Principal Investigator

Lisa M. McAndrew, Ph.D.

Lisa McAndrew, Ph.D., is a Clinical Health Psychologist and the lead researcher in the Behavioral Health Research Laboratory. She graduated from Rutgers University where she worked under Dr. Howard Leventhal. Dr. McAndrew joined the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at the VA NJHCS in 2008. She is a Research Scientist at the WRIISC and leads an interdisciplinary team on a number of VA and NIH funded studies seeking to improve the health of patients with complex chronic pain, Gulf War Veterans with Gulf War Illness and patients with pain and suicide risk. She joined the faculty at the University at Albany as an Assistant Professor in 2013.  The goal of Dr. McAndrew’s work is to improve the self-management of health.

ResearchID H-7035-2017
ORCID 0000-0002-1350-8773

​Dr. McAndrew's CV can be found below:

Team at the War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center

Naomi Kane, Ph.D.

Dr. Naomi Kane joined the WRIISC in 2018 as a behavioral medicine and post-deployment health fellow after completing her predoctoral internship in the Health Psychology track at the VA Ann Arbor. While on internship, Dr. Kane received specialized training in cognitive behavioral treatment for Veterans coping with chronic illness and health behavior change, and empirically supported treatments for PTSD. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University and BS in Psychology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. Her clinical interests include Veterans’ behavioral health, primary care mental health integration and Women Veteran’s mental health. Dr. Kane’s research broadly focuses on improving self-management and illness specific distress for individuals with chronic illness through evidenced-based practice and collaborative care. At the WRIISC, she will be adapting Problem Solving Therapy for Veterans with chronic pain and hopelessness. She also provides comprehensive neuropsychological assessment for Veterans with chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) as part of the integrated clinical team.
Nicole Sullivan, Ph.D. 

​Nicole Sullivan, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in the Behavioral Health Research Lab at the VANJHCS WRIISC. She joined the WRIISC in 2017 where she completed her fellowship in behavioral medicine and health psychology. Her current work focuses broadly on treatment development and evaluation for various mental and physical health conditions, with specific interests in chronic pain, Gulf War Illness, and suicide prevention. Her work is driven by an overarching aim to improve the lives of Veterans through evidence-based clinical research. Dr. Sullivan earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her B.A. in psychology from Boston College.

Fiona Graff, Psy.D.

Fiona Graff is a clinical psychologist with the Behavioral Health Research Lab at the NJ VA WRIISC. She joined the BHRL at the WRIISC in 2016, where she helps develop and test behavioral health interventions to improve quality of life for veterans with chronic symptoms. At the WRIISC, she supervises trainees, provides health and behavior assessments for veterans with airborne hazards exposure concerns, and contributes to a study on insomnia treatment for Gulf War Veterans. Through her work, Dr. Graff aims to help increase the accessibility of research and research-informed clinical practice of optimal healthcare for veterans with complex health concerns.  She has authored or co-authored publications investigating factors relevant to treatment receipt across a range of clinical populations. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Bronx VA MIRECC/Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, her doctorate at Rutgers University, and her BA in psychology at Harvard College. Out of the office, Dr. Graff enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, running, and discovering new podcasts. 

​Carmelen B. Chiusano, M.P.A.

Carmelen Chiusano has been with the NJ WRIISC since April 2014. She currently is the Study Coordinator for the Behavior Health Research Laboratory – PI: Dr. Lisa McAndrew – that focuses upon improving self-management of Veterans’ post-deployment health conditions. Previously to her coming to the WRIISC, she worked as a Business Specialist and Program Coordinator at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University and at UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Carmelen received her Masters in Public Administration from NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Bachelors of Arts from Smith College.

David R. Litke, Ph.D.

Dr. Litke is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology and clinical research. His work has focused on the assessment, treatment and research of cognitive and emotional difficulties resulting from injury and illness. His current work includes using his expertise in problem-solving interventions for individuals  with traumatic brain injury and adapting it for use with the population of Gulf War Veterans with post-deployment physical and cognitive symptoms.

Students at the University at Albany, SUNY 

Justin M. Kimber, M.A.

Justin is from Syracuse, New York and is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program. He earned his B.S. and M.A. in Psychology from the University at Buffalo. His interests in health psychology and behavioral medicine were heavily influenced by his graduate assistantship at the Behavioral Medicine Clinic in Buffalo. This experience played a formative role in building specific research interests on how individual perceptions of self-reported health can impact psychosocial variables and outcomes. His research to date has examined the relationship between stressful life events at the onset of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), patient-physician diagnosis concordance in IBS, and anxiety and substance use in college students. During graduate school he aspires to better understand changes in psychosocial variables among veterans who have unexplained illnesses. Outside of research, he enjoys cooking, working out, keeping up with Syracuse basketball and the Buffalo Bills, and exploring local events!

Austin C. Eklund, Ed.M., M.A.

​Austin is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program. He earned a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Florida and Ed.M. and M.A. degrees in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. As a research assistant at NYU Steinhardt and at Columbia, he narrowed his interests to the nexus of applied psychology and public health, specifically psychosexual wellness for queer populations. His recent work examines the role of intersectional identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, SES) in predicting mental and sexual health outcomes for men who have sex with men (MSM), with an emphasis on HIV and STI risk. For three years before beginning his Ph.D., Austin practiced psychotherapy with marginalized populations in New York City in a diverse range of settings. He has a long history of social justice advocacy for sexual minority populations and is extensively published in peer-reviewed journals. He will be presenting his work at multiple national conferences in 2019

Margeaux Cannon, B.A.

