Jennifer Sumner, PhD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Jennifer Sumner is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at UCLA. Her program of research lies at the intersection of the psychological and physical health consequences of trauma exposure. Dr. Sumner received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pomona College and her Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University. She completed her predoctoral internship program at the Charleston Consortium (Traumatic Stress Track) and received postdoctoral training as an Epidemiology Merit Fellow at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Prior to joining UCLA, Dr. Sumner was an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center. When not in the lab, Dr. Sumner enjoys hiking in the Los Angeles mountains, practicing yoga, and playing tennis.
Yasmin Barrientos Kofman, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
Dr. Yasmin Barrientos Kofman is a Postdoctoral Fellow on UCLA‘s T32 Program on Biobehavioral Issues in Mental and Physical Health. Before starting at UCLA and joining the Sumner Stress Lab, Dr. Kofman completed her PhD in Psychological Science at UC Irvine with specializations in Health Psychology and Quantitative Methods. Dr. Kofman’s research focuses on biobehavioral mechanisms linking trauma exposure and health, especially in women exposed to gender-based forms of violence. She is also interested in factors of personal, cultural, and community resilience that may buffer the detrimental health effects of trauma and adversity. In her spare time, Dr. Kofman loves to social dance, play volleyball, and watch scary movies.
Jordan Thomas
Graduate Student
Jordan is a doctoral student in UCLA‘s Clinical Psychology program, with research and clinical interests in clinical health psychology. Jordan is currently on internship at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Prior to UCLA, Jordan earned her BA from Connecticut College and worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. Jordan’s research focuses on the intersection of adversity and trauma exposure and sexual health among women and girls. She is interested in interventions that promote sexual and reproductive health at the individual (i.e., clinical) and population (i.e., policy) level. As a therapist, Jordan specializes in evidence-based approaches to trauma and PTSD treatment and in couples therapy. In her spare time, Jordan enjoys biking, playing tennis, and hiking with her dog June.
Corinne Meinhausen
Graduate Student
Corinne is a doctoral student in the Health Psychology program. Her research focuses on the physiological impact of trauma exposure and the biological and behavioral forces related to healthy and pathological fear learning. She is particularly interested in the ways these mechanisms can be used to develop early interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder. Corinne graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona, with a BS in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. She enjoys exploring Los Angeles with her dog, Ally.
Leah Cha
Graduate Student
Leah is a doctoral student in UCLA’s Health Psychology program. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a BS in Psychology and worked as a Research Assistant at the Center for Family Research. Leah’s research focuses on understanding the biological pathways of trauma and how environmental and societal factors affect PTSD risk. She is also interested in intergenerational transmissions of trauma. Outside of the lab, Leah enjoys crocheting and gardening.
Shiloh Cleveland
Graduate Student
Shiloh is a doctoral student in UCLA‘s Clinical Psychology program. Shiloh graduated with a Neuroscience degree from Barnard College in 2019 and worked as a Research Coordinator in the Sumner Stress Lab for four years. Shiloh’s research interests include employing dimensional models of PTSD and early life adversity in relation to health outcomes and examining resilience factors that impact posttraumatic health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, trying new restaurants around LA, and spending time with her puppy, Lola.
Tiffany Chen, BA
Lab Coordinator
Tiffany graduated from Pomona College in 2021 with a B.A. in Neuroscience. With the Sumner Stress Lab, she is excited to contribute to research delving into trauma as a multidimensional experience impacting physical and psychological outcomes. Having worked with her undergraduate campus community in the context of sexual trauma and survivorship, Tiffany hopes to bring together community and scientific knowledge surrounding what trauma-informed practices can look like. Outside of the lab, Tiffany enjoys creating art, dancing, trying new recipes, and taking the bus around LA.
Kimberly Brown, BA
Lab Coordinator
Kimberly graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests include understanding how early life adversity and traumatic experiences impact the development of adverse mental and physical health outcomes among underserved communities. Kimberly hopes to integrate her prior experience in adolescent trauma and psychosis research with the work being done at the Sumner Stress Lab. During her free time, Kimberly enjoys baking, going to Dodger games, and spending time with friends and family.
Lauren Perez, BA
Research Assistant
Lauren “Lorena” is currently a master’s student at Cal State Los Angeles, recently graduating with a degree in psychology from Cal Poly Pomona in 2022. Her research interests involve exploring the intersection between the mind and the body, with her thesis focusing on biopsychosocial correlates of traumatic stress responses. Her current fellowships with the NIH Los Angeles Basin Bridges to the Ph.D. and Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral programs have substantially contributed to her passion for clinical research. This fall, she will apply to clinical/health psychology Ph.D. programs to further examine the long-term physical impacts of trauma exposure. Outside of the lab, Lauren enjoys hiking with her dog, Chica, and exploring local coffee shops.
