People

Sarah H. Sperry, Ph.D.

Richard Tam Early Career Professor of Translational Bipolar Research

Dr. Sperry is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Faculty Associate 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

• B.S. Tufts University, Clinical Psychology

• M.A. University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Clinical Psychology

• Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Clinical-Community Psychology

• Clinical Internship: Medical University of South Carolina

• Postdoctoral Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

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 and is now an Assistant Professor. 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.

Awards: 

• 2023 Society for Research in Psychopathology President's Award 

Publications with lab: 

• Kim H, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Longitudinal dynamics between anxiety and depression in bipolar spectrum disorders. J Psychopathol Clin Sci.133(2): 129-139, 02/2024. PM38190211 

• Kim H, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: An initial test of the contrast avoidance model in bipolar spectrum disorders. J Psychiatr Res.173: 286-295, 05/2024. PM38555676 

• Sperry SH, Smith JL, Sandorffy BL, Murphy VA, Kim H, Van Rheenen TE, Dodd A: Development and validation of a short version of the Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictive Inventory (HAPPI): Measuring extreme appraisals of internal states and bipolar risk. J Affect Disord.390: 119822, 12/2025. PM40623637 

•  Kim H, Smith JL, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Bimonthly mood-suicidal ideation dynamics in bipolar spectrum disorders: A dynamic structural equation modeling study. J Affect Disord.414: 122334, 07/2026. PM42521090 

•  Kim H, Yocum AK, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Predicting suicidal ideation from depression screening data: A network-augmented machine learning approach. J Affect Disord.406: 121671, 08/2026. PM41881118 

• Murphy VA, Sandorffy BA, Kim H, Sperry SH: Rumination as a mechanism linking circadian dysregulation to bipolar spectrum psychopathology (Under Review). 

• Kim HJ, Viviano G, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Gender Differences in Bipolar Symptom Networks: Contemporaneous and Temporal Dynamics in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. (Under review). 

Audrey Stromberg, B.A.

Primary Graduate Student

She is a fifth 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: 

• 2022 Society for Research in Psychopathology Travel Award

• 2024 e-HAIL Summer Research Funding

Publications with lab (*indicated co-first author): 

• Sperry SH*, Stromberg AR*, Murphy VA, Lasagna CA, McInnis MG, Menkes MW, Yocum AK, Tso IF: Longitudinal Interplay Between Alcohol Use, Mood, and Functioning in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. JAMA Netw Open.7(6): e2415295, 06/2024. PM38848066 

• Sperry SH, Stromberg AR, Roberts JE, Prisciandaro JJ: Behavioral approach and inhibition sensitivity predicts depressive and hypomanic mood and behavior in daily life. Psychiatry Res.353: 116734, 09/2025. PM41014654 

• Stromberg AR, Yocum AK, McInnis MG, Tso IF, Sperry SH: Modeling and predicting mood instability in a longitudinal cohort of bipolar disorder. Nature Mental Health.3(10): 1267-1275, 10/2025. DOI:10.1038/s44220-025-00506-3 

• Stromberg AR, Bohnert A, Sen S, Sperry SH**: Integrating active and passive digital phenotyping to study the temporal dynamics between physical activity and mood in bipolar disorders. NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience.3(1): 30-30, 12/2025. DOI:10.1038/s44277-025-00050-z 

• Sperry S, Stromberg A, Gina V, Smith J: Bipolar I Disorder. In Friedman-Wheeler D, Wenzel A Ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders,1, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, (2025)

• Sperry S, Smith J, Viviano G, Stromberg A: Bipolar II Disorder. In Friedman-Wheeler D, Wenzel A Ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders,1, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, (2025), (In Press) 

• Sperry S, Whomsley S, Smith J, Menkes M, Murphy V, Richardson T: Working with Substance Use in Bipolar Disorder. In Richardson T Handbook of Psychological Therapies for Bipolar Disorder: Evidence-Based and Emerging Techniques,Springer Charm, Switzerland, (2025) 

• Stromberg AR, Vinson AH, Diaz-Byrd C, Kaur R, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Developing and validating a patient-centered measure of well-being in bipolar disorder: The WELL-B. Accepted in principle, Bipolar Disorders. 

