SRP 2023 Conference!
Members of the lab most recently attended the Society for Research in Psychopathology conference in St. Louis back in September. They shared findings on data from both old and new studies. Excitingly, multiple lab members presented on our Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data from our ongoing BRAINS study! They also got to see the arch!
Poster presentations!
<- The arch!!!
Bowling + karaoke night!!!
Congratulations, Dr. Patel!!! - May 2023
Our lab member Dr. Samantha Patel was recently awarded “outstanding poster presentation by a Track One Early Career Psychiatrist” for her poster titled “Impact of Social Cognition Training on Recognition of Distinct Emotions in Schizophrenia” at the Research Colloquium for Junior Psychiatrist Investigators conference in San Francisco, CA this past May. Congratulations on the award, Dr. Patel!
Congratulations, Dr. Lokey!!! - May 2023
Our graduate student, Dr. Savannah Lokey, successfully defended her dissertation titled “Examining the impact of daily life events on mood and smartphone typing patterns in bipolar I disorder” and walked at UIC’s graduation. Congratulations to Dr. Lokey and the rest of our RAs who graduated this past weekend!
In-Person Conferences are Back! (2022)
After a long period of quarantine and virtual conferencing, members of the SNaP Lab were finally able to return to in-person conferences to share their work—first right next door in Chicago at the Association for Psychological Science in May 2022, and later in Philadelphia at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in Philadelphia in September. Pics from both conferences are below!
SRP 2022 Conference
Briana, Rebecca, Kristen and Matthew presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology 2022 Meeting in Philadelphia! Briana, Matthew, and Rebecca presented posters, and Kristen gave a talk!
APS 2022 Conference
Members of the SNaP Lab team (Briana Galindo, Matthew Wronski, Rebecca Flynn, and Kristen Haut) presented posters at the Association for Psychological Science 2022 Meeting in Chicago!
SNaP Lab’s Reopening! 2021-2022
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SNaP Lab has gone through a series of changes. The lab reopened in 2021 to continue data collection for our schizophrenia study and begin data collection for a new clinical trial with bipolar participants. Between onboarding new research personnel, holding team meetings virtually, and Briana starting grad school at UIC, the lab is starting to see more and more activity. We are excited to open up again as a lab, even as we monitor the situation with COVID-19 and keep protocols in place to ensure the safety of our research staff and participants.
Sarah Pridgen Accepts New Role
July 2020
The SNaP Lab would like to announce the departure of Sarah Pridgen as she moves into a new role at RUMC as the Manager or Research Operations at the Road Home Program. Five years ago, Sarah was instrumental in getting the SNaP Lab at RUMC up and running and has since been responsible for our daily operations and an acting mentor to the many students who have come through the lab. She has been one of our clinical experts in the field of psychosis and psychosis risk, helping our participants and their families through some of their most trying times. Words cannot express how much she means to all of us, and while we are sad to see her go, we wish her the very best on her next chapter of her career.
Congratulations Sarah! We will miss you!
SNaP Lab Update
March 2020
In order to be compliant with recommendations outlined by RUMC to combat COVID-19, the SNaP Lab is temporarily closed. Our highest priority is always the healthy, safety, and happiness of our participants, staff, and students. We thank you all for your understanding and flexibility as we do our best to navigate this. We are monitoring the situation and will let you know when we are back in business!
Our thoughts and gratitude go out to incredible staff at RUMC and beyond who are working on the front lines to help everyone get through this difficult time. Stay safe and stay healthy!
This is a challenging time for all of us. There are a number of telehealth resources available during this time should you need them.
Clearwater Counseling
Phone: (312) 880-9913
Website: http://clearwatercounselingchicago.com/OPENPATH Psychotherapy Collective
Website: https://openpathcollective.org/client/
Join: Complete a brief registration for and pay a one time membership fee of $59 to join Open Path. The membership fee will allow you to work with a therapist for individual or family therapy for between $30 to $60 a session.
Engage: Once you submit your registration form and membership fee, you’ll receive an ID in your inbox and you can start scheduling appointments with a therapist.Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness
Website: https://www.sistafya.com/therapy
Phone: (312) 880-9739BetterHelp
Website: www.betterhelp.comFor more information, please contact our clinical coordinator, Sarah, at (312) 942-4657 or rushsnaplab@gmail.com.
Congratulations to Dr. Haut!
February 2020
Congratulations to Dr. Kristen Haut for receiving an ITM K- award and a Brain and Behavior Foundation NARSAD Young Investigator Award! These awards will allow Dr. Haut to develop methods for detecting changes in brain structure and function that support cognitive control of emotion in individuals with bipolar disorder. Her mentorship team for the K-award includes Dr. Christine Hooker and Dr. Konstantinos Arfanakis.
