People

Professor, Department of Psychiatry
B.S., Neurobiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D., Neuroscience, University of Iowa
Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institutes of Health

Curriculum Vitae

Twitter: @talia_r_cohen

M.S., Psychology, UW-Madison; B.A., Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University

Talia (she/her) is a graduate student in the UW Clinical Psychology Program. She uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the state and impact of mental illness in carceral settings and to develop and adapt mental health treatments for this population. Throughout her work, Talia leverages the expertise of individuals with lived experience of incarceration through equitable research partnerships. She is also currently working with UW-Madison Extension and the UW Madison Law School to evaluate an entrepreneurship program by Defy Ventures for currently and formerly incarcerated people. In her free time, Talia likes to meditate, play piano, and make jewelry.

B.A., Psychology, University of Puget Sound

Mickela (they/she) is currently a PhD student in the UW Integrated Graduate Major (IGM) program. Their work focuses on prioritizing and incorporating the experiences/perspectives of individuals with lived experience of incarceration when conducting research aimed at improving mental health and reentry resources for people currently or formerly incarcerated. Based on input from those with lived experience of incarceration, they are also interested in the role that language and labels (e.g., non-person-centered language) play in perpetuating the stigma associated with incarceration, especially within published scholarly work. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her cat, Winston, and play Ultimate Frisbee.

Twitter: @KatieKeola

M.S., Psychology, UW-Madison; B.S., Psychology and Neuroscience, Virginia Tech

Katie (she/her) is a graduate student in the UW Clinical Psychology Program. Katie’s research focuses on how to create feasible, effective, and scalable mental health assessments and treatment strategies for people who are currently incarcerated. She has a particular interest in understanding the relationship among trauma and antisocial personality traits and hopes to connect her research to policy in order to integrate science and evidenced-based care into the carceral system.

B.A., Psychology, Vanderbilt University

Tatiana (she/her) is a graduate student in the UW Clinical Psychology Program. Tatiana’s research focuses on studying the need for and provision of treatment for individuals impacted by incarceration. She hopes to work closely with individuals currently and/or formerly incarcerated to best understand avenues of need and how to provide feasible, accessible, and effective support methods. She hopes to use her work to improve well-being and outcomes overall, as well as to inform and advocate for policies based on evidence and lived experience.

Twitter: @rodrikodile

M.S., Psychology, UW-Madison; B.A., Psychology, New York University

Odile (she/her) is a graduate student in the UW Clinical Psychology Program. Odile’s research centers on increasing access to and effectiveness of mental health care for individuals who are currently incarcerated. She has a particular interest in the relationship among PTSD, emotion regulation, and externalizing behavior.

B.S., Psychology and Neurobiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

B.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

As a Research Specialist in the lab, Madi assists with coordination and data collection for a prison-based project. This project examines the efficacy of group PTSD therapies for incarcerated individuals. Madi’s research interests are broad, as they include the mental health of incarcerated individuals, and incorporating evidence-based treatments into correctional facilities. She is also interested in the access to mental health treatments for this population. In her free time, she enjoys biking, taking long walks, and getting ice cream.

B.A., Psychology & Social Behavior and Criminology, Law & Society, UC Irvine

Valerie (She/Her) is leading a prison education project with the Incarceration and Mental Health Lab, a community advisory board of system-impacted individuals, Odyssey Beyond Bars, and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. This project seeks to understand students’ educational experiences, mental health, and well-being before, during, and after incarceration. Her personal research interests are interventions that help to alleviate public and self-stigma surrounding mental health, incarceration, and homelessness.