Who We Are

Rajita Sinha, Ph.D. is the Foundations Fund Endowed Professor in Psychiatry, and Professor in Neuroscience and in Child Study at the Yale University School of Medicine. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuroscientist, Deputy Chair of Psychiatry for Psychology and Chief of the Psychology Section in Psychiatry. She is the founding director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Stress Center that focuses on understanding the neurobiology and psychology of stress, trauma and resilient versus vulnerable biobehavioral coping mechanisms that promote neuropsychiatric diseases such as alcohol use disorders, substance use disorders, chronic pain, PTSD and other chronic diseases. She has developed novel stress, pain and craving provocation paradigms to understand mechanisms that drive these states and related pathologies and their impact on clinical addiction outcomes in alcohol use disorder, substance use disorders and related conditions. Her lab also develops and tests novel pharmacologic and integrative behavioral approaches to address chronic stress and addiction relapse risk to improve addiction treatment outcomes. These objectives are being accomplished through a series of NIH funded research projects and she has published widely on these topics. She is the 2020 recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism's Distinguished Researcher Award, and the 2020 recipient of the James Tharpe Award for outstanding contributions to Addiction Research. She has served on many NIH special emphasis panels, review committees and workshops, presented at numerous national and international conferences, and her work is widely cited.

Ania M. Jastreboff, MD, PhD is the Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Jastreboff is a physician-scientist, endocrinologist, and international thought leader in the scientific development and clinical application of novel anti-obesity pharmacotherapeutics revolutionizing obesity treatment. As founding director of the Yale Obesity Research Center (Y-Weight), she is leading and shaping pivotal landmark studies of dual- and triple-receptor hormone agonists and NIH-funded studies investigating the physiology of obesity. She has served as lead investigator and author for trials investigating novel nutrient-stimulated hormone (NuSH)-based therapies for obesity including dual hormone receptor agonist, tirzepatide, a GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist (Jastreboff, et al., NEJM, 2022 and NEJM, 2024), triple hormone receptor agonist, retatrutide, a GIP/GLP-1/Glucagon receptor agonist (Jastreboff, et al., NEJM, 2023), and a monthly monoclonal antibody peptide conjugate, maridebart cafraglutide, a GIP receptor antagonist GLP-1 receptor agonist (Jastreboff, et, al., NEJM, 2025). Trained in both adult endocrinology and pediatric endocrinology, and attaining board certification in five specialties (endocrinology, pediatric endocrinology, obesity medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics), she has helped to develop Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, served on the Board of Governance for The Obesity Society (TOS), and as a director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, and serves as co-director of the Yale Center for Weight Management, where she sees patients. She is a highly sought after speaker, teaching internationally, nationally, and locally. She is a compassionate advocate for patients with obesity, from grass-roots patient groups to interviews with Ms. Oprah Winfrey. She is also an author – Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It’s Like to Be Free – Ania M. Jastreboff, MD, PhD and Oprah Winfrey. Videos of Dr. Jastreboff speaking with Ms. Oprah Winfrey about obesity (YouTube podcast) The Truth about Obesity (posted Jan-14-2025)How People Treat You After Weight Loss (posted Jan-21-2025)What Exactly is Obesity? (posted May-10-2024) Videos of Dr. Jastreboff and colleagues from the NEJM about: - What causes obesity: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/... - Supporting patients with obesity: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/... - Medications and surgery for obesity treatment: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/...Video of Dr. Jastreboff speaking at the Lincoln Center about the biology of obesity and anti-obesity medications for the Yale For Humanity Illuminated event (NYC - January 2025) Yale video with Dr. Jastreboff about anti-obesity medications and the biology of obesity. Clinically, Dr. Jastreboff specializes in sophisticated use of anti-obesity medication combinations to help patients reach their weight and health goals. Recent misinformation has been circulating online regarding a so-called "pink salt trick" for weight loss. It is not medically supported, and it has no connection to Dr. Ania Jastreboff or Yale. Videos of Dr. Jastreboff purporting to endorse this product are fraudulent and have been AI generated.

Dr. Fogelman is an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale Stress Center where she completed her Post Doctoral training. She earned her PhD in Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University, SUNY with an advanced certificate in Quantitative Methods. Her research examines the relationships between stress, substance abuse, and clinically relevant health markers.

Dr. Goldfarb is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology and member of the Wu Tsai Institute. She completed her PhD in Psychology: Cognition & Perception with Dr. Elizabeth Phelps at New York University and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Psychiatry with Dr. Rajita Sinha at Yale. Her research investigates different forms of learning and memory, how stress changes which parts of our experiences we remember, and the impact of memory on later behavior.