Jack DiCarlantonio

Jack completed his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2024. During his time there, he served as a research assistant for two studies in the Personality Processes and Outcomes Laboratory. Jack conducted his honors thesis on children and adolescents with bipolar disorder and comorbid ADHD, examining their mood lability and emotion regulation levels. Broadly, his research interests are focused on mood disorders, with a particular interest in understanding emotion dysregulation and comorbid disorders in bipolar disorder. In the future Jack is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology but is excited to gain more research experience before doing so. In his free time Jack does a lot of art which includes sculpture, ceramics, and film photography

Study: BD2

Publications with the lab: 

• DiCarlantonio J, Yocum AK, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Differential Prognostic Outcomes of Depressive, Hypomanic, and Manic Episode Onset in Bipolar Disorder. (under review). 

• Yocum AK, DiCarlantonio J, Bendit S, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Integrating Research Data and Electronic Health Records to Examine Medical and Treatment Outcomes in Co-occurring Bipolar and Alcohol Use Disorder (under review post revision). 

Gabi Skinner

Gabi gradudated from the University of Michigan in 2023 with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience. Prior to joining the EmoTe Lab and Prechter Program, she has been a Clinical Research Assistant on several studies focused on early psychosis in adolescents and adults (PI: Steven Taylor). Gabi is primarily interested in improving the quality of psychoeducation and accessibility of current interventions for those diagnosed with psychosis spectrum disorders, in hopes that this will lead to positive clinical outcomes and patient experiences. During the Fall of 2025, Gabi will begin pursuing her MSW at the University of Michigan's School of Social Work but is hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in Social Work with a concentration in Psychology in the future. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, working out, and caring for her cats. 

Study: PRIORI

Gina Viviano

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

Publications with lab: 

• Kim HJ, Viviano G, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Gender Differences in Bipolar Symptom Networks: Contemporaneous and Temporal Dynamics in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. (Under review). 

• Sperry S, Smith J, Viviano G, Stromberg A: Bipolar II Disorder. In Friedman-Wheeler D, Wenzel A Ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders,1, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, (2025).

• Sperry S, Stromberg A, Viviano G, Smith J: Bipolar I Disorder. In Friedman-Wheeler D, Wenzel A Ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders,1, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, (2025) 

Alana Colvin

Alana Colvin is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience.  Alana joined the EmoTe lab's Emotion-Based Impulsivity in Bipolar Disorder study in 2024 as a UROP student. In the future, she hopes to get her PhD and continue doing clinical research, specifically in fields involving mental health and sleep disorders. In her free time she enjoys creating art (painting, origami, etc.), reading books, and learning new languages.

Reva Patchava

Reva is a junior undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Business. She joined the EmoTe Lab as a research assistant in 2026 and is currently working on the Emotion-Based Impulsivity (EBI) study. Reva is interested in the intersection of mental health research and healthcare, and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies and TV shows, and exploring new coffee shops around Ann Arbor.

Magnolia Miekstyn

Magnolia is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience with minors in Anatomy and Physiology and Gender and Health. She joined the EmoTe Lab in Winter 2026 as an undergraduate research assistant and is working on the Emotion-Based Impulsivity in Bipolar Disorder (EBI-BD) study. After graduation, she plans to apply to physician assistant programs and pursue a career in healthcare. In her free time, Magnolia enjoys going on walks, watching movies, and spending time with her cat.

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. 

Awards: 

• 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholarship

Publications with lab: 

• Helmink FG L, van Roekel E, Hillegers MH J, Mesman E, Sperry SH: Temporal Dynamics of Affect, Smartphone Use, and Physical Activity in Individuals at Risk for Mood Disorders. In press at Psychological Medicine. 

Anders Sperry, M.A.

Emeritus

Anders received his bachelor's in begging and master's in stick eating. His favorite pastimes included zoom bombing meetings, decreasing negative affect in EmoTe lab members, especially its director, and providing essential support services during grant and manuscript writing. Anders crossed the rainbow bridge in 2026 but will forever remain the EmoTe Lab mascot. 

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. 

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 was in the EmoTe lab from 2021 - 2026, first as a UROP student, undergraduate student, honor's thesis student, then postbac RA coordinating the PRIORI study. 

