Jessica graduated from the University of Oregon with a Ph.D. in Social Psychology in 2009. Her research focused on mindfulness, relationships, and empathy. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Child and Family Center and taught parents and children mindfulness as part of her work as a Varela Grant Awardee. In 2014 Jessica joined OHSU as Dr. Joel Nigg’s project manager. She has really enjoyed working in the department and helping complete the data collection for Dr. Nigg’s longitudinal ADHD cohort. She is excited to be joining the PEACH team!  Outside of her work, Jessica is parent to a 9 year old daughter, practices mindfulness, and enjoys hiking, live music, and reading.

Annaliese graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Psychology in 2022. During her undergraduate studies, she volunteered for the PEACH Study as a behavioral coder, specifically examining infant regulation and emotion. She used that data as well as other PEACH Study findings to investigate how caregiver emotional regulation capabilities influence infant self-regulation to write her undergraduate thesis. Annaliese’s favorite part of being on the PEACH Team is working with the participants and making connections with the families. She plans to pursue a Masters in Counseling and ultimately hopes to work with families to promote mental health and well-being.

Amanda graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2022 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in neuroscience. Before joining PEACH, she was a student worker helping complete data entry and data cleaning for Dr. Nigg’s longitudinal ADHD study. As an undergraduate she worked with children diagnosed with selective mutism, and her research focused on topics such as adolescent body image, conditional regard in parenting, and comorbid ADHD and anxiety disorders in children. At Lewis & Clark she also co-led a peer support group aimed at new students and centered around mental health. She plans to pursue a Masters in Child Mental Health Counseling and focus on treating children with anxiety disorders with their families.

Abby is currently a student at the University of Portland who will receive a B.A. in psychology and a minor in entrepreneurship & design management in 2024. She recently became a student worker for the PEACH project and is thrilled to begin working in the field of psychology that she is most passionate about. In addition to working at OHSU, she also works as a student tour guide/ambassador at the University of Portland. After graduating, she intends to continue working in psychology to further develop her skills before pursuing a PhD.

Hanna graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. Prior to joining PEACH, she interned in the SNACK lab where she examined the neurotoxic effects of glyphosate on neurotransmitter systems and their relation to neuropsychological disorders. During her time at L&C, Hanna’s research largely explored trait resilience, dual mechanisms of cognitive control, and empathy in the context of COVID-19. Additionally, she spent a semester in Ireland conducting research on the Irish healthcare system. Hanna plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology and is interested in researching neurotransmitter system interactions from a biopsychological lens and working with patients in a clinical setting.

Olivia received her B.S. from the University of Oregon in Spring 2023, majoring in psychology with a double minor in Spanish and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. During her undergraduate career she was involved in developmental research investigating an intervention to support the healthy outcomes of low-income families and families with a caregiver who has experienced a substance use disorder. Olivia completed an independent research project on the subject of parent stress and child executive function. She also enjoyed interning at a nursery, providing therapeutic care to children experiencing or at risk of experiencing abuse. Olivia plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology, hoping to work with underserved caregivers and pregnant individuals in supporting their mental health outcomes. 

Julia graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Psychology in 2024. During the entirety of her undergraduate studies, she volunteered as a behavioral coder for the PEACH Study and assisted with in-person infant and mother visits for the PEAPOD Study. For her undergraduate honors thesis, Julia analyzed data from the COPE Study to investigate the relationship between coping skills, mindfulness, and perinatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Julia plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology and is interested in researching neurodivergence in children—specifically surrounding ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Olivia received a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Portland in 2022. Before joining the PEACH Lab, she worked for Dr. Nigg's ADHD Research Study, examining the symptomology of ADHD over time to better characterize and predict the clinical course of the disorder. As an undergraduate, Olivia's research explored racial and gender differences in the use of emotion regulation strategies and in displays of shame. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is interested in researching how individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities vary in the presentations of psychological disorders.  

Kelly will be receiving her B.A. in psychology with minors in Spanish and political science from the University of San Diego in May 2021. Before joining the PEACH study, she was involved in child developmental research at USD that studied the influence of maternal autonomy support on toddler performance during teaching interactions. She was also an intern with a lab at UCSD and provided support to two studies that investigated evidenced-based interventions in mental health communities for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Kelly is excited to join the PEACH team and learn how maternal behaviors during pregnancy may impact the cognitive development of infants. She ultimately plans to pursue a PhD in developmental or clinical psychology with hopes to study the neurodevelopment of children in some capacity. 

Jorden graduated from Vassar College in 2020 with a B.A. in Anthropology and Greek and Roman Studies. Her background includes field-based research on free-ranging non-human primates in Brazil and Argentina, addressing topics of diet in conjunction with alloparenting and social cognition, mammalian involvement in seed dispersal, and pair-bonded mating systems. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge of behavioral cognition to apply to human populations, as well as addressing larger socioeconomic issues through field and lab work. She intends to pursue a PhD in Biological Anthropology that addresses the intersectionality of human and non-human primate well-being.

Anna graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Psychology in 2018. Her background includes research investigating interoceptive awareness and physiological stress responses among survivors of sexual trauma, working in an in-patient psychiatric care facility, and conducting independent field-based research in Nepal and India. As a member of the PEACH Study team Anna has developed a passion for the physiologic processes and psychosocial factors underlying pregnancy and birth. She greatly enjoys working with parents in the perinatal period and plans to continue this work as a nurse-midwife. In this role, she hopes to utilize patient-education, shared decision making, and evidence-based care to improve mental health and birth outcomes for members of vulnerable populations.

