CRISIS LAB
Doctoral Students
Anna Gilbert, M.S.
Anna is a fifth-year doctoral student in the CRISIS Lab. Prior to joining the lab, she worked as a clinical research assistant with the PediMIND Program at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Anna's research examines how various factors accelerate or disrupt the transition from suicidal thoughts to behaviors. She is particularly interested in using mixed method approaches to explore the risks and benefits associated with social media use among
individuals with suicidality. Anna has clinical experience as a psychometrist, conducting comprehensive neuropsychological assessments for neurodevelopmental disorders. She also has experience providing evidence-based treatments for serious mental illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and co-occurring mood and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.
Research Interests: Ideation-to-action models of suicide; Mixed methods and qualitative methodologies; Intersection between suicide risk and social media use
Curriculum Vitae
Erin McMeekin is a fourth-year doctoral student in the CRISIS Lab. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Washington State University and was a research assistant focused on political and cognitive psychology. She has experience as a counselor at a residential treatment center providing crisis support and therapeutic skills.
Research Interests: Suicidal gestures and escalation in borderline personality disorder population, crisis intervention, emotion regulation.
Erin McMeekin, M.S.
Becca Spigel is a third-year doctoral student in the CRISIS lab. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Health & Society at the University of Texas at Austin and was as a clinical research assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital, managing studies aimed at improving clinical care for transgender youth and patients with eating disorders. She has also served as a sexual assault crisis counselor in Boston and case manager for survivors of domestic violence
experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area.
Research interests: community-based research, suicide prevention in marginalized communities, particularly those with LGBTQIA+ identities and histories of domestic violence; emotion regulation and resilience factors; qualitative methodology
Becca Spigel, M.S.
Penelope Seminario is a thir-year doctoral student in the CRISIS lab. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Maryland Global Campus and her Master of Science in Research Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. She has clinical experience supporting students and clients with developmental, intellectual, and emotional disabilities through behavior
interventions, life skills training, and advocacy.
Research Interests: Suicide prevention and mental health support in community settings, particularly in local churches and faith-based organizations. Examining the role of community outreach, emotional support, and crisis intervention in reducing suicide risk, as well as the connection between spirituality and mental health in prevention efforts.
Penelope Seminario, M.S.
Lisette (Lizzie) Thurlkill is a third-year doctoral student in the CRISIS lab.
Lisette Thurlkill, M.S.
Hatun Almuhanna is a third-year doctoral student in the CRISIS lab.
Hatun Almuhanna, M.S.
Stephanie Ragazzo is a second-year doctoral student in the CRISIS Lab. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College and has previously worked as a clinical research coordinator at NYU Langone School of Medicine, where she studied the effects of CBD on PTSD outcomes.
Research interests: Decision-making in suicidality, game theory, capability for suicide and PTSD
Stephanie Ragazzo, BA
Molly Hassler is a first-year doctoral student in the CRISIS Lab. She earned her Bachelor of
Science in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University. She has clinical experience providing
applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy that supports children with neurodevelopmental and
behavioral needs.
Research Interests: Research Interests: suicidology, emotion regulation, and mental health interventions, with a focus on identifying factors contributing to suicide risk, examining mechanisms underlying emotion regulation, and developing evidence-based strategies to enhance mental well-being.
Molly Hassler
Noah Reyes (He/Him) is a first-year doctoral student in the CRISIS lab. He earned his
Bachelor of Science in Psychological Science from the University of Arizona. After
graduation, he worked for a year in a residential behavioral health setting supporting
adults in addiction recovery. He later completed his Master of Arts in Psychology at
Pepperdine University.
Research Interests: suicidology, emotion dysregulation, mindfulness, and selfcompassion, with a focus on understanding mechanisms of suicidal ideation among
LGBTQ+ populations and the role of invalidation and self-invalidation in suicide risk.