Joseph Guarnaccia, MD, is a board-certified neurologist in practice for more than 30 years, having completed his residency at the Yale School of Medicine, Department of Neurology in 1993. He was Assistant Professor and Director of the Yale Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Program at Yale until 2000 when he left to establish two multiple sclerosis treatment centers in Derby, CT and Warwick, RI, which he continues to operate. Dr. Guarnaccia has collaborated with the Yale Stress Center on multiple projects including assessing the effects of mindfulness meditation to address insomnia in patients with multiple sclerosis, testing and development of cannabis compounds in the treatment of chronic pain in patients with and without multiple sclerosis, as well as those with opioid prescription use and misuse. He has also worked on Stress Center Studies involving several experimental and clinical outcomes such as stress biological effects on food reward, alcohol and drug craving, and in clinical trials of alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder treatments.

Zach Harvanek is an Assistant Professor and a board-certified Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist. He completed his MD and PhD at the University of Michigan, studying the neurobiological mechanisms through which stress impacts the aging process. He trained at Yale for his Psychiatry residency and his fellowship, and worked with Drs. Rajita Sinha and Ke Xu to analyze how adversity and psychological resilience are related to epigenetic aging. His current work focuses on relationships between mental health and long-term physical outcomes, including obesity, metabolic health and aging.

Dr. Milivojevic received her PhD training in Neuroscience at the Alcohol Research Center at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Her research interests include sex-specific targets of the stress system and sex hormone-derived neuroactive steroids as novel treatments for substance use disorders.

Dr. Milena Radoman is a neuroscientist whose work focuses on substance misuse and its co-occurrence with psychiatric and physical conditions, particularly chronic pain. Her current research uses behavioral, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to examine how the brain’s response to uncertainty links negative affect, alcohol use disorder, and pain. Dr. Radoman earned her B.A. in Neuroscience from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Yale Stress Center under the mentorship of Dr. Rajita Sinha, and in 2025 was awarded the prestigious NIH/NIAAA Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) to establish her independent research program focused on alcohol use disorder and chronic pain. Her work has been published in leading journals including American Journal of Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and Addiction Biology, and she has delivered invited talks at national and international conferences.

Dr. Seo received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus in 2008. She is interested in conducting interdisciplinary research to understand the etiology of stress-related clinical disorders and facilitate the development of effective treatment strategies for stress-related diseases.

Dr. Wemm is a Associate Research Scientist at the Yale Stress Center. She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY and her predoctoral internship at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her research investigates how stress impacts substance and behavioral addictions using both laboratory and naturalistic methods.

Dr. Xu is a Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and holds a position as Staff Psychiatrist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Her research is dedicated to exploring the complex interactions between stress and the epigenome, aiming to uncover how these interactions contribute to the development of stress-related symptoms and disorders such as substance use. This important work has led Dr. Xu to investigate a broad spectrum of behavioral and medical conditions in diverse populations. Dr. Xu is engaged in the field of social epigenomics that helps us understanding the biological underpinnings of the effects of social environments on health.

Meet Rachel Irizarry, a dedicated Registered Nurse with over 18 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Holding both a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and a Bachelor's in Psychology, Rachel brings a unique blend of medical expertise and understanding of human behavior to our stress center. Beyond the bedside, Rachel is passionate about driving positive change in healthcare through research, with a particular interest in enhancing quality of life for patients.

Raised in Madison, CT. Alex has enjoyed her previous work experiences in the emergency department, child psychology, geriatrics, dementia, and home infusion therapy. She enjoys volunteering within her community. Although new to research, she is excited to be a part of the fantastic team at the Yale Stress Center!

Priya is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate with a strong interest in research to explore integration of psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions to improve mental health outcomes. Over the past five years, she has worked in a variety of treatment settings as a psychotherapist, providing both individual and group therapy. In addition to her clinical work, Priya has contributed to research exploring the role of genetics in mental health, translating complex mental health experiences into data-driven insights. At the Yale Stress Center, Priya aims to deepen her understanding of how therapeutic approaches and medication can work in tandem to support individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys live music, hiking and painting.

Ms Hart has been working in the substance abuse field for over 30 years and is a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor with a Masters Degree in Counseling. For the past 26 years she has conducted clinical research in addiction at the School of Medicine with various principal investigators.

