The MHAL Team
Amy Fiske, Ph.D.
Dr. Fiske is interested in the etiology of depression and suicidal behavior in late life and the implications for prevention. One focus is the interface between cognitive impairment and late-onset depression and suicide. Another emphasis is on the role of physical illness in depression and suicide among older adults.
Erika Fenstermacher, M.A.
Erika is primarily interested in depression and suicide in late life. In particular, she's interested in risk and protective factors among older adults, such as functional limitations, health problems, and social support. She is also interested in caregiver burden and how that may contribute to mental health outcomes.
Montgomery Owsiany, M.S.
Montgomery is broadly interested in depression and suicide in adults, with a particular emphasis on older adults. Specifically, he is interested in masculine depression, age and gender differences in its symptom presentation, and how it may be associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. He is also interested in investigating the association between anger and suicidal ideation and behavior.
Catherine Ju
Catherine is interested in factors that lead to depression and suicidal ideation in older adulthood. She is especially interested in how sense of purpose, independence, and value placed on autonomy may relate to suicide risk in late life. Additionally, Catherine has explored how ethnic identity and intergenerational relationships may be connected with one another and is interested in learning how diverse identities may influence late life experiences.
Sabine Lohmar, M.S.
Sabine is interested in studying the onset of mental illness in late life as it relates to the development of chronic illness and neurodegenerative diseases. Her clinical interests include working with caregivers and older adults who are living with chronic illnesses (e.g., multiple sclerosis), neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's; Parkinson's), or are experiencing some form of loss (e.g., grief). Her research and clinical interests generally inform one another and can be more broadly explained as an interest in older adults' adjustments to late life challenges including, but not limited to, the onset of chronic illness, cognitive decline, loss of loved ones, and a general loss of independence.
Jeongwi An, M.A.
Jeongwi An is interested in interdisciplinary approaches to chronic illness, anxiety, fear, insomnia, and cognitive bias. She is particularly interested in interpretation bias in patients with chronic pain and its relations with pain-related variables (e.g., pain intensity, depression, and avoidance behavior). She is also interested in administering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) across various populations.