Thesis: Examining the interplay between sleep, mania risk, and emotion-based impulsivity

Awards: 

• 2022 University of Michigan Undergraduate Mini-Grant

• 2023 Best Undergraduate Poster Award, Albert J. Silverman Research Conference,  Michigan Medicine

• 2023 Louis Bernstein Undergraduate Psychology Research Award

• 2024 Al Cain Honors Award

• 2024  High Honors Distinction for Honor's Thesis

Publications with lab: 

• Sperry SH, Stromberg AR, Murphy VA, Lasagna CA, McInnis MG, Menkes MW, Yocum AK, Tso IF: Longitudinal Interplay Between Alcohol Use, Mood, and Functioning in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. JAMA Netw Open.7(6): e2415295, 06/2024. PM38848066 

• Sperry SH, Smith JL, Sandorffy BL, Murphy VA, Kim H, Van Rheenen TE, Dodd A: Development and validation of a short version of the Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictive Inventory (HAPPI): Measuring extreme appraisals of internal states and bipolar risk. J Affect Disord.390: 119822, 12/2025. PM40623637 

• Sperry S**, Whomsley S, Smith J, Menkes M, Murphy V, Richardson T***: Working with Substance Use in Bipolar Disorder. In Richardson T Handbook of Psychological Therapies for Bipolar Disorder: Evidence-Based and Emerging Techniques,Springer Charm, Switzerland, (2025) 

• Murphy VA, Sandorffy BA, Kim H, Sperry SH: Rumination as a mechanism linking circadian dysregulation to bipolar spectrum psychopathology (Under Review). 

Software/App development with the lab: 

• Sperry S, Murphy V, Mongefranco G. EMA-CleanR. Efficient pre-processing, cleaning, and visualization of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) survey data in R to enable high-quality, real-time behavioral insights. 12/2025. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.17982076 

Malina Maxham

Malina was in the EmoTe lab from 2024 - 2026 where she served as an RA on the EBI-BD study and later completed her honor's thesis. Malina graduated from the University of Michigan, majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience, with a minor in French in 2026. 

Thesis: Examining the impact of emotional awareness and anxiety on impulsivity in bipolar spectrum disorders

Malina is currently a postbac research coordinator at Penn State University in the Emotion and Development Lab. 

Lillie Birnie

Lillie was in the EmoTe Lab from 2023 - 2026 working on the EBI-BD study and later completed an honor's thesis. Lillie studied Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Intergroup Relations at the University of Michigan. 

Thesis: The Impact of Substance Use Patterns on Mood and Functioning in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: A Longitudinal Study

Awards: 

• 2025 Eisenberg Family Depression Center George Orley Student Advocate Award

Natalie Neubecker

Natalie was in the Emote Lab from 2024 - 2025 as a UROP student. She is a Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Michigan with the intention of later attending medical school. 

Carly Lasagna, B.A.

Affiliate Graduate Student

Awards: 

• 2022 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

• 2023 ERP Bootcamp Scholarship

Publications with lab: 

• Sperry SH, Stromberg AR, Murphy VA, Lasagna CA, McInnis MG, Menkes MW, Yocum AK, Tso IF: Longitudinal Interplay Between Alcohol Use, Mood, and Functioning in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. JAMA Netw Open.7(6): e2415295, 06/2024. PM38848066 

Carly is a current completing her APA internship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Julia Smith

Julia was in the EmoTe lab from 2023 - 2025 and coordinated the EBI-BD study. Julia completed her BA in Psychology and BA in Sociology of Health and Medicine at the University of Michigan. 

Awards: 

• 2024 Best Post-Bac Poster Award, Albert J. Silverman Research Conference,  Michigan Medicine

Publications with lab: 

• Sperry S, Whomsley S, Smith J, Menkes M, Murphy V, Richardson T***: Working with Substance Use in Bipolar Disorder. In Richardson T Handbook of Psychological Therapies for Bipolar Disorder: Evidence-Based and Emerging Techniques,Springer Charm, Switzerland, (2025) 

• Sperry S, Smith J, Viviano G, Stromberg A: Bipolar II Disorder. In Friedman-Wheeler D, Wenzel A Ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders,1, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, (2025), (In Press) 

• Sperry S, Stromberg A, Gina V, Smith J: Bipolar I Disorder. In Friedman-Wheeler D, Wenzel A Ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders,1, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, (2025) 

