Welcome to the Mood & Mind (M&M) Lab!
We focus on using precision clinical and brain measures to better understand risk and resilience, so that we can develop interventions for adolescents and young adults with and at-risk for mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder. The lab welcomes students, staff, and research participants of all backgrounds. We are committed to fostering and upholding an environment of diversity and inclusion.
Principal Investigator: Danella Hafeman, M.D., PhD.
Dr. Danella Hafeman, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and a child psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hafeman’s research, supported primarily by the National Institutes of Mental Health and SAMHSA, focuses on children, adolescents, and young adults with and at-risk for bipolar disorder. Her research program aims to elucidate clinical and neural mechanisms of risk and resilience in these young people, with the goals of delaying or even preventing progression of mood disorders. Clinically, she is Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Services outpatient clinic, where she evaluates and treats youth with and at-risk for bipolar disorder. She also serves as Director of the Psychiatry Research Pathway, a training program for research-focused psychiatry residents, and has a strong interest in mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists.
Contact Info:
Bellefield Towers 535
Email: hafemand@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-527-6231
Lead Research Project Coordinator: Jamie Feldman, B.A.
Jamie is the lead research project coordinator for Dr. Hafeman's studies at the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services Clinic. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Dickinson College. She has a background in clinical psychology which has included working as a mental health worker aide for the Merck Summer Intensive Treatment Program for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and a secondary diagnosis. Additionally, she was a summer research intern with Dr. Tina Goldstein at the CABS clinic for two summers. She plans to pursue her masters in Social Work.
Contact Info:
Bellefield Towers 504
Email: feldmanj3@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-527-6231
STEAM Project Director: Erin Belback, LPC
Erin is the Project Director for the STEAM (Successful Transitions to Early Adulthood Milestones) project at the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services Clinic which entails providing day-to-day oversight for project activities and managing staff. She received her M.S. in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and her M.S. in Professional Counseling from Carlow University. Erin is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Erin has worked on several research projects over the years in various roles from interviewer to research coordinator. Most recently, Erin worked as a therapist specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Contact Info:
Email: belbackee@upmc.edu
Research Project Assistant: Jessica Mak, B.S.
Jessica graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020 with a B.S. in psychology. She served as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Jennifer Silk’s Families, Emotions, Neuroscience & Development lab and Dr. Diana Leyva’s Food for Thought lab. She examined adolescent depression, suicidal ideation as well as parental influences on children’s emotion regulation. After graduation, Jessica worked as a kindergarten and elementary school teacher in Hong Kong. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is interested in examining the effects of familial risk and early life adversity on the onset of adolescent mood disorders in relation to neurocognition.
Contact Info:
Bellefield Towers 538
Email: makjg@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-956-6738
Research Project Assistant: Ashley Harbaugh, B.S.
Ashley graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a B.S. in psychology and minors in neuroscience, applied statistics, and gender, sexuality & women’s studies. During their undergraduate career they served as a research assistant in Benjamin Rottman’s Causal Learning and Decision Making Lab and Jamie Hanson’s Learning Imaging Family Experience Lab. They have explored topics such as the outcomes of childhood adversity, prosocial behavior, and the neural basis of human empathy. Ashley wishes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology or neuroscience and hopes to examine how altered states of consciousness, such as those induced by meditation and breathwork, and somatic interventions can be used as treatments for outcomes of early adversity.
Contact Info:
Bellefield Towers 536
Email: harbaughaj2@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-628-8885
Research Project Assistant: Jessica Harangozo, M.A.
Jessica graduated from Cleveland State University in 2022 with her M.A. in Clinical Psychology. She served as a graduate research assistant in Dr. Elizabeth Goncy’s HEART Lab and completed her practicum training at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center Diagnostic Clinic. During her undergraduate career she served as a research assistant in Dr. Yossef Ben-Porath’s lab at Kent State University and graduated with her B.A. in Psychology in 2020. Jessica’s previous research has explored topics of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), criminality, and romantic relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Jessica plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Contact Info:
Bellefield Towers 518
Email: harangozoj@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-246-5801
Peer Specialist I: Riley Thomas, CPS
Riley Thomas is a Certified Peer Specialist. She is working on the STEAM project with Dr. Hafeman & Dr. Goldstein as a peer specialist, supporting transition age youth with mood disorders. She specializes in providing support for transition age youth who manage comorbid ADHD and depression. She has plans to return to complete her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Riley is passionate about being an advocate for youth to help them maximize their potential.
Contact Info:
Email: thomasr31@upmc.edu
STEAM Project Peer Specialist I: William Lindsey, B.S.
William Lindsey graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023 with a B.S in Psychology and a minor in Africana Studies. He currently serves as a peer specialist on the STEAM project, aiming to help adolescents transition to adulthood. William is interested in exploring topics such as skin-deep resilience and the effects of racial disparities and interactions in college on Black college-age transitional youth. He plans to pursue his master’s degree in counseling and become a child therapist.
Contact Info:
Email: lindseyw@upmc.edu
Undergrad Research Assistants:
Aanika Das
Aanika is an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. She is pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology with a Chemistry minor and a Certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. Aanika is interested in clinical psychology and neuroscience and hopes to go to medical school after graduation. She is passionate about raising awareness about mental health and destigmatizing the topic in society.
Lab Alumni:
