Principal Investigators
Bridget Callaghan
Principal Investigator
Bridget is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is the director of the Brain and Body Lab (BABLab), which opened in 2019. Before starting at UCLA, Bridget was a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University in New York, and completed her doctorate in Psychology and her training as a clinical psychologist at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Bridget has experience working with animal models of early adversity, as well as in behavioral, fMRI, and biological research within human populations. Born in Sydney, Bridget is a lover of the sun and beaches. When she is not in the lab, she likes to spend time with her husband Beau, and dog Vinnie, hanging out, hiking (i.e., doing bush walks) and eating food.
Jennifer Silvers
Principal Investigator
Jennifer is an Associate Professor in the Developmental and Social areas of the Psychology Department at UCLA as well as at UCLA’s Brain Research Institute. Prior to joining the faculty at UCLA, she completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. with postdoctoral training at Columbia University. Using a combination of behavioral, physiological, and neuroimaging measures, Jennifer is interested in understanding how children, adolescents, and adults regulate their emotions and how other people (friends and family) may regulate our emotional experiences as well. When she makes it outside of UCLA, she enjoys running in L.A.’s gorgeous hills, trying to get around without the assistance of Google Maps, cooking, and spending time with her husband, children, and dog.
Study Coordinators
Savannah Lopez
RISE-Up EA+ Study Coordinator
Savannah is the study coordinator for the RISE-Up EA+ project under the joint collaboration of Dr. Bridget Callaghan and Dr. Jennifer Silvers. She graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a B.S in Neuroscience and a minor in Disability Studies. During her undergraduate years, she gained valuable experience as a research assistant under Dr. Adriana Galvan and Dr. Tara Peris at the UCLA Childhood OCD, Anxiety & Tic Disorders Program. Savannah is interested in pursuing a PhD and conducting fMRI research to explore the neurobiological foundations of various mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, across diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. When she is not in the lab, Savannah enjoys spending time with her family/friends and watching movies/TV shows.
Alondra Razon
SAND Lab Manager
Alondra is the lab manager for the SAND Lab and is responsible for coordinating the multiple phases of the lab’s research studies. She graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a degree in Psychology with a Specialization in Computing and a minor in Brain & Behavioral Health. As an undergraduate, she volunteered as a research assistant at the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Lab. Alondra is interested in studying social cognition and neurobiology in developmental psychopathology through behavioral and fMRI methods and hopes to apply to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs in the future. In her free time, Alondra enjoys going to the gym, cooking, and trying out new coffee shops!
Graduate Students
Saché Coury
Graduate Student
Saché graduated from Stanford University in 2020, where she received a BA in Psychology with honors with a specialization in Neuroscience. She is broadly interested in how early life stress shapes and alters neurodevelopment and increases risk for psychopathology in youth, with a special interest in neuro-inflammatory processes. Saché’s research currently focuses on exploring neuroimmune mechanisms that may explain how exposure to early adversity increases maladaptive emotion regulation strategies that impact mental health outcomes in youth. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with my two cats (James and Roux), watching sports (mainly soccer and basketball), reading, traveling, and exploring new restaurants
Paul Savoca
Graduate Student
Paul is a Graduate Student in the Brain and Body Lab (BABLab) in the Psychology Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is interested in how early life experiences shape mental and physical well-being. His primary focus is on how interoceptive processes are altered over the course of development and following adversity. Paul graduated from Northeastern University in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. Prior to joining the BABLab, he worked as a clinical research coordinator in the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital. When not doing research, he enjoys watching soccer games, cooking, and hiking.
Grace Stohr
Graduate Student
Prior to joining the SAND Lab, Grace attended Washington University in St. Louis in 2023 where she graduated with a degree in Mathematics. She is passionate about understanding the relationship between neural development and the increasingly complex social, emotional, and cognitive demands of adolescence. In particular, she is interested in how researchers can better capture this relationship using robust mathematical and computational methods. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, cooking, and exploring LA.
Research Assistants
Chase Savela
Research Assistant
Chase is an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Psychology. He is interested in learning more about the bidirectional relationship between mental health and physical health, which he seeks to apply in research on the model of integrated mental healthcare. He is passionate about exploring ways to improve the accessibility and quality of current interventions for young people that struggle with trauma and internalizing disorders. After graduating, Chase plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab, he loves rock climbing (and coaching it), slacklining, and spending time outdoors!
Caleb Chung
Research Assistant
Caleb is a third year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Neuroscience. He is interested in learning about early risk factors associated with neurodegenerative conditions and their implications for implementing preventative care. He also seeks to further explore how certain predispositions to conditions may vary across different demographics. Following graduation from UCLA, Caleb plans to pursue a career in medicine. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, weightlifting, listening to music, and serving the community.
Gaby Aragon
Research Assistant
Gaby is an undergraduate Psychology student at UCLA, minoring in Chicana/o Studies. Gaby’s passions lie in developmental research and the impacts of early adversity on later life outcomes. Additionally, she is interested in exploring the experiences of vulnerable populations to improve social conditions. Following graduation, she plans to pursue graduate school, furthering her education in Psychology. Outside of academics, Gaby loves horror films, Formula 1, reading, and building community!
Julia Bang
Research Assistant
Julia is a second-year undergraduate student from New Jersey, majoring in Psychobiology. After graduation, she aims to pursue a career in medicine as a physician, whether along the route of psychiatry or clinical psychology. As a witness to the pervasive nature of mental illness and addiction, Julia is deeply passionate about mental health advocacy, which fuels her professional endeavors. Julia is particularly interested in the bridge between substance-abuse disorders and lifestyle medicine, as well as developmental psychology. Outside of academia, Julia loves trying new foods, rewatching old movies, and listening to r&b!
Alumni
*Elizabeth Gaines, Former SAND Lab Manager
*Brandon Parenti, Former Research Assistant
*Molly Mandelbrot, Former Research Assistant