Meet the Team

Director

Faculty

Courtney L. Bagge, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
U-M Addiction Center
Research Investigator, Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System

Lisa Fedina, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Polly Y. Gipson Allen, Ph.D.

Clinical Associate Professor
Associate Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Faculty Director of Community Engagement, Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research

Victor Hong, M.D.

Clinical Associate Professor
Medical Director of Psychiatry Emergency Services (PES)
Associate Director of Adult Psychiatry Hospital Services

Nasuh Malas, M.D., MPH

Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
Service Chief for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Project Coordinators

Amanda Jiang, BA

Research Program Coordinator

Sarah Cohen, B.S.

Project Coordinator

river chevannes, MSW

Project Coordinator

Renee Grooters, BSN

Behavioral Support Consult RN, Clinical Care Coordinator

Renee is the Behavioral Health Consult RN for Mott Children’s Hospital. She receives consultations throughout C&W and interfaces closely with CL Psychiatry, Pediatric Psychology, Social Work, Nyman Unit Leadership, Hospital Leadership, DPSS (security), M-PLAN leaders, Nursing leadership, and all Pediatric Specialties, as well as the Pediatric Hospitalist Service, to identify at-risk youth for suicide, aggression, or other behavioral concerns. She develops behavioral plans, mobilizes teams, models and operationalizes behavioral interventions, and is constantly working with patients, families, bedside staff, teams across the health system to improve the systems of care that support mental health care for youth and families.

Renee has decades of experience working with youth in the community, education system, psychiatric, and medical environments that struggle with mental illness and problematic behaviors. Her leadership roles have included teaching Psychiatric Nursing Clinical Practicum for UofM School of Nursing, leading Dialectical Behavioral Therapy groups, and helping to develop an inpatient workbook for the Nyman Unit. She is a graduate of University of Michigan-Flint.

Christina Magness, LMSW

Project Coordinator

Laura Renaud, LMSW

Research Program Coordinator

Karlin Stern, LMSW

eYST Intervention Specialist

Postdoctoral Fellows

Valerie Micol, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Research Assistants

Dena Bazzi

Dena Bazzi is an aspiring psychiatrist currently in her medical school training at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Dena grew up in the bustling immigrant community of Dearborn, Michigan just outside of Ann Arbor. During her undergraduate years, Dena majored in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience at the University of Michigan College of LSA. Some of her interests include addiction psychiatry, firearm violence protection, and the connection between socioeconomic backgrounds and psychiatric care. She hopes to highlight some of her passions by working with the YDSP research team and relating it back to clinical care.

Omosede (Mo) Falconer

Omosede (Mo) Falconer is a current senior at the University of Michigan and is majoring in nursing. She is interested in working in the field of public health as a mental health professional and advocate in the future. In her downtime, she enjoys crocheting, reading, and spending time outdoors!

Katie Johnston

Katie Johnston is a University of Minnesota graduate with a major in biology. Volunteering as a crisis counselor has fueled her interest in topics like depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. Her future career goal is to work as a primary care physician with a specific interest in mental health. In her spare time, Katie enjoys pickleball, strength training, listening to music, reading, nature-walking, and watching Disney movies!

Elizabeth Li

Elizabeth Li is a current senior at the University of Michigan and is majoring in psychology. Her research interest is in the field of clinical psychology. Some topics that particularly interest her include depression, anxiety, and trauma. She is also interested in prevention, treatment, and etiology. Outside of psychology, Elizabeth enjoys mindfulness, meditation, math, nature - she also is always looking for a good place to eat!

Kaitlyn McCarthy

Kaitlyn is a post-masters research assistant, having received her M.S. in clinical psychology from Eastern Michigan University. She is from Holmdel, New Jersey and received her B.A. in psychology from SUNY Binghamton. Her research and clinical interests include interpersonal trauma, suicide and self-injury prevention, social support, and posttrauma adjustment, particularly among young adults with historically marginalized identities. Outside of work, Kaitlyn enjoys weightlifting, outdoor running/walking, and watching movies and YouTube.

Fiona Sargent

Research Assistant

Fiona Sargent is a current junior at the University of Michigan, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture. Her research interests are in abnormal and forensic psychology, and she is interested in working in the mental health field through research and clinical work. In her spare time, Fiona enjoys painting, weightlifting, and playing with her dog!

Collaborators

Daniel Eisenberg, Ph.D

S. J. Axelrod Collegiate Professor

Todd Favorite, Ph.D.

Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, and Mary A. Rackham Institute

Inbal (Billie) Nahum-Shani, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Alex Rogers, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
734-232-2145

Kai Zheng, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Informatics, University of California Irvine