Faculty
Marissa Gowey, Ph.D.
Dr. Gowey’s clinical research focuses on identifying modifiable factors that are associated with response to treatment for obesity. Her current projects are focused on elucidating the role of cognitive function (particularly executive function) in obesity development, maintenance, and intervention outcomes across the lifespan. Dr. Gowey’s long-term goals are to develop novel, clinically effective family-based interventions for youth with or at risk for obesity that target brain-behavior relationships to improve health and quality of life outcomes. She is particularly interested in working with underserved populations disproportionately affected by obesity. Dr. Gowey likes to travel, spend time with family/friends, walk her dogs, and be outdoors.
Staff/Personnel
Caroline Keller, MPH
Caroline is the Research Lab Manager for the REACH Lab. She completed her Master’s in Public Health, Health Behavior at UAB and her B.A. in Psychology at Bowling Green State University. She has experience working on projects evaluating aspects of behavioral weight loss treatment, experiences of weight stigma, as well as barriers and facilitators to changes in physical activity and eating behaviors. Along with these topics, her research interests include the role of executive function in the development, treatment and prevention of disordered eating among children and individuals with overweight or obesity. In her free time, Caroline enjoys exploring parks with her dog, baking, and following her hometown sports teams (Cleveland, OH)!
Pooja Nagaraj
Pooja is the Research Coordinator in the REACH lab for all of the IBD studies. She completed her Master’s in Nutrition science, Lifestyle Management, and Disease Prevention at UAB, Masters in Biotechnology and P.G Diploma in Counseling Psychology from India. She has experience in working on projects studying maternal and offspring obesity in minorities and conducting molecular biology laboratory experiments. Her research interest lies in applying scientific concepts to combat chronic public health diseases and lowering barriers to disease prevention and health promotion. During her free time, Pooja spends time with her dog, watching documentaries or exploring Birmingham.
Graduate and Professional Students
Corinne Evans, BS
Corinne is an incoming (Fall 2020) first-year student Medical Clinical Psychology doctoral student. Corinne currently attends the University of Florida and will receive her bachelor’s degree in psychology and minor in health disparities in society in May 2020. Corinne’s past research experience has been focused in several pediatric populations including asthma and sickle cell disease. Her research interests revolve around pediatric obesity and weight management interventions. Corinne is particularly interested in working with underserved populations and exploring health disparities related to pediatric weight management. In her free time, Corinne enjoys spending time in nature, dancing, and visiting the beach!
Kate Prendergast, BA
Kate is a second-year Medical Clinical Psychology doctoral student. Her research interests involve executive function as it relates to chronic illness outcomes in children, particularly in pediatric obesity and behavioral weight loss treatment. She is currently focused on inflammation as it relates to executive function deficits in children with obesity. Clinically, she is interested in Pediatric Psychology more broadly as well as quality improvement projects geared toward Spanish speakers and other disadvantaged individuals. She is currently working on her Master’s Thesis with Dr. Gowey, her primary research mentor, and she enjoys hiking, baking/cooking, traveling, and taking ballet!
Kathryn Thompson, BS
Kathryn is currently a 4th year in the Medical Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. She is a behavioral interventionist for Dr. Gowey’s healthy lifestyle interventions. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Tulsa in 2016. Clinically, Kathryn is interested in the management of chronic conditions in children. Her research interests include psychosocial determinants and disparities in pediatric chronic pain.
Undergraduate Students
Riley Hopper
Riley is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business. She is currently a member of UAB's National Society of Leadership and Success, American Psychological Association's Division 54's Society of Pediatric Psychology, and is a research assistant in the REACH lab under the supervision of Dr. Marissa Gowey. Exhilarated in her interest of clinical pediatric psychology, Riley plans to be enrolled in a master's program by Fall 2020 to further enhance her knowledge in the field.
Olivia Oh
Olivia is a junior in UAB’s undergraduate Psychology Honors Program and current research assistant in the REACH Lab.
Lab Alumni
Cooper Bailey, B.S.
Cooper worked with Dr. Gowey and the REACH Lab in 2017 during his first year in UAB’s Medical/Clinical Psychology Doctorate program. His research interests included nutrition, eating disorders, and the psychology behind body image. He graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from UAB and worked for four years in Dr. Jarred Younger’s Neuroinflammation, Pain, and Fatigue Lab prior to joining the REACH Lab. His undergraduate thesis covered the relationship between body composition and severity of fatigue symptoms.
Mary Lynch, Ph.D.
Mary worked in the lab in 2018. Her clinical and research interests lie in the relations between health behaviors and mental health in chronically ill patients. Her specific research focus is on sleep quality and the experience of internalizing symptoms in youth with recurrent and chronic pain. Mary completed her clinical internship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and is a current Clinical Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellow at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Shima Dowla, Ph.D.
Shima completed a research assistantship with Dr. Gowey and the REACH lab during 2018 and is currently an eighth year M.D./Ph.D. Candidate with the UAB Medical Scientist Training Program. Her clinical research interests focus on dietary treatment approaches for pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and childhood obesity, particularly in underserved low-income populations. Shima's long term goals involve the development and implementation of scalable, sustainable, cost-effective models for obesity prevention and treatment in childhood. Shima hopes to pursue pediatrics after completing her dual-degree program. In her spare time, she enjoys international travel, developing foreign language skills, hip hop dance, and spending time with loved ones.
Zac Moseley
Zac worked as a research assistant in the REACH Lab during 2018 and is now a senior undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Sciences with minors in Nutrition Sciences and Chemistry. He is a member of the Science and Technology Honors Program and also works for the UAB Department of Chemistry as a Teaching Assistant. Zac is part of Alpha Epsilon Delta, Active Minds, the Biomedical Sciences Student Organization, and UAB DM. He hopes to work in the healthcare field after graduation. Zac likes spending time with his twin brother/family, trying all of Birmingham’s restaurants, and UAB football games. Go Blazers!
Caitlin Horne, BS
Caitlin worked as a research assistant in the REACH lab during her senior year of undergraduate studies in 2018 and is now a first-year medical student at UAB.
Spence Whittaker
Spence worked as a research assistant in the REACH lab during the summer of 2018 while completing his undergraduate degree in psychology at Auburn University. He plans to complete a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and hopes to work with adolescents and young adults who suffer from depression and anxiety disorders.
Emily Harrison, BS
Emily worked as a research assistant in the REACH lab during the summer of 2018 and is a current second year medical student at UAB.
Arianna Siler, BS
Arianna was a research assistant in the REACH Lab from 2018-2020 while completing the Masters in Public Health program at UAB. She recently accepted a position working for the UAB Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship.