Our Team

Alan N. Simmons, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
Director, fMRI Research Core, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego

Education and Professional Experience
Dr. Simmons received his B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. After completing a predoctoral internship in clinical neuropsychology at Oak Forest Hospital in Illinois, he joined the laboratories of Professors Murray Stein and Martin Paulus as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Simmons is the Associate Chief of Functional Neuroimaging for the Center of Excellence in Stress and Mental Health at the San Diego VA Healthcare System.

Research Focus
Dr. Simmons' research focuses on neuroimaging of emotional systems such as anticipatory and affective appraisal. He has conducted studies on posttraumatic stress disorders, trait anxiety, neuropsychopharmacology, and depression. Dr. Simmons is collaborating with other investigators on the study of pain processing, traumatic brain injury, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and eating disorders. In addition, he is working on novel computational models for imaging analysis. Dr. Simmons has received early career funding from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders (NARSAD) and from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Andrea D. Spadoni, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego

Education and Professional Experience
Dr. Spadoni earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in neuropsychology, from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. After completing her APA Division 40 approved predoctoral internship at the New Mexico VA Healthcare System and the University of New Mexico, she returned to UCSD as a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Alan Simmons (CESAMH Neuroscience Research Investigator) and Dr. Susan Tapert (Psychology Service Chief at VA San Diego Healthcare System; VASDHS). Dr. Spadoni is currently a Research Health Science Specialist at the VASDHS and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD.

Research Focus
Dr. Spadoni uses functional neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms driving the development and maintenance of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders and their empirically supported treatments. She is also interested in the direct and interactive effects of affective disorders and substance abuse on neurocognition and affective processing.

Jessica Bomyea, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego

Education and Professional Experience
Dr. Bomyea is a research scientist in the Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental health, working in the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab with Dr. Alan Simmons and the TBI Cognitive Rehabilitation Clinic with Dr. Amy Jak. Dr. Bomyea received her doctoral degree from the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in clinical psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center and a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSD with Drs. Ariel Lang and Murray Stein.

Research Focus
Dr. Bomyea’s research seeks to understand the link between aspects of cognitive functioning (e.g., cognitive biases, executive functioning) and PTSD. In addition, she studies novel interventions for PTSD with the goals of translating cognitive science principles to new treatment approaches and delineating the processes of change during treatment. She is currently examining the neurobiological characteristics of individuals with PTSD and/or TBI, and the efficacy and neural substrates of cognitive interventions for PTSD.

Katia Harlé, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
Assistant Professor, University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry

Education and Professional Experience
Dr. Harlé completed her B.Sc. in Physics and Electric Engineering at the "Institut National des Sciences Appliques" in Toulouse, France. She went on to complete a Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Arizona, where she also earned her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology under the mentorship of Drs. Alan Sanfey and John Allen. After completing her APA Division 40 approved predoctoral internship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), she joined the UCSD Department of Psychiatry as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Martin Paulus. Dr. Harlé is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD.

Research Focus
Dr. Harlé's research uses a combination of computational modeling, brain imaging, and neuropsychological methods to study affective processing, learning, and decision-making in individuals with psychiatric illnesses such as depression, PTSD, and substance abuse. Her work includes identifying neurocomputational predictors of depression and addictive behavior, using brain imaging and Bayesian learning models. Dr. Harlé's research aims to help provide a mechanistic rationale for developing interventions aimed at improving individuals' responses to adverse emotions and to develop more precise predictors of clinical course and treatment response for these individuals. Dr. Harlé's research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Daniel M. Stout, Ph.D.

Ruth Klaming, Ph.D.

Research Focus

Dr. Klaming is interested in utilizing novel neuromodulation techniques to develop new treatments for alcohol addiction and to understand underlying neural mechanisms. Her current work focuses on evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of using noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation for the treatment of protracted alcohol withdrawal. Dr. Klaming is also interested in understanding structural and functional brain abnormalities underlying comorbid AUD and PTSD.

Scott C. Matthews, M.D.

Staff Psychiatrist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego

After receiving his M.D. from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Dr. Matthews completed his internship and residency in psychiatry at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), and was Chief Resident at UCSD Outpatient Psychiatric Services in his final year of residency. He then completed formal research training in functional brain imaging in UCSD’s NIH-funded Fellowship in Biological Psychiatry and Neuroscience. Dr. Matthews is currently Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in Residence at UCSD, Lead Psychiatrist on the Polytrauma Support Clinic Team at Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), Director of the VASDHS Special Fellowship in Advanced Psychiatry, and former Chief of the Consultation-Liaison Division of the Psychiatry Service at VASDHS. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, an active member of the American Psychosomatic Society (APS), former Co-Chair of the APS Program Committee, and current member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Affective Disorders. In addition to his research and clinical duties, Dr. Matthews is actively involved in teaching residents and medical students.

Dr. Matthews has used neuroimaging methods to increase understanding of the structural and functional neural correlates of normal and abnormal cognitive and emotional processing. He has published several papers indicating that major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with dysregulated activity of brain systems involved in processing and regulating emotion. His current research program, which is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), focuses on using structural and functional neuroimaging in veterans exposed to combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to identify how blasts disrupt brain structure and function and increase risk of MDD.

I-Wei Shu, MD PhD

Staff Psychiatrist, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health

Dr. Shu received his PhD in Neurosciences from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City in 2004 and his MD from University of California Davis School of Medicine in 2006. He completed his psychiatry residency at University of California San Diego (UCSD) in 2010. He is a board-certified psychiatrist with a special interest in the neurobiology of anxious and depressive symptoms, especially in patients coping with stressful or traumatic events. Dr. Shu’s current studies involve developing EEG biomarkers that can objectively monitor and predict the course of PTSD symptoms, including response to treatment.

