Faculty

Dr. Cary Savage

Dr. Carey Savage

Dr. Cary Savage, lab PI, is the Director of the Center for Brain, Biology & Behavior (CB3) and a Mildred Francis Thompson  Professor of Social Sciences. He joined the UNL psychology faculty as part of the Clinical Program and Neuroscience and Behavior faculty in Spring 2018. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University. From 1992-94 Dr. Savage completed a Psychiatric Neuroscience Fellowship at The Massachusetts General Hospital and from 1994-95 he completed a Fellowship in Brain Imaging at The Massachusetts General Hospital. Outside of the lab, Dr. Savage enjoys running, hiking, and spending time in Arizona and Colorado. 

Dr. Doug Schultz

Dr. Doug Schultz is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2014. Dr. Schutlz's current research focuses on how large-scale brain network interactions support cognitive control and emotion regulation processes. Generally, his research goals are to characterize the relationship between – and identify the neural mechanisms that support – emotion regulation and cognitive control capacity. In addition to his research, Dr. Schultz's responsibilities at CB3 involve collaborating with and assisting other members. These activities have led to a number of collaborative grant proposals, manuscripts, and training opportunities. He collaborates on several projects examining questions related to brain activity from diverse theoretical backgrounds including sports-related concussion, swallowing motor behavior, various forms of emotion regulation (as it relates to obesity, negativity bias, and human-animal interactions), learning and cognitive training, and language processing through development. In his free time, Dr. Schultz enjoys hiking, biking, and spending time with his family and pets.

Graduate Students

Julia Laing

Julia Laing is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research interests are primarily in investigating modifiable lifestyle factors (i.e. exercise and nutrition) that influence the trajectory of aging. Additionally, she is interested in the biological underpinnings of eating behavior and its impacts on brain health. Julia also works on our concussion project where she processes and analyzes neuroimaging data to investigate functional connectivity changes following sports-related concussions. Julia received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Marketing from Hofstra University on Long Island, New York. As a native Michigander, she moved home following graduation for a post-baccalaureate research position at the University of Michigan's Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Laboratory where she administered neuropsychological assessments and non-invasive brain stimulation to older adults with a range of neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, Julia enjoys reading, hiking, and baking (her specialty is chocolate chip cookies)!

Heather Bouchard

Heather Bouchard is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at UNL. Broadly, her interests involve exploring the changes in objective cognitive measures and neuroimaging findings during the post-injury and recovery periods of concussions and if these changes can predict prolonged symptom duration. In addition, she is interested in how women's health, particularly hormone levels, can impact concussion recovery in women athletes. Heather graduated with her B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Neurobiological Science and a minor in Health Science from the University of Florida in 2018. During her undergraduate career, she primarily explored the effects of exercise on the default mode network following a concussion. To gain additional experience after graduation, she joined Duke University’s Brain Imaging and Analysis Center to assess disruptions in functional connectivity and cognition from subconcussive blast exposure in U.S. Veterans. At Duke, Heather also developed an interest in large-scale multi-site analyses with novel, data-driven methodologies to decipher the heterogeneous effects of concussions. Outside of research, she enjoys rock climbing, spending time outdoors with her dog, Brisko, and learning more about the local music scene in Lincoln!

Staff

Elliot Carlson

Elliot Carlson graduated with Bachelor's degrees in Business Management (2017) and Communication Studies (2018) from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Elliot joined UNL and the Health Neuroscience lab in 2018, working with coaching and athletic medicine to coordinate the UNL Student-Athlete Concussion Study in the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior. Elliot uses his background as a former college athlete to relate to players and interface with Nebraska Athletics.

Post-baccalaureate Research Assistants

Grace Amadon

Grace Amadon has been a volunteer research assistant in the lab for 3 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Humanities of Medicine from UNL in May of 2021 and will be attending graduate school this upcoming fall. In her free time, Grace enjoys being outside with her golden retriever, exercising, and spending time with friends and family. Grace is currently working in the lab remotely as she has taken on a post-baccalaureate research position in the Department of Neurosurgery within the Center for Neurotrauma Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Her research interests include the effects that sport-related concussion and repetitive head impact have on the collegiate athlete population. She is also interested in the impact of neuropsychological assessment and other interventions on rehabilitative outcomes for individuals with TBI, especially in terms of pain management. She hopes to learn more about functional imaging to understand neural mechanisms of overall brain health. Feel free to reach out to Grace with any questions or comments! Go Packers/Brewers/Bucks/HUSKERS! 

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Michelle Barbot

Michelle Barbot is a senior at UNL and is attending medical school after college. She is currently majoring in nutrition and loves working out as a personal trainer and youth sports coach. She grew up in Long Beach, CA right outside of Los Angeles. She was an athlete her entire life which led to her passion for sports medicine. While at UNL, she has become interested in studying the structural and cognitive differences in people who have suffered from TBIs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym or at a baseball game (Go Yankees)!

Bethany Barnwell

Bethany Barnwell is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who is majoring in both Computer Science and Business Administration and minoring in Mathematics. Over the course of her educational journey in computer science, she has developed a passion for data science and machine learning. Within the lab, she works closely with its members to analyze and process brain scan data in order to generate accurate models and to develop strong insights into relevant clinical outcomes. Outside of the lab, she enjoys  reading, driving, and swimming. One of her favorite things to do is to grab a friend and to eat someplace new downtown! After graduation, she is hoping to pursue a career in product management, web development, or machine learning/data science.

Andrew Appleget

Andrew Appleget is a junior at UNL majoring in Nutrition, Health & Exercise Science and minoring in Mathematics. After college, he plans on attending medical school and is primarily interested in sports medicine. As a member of the lab, he is broadly intereseted in the effects SRC has on cognitive function and structural changes. In his spare time, he enjoys working out and reading as well as watching movies. 

Luke Hottovy

Luke Hottovy is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Psychology with a minor in English. After graduating, he plans on working while looking for graduate/professional school opportunities. In his time with the lab, he has gained an interest widely in understanding cognitive assessment measures relating to concussion recovery and diagnosis. In his leisure time Luke enjoys running, reading, and traveling as much as he can.

Lab Alumni

Annelie Persson

Annelie Persson joined the Health Neuroscience lab in Fall 2020 as a volunteer research assistant. Annelie is also a research assistant for a UNL/UNK collaborative study that looks at how learning a new language later in life affects aging and memory.  Her research interests are centered around the effects of exercise and meditation on the brain as well as other ways to maintain a healthy mind throughout the lifespan. Originally from Sweden, Annelie came to the United States to attend college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from UCLA. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, listening to music, and spending time with her husband and two young boys. After spending more than a decade exploring careers in the music/entertainment and fintech industries, she has returned to foster her passion for science and research in Psychology and Gerontology. Annelie is currently in a Ph.D. program in Gerontology at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. 

Zach Headley

Zach Headley graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Spring of 2022 with his Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry and Spanish. He concluded his second year as a UCARE student in the lab focusing on functional connectivity changes in the brain as a result of sport-related concussions. Specifically, while a member of the lab he was interested in analyzing how brain networks change after receiving a sports-related concussion and after the athlete has clinically recovered. Zach grew up in Elkhorn, Nebraska, just outside of Omaha, and began attending UNMC after graduation. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and exercising.