Using functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging, they will examine how the neural network used in the cognitive control of emotion is impaired in individuals with recent-onset bipolar disorder. In particular, Dr. Haut will examine the integrity of the white matter tracts that coordinate activity between the central executive network and the emotion processing network and identify key differences in these connections between individuals with bipolar disorder and individuals without mental illness. Individuals with bipolar disorder will then complete an app-based cognitive training paradigm designed specifically to improve cognitive control of emotion. Changes in neural structure and function will be measured to quantify the effects of the cognitive training on brain networks. Findings from this study will be used to develop quantifiable measures of neuroplasticity in behavioral treatments like cognitive training, providing support for targeted cognitive training and a framework for future application of advanced neuroimaging analysis to longitudinal data to evaluate treatment response.
We are so proud of you Kristen!
Happy Holidays from the SNaP Lab
December 2019
As another year comes to a close, we at the SNaP Lab would like to wish you a happy holiday season. We’ve had an exciting year and are looking forward to what 2020 will bring!
May your holidays be totally wonderful in every way.
With continued thanks,
The SNaP Lab
Pictured are Parnika Telagi, Austin Lee, Kristen Haut, Nicolas Harnisch, Saran Pridgen, and Braina Galindo at our holiday party.
We’re recruiting for our new study!
November 2019
The wait is over! The SNaP Lab has started accepting participants for our newest study for Bipolar I Disorder. This study comes along with some exciting new developments for us, including our first app-based intervention. We can’t wait for you to try it!
SRP Conference
September 2019
The Society for Research in Psychopathology conference is one of our favorite events of the year. We get to rub elbows with our research idols, get the latest news on the research in our field, and present our own research to our peers. This year we traveled to Buffalo, NY for the event.
Sarah Pridgen, Austin Lee, and Briana Galindo all presented posters and Kristen Haut gave a talk!
Happy Birthday SNaP Lab!
September 2019
This month we are celebrating our 4th birthday at Rush University Medical Center! We are celebrating with cake and reflecting back on our last four years. Since we started, we have worked with 240 individuals in the Chicagoland area. That’s almost 500 hours of evaluations, nearly 1,200 hours of scanning, and over 3,000 hours of testing! Wow!
Thank you to everyone who supports our work and our mission. We couldn’t do it without you!
Happy Pride from the SNaP Lab
June 2019
The SNaP Lab enjoys working with people from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life. From our staff to the participants we work with, we welcome everyone into our “family.” This June, we took the time to celebrate Pride Month and listen to the stories of some incredible LGBTQ+ community members.
We are appreciative to RUMC for their belief that everyone should have exceptional care in an inclusive environment with the support of staff from diverse backgrounds.
Happy Pride!
Picture are lab members Sarah Pridgen, Austin Lee, Briana Galindo, Kristen Haut, and Savannah Lokey.
Briana presents at ICSR
June 2019
Briana is pictured with her poster at the International Consortium for Schizotypy Research in New Orleans, LA. At the conference, Briana presented research about how daily stressors can affect those at clinical high risk for psychosis.
Sarah Pridgen joins Thresholds Advisory Board
June 2019
Our clinical coordinator, Sarah, recently was honored to be able to provide training to clinicians at Thresholds about identifying individuals at risk for psychosis. The two hour training helped prepare therapists to identify and appropriately evaluate their clients who may be experiencing warning signs for psychosis.
Sarah is also excited to be joining the Thresholds Advisory Board to help guide the organization’s services for young adults and act as a resource for their clinicians .
Good work, Sarah!
SNaP Lab presents at the Society of Biological Psychiatry
May 2019
Pictured are Savannah Lokey and Dr. Victor Patron Romero with their posters at the 74th annual SOBP conference in Chicago, IL. This years SNaP Lab attendees worked extra hard to analyze imaging data for their research presentations. Well done!
Rush Casino Night Year Four!
May 2019
We enjoyed another year at Rush Casino Night, an annual fundraising event put on by Rush Associates Board. This year benefited Rush Medical Center’s initiative to bring better healthcare to Chicago’s west side. Pictured are Dr. Kristen Haut, Sarah Pridgen, Dr. Christine Hooker, Savannah Lokey, Briana Galindo, and Austin Lee. Thanks for having us!
Savannah Lokey selected as NSF Graduate Research Fellow
April 2019
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
NSF Fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. These individuals are crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation's technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large.