Before joining UC San Diego Health in 2014, Dr. Shu was a staff psychiatrist at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and on the psychiatric consult staff for UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center and San Diego Hospice. He has also served as a member of San Diego Psychiatric Society's Ethics Committee.

Irina A. Strigo, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego

Dr. Strigo joined our faculty in 2007 after completing a joint post-doctoral fellowship with the UCSD Department of Psychiatry and the Barrow Neurological Institute Atkinson Pain Research Laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her Ph.D. and B.Sc. in Physiology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The Canadian Institute of Health Research funded her doctoral studies, which entailed psychophysical, pharmacological and fMRI analysis of visceral and cutaneous pain in humans.

Dr. Strigo uses psychophysical and brain imaging approaches to study experimental pain perception in various psychiatric disorders, such as Major Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Eating Disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury. The long-term goal of this research is to understand the mechanisms leading to co-morbidities between chronic pain and psychiatric conditions. Her research is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD).

Christopher Fong, M.A.

SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
Predoctoral Fellow T32 NIAAA

Mr. Fong is a predoctoral student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in the neuropsychology track. He is funded by a T32 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism award, mentored by Dr. Andrea Spadoni.

Mr. Fong's research interest are in neuroimaging of alcohol use disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Specifically, his work is focused on investigating the neural substrates of alcohol cue reactivity in treatment seeking veterans with concurrent alcohol and trauma-related diagnoses. Additionally, Mr. Fong is interested in the development of computerized behavioral and neuropsychological tasks.

Morgan Caudle

SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology

Morgan Caudle is a predoctoral student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in the Experimental Psychopathology Track, mentored by Dr. Jessica Bomyea.
Morgan is broadly interested in the research and development of novel evidence-based treatments and utilizing neuroimaging to further our understanding of the neural correlates of treatment outcome. She is particularly interested in computerized interventions focused on improving executive functioning and reducing clinical symptoms. 

Danielle Dun

Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System

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Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of California, San Diego in 2020. During undergrad, she worked as a research assistant focused on investigating whether biases in social perceptions emerge from rational inference of a complex, ambiguous world. Danielle recently worked with the Morrison Research Lab at California State University, Sacramento on a project exploring whether cognitive deficits that accompany aging can be attributed to declining hearing levels. Currently, she is a Psychology Technician for the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab at the San Diego VA, studying the effects of PTSD, depression, and anxiety on the brain and behavior.

Hanna Hovren

Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System

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Hanna received her Bachelor of Science in Physiology & Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2021. Her prior work focused on self-replicating proteins in spinal fluid samples collected from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to identify a potential subset of this disorder. Hanna is broadly interested in mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases that affect both cognition and movement. She plans to pursue a medical degree and specialize in Neurology.

Nathalie Dugas

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Nathalie received her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2021. As an undergraduate, she volunteered in the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab, focusing on a project that examined public speaking anxiety and working memory. She is now a Psychology Technician for the lab, studying anxiety, depression, and learning models using both EEG and MRI. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Edith Jimenez

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Edith received her Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development with a minor in Psychology from California State University San Marcos. Her prior work consists of investigating factors that contribute to the onset and course of anxiety and mood dysregulation in children. Edith is broadly interested in the reduction of mood/anxiety symptoms through interventions designed to improve executive functioning.

Alyxandra Bartolovich

Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System

858-552-8585 x3352

Aly graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology and minors in Chicanx and Latinx Studies and Health Care -Social Issues. As an undergraduate, she worked in a research lab studying anxiety and depression treatment. Aly is interested in exploring factors that impact treatment outcomes among adults diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Her goal is to pursue a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. 

Shivani Vasanth

Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System

858-552-8585 x2872

Eshika Mehta

Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System

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Eshika received her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science specializing in Neuroscience and a Psychology minor from the University of California, San Diego in 2023. As an undergrad, she worked as a Behavior Technician for children with autism and volunteered in two labs studying neural networks and treatments for mental health. Her current research focus involves exploring different forms of neuromodulation and non-invasive treatments for psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and PTSD. She is now a Psychology Technician at the San Diego VA Health Care System in the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab. In the near future, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology!

Jordan Wagner

Research Psychology Technician, VA San Diego Healthcare System

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Jordan graduated from San Diego State University in 2023 with a Bachlor in Arts and Sciences in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience. During her undergraduate and post-graduation year, she volunteered in the Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Lab at SDSU for 3 years. She studied acute alcohol, long covid, binge drinking, chronic pain, and ASMR with EEG and fMRI imaging techniques. Jordan is interested in improving treatment methods for anixety, depression, and PTSD and understanding how these affect cognitves processes via neuroimaging methods.

McKinna Barnes

858-552-8585 x3352

McKinna obtained her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2023. As an undergraduate, she worked in a research lab studying sex differences in dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease risk. McKinna is interested in research on women’s health relating to anxiety and depression using neuroimaging studies. She plans to pursue a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology or Neuroscience.

Sara Northup

Sara earned her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. As an undergraduate, she worked in the Stress and Neuroimaging Lab on a project that aims to improve symptoms of alcohol use disorder; Additionally, Sara worked in the Neurocognition of Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Recovery Lab on a cognitive intervention for symptoms related to PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Sara intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, focusing on new treatments and diagnostic modalities for addiction and mental health disorders. 

Ivan Lagunas

Krupali Patel

Aaron Bae

Alex Skupny

Svein Gonzalez

Steven Arias

Britt Bramer

Britt Steele