benz, PhD, is a Research Psychologist in Butler Hospital’s Psychosocial Research Program and an Assistant Professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her research focuses on improving the identification and prevention of overdose-related risk behaviors for dual diagnosis populations. Specifically, she investigates the overlap of substance use and suicidal thoughts and behaviors to inform intervention development to mitigate adverse outcomes associated with this common co-occurrence.

Ana Rabasco, Ph.D. (she/her)

Postdoctoral Fellow                          ana_rabasco@brown.edu

Ana Rabasco, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Butler Hospital’s Research Program. Her research interests include suicide, serious mental illness, treatment development and implementation, and the role of social and societal factors in suicide risk, including stigma and social isolation. In her free time, Dr. Rabasco enjoys cycling, reading memoirs, and trying new restaurants!

Gemma Wallace, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow                      gemma_wallace@brown.edu

Gemma Wallace, Ph.D. is a NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital’s Psychosocial Research Program. Her research investigates complex etiological influences on suicidal thoughts and behaviors and commonly co-occurring concerns (e.g., substance misuse) to identify modifiable targets for intervention. She is currently working on projects that leverage intensive longitudinal methods to examine real-time risk for suicidality.

Rita Rossi, M.A. (she/her)

Project Coordinator II                              rita_rossi@brown.edu

Rita is the Project Coordinator for the Psychosocial Research Program at Butler Hospital. Working primarily on under Dr. Cynthia Battle, Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, and Dr. Ivan Miller, she oversees studies focused on transitions from psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency department visits to outpatient treatment as well as studies on physical activity interventions for pregnant women experiencing depression, anxiety, and substance use during pregnancy. In her free time, Rita enjoys spending time with family, running, reading, travelling, hiking, biking, volleyball, and occasionally playing the ukulele.

Toni Amaral, B.A. (she/her)

Senior Research Assistant                       toni_amaral@brown.edu

Toni Amaral is a senior research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. Currently working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Toni oversees a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, which aims to explore the effectiveness of a novel treatment program for patients with mood and substance use disorders following their hospital discharge. Toni is also the administrator for the department. In her free time, Toni enjoys photography, reading, fishing, spending time with her family and cheering on her children at sports events.

Andrea Vijil Morin, B.A. (she/her)

Research Assistant                      andrea_vijil_morin@brown.edu

Andrea Vijil Morin is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from Macalester College. Working under Dr. Cynthia Battle, Andrea investigates perinatal vaccine hesitancy and perinatal cannabis use. Andrea plans to pursue a master’s in public health. In her free time, she enjoys baking and dancing. 

Jihoon Choi, B.S. (he/him)

Research Assistant                              jihoon_choi@brown.edu

Jihoon Choi is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He received his B.S. in Psychology and Neurobiology, graduating with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree, he concurrently worked as an inpatient mental health specialist and TMS technician at St. Mary’s Hospital-Madison, and as a research intern at the Waisman Brain Imaging (PET) Lab. At present, working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Jihoon investigates novel interventions to help patients transition from psychiatric hospitalization back to their life’s context. His research interests include theoretical models of suicide, psychological in/flexibility, and multidimensional diagnostic frameworks. Jihoon plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys listening, playing, and recording music.

Jung Park, B.A. (she/her)

Research Assistant                                  jung_park@brown.edu

Jung joined the CEL Lab in May 2024. Following her graduation from the University of California with a B.A. in Psychology with Honors and specialization in computing, she worked as a research assistant to aid developing interventions for patients with treatment-resistant depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and adolescents with suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Her research interests include enhancing models for risk prediction and intervention efficacy with multi-modal data sources. She ultimately plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she finds joy in cooking, reading, and watching movies.

Zhengduo (Johnny) Lu, B.A. (he/him)

Research Assistant                            zhengduo_lu@brown.edu

Johnny Lu is a research assistant in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He received his B.A. in Psychology with a clinical concentration from Boston College. Currently working under Dr. Brandon Gaudiano, Johnny investigates smartphone-based interventions among patients diagnosed with a mood or psychotic disorder transitioning into the community after hospitalization. He is interested in the psychosocial risk factors for severe mental illnesses and suicidality. He wishes to develop culturally adapted prevention and intervention for mood disorders and suicide in the future, specifically for Asians and Asian Americans. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys karaoke, cooking, playing tennis, and listening to podcasts.

Anikait Gadi, B.S. (he/him)

Research Assistant                             anikait_gadi@brown.edu

Anikait is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He received a B.S. in Psychology and a Minor in Public Health from The Ohio State University. During college, he worked as a Mental Health Specialist in an Adolescent Inpatient Psych Unit at Nationwide Childrens Hospital’s Behavioral Health Pavilion. His primary research interests include the relation between emotional dysregulation and problem behaviors, suicidal risk factors, and interventions for non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal thoughts in adolescents and young adults. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, learning the guitar, traveling, and exploring new coffee spots and restaurants. 

Elizabeth Germain, B.S. (she/her)

Research Assistant                            elizabeth_germain@brown.edu

Elizabeth is a research assistant in the CEL lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. She graduated from William & Mary with a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology. At William & Mary, she defended her psychology honors thesis, which explored the relationship between college students’ sleep habits and perceived descriptive norms (i.e., students’ perceptions of other students’ sleep habits). In the future, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creative writing, exploring Providence, and playing piano, guitar, and, recently, harmonica.

Sarah Zylberfuden

Research Assistant                    sarah_zylberfuden@brown.edu

Sarah Zylberfuden is a research assistant working with Dr. Sarah Arias in the Psychosocial Research Department. She oversees a study working with Michigan State University, CareSource, and Brown on training various providers on suicide prevention. She graduated from Brown University spring 2022 with a degree in cognitive neuroscience and literary arts. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. In her free time, she loves to read, spend time with animals, and going on walks outside.

Stephen Coutu (he/him)

Research Assistant                         stephen_coutu@brown.edu

Stephen is a research assistant in the CEL Lab in the Psychosocial Department at Butler Hospital. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Psychology & B.A. in English, and completed the Honors Program.  Stephen was awarded two grants by URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. The first examined risk and protective factors for posttraumatic stress among sexual and gender minorities, the findings and analysis of which were used for his honors thesis. His second grant examined the role of affect intensity in opioid use and suicide risk among individuals with experiences of trauma. In the future, Stephen plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. When he is not working, Stephen enjoys reading, writing, traveling, woodworking, cooking, and spending time with his wife and family.