• Smith JL, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Alcohol and substance use differentially impact suicidal ideation in a longitudinal cohort of bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Research.344: 116357, 02/2025. PM39793525 

• Sperry SH, Smith JL, Sandorffy BL, Murphy VA, Kim H, Van Rheenen TE, Dodd A: Development and validation of a short version of the Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictive Inventory (HAPPI): Measuring extreme appraisals of internal states and bipolar risk. J Affect Disord.390: 119822, 12/2025. PM40623637 

• Kim H, Smith JL, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Bimonthly mood-suicidal ideation dynamics in bipolar spectrum disorders: A dynamic structural equation modeling study. J Affect Disord.414: 122334, 07/2026. PM42521090 

• Bernardo SE, Smith JL, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: How does trait impulsivity contribute to risk for substance use disorders: A longitudinal study of bipolar disorder (under review). 

• Camaj GG, Smith JL, Ryan KA, Yocum AK, Sperry SH: Profiles of executive functioning across the bipolar disorder spectrum (under review). 

Julia is completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the Indiana University Indianapolis under the mentorship of Dr. Melissa Cyders. 

Margo Menkes, M.S.

Affiliate Graduate Student

Awards: 

• 2020 International Society for Bipolar Disorders Best Poster Award

• 2021 ERP Bootcamp Scholarship

• 2021 Eisenberg Family Depression Center Star Award

• 2022 Society for Research in Psychopathology Travel Award

• 2024 Best Graduate Student Poster Award, Albert J. Silverman Research Conference,  Michigan Medicine

Publications with lab: 

• Sperry SH, Stromberg AR, Murphy VA, Lasagna CA, McInnis MG, Menkes MW, Yocum AK, Tso IF: Longitudinal Interplay Between Alcohol Use, Mood, and Functioning in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. JAMA Netw Open.7(6): e2415295, 06/2024. PM38848066 

• Sperry SH, Boland EM, Burgess HJ, Gonzalez R, Gonzalez S, Lane JM, McCarthy MJ, McInnis MG, Yocum AK, Menkes MW, Gehrman PR: Bipolar disorder is characterized by chronotype instability: A longitudinal investigation of circadian typology and mood. Psychiatry Res.340: 116123, 10/2024. PM39146617 

• Sperry S**, Whomsley S, Smith J, Menkes M, Murphy V, Richardson T***: Working with Substance Use in Bipolar Disorder. In Richardson T Handbook of Psychological Therapies for Bipolar Disorder: Evidence-Based and Emerging Techniques,Springer Charm, Switzerland, (2025) 

• Ritter P, Menkes MW, Camaj GG, Czempiel T, Tso IF, McInnis MG, Sperry SH: Sleep-quality trajectories and cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder: A five-year longitudinal cohort study (Under review). 

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

Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025 - ): Psychology Training Program, Jesse Brown VAMC, Chicago IL

Sara Bernardo

Sara was in the EmoTe Lab from 2023 - 2025 working on the EBI-BD study. Sara graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2025. 

Publications with lab: 

• Bernardo, S.E., Smith, J.L., McInnis, M.G., Sperry, S.H. How does trait impulsivity contribute to risk for substance use disorders: A longitudinal study of bipolar disorder (under review). 

Medical Student at the Medical College of Wisconsin

Claire Janssen

Claire was in the EmoTe Lab from 2023 - 2024 working on the EBI-BD study. Claire is planning to pursue a law degree.

Tianli Jiang

Tianli was a part of the EmoTe Lab in 2023 working on the EBI-BD study. He majored in Psychology at the University of Michigan. 

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. 

Awards: 

• 2022 University of Michigan Mini-Grant

Publications with lab: 

• Sperry SH, Douglas KM, Dean OM, Fries GR, Gomes FA, Hosang GM, Morton E, Sandorffy B, Van Rheenen TE, Xu N, Huber RS: Barriers to and facilitators of success for early and Mid-Career professionals focused on bipolar disorder: A global needs survey by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. Bipolar Disord.25(5): 379-390, 08/2023.

• Murphy VA, Sandorffy BA, Kim H, Sperry SH: Rumination as a mechanism linking circadian dysregulation to bipolar spectrum psychopathology (Under Review). 

Current Medical Student

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.