Lab Director

Dr. Gruhn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A central theme in Dr. Gruhn’s research involves the developmental consequences of early life adversity. Specifically, she is interested in the biological and psychosocial mechanisms that compound risk for physical and mental health problems following traumatic stress. Dr. Gruhn’s current work investigates stress responses in adolescents who have experienced early life adversity, including neural and physiological activation patterns, emotion regulation (ER) efforts, and ER flexibility. The long-term goal of this work is to inform, develop, and disseminate preventive interventions for high-risk individuals.

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Malia is a full-time research assistant and serves as the Reactivity & Regulation Lab Coordinator. After earning a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Child and Adolescent Mood Program at Emory University School of Medicine for two years. In this role, she gained extensive clinical and research experience working directly with youth ages 7–18 experiencing anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD. Through this work, Malia observed that, despite different clinical diagnoses, many youth experienced similar challenges with emotion regulation and interpersonal relationships. These observations sparked her interest in understanding how environmental and relational contexts shape emotional development and contribute to vulnerability for mood and anxiety disorders. Malia plans to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology to determine how emotion-focused interventions can be optimized and better attuned to the realities of young people's lives. In her free time, Malia loves reading and indulging in good old-fashioned reality TV. 

Iseli is a master’s student in the Cognitive and Developmental Psychology in Context program at Vanderbilt University. She graduated from Cumberland University in 2024 with a B.S. in Psychology. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jenny Mason, Iseli’s undergraduate thesis explored whether feelings of learned helplessness influence conformity in college students. Iseli’s primary research interests focus on exploring how early life adversity impacts emotional, psychosocial, and neurocognitive development. She is also interested in examining how we can promote resiliency and optimize outcomes for children who have experienced trauma. In addition to the Reactivity & Regulation Lab, Iseli works as a research assistant at the Education and Brain Sciences Research Lab for the Healthy Brain and Child Development study. After graduating, she intends to pursue a doctoral degree with the goal of becoming a clinical child psychologist, professor, and researcher. Outside of research, Iseli enjoys spending time with loved ones, exploring nature, and sketching.

Michaela is a rising fourth-year undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society with a concentration in health behaviors. She is passionate about clinical research, particularly in understanding the neurobiological impacts of mental health interventions. Michaela is excited to be a part of the lab, where she can apply her research skills to explore how stress regulation impacts mental health trajectories.

She aspires to pursue an MD-PhD, specializing in psychiatry, with the goal of developing innovative, accessible mental health interventions. Outside of research, Michaela enjoys sewing, competitive Model United Nations, and exploring different international cuisines.

Aram is a rising fourth-year Neuroscience major at Belmont University with a strong passion for understanding the lasting impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. She aspires to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, combining research with clinical practice to explore how early life experiences shape the brain, behaviors, and beliefs. She is particularly interested in why individuals respond differently to the same stimuli, making her eager to contribute to this lab’s work. Aram is excited to gain hands-on research experience and expand her knowledge in a field she loves while being in this lab. Outside of research, she enjoys baking, reading, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Jeff is a rising fourth-year undergraduate at Vanderbilt University majoring in Cognitive Studies. He is passionate about exploring effective coping mechanisms for stress and promoting overall well-being among all age groups, though he has a specific interest in teens and young adults.  In the long term, he plans to pursue a PhD or PsyD to further explore these areas and hopes to contribute to the broader field of mental health care. Outside of research, Jeff enjoys making music, playing ultimate frisbee, storm chasing, and connecting with new people.

Bethlihem is a rising fourth-year at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Neuroscience. She is particularly interested in Neuropsychology and how certain stimuli affect a person’s neuro- and psychophysiological responses. Bethlihem is excited to take part in this lab work on exploring how early life experiences shape stress responses and impact long-term health as well as engaging and gaining hands-on research experience. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and swimming

Daria is a rising fourth-year undergraduate at Belmont University, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Social Justice and Chemistry. She currently is on the pre-medical track with hopes of being a neurologist in the future. Daria has a strong research background in both biochemical and clinical subjects. She is particularly interested in human behavior studies specifically related to early-life adversity and trauma.  Daria is president of Nu Rho Psi and Neuro Club at Belmont and works as a Patient Care Technician at TriStar Southern Hills as well. In her free time, she loves to roller-skate, run, read, and rock climb. 

Angela is a rising third-year undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in Communications and Medicine, Health, and Society with a concentration in health behaviors. She is particularly interested in neural activation patterns and their relationship to stress responses. Angela is excited to be a part of the lab, especially in exploring the overlaps between neurology and social psychology. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, grabbing coffee with friends, and traveling.

Dasha is a rising third-year undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University majoring in Neuroscience. She is particularly interested in research focused on the biological bases and neural mechanisms underlying criminal behavior, addiction, and psychiatric disorders. She is especially fascinated by how stress reactivity, childhood trauma, neural circuitry, and developmental factors impact decision-making, moral reasoning, mental health, and behavioral regulation, potentially increasing vulnerability to substance use and predispositions toward criminal behavior. Dasha aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of addiction recovery, mental health treatment, and forensic psychology, focusing on the biological bases of human behavior to inform evidence-based rehabilitation strategies and policy. Outside of the lab, she enjoys journaling, reading, working out, and spending time with her friends.

Linden is a rising third-year undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University majoring in Medicine, Health and Society. Within the lab, she is especially interested in how data-driven analyses of stress response patterns can help identify which individuals are most at risk following adverse experiences, and how that could lead to designing more accessible, equitable interventions. She is excited to build her research skills in a field that connects behavioral science with mental health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys going to live music events, spending time with dogs, and hot yoga.