Meet Our Team
James Murrough, MD, PhD
Director of the Depression and Anxiety Center
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
I received my Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University in Atlanta and my Medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. I completed my residency training in Psychiatry at Mount Sinai and a research fellowship in experimental therapeutics and clinical neuroscience in mood disorders, also at Mount Sinai. I currently conduct clinical and translational research focused on the development of novel therapeutics and on characterizing alterations in neurocircuitry underlying mood and anxiety disorders. This research also includes functional brain imaging approaches to discover the mechanisms of rapidly acting antidepressants. My overall goal for this program of research is to increase the understanding of mechanisms of illness in these disorders in order to identify novel, more effective treatments for patients. In addition to my research and educational activities, I maintain an active clinical practice focusing on evidence-based pharmacological treatments for mood and anxiety disorders.
Adriana Feder, MD
Investigator at the Depression and Anxiety Center
Associate Professor of Psychiatry at ISMMS
Associate Director for Research at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program at ISMMS
I graduated from Stanford with Bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and History my medical degree from the University of Chicago. My research has focused on PTSD and resilience in trauma-exposed populations, including the conduct of clinical, epidemiological and translational research studies in diverse samples of trauma survivors, including WTC rescue and recovery workers, Vietnam repatriates, trauma-exposed African American populations, primary care patients after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and survivors of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
Laurel Morris, PhD
Assistant Professor
I received my B.Sc. in Pharmacology and Neuroscience from Nottingham Trent University, UK, before gaining a M.Sc. in Neuroscience from University College London, UK and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Cambridge, UK. My interests lie in the intersections between cognitive models, neural circuit organization and psychopharmacology.
Kate Collins, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, ISMMS
I am committed to the conduct of translational research that illuminates the neural substrates of and advances novel treatments for mood and anxiety disorders. After earning my master’s degree in social work, I joined our program as a diagnostician and rater in clinical trials of new therapies for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. I entered the School’s doctoral program in neuroscience in 2009. As a student I used brain imaging and pharmacological challenge methodology to study the eurobiology of active avoidance learning. I completed my doctorate in October of 2013 before returning to MAP as a postdoctoral fellow.
Chris Kelly, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, ISMMS
I attained my doctorate in clinical psychology from Fordham University in Bronx, NY, and I completed an APA-accredited predoctoral internship in clinical psychology at University of Mississippi Medical Center, where I served as chief resident and which is where I went on to complete my first postdoctoral fellowship. I am a licensed psychologist and have experience in a range of therapeutic interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and I have delivered psychotherapeutic interventions across a range of psychopathology and settings. Prior to graduate school, I worked as a clinical research coordinator at MAP from 2007-2009 and am excited to be returning to DAC as a postdoctoral fellow. Both my research and clinical interests focus on treatment-resistant depression, anhedonia, and suicide.
Yael Jacob, PhD
Assistant Professor
I have a B.Sc. in Physics, M.Sc. in Medical Science and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel. I conducted my postdoctoral fellowship at the BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute at Mount Sinai. My main research interests are developing new methods and algorithms using advanced brain imaging techniques for the study of complex brain network mechanisms that underlie behavioral and pathological differences in psychiatric disorders.
Philipp Neukam, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg and my Master of Science in Psychology from the Ruhr-University Bochum. Afterwards I studied the modulatory effects of the neurotransmitter serotonin on several meta-control parameters of value-based decision-making and their brain correlates for which I was awarded a doctorate from the University of Technology in Dresden. I joined Mount Sinai as a postdoctoral research fellow to better understand the structural and functional organization of the serotonergic system using high-resolution imaging their relationship to depression as well as to explore the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in mood disorders.
Sarah Rutter
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in New Jersey and received my Bachelor’s in Psychology and French from Temple University in 2014, and my Master’s in Psychology from New York University in 2017. My graduate thesis focused on statistical models of depression severity in veterans, with a specific emphasis on childhood traumatic experiences and emotion dysregulation. I’m interested in how emotion dysregulation and inflammation contribute to the impact of traumatic experiences on mental health, and in mechanisms of change in successful treatment of PTSD symptoms. After DAC, I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Audrey Evers
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in San Francisco, California and graduated from Tufts University in May 2019 where I received my bachelor's degree with a double major in Psychology and Community Health. My undergraduate research and Senior Honors Thesis focused on mindfulness for mental health in adults and collegiate student athletes. I am especially interested in upstream approaches to psychiatric treatment and diagnosis including the role of resilience and inflammation biomarkers in the development of Major Depressive Disorder. I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology after refining my research interests.
Emma Meyer
Clinical Research Coordinator
I am originally from Westchester, NY and graduated from Colgate University in May 2019 where I received a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Psychology and Classical Studies. I am interested in parent-child relationships and development in the context of mood and anxiety disorders. I intend to pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology after refining my interests here at DAC.
Sara Hameed
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. My undergraduate research thesis in Neuroscience focused on the role of resilience in the linkages between trauma, depression severity, and the neural mechanisms behind emotional face processing. I am excited to continue exploring my interests at DAC and pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology following my time here.