Celine graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA degree in Psychology and a minor in Early Development & Learning Science. Celine has served as a research assistant and/or project manager in various multifaceted research projects, including fMRI and EEG studies. Additionally, she managed the NSF NRT PhD training program "TRANSCEND" at the University of Connecticut under the supervision of Dr. Fumiko Hoeft & Dr. Nicole Landi from 2022 to 2024, where she was involved in post-award grant management.

Originally from Richmond Va, Jen graduated from Old Dominion University in 2021 earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Addiction Prevention and Treatment. She is currently a postgraduate research associate at the Yale Stress Center and plans to pursue a career as a licensed professional counselor, specializing in alcohol and drug counseling.

Jacqueline graduated with honors from UC Berkeley with a BA in Psychology after transferring from Las Positas College. At Berkeley, she supported a pilot clinical trial of a neuroaffective cognitive remediation intervention targeting emotion-related impulsivity and rumination. Her roles included administering and managing ecological momentary assessment (EMA), conducting lab-based assessments, and delivering an 8 week intervention as a coach. Jacqueline is especially interested in the brain body connection and how the biopsychosocial stress framework relates to chronic illness and mental health.

Huaze received his B.S. in Psychology and Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego, and his M.S. in Health Informatics from Yale University. As an undergraduate, he investigated circadian rhythm entrainment in animal model and gene expression differences in individuals with anorexia nervosa. During his Master’s training, Huaze studied how pregnenolone influences physiological responses to stress and drug cues in substance use disorders, and examined its bioavailability with repeated dosing. Currently, as a postgraduate associate, Huaze studies structural and functional brain differences in alcohol use disorders and binge drinking through neuroimaging data analysis using both traditional and machine learning methods. In his free time, Huaze enjoys running, playing video games, and taking road trips.

Alija graduated with a B.S.A in Neuroscience from the University of Texas in Austin. As an undergraduate, she was engaged in research regarding culturally-tailored diabetes health education in African Americans in the greater Austin area. There, she engaged in research on the role of resilience and other factors in diabetes health outcomes. Alongside this, she was involved in leadership for mental health and creative writing organizations on campus. She has developed a passion for psychiatric medicine, particularly in marginalized communities, and hopes to take this with her on her journey to pursue medical school. In her free time she enjoys listening to music, literature, and thrifting and trying new cuisines.

Raised in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Riley graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a student athlete with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in anthropology. As an undergraduate research assistant, Riley investigated the behavioral and neural mechanisms contributing to substance use disorders (SUDs) while using tools such as behavioral modification, electroencephalography (EEG), and noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS). She hopes to further explore these mechanisms and test novel SUD treatments in a clinical psychology PhD program. In her free time, Riley likes to play soccer, paint, sew, go to antique/thrift stores, eat good food, and pet her dogs.

Raised in Woodbridge, Connecticut, Adaiah Stevens graduated from Wake Forest University where she received a B.S in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. In undergrad Adaiah was engaged with two primary research projects: The characterization of the CB1 receptor as a target of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using Diphenyl Piperidine analogs, and the investigation of the drug-target interactions of the antimalarial drug Artemisinin. Having been intently engaged in the Winston-Salem, NC community through volunteer efforts at mobile health clinics, Adaiah is passionate about improving health outcomes in underserved communities and looks to use this passion to fuel her pursuit of Medical School. Adaiah loves cooking, working out, spending time with family and playing the piano.

Originally from Snellville, Georgia, Justin Shields earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, majoring in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Gender Studies. As an undergraduate, Justin conducted research at the intersection of health and social psychology, exploring how cognitive dissonance can be leveraged to change attitudes and behaviors. For his senior thesis, he developed a dissonance-based intervention aimed at reducing anti-fat bias among premedical students. Currently, his research focuses on marginalized youth and suicidality, and he aspires to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. Outside of work, Justin enjoys spending time with his cat and visiting national parks.

Anjali graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Psychology, double minors in Health & Society and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and a Certificate in Women’s Leadership. She spent the past three years as a research assistant in The Hamilton Lab, where she investigated how social media, sleep, violence, and identity-based stress contribute to suicide risk and resilience among adolescents. Her work focused on identifying risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation, especially in sexual and gender minority youth. Driven by her passion for prevention science and clinical research, Anjali plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to continue addressing suicide risk, mental health disparities, and developing culturally responsive interventions among adolescents. Outside of academia, she enjoys thrifting, reading thrillers and memoirs, exploring new coffee shops and food spots, cooking, and listening to music.