Amanda Gong
Research Assistant
Amanda is an undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Psychology and Sociology. Her research interests lie in how people are influenced by trauma and what some preventive interventions could reduce the undesirable effects. She also wants to find out effective treatment methods for various mental health disorders. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.
Katherine Fu
Research Assistant
Katherine is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychobiology. Her research interests lie in understanding the relationship between psychological stress, the development of physical diseases, and aging. Furthermore, she is excited to explore the applications of research to disease prevention and treatment. After graduation, she seeks to pursue an MD and provide care to individuals with neurological disorders. In her free time, she enjoys thrift shopping, going to farmer’s markets, staying active, and exploring new cuisines.
Sarah Hong
Research Assistant
Sarah is an undergraduate student at UCLA studying Psychobiology. Her research interests lie in how stress, trauma, and other psychological factors can influence ones’ physical health. She is very curious to explore the relationship between stress/trauma and the progression of aging and disease, specifically cardiovascular diseases. After graduation, she plans to attend dental school and pursue a DDS. In her free time, she enjoys watching Netflix shows, spending time with her friends and family, and snowboarding.
Tanisha Gunby
Research Assistant
Tanisha is an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Psychology. Her research interests lie in how cardiovascular events are precipitated by stress and trauma. She is also interested in how expressing oneself through creative and meditative activities can lower stress and reduce cardiac symptoms. After graduation, she aspires to continue doing research and pursue a doctoral degree. Besides research, she enjoys visual arts and crafts, journaling, taking long walks, spending time with family, and volunteering for various organizations including the Los Angeles Public Library.
Shauna Wegher
Research Assistant
Shauna graduated from UCLA in June of 2023 with her degree in Psychology. Her research interests lie in understanding how stress and exposure to adversity impact one’s physical and mental health. She is also interested in studying gender differences within trauma exposure and finding more effective treatment methods for women who have faced trauma and adversity. Shauna plans to gain more research experience and apply to graduate school so she can obtain her masters degree. In her free time, she loves to sing, go to the beach, and hang out with her friends and family.
Emily Wan
Research Assistant
Emily is an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology. Her research interests lie in understanding the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid disorders, as well as how experiences of stress and trauma may impact mental and physical health across the lifespan. She is interested in how research findings may help inform approaches to treatment. After graduation, she hopes to gain more research experience before applying to graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, running, hiking, and playing the piano.
Alumni
Aarti Patel
Research Assistant (December 2019 - March 2021)
Sumner Stress LabAnnie Jeong
Research Assistant (November 2019 - March 2021)
Sumner Stress LabKristina Reed, BA
Lab Coordinator (August 2019 - May 2021)
Sumner Stress LabAileen Hsu
Research Assistant (October 2019 - June 2021)
Sumner Stress LabJessica Nguyen
Research Assistant (December 2019 - June 2021)
Sumner Stress LabSheila Zhang
Research Assistant (March 2020 - June 2021)
Sumner Stress LabJoan Li
Research Assistant (January 2021-June 2022)
Sumner Stress LabJaifreen Bhangu
Research Assistant (February 2021-June 2022)
Sumner Stress LabSameen Mahmood
Research Assistant (February 2021-June 2022)
Sumner Stress LabDaiJa Moorehead
Research Assistant (November 2021-June 2022)
Sumner Stress LabAnusha Fatehpuria
Research Assistant (December 2020-March 2023)
Sumner Stress LabSegen Araya
Research Assistant (May 2021-June 2023)
Sumner Stress LabLauren Perlmutter
Research Assistant (November 2021-June 2023)
Sumner Stress LabDestiny Clark
Research Assistant (June 2022-June 2023)
Sumner Stress LabAkriti Ratti
Research Assistant (October 2022-June 2023)
Sumner Stress LabOur Collaborators
Hover to learn more
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UCLA School of Medicine and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
Ramin Ebrahimi, Tzung Hsiai, Kate Wolitzky-Taylor, Olujimi Ajijola
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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Karestan Koenen, Laura Kubzansky, Eric Rimm, Andrea Roberts
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Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Kate McLaughlin
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National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA
Erika Wolf
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Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
Donald Edmondson, Ian Kronish, Daichi Shimbo, Joseph Schwartz
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Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Tanja Jovanovic
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Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Vasiliki Michopoulos, Rebecca Hinrichs
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Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Jaimie Gradus, Anthony Rossellini, Sandro Galea
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Stanford University, Stanford CA
Katharine Sears Edwards
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Alexandria, VA
SCAD Alliance