We are over the moon excited to announce that Savannah Lokey, SNaP Lab research assistant, has been selected as a fellow! Along with the prestige of winning such a highly competitive fellowship, Savannah will receive funding for her education and research. Way to go Savannah! Your SNaP Lab family is very proud of you.
Kristen Haut wins the Cohn Fellowship!
April 2019
The Cohn Family Foundation provides grant funding to support junior faculty at Rush who act as mentees in Rush University’s Research Mentoring Program every year. The funding allows mentees to gather preliminary data for research proposals and for their continued engagement in research activities. Through a very competitive process, 6 winners were chosen this year, one being our Research Director, Dr. Kristen Haut! Congratulations Kristen!
Congrats, Nicolas!
April 2019
Nicolas Harnisch, an undergraduate research assistant, won third place for the Impact Scholar award at the UIC Research and Impact Forum! Nicholas presented a poster about his experience working at the SNaP Lab and how it affects his career development and the community.
“This experience has provided me with the opportunity to work with a unique population that is under-researched within the field of psychology. I have been able to observe clinical assessments, Targeted Cognitive Training implementation, MRI/fMRI scanning, and assist in task administration for Clinical High Risk participants. With the end goal of working in clinical psychology, this research has bolstered my knowledge in the area of psychotic symptoms and disorders. Interacting with Clinical High Risk individuals has helped provide me with a unique learning opportunity that many clinicians don’t have. I feel better prepared to practice with individuals who may find themselves in distress due to the nature and complexity of their symptoms.”
We are so proud of you Nicolas! Congratulations on this great achievement!
SNaP Lab gives back to the research community
April 2019
The Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium is one of the undergraduate research conferences in the country, bringing together hundreds of undergraduate students in the Chicagoland area from all academic disciplines to present their research. Attendees get to experience the impressive research being conducted by their peers and have the opportunity to network with other undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and representatives from industry and graduate and professional schools.
This year, lab members Briana Galindo and Sarah Pridgen spent their Saturday judging undergraduate research posters and presentations and providing feedback to help students with their research projects. Together they provided feedback to over 50 students from a variety of fields and backgrounds!
Rush University Annual Research Forum
March 2019
Briana Galindo, Sarah Pridgen, Leslie Zuniga, and Parnika Telagi are pictured with their research projects at the Research Forum at Rush University. This special research forum is a way to see what fellow Rush colleagues are working on in their labs and connect with potential collaborators. We are especially proud of Leslie Zuniga, an undergraduate research assistant, who presented her first ever poster!
Society for Research in Psychopathology
September 2018
The SNaP Lab team was excited to present their research at SRP’s annual conference in Indianapolis, IN this year. Briana Galindo, Sarah Pridgen, and Parnika Telagi all presented posters on their research. Kristen Haut gave a talk on changes in emotion processing network following social cognitive training in individuals with schizophrenia.
Farewell Abhishek!
July 2018
After two years with the SNaP Lab, Abhishek Saxena is leaving us to attend the University of Rochester in pursuit of his Clinical Psychology PhD. It's very bittersweet as Abhishek has been an integral part of the lab during his time with us but we are so PROUD of him for taking the next steps towards his goal of becoming a psychologist.
Coworkers of Abhi surprised him with a going away party complete cake and balloons.
Abhishek, we sure will miss you! Good luck in Rochester!
A big THANK YOU to our 2017-2018 Student Research Assistants
May 2018
Each year, the SNaP Lab accepts undergraduate students seeking to gain experience in research. We had a wonderful group this past year who have been instrumental in helping us achieve many goals. With their help we have enrolled over 160 participants, completed our first study, and been able to present research around the Chicagoland area!
We will be saying "see you later" to Stephanie Williams and Cecilia Siragusa as they graduate with their BA degrees and to Shakeeb Aldallal as he prepares to take his MCAT! Parnika Telagi is being promoted to the supervisor of our new batch of research assistants that will be joining us this summer.
THANK YOU for the hard work, dedication, and skills you have given the SNaP Lab over the past year. We couldn't have done it without you! We miss you already!
Rush Casino Night, Year 3!
May 2018
The Rush SNaP Lab was honored to attend our third Rush Casino Night benefiting the AARTS Center. The AARTS Center have been trailblazers in autism spectrum disorder research and treatment. We had a great time supporting and celebrating our colleagues.
Pictured are Briana Glaindo, Christine Hooker, Kristen Haut, Sarah Pridgen, Abhishek Saxena, and Cecilia Siragusa.
Congrats Stephanie!
