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WPIC Psychology Internship Program Welcomes New Class

The Department of Psychiatry and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC (WPIC) are pleased to welcome a new class to the WPIC Psychology Internship Program. Seen here with the Internship Program?s Co-Directors, Drs. Tina Goldstein and Michele Levine, and their administrator, Beth Fyne, the class represents a broad range of interests. 

Sophia Choukas-Bradley, MA (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).  Ms. Choukas-Bradley is interested in interpersonal influences on mental health and health-related behaviors in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Her work has focused on the roles of peer influences and gender in the development of sexual behaviors, body image and disordered eating, and substance use. 

Jennifer Forsyth, MA (University of California, Los Angeles).  Ms. Forsyth?s interests include the neurobiology and treatment of serious mental illness. She has conducted translational clinical research and has incorporated animal models of schizophrenia, EEG, fMRI, and behavioral methods in her work. Her current work examines how altering glutamate signaling in the brain affects deficits in neuroplasticity and cognition in patients with schizophrenia, and uses fMRI to explore whether abnormalities in neural activation predict thought disorder onset in individuals at risk for schizophrenia. 

Isaac Petersen, BA (Indiana University).  Understanding the bio-psycho-social mechanisms in the development of self-regulation and externalizing problems in children is the focus of Mr. Petersen?s research.  His research activities have incorporated longitudinal methods and measures of brain functioning (EEG/ERP) to examine early precursors and biomarkers of risk for the development of behavior problems.

Rachel Salk, MS (University of Wisconsin-Madison).  Ms. Salk?s research concentrates on the etiology and comorbidity of depression and eating disorders. She has used longitudinal methods to examine cognitive vulnerabilities and risk trajectories related to depression and disordered eating in adolescence.

Brian Thoma, MS (University of Utah).  Mr. Thoma?s interests include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health across the lifespan, with an emphasis on risk and protective factors among LGBT adolescents and young adults. His research has examined how parents influence the health of LGBT adolescents, including HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among young gay and bisexual men.