Oneysha Brown
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and marketing. I am interested in depression, anxiety and particularly PTSD in underserved communities; I hope to pursue research examining how these disorders may present differently within communities of color, versus their white counterparts. I intend to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and eventually explore the link between race-based stress and trauma within minority communities.
Maxine Marchidan
Clinical Research Coordinator
Maxine is a research coordinator at Depression and Anxiety Center with a focus on psychoneuroimmunology and investigational neuroimaging. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2018 at St. John’s University and went on to pursue a master’s degree in Neuropsychology at Maastricht University. During her master’s program, Maxine conducted research involving how mood symptoms may be connected to trends in hallucinatory experiences in the general population. After DAC, Maxine hopes to pursue a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience.
Amelia Karim
Clinical Research Coordinator
I am a 2021 graduate from New York University with a BA in Psychology. I grew up in New Jersey but always wanted to live in the city, so I am very excited to be here now! I’ve been interested in psychology since high school, which is when I started volunteering with developing children. My interest in the field grew exponentially in college, and I started researching psychopathy and ASD. As my course work and research introduced me to mood and anxiety disorder, I have realized that this is the field that I want to pursue and hope to one day obtain my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Mirabel Sleiman
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in Rhode Island and moved to Boston to pursue an undergraduate degree at Tufts University. I graduated in 2018 with a BA in Economics, as well as completion of a pre-medicine track. I always had an interest in psychology, but my passion for anxiety and mood disorders specifically grew after my work with an OCD advocacy and education organization. I hope to continue to learn more about anxiety and mood disorders here at the DAC as I prepare to pursue either a PhD in Clinical Psychology or a PsyD.
Grace Butler
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in Los Angeles, California; but have always wanted to live in New York! I obtained my BA degree in Psychology and Human Systems Integration from San Jose State University. In undergrad and after graduation working at Stanford University, I have had the privilege of being a research assistant on cognitive projects related to memory and media multitasking, curiosity and looking time. Now at DAC, I hope to build upon my prior research experience and learn new tools in mental health intervention; where I eventually plan to pursue a PhD in Psychology or Cognitive Science.
Jeremy Cohen
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up on Long Island and graduated from Stony Brook University in 2020. I studied Psychology and Spanish with specific research focuses within cognitive neuroscience. I am interested in how different groups experience and externalize psychopathologies including TRD and GAD. I hope to use my Spanish language skills to connect with Latinx participants within the Depression and Anxiety Center. After further concentrating my research passions at DAC, I intend to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Elizabeth Karpman
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from University of Rochester in 2021 with a BS in Neuroscience and BA in Psychology. I am interested in the neurobiology of psychiatric illnesses; specifically, I want to use psychopharmacological manipulations to study the biological mechanisms of depression. After DAC, I intend to pursue a PhD in neuroscience and hope to build a career doing wet lab research in the realm of depression.
Camille Dupiton
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in Queens, NY and graduated from Binghamton University in 2019 where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in French. Additionally, I received my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University in 2022. I am interested in the relationship between culture, emotion regulation, and depression and anxiety as well as assessing the ways in which treatment can be socio-culturally informed. I intend to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology following my time at DAC.
Abigail Adams
Clinical Research Coordinator
I am originally from Boulder, CO and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in May 2022 where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, certificate in Care, Health and Resilience and worked closed with a variety of clinical psychology and neuroscience laboratories. I am interested in how traumatic events alter neurobiology and trigger mood disorders. I intend to pursue a masters in Neuropsychology or PsyD in Clinical Psychology to eventually work in Biotechnology for mental health care resources.
Leah Israel
Clinical Research Coordinator
I grew up in Rockland County New York and was most recently living in Israel during the last six years. I attended the international school at Reichman University in Herzliya where I completed my BA in Psychology. While there, I took part in the Brain and Mind program which enabled me to work in the communication, aging, and neuropsychology lab (CANlab). While at DAC, I hope to continue building my skillset and take part in innovative research as I hope to pursue a degree in clinical psychology, helping individuals overcome mental health challenges.
Yolanda (Yolie) Whitaker
Clinical Research Coordinator
I am originally from Athens, Greece and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University in 2020. After college, I pursued a Clinical Research Coordinator role at the Emotion and Social Neuroscience Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). At MGH, I was the lead coordinator of a resilience intervention study for adolescents who are at risk for psychosis by studying psychological well-being, social and role functioning, and brain activity. I also worked in the First-Episode Psychosis Program and conducted clinical interviews on patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
At DAC, I am responsible for coordinating a neuroimaging studying investigating the role of the Locus Coeruleus in pathological anxiety and PTSD. I am particularly interested in further studying neurobiological mechanisms linked to psychopathology as well as the role of resilience, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive abnormalities in such psychiatric disorders. I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to accomplish this.
Derek Smith
Research Associate
I am originally from Mount Vernon, New York and graduated from Manhattan College in 2016 with a double major in history and religious studies. My main research work involves anxiety, PTSD, panic disorder and epilepsy patients in the context of imaging studies. I help design and implement novel and previously validated behavioral and stimulus tasks. I plan to pursue work in computer science.