April 2018
SNaP Lab member Stephanie Williams is pictured with her poster featuring research on a task she designed and tested herself! Her poster won an award for best in her category.
We are also pleased to share that Stephanie has accepted a research position in a lab at Yale University upon her graduation from University of Chicago with her BA in Neuroscience! We are SO proud of you Stephanie!
SNaP Lab Member presents at UIC Undergraduate Research Fair
April 2018
Cecilia Siragusa is pictured with her first research poster. She presented research on how social cognition tasks may not be the best predictor of symptoms for individuals living with schizophrenia. Well done Cecilia!
We are also proud of Cecilia as she has been accepted to a study abroad program for the Fall academic year. Have fun in Amsterdam, Cecilia! Take lots of pictures for us!
SNaP Lab presents at the Rush Research Symposium
March 2018
Research Assistant Parnika Telagi presented her very first research poster on Empathic Accuracy across different stages of illness.
Briana Galindo presented her poster on emotion regulation in schizophrenia.
Congrats Abhishek!
February 2018
The SNaP Lab is happy to announce that we have a new doctoral candidate in our midst! Abhishek has been accepted into the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Rochester. We are so proud of you Abhi!
SNaP Lab presents research at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in Denver, CO
September 2017
The SNaP Lab is back to work in the lab after traveling to Denver for the annual SRP conference. At the conference, Dr. Kristen Haut gave a talk on how social cognition training changes brain networks. Our group also presented several research posters.
Colin Iwanski and Briana Galindo are pictured with their
poster about theory of mind.
Abhishek Saxena presented his poster on emotional granularity.
Dr. Christine Hooker talks about
our research on WBEZ!
May 2017
Morning Shift talks with Dr. Christine Hooker about how her research on neuroimaging and neuroplasticity could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of mental illnesses like depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Listen to the interview here.
Welcome our newest members!
June 2017
The SNaP Lab is proud to introduce our 2107-2018 student research assistant cohort! Our student research assistants are a vital part of what helps our research lab run. From data entry to attending brain scans, our research assistants are trained to do it all! We are excited to welcome our newest cohort who has already been training hard to learn the in's and out's of clinical research.
SNaP Lab presents at the Association for Psychological Science in Boston, MA
May 2017
Lab members Dr. Kristen Haut, Sarah Pridgen, and Abhishek Saxena are pictured with their posters which they presented at APS in Boston, MA. Abhishek's poster won a research award!
Casino Night, Year Two!
May 2017
Sarah, Abhi, Christine, and Kristen are pictured at Rush's Annual Casino Night Fundraiser. Casino Night raises funds for services and research at Rush University Medical Center. Last year the SNaP Lab was the beneficiary. This year we were proud to support the new benficiary, Rush Children's Hospital.
SNaP Lab presents research at Rush's Research Symposium
March 2017
Pictured is Samantha Schoeneman with her poster at the Rush Reseach Symposium.
SNAP Lab presents at the Society for Research in Psychopathology
September 2016
Lab members Abhishek Saxena and Colin Iwanski presented on their current research at the Society for Research in Psychopathology conference in Baltimore, Maryland. During the conference, lab members got to learn about cutting edge research in the field of psychology and meet others who are doing similar research across the United States.
SNAP Lab welcomes Dr. Kristen Haut
July 2016
We are excited to introduce Dr. Kristen Haut, our new Research Director! Dr. Haut joins Rush as an instructor and future clinician. She has an impressive research and clinical background and we are so looking forward to all the expertise she will bring to the SNAP Lab!
In the News: Transforming Schizophrenia Treatment
Read more about how Dr. Christine Hooker is changing the way we approach and treat mental illness here.
Casino Night May 6th, 2016
The Rush Associates Board invites you to an unforgettable evening of live music, dancing, great food, a silent auction, the opportunity to meet Rush leadership and staff, and the gala’s signature feature: an exciting casino night. Spend the night playing blackjack, craps and roulette to benefit the work of Rush’s extraordinary people and programs.
For its ninth annual Casino Night on May 6, 2016, the Rush Associates Board is honored to support the research of Christine Hooker, PhD, the Stanley G. Harris Sr. Professor of Psychiatry at Rush. The event’s proceeds, as well as Rush Associates Board fundraising throughout the year, will benefit brain health — supporting early access to mental health services and interventions for at-risk children and adolescents — while also addressing critical research and social service needs across the Medical Center and in the community.
The event takes place at Revel Fulton Market, 1215 W. Fulton Market.
To purchase tickets click here or contact Maggie McGauley at (312) 942-6894.