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 has focused on identifying modifiable risk and protective factors for suicide, delineating risk among at-risk groups (e.g., adolescents and young adults, veterans, LGBTQ+), and using mobile health technologies to improve assessment and intervention approaches for suicide prevention.

Valerie Micol, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: vjfoster@umich.edu

About me: I am a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry working under the mentorship of Dr. Ewa Czyz. I received my PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan and my research focuses broadly on suicide prevention for high-risk youth and their caregivers. I've helped develop and implement adaptive and mobile interventions for this population.  Also, I have a passion for working clinically with adolescents with mood disorders, chronic suicidal ideation, and self-harm behaviors.

Shriya Anand, M.A.

Full-time Research Assistant

Email: shriyaan@umich.edu

About me: I am a recent graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University with a Masters in Clinical Psychology. My research interests focus on treatment mechanisms to optimize and personalize interventions that target transdiagnostic symptoms. I aspire to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab, I enjoy singing, playing the violin, nature walks, and art! 

Megan Chen, B.A.

Full-time Research Assistant

Email: meganche@umich.edu

About me: I recently graduated Magna Cum Laude 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 improve knowledge on the cognitive mechanisms and risk factors behind suicide and self-injury. I intend on pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab, I love figure skating, journaling, and finding new study spots!

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."