Hailey received her B.S. in Human Physiology with minors in Global Health and Chemistry from the University of Oregon in 2021.  Prior to joining the PEACH study team, she worked in Dr. Sullivan’s developmental sociobiology lab at the UO looking at how nutrition and stress during pregnancy affect the health and well-being of mothers and newborn babies. She also spent time looking at how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the experience of women who are pregnant or had given birth in the past 6 months. She intends to pursue a career as an OBGYN and work to support and advocate for women throughout the different stages of their reproductive lives.

Nisha Sridhar graduated from the honors college at the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Human Physiology in 2021.  She is currently working on her Masters in Psychology at the UO through the Center for Translational Neuroscience.  As an undergraduate, she was a research assistant examining the effects of adversity on brain development at the Stress Neurobiology and Prevention (SNAP) Lab. She has also conducted research at Oregon State University on caregiver-child interactions and at the Yale Child Study Center studying fear learning in youth.  She is pursuing a career in general pediatrics and hopes to support children affected by early adversity through clinical care and legislative advocacy. She is excited to be joining the PEACH study this spring and is particularly interested in investigating how prenatal experience affects neurobiological development using electroencephalography.

Cindy received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Washington in 2020. In addition to being part of the PEACH study team, she is also a research assistant for the University of Washington’s Center for Child & Family Well-being. Her research interests include emotion regulation and preventive interventions for adolescents. She aspires to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and compile research that is inclusive of diverse populations. She is excited to join the PEACH team and learn more about the effects of prenatal mechanisms throughout the lifespan.

Dr. Zhang received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. Prior to joining the PEACH team, she has over ten years of research experience working with diverse human subjects for multiple ethnographic research projects. Her most recent project examines how adverse childhood experiences affect personal development and parent-child relationship, focusing on the mental health issues of people who experience domestic abuse and neglect as children and their self-healing strategies in China. Dr. Zhang is the recipient of Early Career Fellowships (formerly Postdoctoral Fellowships) from Henry Luce Foundation/ACLS Program in China Studies and of the Research Grant from the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange. She is thrilled to join the PEACH team and looks forward to applying her research experiences and skillset to coordinating the PEACH Study and contributing to research on the influence of early maternal and familial environment on children’s development and behaviors.

Sydney graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Biology from the University of Oregon in 2018. Her background includes administering mindfulness based interventions to expecting and new mothers in WIC programs, investigating the association between maternal-infant massaging and salivary cortisol/oxytocin levels in new mothers recovering from substance use disorder, and being a physical activity trainer for Special Olympics Oregon. During her time with the PEACH study, she became privy to the number of factors that influence psychological development in the prenatal and early postnatal period. This solidified her desire to work with patients that are underrepresented, and undergoing severe psychological crisis.  Sydney is now a student attending OHSU’s Accelerated Bachelors of Nursing program, upon completion she aspires to work as a psychiatric nurse and eventually one day a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

Gayle received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Lewis and Clark College in May of 2019. After graduating she spent the summer in her hometown of Chicago working with a clinical research lab on evaluating and implementing several quality improvement initiatives aimed at reducing racial and economic health disparities in pregnancy and birth. She joined the PEACH study in October of 2019 where she has grown in her passion for expanding access to high quality and equitable prenatal and postpartum care. She is currently applying to masters in nursing programs with the intention of continuing on to get her doctorate in nurse midwifery. As a midwife she is excited to continue her work in pregnancy, birth, reproductive care and justice. 

Asia received her Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Lewis and Clark College in 2020. Prior to joining the PEACH study team, she worked in a neuroscience research lab investigating the molecular and genetic components of drug addiction, neonatal drug exposure, and neuropathy. She also spent time as a volunteer at CARES Northwest Child Advocacy Center where she grew a passion for supporting children who have endured adverse childhood experiences. Asia’s ambition is to pursue a career as a pediatrician and work to improve the quality of life for medically underserved communities. She is excited to continue learning about the prenatal factors that influence child development while helping to build equitable, multifaceted, and reliable modes of support for families. 

McKenzie completed their B.S. in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience and minor in sexuality, gender, and queer studies at Portland State University. During college they worked in labs dedicated to understanding the unique differences between individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They are excited to join the PEACH team and to investigate the impact of prenatal factors on infant behavior as well as early neural markers and biomarkers for ADHD. McKenzie plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with the hopes of building a career as a researcher and professor. 

Mirenna graduated with her Bachelor’s from Pomona College in 2020 where she majored in psychological science and minored in studio art. Prior to joining the PEACH study team, she worked in labs ranging in focus from cancer biology to sleep and circadian rhythms to children’s socioemotional development and attachment style. She was thrilled to join the team back in August of 2020 and was particularly interested in how perinatal factors influence the mother/child bond, a biopsychosocial model of pregnancy and birth, and the societal and cultural context of birth. She is now headed to Vanderbilt School of Nursing to pursue a career as a nurse-midwife to support families in building both health and early attachment.

Leigh Ann Bauman, MS, RD, graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science and Nutrition. She is an experienced Registered Dietitian and project coordinator with a Master's Degree in Human Nutrition from the Graduate School of Oregon Health & Science University. She enjoys combining her research and nutrition counseling experience to provide nutrition education to individuals and the community. Her current role as a research coordinator with the PEACH Study involves working on protocols and nutrition assessments to collect dietary information to research how prenatal factors influence infant and toddler development. 

Maggie is an undergraduate student at Portland State University, majoring in biology with a pre-medical focus.  Alongside volunteering with the PEACH team, she works as a medical assistant at a naturopathic clinic, where she is learning about a holistic approach to healthcare, particularly in treating neurodegenerative diseases.  She is also specifically interested in women’s health, and how prenatal maternal factors can impact development and adult health on an epigenetic level.  She is also currently writing her thesis on the therapeutic potential of snake venom components on the treatment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.  Maggie has really enjoyed spending her undergraduate years exploring different fields of medicine and areas of interest, and hopes to apply to medical school in the next few years.