People

Ewa K. Czyz, Ph.D.

Co-Director, mHail Lab

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Email: ewac@med.umich.edu

About me: The University of Michigan has been my long-term professional home. I obtained a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan under the mentorship of Dr. Cheryl King, a leading expert in youth suicide prevention and Director of the Youth and Young Adult Depression and Suicide Prevention (YDSP) program. I subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry, funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. These opportunities solidified my professional path and led to a program of research in the suicide prevention area. My work includes a focus on intervention development for adolescents and adults, with a particular emphasis on applying personalized approaches (adaptive interventions) and integration of technology to augment suicide-specific interventions. My research has also centered on improving short-term prediction of suicide risk via mobile assessments (ecological momentary assessments, daily diaries) and passive sensing, including studying the clinical utility of decision algorithms stemming from intensive longitudinal data.

Adam G. Horwitz, Ph.D.

Co-Director, mHail Lab

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Email: ahor@med.umich.edu

About me: I was born and raised in SE Michigan and applied to only one school — the University of Michigan. As a Junior, I began volunteering with the Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention (YDSP) program led by Dr. Cheryl King. Not long after, I joined my mHail Co-Director, Ewa Czyz, in the UM Clinical Psychology PhD program, where we worked together as grad students under the mentorship of Dr. King in the YDSP program. Following a brief and meaningful stint in Chicago for a clinical internship at the Hines VA Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship with the Road Home Program for Veterans and their Families at Rush University Medical Center, I returned home to the University of Michigan for a faculty position in 2018. My research is focused on developing and evaluating interventions that incorporate technology (e.g., wearables, mobile apps, texting) to increase accessibility, often incorporating adaptive methods (e.g., MRTs, SMARTs, JITAIs), with an emphasis on depression, PTSD, & suicide risk.

Valerie Micol, Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

Email: vjfoster@umich.edu

About me: I am a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan. I began working with Ewa Czyz when she was a post-doc and I was in graduate school! Our collaboration led me to complete a postdoctoral fellowship under her mentorship in the Department of Psychiatry and have since transitioned to a faculty position. I have a passion for working clinically with adolescents with mood and anxiety disorders, chronic suicidal ideation, and self-harm behaviors. I am excited to continue my ongoing suicide prevention research collaborations with mHail. I have a particular interest in the development and implementation of supportive interventions for caregivers of high risk youth including adaptive and mobile interventions for this population. 

Megan Chen, B.A.

Clinical Research Assistant

Email: meganche@med.umich.edu

About me: I received my B.A. from New York University's College of Arts and Science, where I studied Psychology and Economics. Before joining mHail, I completed an honors thesis with Dr. Lawrence Ian Reed, studying cognitive biases in depression. Broadly, I am interested in using computational clinical science and novel technologies to measure how suicidal and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors unfold in real time. My interests also extend to psychometric theory, with a focus on advancing the rigor with which we measure, characterize, and describe suicidal thoughts and related constructs. I intend to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab, I love figure skating, journaling, and finding the world's best matcha latte!

Samantha Luckett, B.S.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Email: salucket@umich.edu

About me: I received my B.S. from the University of Michigan-Flint, where I studied Psychology and Criminal Justice. I am currently working towards my Master's in Clinical Psychology. My past experience in research has centered on violence prevention and substance use, particularly among adolescents and young adults. I'm excited to contribute to the ongoing suicide prevention research with mHail. In my free time, I enjoy reading, crafting, and spending time with friends and family.

Jolie Schreiber 

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: jolierae@umich.edu

About me: I am a fourth-year student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Law, Justice, and Social Change. I have special interests in clinical, social, and forensic psychology, and am particularly interested in working with patients who are involved in the criminal justice system. After undergrad, I plan to pursue a clinical psychology PhD, with an intermediary post-bacc period. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, cooking, and playing my guitar!

Nicole Kaufman

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: nkauf@umich.edu

About me: I’m a fourth-year student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science on the Decision & Cognition track. Overall, I am interested in clinical psychology and improving mental health outcomes, and I hope to continue exploring this field post-grad. I am particularly passionate about the role that our emotions play in our decision-making and, in turn, how those decisions can impact our well-being. In my free time, I love visiting new places, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, and going on nature walks!

Emily Mandziuk

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: emandz@umich.edu

About me: I am a fourth-year student at the University of Michigan studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Linguistics. I have a special interest in neuropsychology and Autism studies. After undergrad, I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and later become a Neuropsychologist. In my free time, I enjoy running, listening to music, reading, and playing hockey!

Shriya Anand, M.A.

Current Position: Lab Manager, Stanford University

mHail Role (2024-2026): Full-time Research Assistant

Kaitlyn McCarthy, M.S.

Current Position: Doctoral Student, Saint Louis University

Email: kaitlyn.mccarthy@health.slu.edu

mHail Role (2023-2024): Full-time Research Assistant

"Working as part of the mHail and YDSP labs allowed me gain so much knowledge and experience in a breadth of areas. The opportunities to collaborate within the lab and with lab affiliates were invaluable! I am so thankful to my supervisors Dr. Adam Horwitz and Dr. Ewa Czyz, and the larger mHail lab for helping me advance as a researcher and reach new milestones. They care not only about the 'researcher-you' but you as an individual as well."

Nadia Al-Dajani, Ph.D.

Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Louisville, Department of Psychology

Email: nadia.aldajani@louisville.edu

mHail Role (2021-2023): Postdoctoral Fellow

"My postdoc years are some of the best I can think of in my career! The mHail and YDSP team were the perfect mix of incredibly knowledgeable and resourceful along with kind, patient, and generous as I learned the ropes. I can't say enough good things!" 

Shane Kentopp, Ph.D.

Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center

Email: skentopp@kumc.edu

mHail Role (2022-2023): Postdoctoral Fellow

Amanda Jiang, B.A.

Current Position: Doctoral Student, University of Louisville

Email: amanda.jiang@louisville.edu

mHail Role (2021-2023): Full-time Research Assistant

"I am extremely grateful to have been a part of the mHail Lab. What I loved most was the collaborative nature of our work. I learned so much from researchers who are incredibly passionate about suicide prevention and contributed to projects that can move the field forward. Back as an RA, I worked very closely with Dr. Ewa Czyz. To this day, I still regard her as my mentor, someone who made a huge impact on my professional endeavor and was the first person to give me a voice in suicide prevention research."