Kate Walsh, PhD (she/her), Professor & H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellow
Dr. Kate Walsh is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor in the Psychology (Clinical Area Group) and Gender & Women’s Studies departments. She is director of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, a multidisciplinary collective of faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Better Tomorrow Network, a research collective of forensic nursing sites throughout the United States. She runs the Preventing Interpersonal Violence and Overcoming Trauma (PIVOT) Lab, which studies the prevention of and response to sexual violence.
Email: klwalsh2@wisc.edu
Links: CV | Faculty Page | Google Scholar | Twitter
Graduate Students
Stephanie B. Ward
Stephanie (she/her/hers) is sixth-year PhD student in the clinical psychology program studying the intersections of sexual behavior, substance use, and psychopathology. Her research examines risk factors for and outcomes of sexual violence, with a particular interest in the processes that underlie sexual assault perpetration involving alcohol or other drugs. Before joining the PIVOT Lab, Stephanie received a BA in Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 2017 and spent two years as a post-bacc researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She has since received her en-route MS in Psychology here at UW-Madison.
Email: sbward@wisc.edu
Padideh Hassanpour
Padideh (she/her/hers) is a fifth-year PhD student in the clinical psychology program. Her interests center on understanding the emotional outcomes of sexual victimization (e.g., shame), their role in the development of psychopathology (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder), and how trauma-informed interventions can be strengthened and tailored for survivors with marginalized identities. Prior to joining the PIVOT Lab, Padideh received a BA in Gender Studies from the University of Toronto in 2016, and an MPhil in Criminology from the University of Cambridge in 2018.
Email: padideh.hassanpour@wisc.edu
Jamie Jiwon Lee
Jamie (she/her/hers) is a second-year PhD student in the clinical psychology program. She is interested in examining i) risk factors for and outcomes of sexual violence, ii) trauma and PTSD interventions for minority populations, and iii) novel dissemination and implementation efforts to address stigma. Before joining the PIVOT Lab, Jamie completed her BS in Life Sciences at Queen’s University (2020) and MA in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University (2022) and worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania.
Email: lee2432@wisc.edu
Research Assistants
Judie Zhang
Judie (she/her/hers) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology with a certificate in East Asian Studies. She is interested in how compassion-focused therapy and mindfulness interventions can be used to heal trauma. After completing her undergraduate studies, Judie plans to pursue a PhD in counseling psychology, with a focus on mindfulness and therapeutic practices. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature and engaging in outdoor activities.
Email: zzhang2693@wisc.edu
Hunter Haines
Hunter (she/her/hers) is a senior double majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology. She is passionate about studying various treatments that can be used to help people heal from trauma and improving the quality of life for people struggling with chronic mental illness. After graduation, Hunter plans to pursue medical school and become a psychiatrist.
Email: hkhaines@wisc.edu
Lauren Karas
Lauren (she/her/hers) is a junior studying Psychology with a certificate in Gender & Women’s Studies. She is passionate about researching how experiences of sexual violence and victimization can contribute to substance abuse and eating disorders, and wants to focus on developing targeted treatments and prevention strategies for these issues. Lauren plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and ultimately open a private practice for individual treatment.
Email: lkaras@wisc.edu
Kate Winter
Kate (she/her/hers) is a junior majoring in Psychology (honors) with a certificate in Disability Rights and Services. She is passionate about trauma psychology and abnormal psychology, with a strong interest in understanding and developing evidence-based methods to support healing and recovery. She aspires to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology, where she can contribute to research that advances therapeutic approaches for individuals affected by trauma. Kate’s goal is to combine scientific inquiry with compassionate care to improve mental health outcomes and foster resilience in diverse populations.
Email: kawinter2@wisc.edu
Victoria Leifel
Victoria (she/her/hers) is a senior majoring in Psychology. She is interested in learning more about the psychology of women and how it differs from men. She plans to pursue a PsyD in clinical psychology where she can focus on helping women and expanding understanding in how their psychology is different. In her free time she enjoys crocheting and spending time with her friends.
Email: leifel@wisc.edu
Olivia Nicole Chew
Olivia (she/her/hers) is a sophomore majoring in Neurobiology and working on a certificate in Genetics in the Modern World. She is interested in how the brain processes trauma, particularly the cognitive and behavioral responses that follow. Olivia is passionate about understanding the neurological underpinnings of trauma and how they influence mental health outcomes. She hopes to contribute to research that leads to more effective and accessible treatment options for individuals affected by trauma-related disorders.
Email: onchew@wisc.edu
Lauryn Thomas
Lauryn is a junior, double majoring in Neurobiology and Gender and Women’s Studies, with a certificate in Health Policy. Her research interests lie in the public health realm, focusing on how comprehensive sexual education impacts experiences of sexual violence and what interventions are most effective when individuals are exiting situations of violence. After graduation, she plans to pursue a dual-degree program, earning both a master’s degree in public health and in physician assistant studies. Ultimately, she aims to work in a women’s health clinic, where she can provide patient care while also engaging in community outreach and education.
Email: ltthomas@wisc.edu
Nur Arsani
Nur (she/her/hers) is a senior majoring in Data Science with a certificate in Computer Science and Arts. She is passionate about using data-driven approaches to address structural inequities, particularly in the areas of gender-based violence and trauma recovery. Nur hopes to contribute her technical skills in data analytics to the team. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in data analytics with a focus on driving positive social change. In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar, gaming, and drawing.
Email: narsani@wisc.edu
Affiliated Scholars
Naman Gupta
Naman Gupta is a Computer Science PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He collaborates closely with MadS&P, a security and privacy research group at the university, and the PIVOT Lab. His research interests lie at the intersection of computer security, privacy, sociology and psychology, with a feminist and trauma-informed perspective. He is currently designing safe and user-friendly technological interventions for survivors of intimate partner violence.
Alumni
Lab members who are dearly missed!
Melissa Reynolds (Research Assistant)
Teresa Nelson (Research Assistant)
June Glenney (Research Assistant and Honors Thesis Student)
Mara Allen (Research Assistant and Honors Thesis Student)
Caroline Krell (Research Assistant)
Yan Zhu (Research Assistant)
Autumn Teal (Research Assistant)
Claire Kuehn (Research Assistant)
Samantha Gitlin (Research Assistant)
Theresa Fineout (Research Assistant)
Anuj Mehta (Lab Manager)
Isa Hernandez-White (Research Assistant)
Thekla Ketcher (Research Assistant)
Zach Buehler (Research Assistant)
Sara Buchwald (Research Assistant and Honors Thesis Student)
Avery Dick (Research Assistant)
Nicole Meyer (Research Assistant)
Emily Zhang (Research Assistant)
Mia Warren (Research Assistant)
Abbey Henrichs (Research Assistant)
Grace Bujan (Research Assistant)
Jessica Melnik (Research Assistant)
Grace Kidd (Research Assistant)
Brooke Wilczewski (Research Assistant)
Alexis Birkett (Research Assistant)