Noah Reyes
Adrian Cufley is a first-year doctoral student in the CRISIS. She received her Bachelor of Science at Pacific Lutheran University and her Master of Business Administration from City University of Seattle. She served as a Clinical Research Manager for Seattle Neuropsychiatric Treatment Center before joining the CRISIS Lab. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband and her two young children.
Research interests: Suicidal ideation in law enforcement personnel, active duty military, and veterans, education and training for those populations support networks including their leadership and family members.
Adrian Cufley
On Internship
Ben Barnette, M.S.
Ben Barnette is completing his his pre-doctoral internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia as part of the US Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program and will serve three years in active duty as a staff psychologist after graduation.
His dissertation is titled: "Understanding Processes Involved in Firefighter/EMS Resilience and Suicidality: A Mixed Methods Analysis"
Madi Vacarro, M.S.
Madi Vacarro is completing their pre-doctoral internship at VA Western Colorado Health Care System
Her dissertation is titled: "Effects of Campus Climate, Discrimination, and Internalized Homophobia on Suicidal Ideation Among LGBTQ+ Students at Christian Colleges"
Alumni
Janelle Y. Wee, PhD
Janelle Wee graduated in 2025 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Her dissertation is titled: Interpersonal Theory of Suicide in a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Sample"
Janelle will be completing her post-doctoral training in Tucson, AZ.
Yuchin (Gina) Lin, PhD
Yu-Chin Lin graduated in 2025 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at Harvard Medical School - Massachusetts Mental Health Center. Her dissertation is titled: "Functional and cultural values of shame: A motivator to seek help for suicidal ideation"
Yu-Chin will be completing her post-doctoral fellowship with the Stanford Medicine Mood and Anxiety Disorder Clinic
Nicole Moreira graduated in 2025 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at the Miami VA. Her dissertation is titled: "Booked or Buried in Texas: Risk Factors for Prebooking Suicide and Homicide Deaths of Individuals with Sex Offenses"
Nicole will be completing her post-doctoral training with the UW Child Study and Treatment Center's Juvenile Forensic and Child/Adolescent Inpatient Treatment Fellowship.
Nicole Moreira, PhD
Katherine O'Connell, PhD
Katherine O'Connell graduated in 2025 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Washington School of Medicine (Adult Track). Her dissertation is titled: The altruistic dilemma: Examining the intersection of Hamilton's Rule and suicide risk
Katherine will be completing her post-doctoral training at Pacific Behavioral Health in Bellevue, WA.
John Strom graduated in 2025 after completing his pre-doctoral internship at Texas A&M University Health Services. His dissertation is titled: Relation Between Executive Functions, Ruminative Thinking Style, and Internalizing Symptoms in Neurodivergent Individuals.
John will be staying with Texas A&M University Health Services for his post-doctoral training.
John Strom, PhD
Samantha Doerr, PhD
Samantha Doerr graduated in 2025 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Washington School of Medicine (Behavioral Medicine Track). Her dissertation is titled: The Role of Gender and Sexual Identity in Mental Health Outcomes for Asylum-Seeking Survivors of Sexual Torture.
Samantha will be staying at the University of Washington School of Medicine for her post-doctoral training.
Kimi Hashimoto, PhD
Kimi Hashimoto graduated in 2025 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at VA Palo Alto. Her dissertation is titled: The Role of Somatization in Predicting Health-Related Quality of Life among Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Examining the Mediating Effects of Perceived Injustice and Symptom Catastrophizing.
Kimi will be completing her post-doctoral training at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado.
Joshua ‘Rocky’ Marks, PhD
Rocky Marks graduated in 2024 after completing his pre-doctoral internship at Utah State Hospital. His dissertation is titled: "The Survivability Hierarchy Behind Bars: Themes, Reforms, and Prevention Program Evaluations in Washington State Jail Suicides"
Samantha Jacobson, PhD
Samantha Jacobson (she/her/hers) graduated in 2024 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at UConn Medical/VA Consortium. Her dissertation is titled: “Impact of DBT Skills Training Modules on Suicidal Ideation, Internalized Stigma, and Community Connectedness in LGBTQ+ Adults”