People

LAB DIRECTOR

Sarah H. Sperry, Ph.D.

Dr. Sperry is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program. Her research broadly examines bipolar spectrum disorders from affective, cognitive, and physiological perspectives. More specifically, Dr. Sperry uses ambulatory assessments to characterize intraindividual variability in emotion, cognition, and behavior (e.g., impulsivity) and how altered dynamics may represent risk factors for greater psychopathology. Her work emphasizes dimensional characterizations of psychopathology rather than traditional categorical diagnostics.

When not In the lab, she is playing with her amazing golden retriever, norweigan forest cat, spending time with family and friends, swimming, on the Peloton, or traveling to near and far places!

Education & Training

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Hanjoo Kim, Ph.D.

Hanjoo joined the EmoTe Lab as a research fellow with the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program at University of Michigan. Prior to joining the lab, Hanjoo completed the University of Michigan/VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS) Postdoctoral Consortium under the mentorship of Dr. Liz Duval. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Penn State University, and completed a psychology internship at the New Mexico VA/Southwest Consortium. Hanjoo’s primary research interests lie in understanding the nature and treatment of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders. His current research examines how repetitive negative thought processes, such as worry and rumination contribute to the development and maintenance of these conditions. Hanjoo is interested in utilizing methodologies from psychophysiology (e.g., emotional facial expressions, heart rate, skin conductance, etc.), network analysis, and ecological momentary assessment to better understand these processes. Outside of academics, Hanjoo loves playing basketball, reading history articles, and drawing portraits.

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GRADUATE STUDENTS

Audrey Stromberg, B.A.

Primary Graduate Student

She is a third year student in the Clinical Science PhD Program at the University of Michigan. Audrey graduated from Amherst College in 2020 and subsequently served as a clinical research coordinator at the Massachusetts General Hospital Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation. She is interested in discovering patterns of emotional responses within different environments using EMA/digital phenotyping and leveraging her findings to develop and implement more personalized treatment programs. 

Awards: 

Carly Lasagna, B.A.

Affiliate Graduate Student

Carly is a fourth year clinical science PhD student working with Dr. Ivy Tso. She is interested in the mechanisms of cognitive control and perceptual decision-making in bipolar disorder. Her goal in research is to bring together computational modeling, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation methods in order to generate model-based neuroscience perspectives on complex psychiatric disorders that will facilitate more effective, individualized treatment. Carly will be collaborating with the EmoTe lab to help identify mechanisms underlying emotion-based impulsivity by linking computational estimates of affective inhibition and cognitive control with real-world behaviors. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, drawing, and photography.

Awards: 

Margo Menkes, M.S.

Affiliate Graduate Student

Margo is a fifth year clinical science PhD candidate working with Drs. Melvin McInnis and Patricia Deldin. After graduating with her B.A. from Emory University in 2017, she spent two years as a staff research assistant with Dr. Stephan Heckers' lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Margo is broadly interested in neurocognition in mood disorders and psychosis, with a focus on using electrophysiological and cognitive testing methods to identify mechanisms of these disorders. She is an active member of the Prechter Bipolar Research Program’s Longitudinal Study of Bipolar Disorder. Margo is collaborating with the EmoTe lab to study the relationship between sleep, circadian rhythms, and neurocognition in bipolar disorder. In addition, Margo is examining affective inhibition deficits in bipolar disorder using an emotion go/no-go task in EmoTe Lab EEG studies. Outside of research, Margo likes making baked goods and sharing them with friends.

Awards: 

Internship (2024 - 2025): University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)/Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) Psychology Internship Consortium: Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis (CHiRP) Track

CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATORS

Aubrey Adams

Aubrey graduated from Penn State University with her BS in Biobehavioral Health and minors in Biology and Psychology. She joined the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry in June of 2024, where she works as a Clinical Research Assistant on the Light Sensitivity Study.  Aubrey is interested in pharmacological treatment methods for mood disorders and neurophysiological functions in relation to clinical symptoms. In the future, Aubrey hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. During her free time, Aubrey enjoys going to the gym, spending time with friends, and doing yoga.


Study: Light Sensitivity



Agnes Fejer

Agnes got her BA from University of California, Berkeley in Psychology. She has been working for Michigan Medicine since November 2023. Currently, Agnes is a Clinical Research Assistant on the Light Sensitivity study. Agnes is hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. She is interested in serious mental illness (especially psychosis), the taxonomy of mental disorders and how people with serious mental illness experience stigma.

Study: Light Sensitivity



Victoria Murphy

Victoria graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and a minor in Statistics. Victoria joined the EmoTe lab through the competitive Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at UM in 2021 and has now transition to a Clinical Research Coordinator Position on the PRIORI study. Victoria aims to understand contributing factors of bipolar spectrum disorders and explore how personalized intervention can change illness trajectory. She is currently conducting an honor's thesis focused on the relationship between sleep and circadian rhythms, emotion regulation, and bipolar disorder. Victoria is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, baking bread, and audiobooks.


Study: PRIORI

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Julia Smith, B.A.

Julia recently completed her BA in Psychology and BA in Sociology of Health and Medicine at the University of Michigan. She joined the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry in May of 2022, where she worked as a Study Coordinator with the INSPIRE Lab (PI: Dr. Suzuki). In 2023 Julia started as the Study Coordinator for the Emotion-based Impulsivity in BD study. In the future, Julia hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology focusing the relationships between emotion regulation and risky behaviors (substance use, suicidal behavior). During her free time, Julia enjoys going thrifting with her friends, working out, and cooking.

