Max Elliott, Ph.D.
Curriculum Vitae | Google Scholar
Max is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His primary affiliation is with the Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research Program (CSPR). He also has a secondary affiliation with the Personality, Individual Differences, and Behavior Genetics (PIB) program. Before his current position, Max received a BS in psychology from the University of Minnesota. He then spent two years working as a research assistant in the intramural research program at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD. Afterwards, Max received a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Duke University, where he worked with Ahmad Hariri, Terrie Moffitt, and Avshalom Caspi. Max then completed his clinical internship at McLean Hospital and worked for three years as a postdoctoral fellow with Randy Buckner at Harvard University. Outside of science, Max loves to travel, explore new restaurants, and play pickup basketball.
Tyler Sassenberg, Ph.D.
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology. I received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with minors in biology and statistics from the University of Minnesota Morris. I completed my graduate training in personality psychology as well as a NIH T32 postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
My research interests are in the structural and functional organization of the brain, as well as the underlying neural mechanisms of behavioral individual differences. Specifically, I’m interested in understanding associations between personality, psychopathology, and patterns of brain organization through cybernetic and predictive processing frameworks. My past research has explored associations of traits related to higher-order cognition, including intelligence and psychosis-proneness, with brain connectivity using fMRI. In addition to research, my other hobbies include running, mountain biking, bouldering, and making art.
Sophia Moore
I am a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research Program (CSPR). I completed my BA in Cognitive Science at the University of California, Berkeley. There, I was also a research assistant in a developmental psychology lab. After graduating, I worked at Northwestern and the University of Chicago, coordinating studies of healthy aging in the oldest-old adult population. Through these experiences, I developed my research interest in brain aging trajectories and studying the factors that give rise to cognitive resilience and resistance to neuropathology. Outside of the lab, I love to run, hike, and listen to podcasts and music.
Krisha Shah
I’m a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research (CSPR) program. I completed my B.A. in Psychology with honors from Vanderbilt University in 2024, with minors in Computer Science and Data Science. Before graduate school, I worked with Drs. Sanjay Mathew and Nicholas Murphy as a scientific programmer and clinical research coordinator on trials spanning PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety.
My research focuses on individual differences in brain aging and how we can better measure it across the lifespan. I’m particularly interested in how early experiences and adversity shape brain aging and resilience, especially in vulnerable and historically understudied populations. Outside of research, I love traveling, reading, trying new restaurants, going to concerts, and spending time with my cat!
Abbegail Lovette, M. Ed.
I’m a lab manager in the Elliott Lab and the Ringwald Lab at the University of Minnesota. I completed my BA in Psychology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC in 2018, then pursued my M. Ed. in Clinical & Developmental Research in Child Studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN in 2020. Most recently, I worked as a lab manager at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Developmental Personality Neuroscience Lab with Dr. Michael Hallquist studying neural, physiological, emotional, and cognitive mechanisms of reinforcement learning and momentum mood dynamics in relation to Borderline Personality Disorder. My research interests include developmental psychopathology, individual differences, quantitative methods, and emotional, cognitive, and neural mechanisms related to day-to-day presentations of mental disorders. Outside of the lab, I enjoy crochet, ttrpgs, travel, scuba diving, and hanging out with my dog.
Hannah Clark
I am a junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Public Health. My interest in brain aging stems from my experience working as a CNA in a nursing home over the past few years. Working closely with people experiencing diseases like Alzheimer’s has given me a much deeper sense of empathy for those affected and their families. I love that research gives me the opportunity to better understand these diseases and contribute to work that could help prevent them or lessen their impact. Outside of the lab, I am a goalie on the Gopher Women’s Hockey team and love staying active by playing other sports like golf, basketball, and pickleball. I also enjoy going to concerts and trying new restaurants.
Carly Elbaum
I am an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. I am interested in Neuropsychology research, and outside of the lab, I love to go for walks with my friends!
Safia Omer
I'm a junior pursuing my B.S. in Psychology. My research interests include cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and public health. Outside of lab, I enjoy spending time with family, baking, and playing basketball.