Cognitive Dynamics Team

Principal Investigators

Colin Depp, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
Co-Director of the Cognitive Dynamics Lab
cdepp@ucsd.edu

Dr. Colin Depp is a professor in residence and a clinical staff psychologist at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in UC San Diego. As a practicing psychologist, Dr. Depp mentors and clinically supervises residents, fellows, graduate students, and interns. He is also the Director of Research Education and Training at the Clinical and Translational Research Institute at the University of California San Diego and mentors clinical scientists in multiple training programs.

Dr. Depp's research focuses on technology-based longitudinal assessment and real-time interventions in mental health- particularly in serious mental illnesses. His other projects deliver multi-component behavioral interventions and incorporate use of technology to assess and modify physical activity, aging-in-place, sleep and outcomes. Dr. Depp's involvement in research and as a clinical scientist has led him to collaborate with clinicians, engineers, and bioinformaticians as well as create training opportunities in entrepreneurship in medical devices.

Raeanne Moore, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
Co-Director of the Cognitive Dynamics Lab
r6moore@ucsd.edu
https://twitter.com/raeannephd

Dr. Raeanne Moore is a Clinical Psychologist, with a Neuropsychology emphasis. Additionally, Dr. Moore is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. She researches the use of digital health technologies to improve the assessment of cognitive functioning, as well as machine learning and AI to identify digital biomarkers predictive of cognitive decline.

She has developed gamified, smartphone-based mobile cognitive tests to enable cognitive testing "in the wild." Dr. Moore works with many clinical populations (e.g., people with bipolar disorder; schizophrenia; HIV/AIDS, mild cognitive impairment, and Parkinson’s disease). She also sits on the board of UC San Diego’s Mental Health Technology Center (MHTech).

Lab Personnel

Avery Quynh, B.S.

Project Coordinator
akquynh@health.ucsd.edu

Avery graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science in both Human Biology and Clinical Psychology. During her time at UCSD, she volunteered in cognitive psychology labs that focused on visual cognition, attention and memory. She also volunteered in the Cognitive Dynamics lab as an undergraduate research assistant before transitioning to a project coordinator.

Avery’s main interests revolve around psychosis and digital mental health. In the future, she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology so that she can work as a clinician as well as conduct her own research studies. Outside of the lab, Avery enjoys bullet journaling, crafting, and spending time with friends and family.

Vanessa Scott, B.S.

Project Coordinator
vlscott@health.ucsd.edu

Vanessa graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2018 with a B.S. in Psychology. In college, she worked in two Cognitive Psychology labs. After graduation, she worked in a developmental laboratory focusing on perceptual and motor differences in infants. She also worked in a cellular neuroscience laboratory focusing on physiological mechanisms of plasticity in disorders. Through these experiences she narrowed her research interests.

Currently, her main interests involve populations with psychological disorders that use substances and differences in their perceptual/social experiences, affect, and cognitive function. While working at the Cognitive Dynamics Lab she is gaining experience to fine-tune her research skills and has the goal to continue research and become a Clinical Research Coordinator in the future. In her spare time, she likes hiking with her dog, dancing and trying new coffee shops.

Alexis Roach

Research Assistant
emparris@ucsd.edu

Alexis is a Senior Honors student at the University of California, San Diego pursuing her B.S. in Psychology with a Specialization in Clinical Psychology. While at Glendale Community College she volunteered as a Crisis Counselor, which deepened her passion for suicide prevention and the betterment of aid for those experiencing mental health crises. Thus, she is especially concerned with the high suicide rates of Schizophrenia, and is interested in research that will contribute to the improvement of behavioral therapy for people living with schizophrenia.

Future plans for Alexis include a PhD in Clinical Psychology, with a research concentration in the Schizophrenia Spectrum. Additionally, Alexis assists in another lab that focuses on social anxiety and depression treatment, which aids her in researching those symptoms as they apply to Schizophrenia.

Jessica Sears

Research Assistant

Jessica is a Senior undergraduate student at University of California, San Diego. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Global Health with a minor in Biology. She previously worked with UCSD health in a public health study for cardiovascular epidemiology. This helped her align her passions and educational interests in the field of public health.

After graduation, Jessica hopes to attend a graduate program for a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Her research interests lie in chronic illness, aging, mental health, and equity in healthcare. Post MPH, Jessica hopes to work in a hospital system as a practicing epidemiologist or continue research in the field of chronic illnesses and mental health.

Jiayi Lin

Research Assistant

Jiayi is an undergraduate student at the University of California, San Diego, majoring in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Science with a Specialization in Clinical Aspects of Cognition. She has worked with many different labs that focus on all aspects in the field, including but not limited to social, evolutionary, positive, clinical, and cognitive psychology. She is also working in NGOs that provide psychological resources to underrepresented children and peer counseling to young adults.

Academically, she is interested in the suicidal ideation of adolescents and has developed a growing interest in Schizophrenia Spectrum and psychosis in this lab. In the future, she is going to pursue a PhD degree in clinical psychology and hopes to be a wonderful researcher, clinician, and teacher.

Undergraduates

Audrey Berardi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Audrey is an undergraduate student in UCSD with a major in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience.

Elizabeth Peek

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Elizabeth is an undergraduate student in UCSD with a major in Cognitive Science with a Specialization in Neuroscience and a minor in Bioethics.

Lab Alumni

Lab Personnel

Snigdha Kamarsu, B.S.

Project Coordinator
skamarsu@health.ucsd.edu

Snigdha Kamarsu received her Bachelors of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience with a minor in Biology from the University of California, Irvine in 2015. Snigdha has been working in the areas of intervention and cognition research as a lab manager for the past 5 years. Her research interests lie in telemental health, cognitive remediation, and understanding the mechanisms of psychopathology. Snigdha plans to apply her knowledge from cognitive science to implement new diagnostic assessments as a future clinical psychologist. When not at work in the lab, Snigdha enjoys reading, exploring new places, and learning new recipes.

Tess Filip, B.A.

Project Coordinator
tfilip@health.ucsd.edu

Tess Filip graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2015. Since then she has gained a broader understanding of treatment modalities in the mental health field by working both as a case manager and as a research coordinator in a clinical pharmaceutical trial setting. Her interests lie in social cognition in severe mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology to work as a practicing clinical psychologist as well as design and implement her own research studies. She enjoys exploring new restaurants, dancing, and learning Korean.

Rosa T. Gutierrez, B.A.

Research Associate II
rtgutierrezaceves@health.ucsd.edu

Rosa T. Gutierrez graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration from UAG-Mexico and has certifications in Psychology, Social Work, and as a Community Health Worker. She possesses a comprehensive knowledge of multicultural settings with intergenerational adults and has worked with ethnically diverse groups from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Rosa's training has led her to identify the barriers and facilitation in implementing cognitive behavioral interventions for populations with serious mental illness. Outside of the lab, Rosa is a community leader who organizes with resident community leaders to improve quality of life of others while strengthening her grassroots leadership.

Mayra Cano, B.S.

Project Coordinator
mjcano@health.ucsd.edu

Mayra Cano received her Bachelors of Science in both Public Health and Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2015. Since then, Mayra has utilized the applications of public health by working as a research coordinator in community based clinical projects. Her interests in mental health lie in bridging research innovations in social cognition in severe mental illness with practical primary care implementations. She hopes to pursue a graduate nursing degree, as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, to help better address acute mental health needs. In her spare time, Mayra can be found running, traveling, and trying out new podcasts.

 

Undergraduates

Jennifer Villa

Jennifer has worked with Dr. Depp for 4 years on projects involving individuals with Schizophrenia and on topics such as suicidality and social cognition. Jennifer is now attending University of Montana's Clinical Psychology PhD program.