Margeaux is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at UAlbany. She attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and double majored in Exercise Science and Psychology. After graduating in May of 2014, she worked at the University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Center in Philadelphia. There, she worked for three years as a project manager on Penn's Resilience Programs, which help the US Army, schools, and businesses build their resilience, well-being and optimism. She is excited to be pursuing her doctoral degree and getting experience as a course instructor, clinician, and researcher. Her research thus far has included secondhand effects of illicit drug use, opioid misuse among patients with chronic pain, and mental illness beliefs. In the future she plans to focus her research efforts on behavior change and opioid abuse among young adults. In her free time she likes to play volleyball, rock climb, and snuggle her rescue dog, Tilly. 

Alexandria (Alye) Brunkow, B.S.

Alye is a third-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program.  She was born and raised in Wisconsin where she earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Her undergraduate research focused on job security and safety climate.  She is passionate about learning, scholarship, social justice, and dogs of any shape or size.  Broadly, her research interests include suicide prevention.  She is specifically interested in how experiences of trauma (war related trauma, loss of limb, hearing, vision, or speech, interpersonal trauma, and traumatic brain injury) put one at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.  She is currently working on several projects examining behavioral treatment options for patients who have chronic pain.  She hopes to present her work at multiple national conferences in 2019. 

Phoebe Long, B.A.

​Phoebe is a third-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program.  She earned her B.A. from Duke University in 2015, double majoring in Psychology and Public Policy.  After college, she worked for a few years for a market research firm in Washington, D.C. She is passionate about reading, all things pop culture, and travel.  Her research interests include social determinants in health psychology, career decision making processes, and studying the link the between social media and negative self-esteem. 

Darren Winograd, M.A.

​Darren is a second-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program. He earned is B.A. in Psychology and his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from California State University, Northridge. Beyond research and practice, he is passionate about photography and nature, especially wildlife and conservation. He is driven to pursue research involving vulnerable populations in the context of the intersection between mental and physical health. He hopes to further evaluate the degree to which mental and physical health interact to influence greater quality of life and life satisfaction among those with chronic medical symptoms. 

Mikhaela McFarlin, B.A.

Mikhaela is a first-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program. She was raised in Connecticut where she earned her B.A. in Psychology from Western Connecticut State University. During college, her research focused on the visual and cognitive processes of spatial reasoning and mental rotation. Her current research interests include examining the impact of chronic pain on sexual assault survivors, military sexual trauma, sexual health, and health psychology broadly. She is also passionate about music, reading, art, and history. She is super excited to be part of the Behavioral Health Research lab.  

Sarah Crosky, B.A.

Sarah is a first-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at UAlbany. She attended Brown University where she concentrated in Human Biology with focus on Brain and Behavior. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant on a maternal depression study at the Brown Center for Children and later moved to Chile to teach English. Upon return to the U.S., she became a certified medical interpreter for Spanish and currently teaches Spanish to medical professionals. Her present research interests include patient-provider communication, health and mental health disparities, and the relationship between mental and physical health. Sarah is excited to unite her many interests in teaching, counseling and research on this professional journey. Her other passions include backpacking, art, and keeping her house plants alive.​

ALUMNUS

Lauren M. Greenberg, Ph.D.

Lauren M. Greenberg, Ph.D. joined the WRIISC at the VANJHCS in 2015 as a clinical health psychology postdoctoral fellow after graduating from Drexel University where she trained under the mentorship of Arthur M. Nezu, PH.D., ABPP and Christine Maguth Nezu, Ph.D., ABPP, co-developers of Problem Solving Therapy (PST). She completed her predoctoral internship in Behavioral Medicine at VA Palo Alto. The overarching goal of her work is to improve the lives of those suffering with chronic health conditions through the development and implementation of patient-centered, evidence-based interventions.

Sarah D. Slotkin, M.A.

Sarah is a sixth year doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology program, currently on internship at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She earned her B.A. in Psychology at Denison University and her M.A. in Psychology at New York University. Her research interests lie in understanding the intersection of physical and mental health care, and the implications of this relationship for improving treatment adherence and outcomes. Her dissertation research investigates mental healthcare providers' communication with clients regarding their illness beliefs, and its relationship to therapy process and outcome variables. Sarah has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including a residential weight loss program for young women, an outpatient community health clinic, a university career counseling center, and a VA hospital. Across all research and clinical experiences, social justice and equitable access to care are at the heart of her work.

Kieran J. Maestro, M.S.

Kieran is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University at Albany, SUNY, currently away on internship at the Washington, D.C. Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. He was awarded a B.A. in Art History from Nazareth College of Rochester and a M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from the University at Albany, SUNY.  Broadly, his research interests center in how health practitioners attend to their patients’ understandings about and management of their health conditions, particularly preventable illnesses, including those in the context of oral health.  Kieran describes his approach to the practice of Health Psychology as cognitive-behavioral but largely pluralistic and integrative, driven by positivity, egalitarianism and collaboration with the client.  To date, he has applied this approach to working with patients managing various health conditions, including HIV, cancer, sleep disturbance, obesity, tobacco cessation, oral illness, and cognitive impairment.  Outside of his research and clinical interests, he enjoys cooking, the yarn-arts, and a good podcast on the occasional road trip.