People — University of Arizona CATS Lab

Meet the research team!

Ashley A. Huggins, PhD

Principal Investigator

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Dr. Huggins is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona and the Director of the CATS Lab. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under the mentorship of Dr. Christine Larson. She completed a predoctoral clinical internship with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the Charleston Consortium, and a research postdoc fellowship at the Duke University Brain Imaging and Analysis Center.

An affective neuroscientist and clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Huggins broadly aims to identify neurobiological mechanisms involved in the etiology and maintenance of trauma-related psychopathology. Her interests largely center on aberrant neural processes relevant to threat regulation, including fear conditioning and generalization, and response to unpredictable threat. She is also especially interested in how broader socio-environmental factors – such as neighborhood disadvantage and exposure to community violence – affect neurodevelopmental trajectories to impact affective and cognitive function. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, hiking, and going to see live music.

Email — Google Scholar — Twitter — ResearchGate — Psychology 252 (office)

Katie Barlis

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Katie Barlis is a first year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Arizona. She completed her Bachelor's degree at Davidson College. Prior to joining the CATS Lab, Katie served as a research coordinator in Dr. Jane Joseph's lab at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she worked on several studies examining risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Her research interests broadly include the neuropsychology of memory and the effects of stress on cognitive processes.
Nancy Huynh

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Nancy Huynh is the lab coordinator of the CATS Lab. She completed her B.A. in psychology at San Diego State University. Before joining the CATS Lab, Nancy served as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Tristen Inagaki’s lab at San Diego State University, where she worked on several studies surrounding social cognition, prosocial behaviors, and opioid use. Her research interests include examining social connection influence on the body-mind relationship in internalizing and stress-related disorders.
Outside the lab, she enjoys watching films, reading, and going to concerts.
Penelope

Penelope is an honorary member of the CATS Lab. Her research interests include desert ornithology and solar energy. She plays a key role in the lab by promoting work life balance and emotion regulation.

Research Assistants

Eduardo Velazquez Teyechea

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Eduardo is a senior majoring in Psychological Science.
Jazzmine Ward

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Jazzmine is a junior majoring in Psychological Science with a minor in Korean Language.
Rae Dudoit

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Rae is a junior majoring in Psychological Science with a minor in Fashion & Consumers.
Madeline Shahan

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Madeline is a sophomore majoring in Psychological Science with a minor in Biology.
Emma Truchan

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Emma is a junior majoring in Psychological Sciences with a minor in Art History.
Sarah Wallace

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Sarah is a junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Public Health.
Abbie Cummins

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Abbie is a junior majoring in Psychological Science with a minor in Physiology & Medical Sciences.
Julianna Newman

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Julianna is a junior majoring in Psychological Science and pre-dental.
Olivia Easton