Lab members

Principal Investigator

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Michael Gawrysiak, PhD

Dr. Gawrysiak is Associate Professor of Psychology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. His clinical practice and program of research is organized around the implementation of mindfulness-based interventions for trauma, drug-alcohol misuse, and depression. Dr. Gawrysiak is currently principal investigator on a NIH-NIDA funded clinical trial examining the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) for opioid use disorder. He is also actively involved in collaborative efforts to study the benefits of participating in traditional Tibetan Bon meditation practices. He regularly facilitates mindfulness programming for drug-alcohol misuse and depression for the public and is actively engaged in personal study of contemplative practices.

MGawrysiak@wcupa.edu

Faculty Profile


Current Students

Nickoloz Mosashvili

 

Nikoloz Mosashvili 

Nikoloz is a second-year undergraduate student in the psychology program. He joined the BRAIN-MAP Lab during freshman year as a research assistant and has assisted on research looking at psychedelic-assisted therapy as it relates to mindfulness and other constructs. He intends on attending graduate school and continuing his research endeavors. 

 

John Cuzzupe

John Cuzzupe

John has worked on a variety of projects in the BRAIN-MAP lab including a NIH funded clinical trial on mindfulness-based relapse prevention for opioid use disorder, the 3 Doors Compassion Project, and a study on psychedelic retreat centers. He is currently in the second year of WCU's Clinical Psychology PsyD program. He aspires to one day open his own clinical practice, utilizing psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat a variety of mental health disorders.

 

 

Shayna Eubanks

Shayna Eubanks

Shayna (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at WCU. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in family studies from Towson University. Shayna works as a doctoral student clinician at West Chester's Community Mental Health Services , a graduate research assistant in the BRAIN-MAP Lab, and a graduate assistant for Frederick Douglass Institute. Shayna's primary clinical interests are in individuals who have experienced trauma and learning to build resilience from their experiences.

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Alice Laughlin

Alice is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at WCU. In 2013, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience at Swarthmore College. Alice previously worked as a doctoral student clinician at West Chester Community Mental Health Services and as a graduate research assistant in the BRAIN-MAP Lab in the Department of Psychology. Her clinical and research interests include anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and mindfulness-based interventions.

Michael Szcezchowski

Michael Szczechowski

Michael is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at WCU. In 2020, he earned a B.S. in Neuroscience and B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Delaware. Michael previously worked as a doctoral student clinician at West Chester Community Mental Health Services and as a graduate research assistant in the BRAIN-MAP Lab in the Department of Psychology. His clinical and research interests include depression, substance use, trauma, meditation, and mindfulness-based interventions.

 

Michelle Yoon

Michelle is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at WCU. She is a U.S. Navy veteran and first-generation immigrant from Malaysia. Her clinical and research interests include trauma, racial trauma, substance use, veterans, and racial minorities.

 


Lab Alumni

Sam Wayne

Sam Wayne

Sam (he/him) is a 5th year doctoral student who served as a research assistant in the BRAIN-MAP Lab from 2020-2024 while working towards his Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) degree at WCU. Sam’s primary contributions were toward the NIDA-funded, randomized control trial evaluating the use of MBRP-RA for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Currently, Sam is completing his predoctoral internship at Temple University’s Tuttleman Counseling Center in Philadelphia, PA. Expecting to graduate in May 2025, Sam has secured a postdoctoral internship position at Main Line Therapy Solutions (MLTS).

 

Sebastian Ehmann

Sebastian Ehmann

During Sebastian's master’s at WCU, he conducted observational research on the intersection of mindfulness and psychedelics, analyzed data using structural equation modeling, and evaluated psychometric tools for measuring non-ordinary states of consciousness. Currently, as a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Arizona, his research spans two areas: advanced meditation and meditative development, and the transdiagnostic exploration of aberrant self-processing from a clinical consciousness perspective. 

 

Dan Petrovitch

Daniel Petrovitch

Dan is a former BRAIN-MAP Lab member and WCUPA graduate, where he worked on projects related to mindfulness and opioid use disorder with Dr. Gawrysiak. He is currently a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at Texas Tech University, where he studies with Dr. Andrew Littlefield. His ongoing research interests include attitudes towards psychedelic drugs, risk factors for opioid overdose, use of novel cannabinoids, and online survey methodology. Dan's long-term goal is to continue his research career in substance use, addiction, and psychedelic science.

 

Elizabeth Gillooly

Elizabeth Gillooly

Elizabeth is a PhD doctoral student in Clinical-Community Psychology at the University of South Carolina, working under Dr. Jeffrey Schatz.  She is also part of the Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program, a NIHT32 pre-doctoral interdisciplinary research training program supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Her research examines cognitive development and pathways to cognitive deficits in pediatric chronic health conditions, especially sickle cell disease. She plans to complete her training and become a pediatric psychologist, with hopes of working in an academic medical center.

 

Norna Jules

Norna Jules

Dr. Norna Jules is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders, holding a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University. Her expertise includes comprehensive assessments for autism, ADHD, and learning differences, with a focus on adapting interventions for language and learning challenges. A former doctoral fellow in the NJ LEND program, she coordinated research at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital on families' experiences with the autism diagnosis process. She will lead autism diagnostic processes at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Debra Simon Center for Integrative Behavioral Health & Wellness. 

 

Hortencia Correa

Hortencia Correa

Hortencia is in her final year of WCU’s PsyD program. As a GA under the BRAIN-MAP lab, Hortencia assisted with research tasks at a residential substance use treatment facility. Hortencia assisted with completing study eligibility assessments and facilitating MBSR groups. Currently, Hortencia is completing her doctoral internship at the El Paso VA Health Care System, focusing her training goals on PTSD treatment and strengthening her clinical skills in Spanish. Hortencia hopes to continue specializing in PTSD treatment, delivering behavioral health services in Spanish, and overall providing behavioral health treatment to underserved communities.

 

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