Study: EBI-BD, HAPPI

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Gina Viviano, B.A.

Gina recently completed her BA in Psychology with a minor in Spanish at the University of Michigan. She has been involved with the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program since February 2022. Gina is passionate about a wide range of psychological topics including but not limited to the treatment of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders. Gina aspires to pursue their Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology focusing on the treatment of mood disorders and providing mental health care to those in need. During her free time, Gina enjoys playing their guitar and singing, hiking, reading, and spending time with animals


Study: BSB, EBI-BD


UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Sara Bernardo


Sara is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and on a pre-medical track. Sara joined the EmoTe lab, and is now a research assistant working on neurophysiological indicators of emotion-based impulsivity. She is interested in the development of bipolar spectrum disorders, the treatment of psychological disorders, and emotion-based motivation. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school. In her free time, Sara enjoys hiking with her dog, surfing, cooking, and spending time with friends.


Lillie Birnie


Lillie is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Intergroup Relations. She joined the EmoTe lab as an independent studies research assistant, and is working on the Emotion-Based Impulsivity in Bipolar Disorder (EBI-BD) study. Lillie’s interest lies in the diagnosis and treatment of mood and psychotic disorders, with particular emphasis on comorbid substance use disorders. Lillie is currently investigating potential avenues for her graduate studies, and she is leaning towards pursuing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She is driven by a strong passion to contribute to the destigmatization of mental health disorders. In her free time Lillie enjoys making art of many forms, having game nights with friends, and spending time with her cat, Lola. 


Malia Maxham


Malina is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience, with a minor in French. She joined the EmoTe lab in 2024 as a research assistant and is working on the Emotion-Based Impulsivity in Bipolar Disorder (EBI-BD) study. Malina is interested in the development and treatment of mood disorders. After graduation, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology. In her free time, Malina enjoys spending time outside, reading, playing the violin, and cooking.

Natalie Neubecker


Natalie is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying Biomedical Engineering with the intention of later attending medical school. She joined the EmoTe Lab in September of 2024 as a research assistant through Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, and she is working on the Emotion-Based Impulsivity in Bipolar Disorder (EBI-BD) study. While she is not sure what medical specialty she'd like to pursue, her current interests lie in medical and radiation oncology. Natalie is incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work in the EmoTe Lab, where her knowledge about research, psychiatry, and the interconnectedness of physical and mental health grows daily.

VISITING SCHOLARS

Fleur Helmink, Ph.D. Candidate

Fleur Helmink was awarded the prestigous Fulbright Scholarship to visit the EmoTe Lab in fall 2022. Fleur is a fourth year Ph.D. Candidate from the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where she is working with Professors Manon Hillegers, Dr. Estehr Mesman, and Dr. Eeske van Roekel. She is interested in intergernerational risk of psychopathology, digital mental health, and the effect of psychopathology on daily life. Fleur is working on the Dutch Bipolar Offspring Study, in which longitudinal data of traditional measures of psychopathology are combined with innovative smartphone measures. In her Ph.D., she focuses on bridging psychopathology and daily life functioning, emotions, and behavior. With the EmoTe Lab, Fleur will study emotion and behavior dynamics. When she is not reading papers on how psychopathology works or making cool figures in R, she enjoys photography, watching movies, and playing video games. 

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LAB MASCOT

Anders Sperry, M.A.

Anders received his bachelor's in begging and master's in stick eating. His favorite pastimes include zoom bombing meetings, decreasing negative affect in EmoTe lab members, especially its director, and providing essential support services during grant and manuscript writing. 

Skogee Sperry, B.A.

Skogee received his bachelor's in climbing - cat towers and people. This Norweigan Forest Cat soars from one high surface to the next.  His favorite pastimes include zoom bombing meetings, decreasing negative affect in Anders Sperry, and providing essential support services during grant and manuscript writing. 

ALUMNI

Claire Janssen


Claire was in the EmoTe from 2023 - 2024 working on the EBI-BD study. Claire is a senior at the University of Michigan planning to pursue a law degree.


Tianli Jiang

Tianli is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Psychology. He was a part of the EmoTe Lab in 2023. 

Emily Berriman

Emily graduated from the University of Michigan studying Psychology. She was a part of the EmoTe Lab from 2022 - 2023. Emily plans to pursue a Masters in Social Work. 

Bronya Sandorffy, B.S.

Bronya Sandorffy graduated from the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience in 2023. She was a part of the EmoTe Lab from 2022 - 2023. Bronya is currently a clinical research coordinator at New York University (NYU) and hopes to apply to medical school in the next two years. 

Awards: 

Audrey Glosson

Audrey Glosson is a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she is majoring in Psychobiology. Audrey joined the EmoTe lab as a Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) scholar at the University of Michigan. Following graduation, Audrey hopes to attend a Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology. 

Carolyn Andrews, M.S.

Affiliate Graduate Student

Carolyn received a B.S. In Psychology and B.S. in Neuroscience from the Michigan State University in 2019. She received her masters in Clinical Science from the University of Michigan in 2021. Carolyn is currently a Data Analyst at the University of Michigan in the School of Public Health.