Michelle R. Madore, Ph.D., Director
Dr. Madore is multiracial, Filipina woman working as a Clinical Neuropsychologist at VA Palo Alto Healthcare System (VAPAHCS) in the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). Here she serves as the Director of the National Clinical Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Program whose mission is to: 1) increase the availability of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for treatment-resistant depression in Veterans and (2) gain a greater understanding of the treatment efficacy of TMS in our complex Veteran population. She is also the Co-Director of the Sierra Pacific MIRECC Advanced Fellowship at VAPAHCS. Dr. Madore is the site PI on two multi-site funded studies looking at neuroimaging biomarkers of treatment response to TMS in treatment-resistant depression. Dr. Madore is also a Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated) at Stanford University School of Medicine’s Department in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Cincinnati, where she received specialized training in neuropsychology. Dr. Madore completed her pre-doctoral internship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). She has completed postdoctoral training focused on clinical neuropsychology and neurorehabilitation research at VA Martinez, San Francisco VA Medical Center and VAPAHCS.
Dr. Madore is involved in several professional organizations and serves in several leadership positions. She is the Secretary for the Society of Clinical Neuropsychology.
Meet the Team
Bo Dehm Wicklund
Research Practicum Student
Bo Dehm Wicklund received her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Cognitive Science from the University of Connecticut in 2023. Bo has experience leading study visits with families at UConn Health in the Family Adversity Resilience Research (FARR) Lab, collecting EEG/ERP and physiological data from violence-exposed and non-exposed children. Bo collected MRI data in the same group of participants at UConn’s Brain Imaging Research Center. In affiliation with this center, Bo was part of the brainLENS Lab’s BRAINCamp during the summer of 2022, where she administered neuropsychological assessments to second and third-graders. Data from this study was used in Bo’s Honors Thesis titled “The Relationship Between Reading Anxiety and General Anxiety in 7-10-year-old Children With Reading Difficulties”. She has clinical work experience as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), where for over a year, she administered Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to children with ASD, ADHD, and other special needs. Bo plans to apply to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs to pursue a career in research.
LaRoman Chauncey Green, BA
Program Specialist
LaRoman Chauncey Green is a Program Specialist tasked with the coordination of the National Clinical TMS Pilot Program, under the direction of Michelle Madore Ph.D. Chauncey supports 50+ clinical sites throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs. He develops program-specific tools and resources and assists with program evaluation of TMS utilization and efficacy. Chauncey graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in Health Science and a concentration in Health Services Administration. Before joining the pilot program, he was a clinical research associate with Stanford University School of Medical, where he coordinated an education and skill-building, technology-based, caregiver intervention.
In his spare time, Chauncey is an avid musician, specializing in percussion instruments. He also owns and is currently restoring a classic 1967 Ford Mustang.
Robert Hickson
Practicum Student
Bobby Hickson is a doctoral student at Palo Alto University's clinical psychology program. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2012 with his bachelor's degree in psychology, and then he graduated from University College London in 2020 with his master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. Bobby has a strong interest in cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, and statistical methods in research. His current research interest is related to the durability of symptom reduction in depression and PTSD after TMS treatment.
Jairelisse Morales-Morales, B.S.
Jairelisse received her B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao. Prior to joining the Padula BRAVE Lab, she conducted research identifying how prenatal maternal stress affects the mental health of the baby and its epigenetic and microbial profiles. On the other hand, she did personal research on understanding the impact of ammonium production from salivary bacteria on cardiometabolic diseases and oral health. She is interested on doing translational science on TMS therapies for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression to understand more effective treatments to improve neurologic circuits affected by this psychiatric condition through alleviate cravings and relapse, as well as to find biomarkers that can lead us to know if a patient will be able to benefit from TMS therapies. Jairelisse’ s further projections are educating Puerto Rican communities about effectiveness of TMS for AUD and depression, and make these therapies accessible for them. Jairelisse plans to pursue either an MD/PhD or MD.
Jasmine Hargrove
Research Practicum Student
Jasmine Hargrove is a graduate student volunteer in the NEAT lab. She is an incoming master’s student at the University of Minnesota Duluth under Dr. Robert Lloyd. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in the Fall of 2022 with a B.S. in Psychology, where she studied the effects of parental divorce in childhood on adult attachment styles. Her interests are broad but include the effects of early childhood stress in individuals from diverse populations and the biopsychological differences that manifest and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Jasmine’s ultimate career goal is to become a neuropsychologist, and she plans on applying to PhD programs the fall of 2024.
Tanvi Tovar
Research Practicum Student
Tanvi is an international trainee with the NEAT Lab. She is currently pursuing M.A. Applied Psychology from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. Her research interests are diverse, however they primarily involve the understanding of how various psychosocial factors impact our brain and body. She is navigating her work around the themes of stress, resilience, psychoneuroimmunology and technological advances in healthcare. Under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Madore, she intends to learn neuroimaging techniques to further explore how mental illnesses like depression alters neural functioning, thus shaping our health behaviors. Additionally, she is working as one of the remote research assistants with UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research. Tanvi plans to apply for PhD programs that align well with her interest areas. Besides this, she is a MCU fan and enjoys dancing as a hobby.
Sonia Rehman
Research Practicum Student
Sonia Syed Rehman is a doctoral candidate at Fielding Graduate University’s clinical psychology program and a neuropsychology extern at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. Her prior academic background includes a master’s degree in psychological counseling. Her academic and professional experiences have led her to explore the differences in disease presentation and treatment in culturally and linguistically diverse populations, especially understanding the bidirectional relationship between psychiatric and neurological conditions in South Asian communities within the US. Her current research project includes examining the cross-national differences in the interaction between vascular burden and depressive symptoms on cognitive outcomes in older adults.
Michelle Wong
Research Practicum Student
Michelle Wong graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in Psychology. During her undergraduate career, Michelle conducted research on whether biobehavioral synchrony affects cognitive outcomes in children at the Social Environment and Stress Lab. She also served as a coordinator for the wellness program at Bayanihan Clinic in Sacramento. Michelle is interested in understanding the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders and utilizing this knowledge to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions. She hopes to explore alternative treatment methods to medication — such as TMS — for depression and other mood disorders through clinical research. With the knowledge gained from her experience at the NEAT Lab, Michelle hopes to develop the ability to create treatment plans individualized for patients from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. She plans to pursue an MD and is interested in psychiatry.
Bruno Gamboa
Research Practicum Student
Bruno Gamboa is a graduate student volunteer at the NEAT lab. He is in the Clinical Psychology Fieldwork M.A. at California State University, Northridge. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Biopsychology, earning Honors and Distinction in Major for senior thesis work investigating retinal development at the Neuroscience Research Institute Reese lab. More specifically, he oversaw the conception, design, and analysis of the lab’s first mouse behavioral assay. Bruno intends to apply to clinical neuropsychology PhD programs this upcoming fall. He is still developing his research interests. In his free time, Bruno coaches youth volleyball and enjoys walking his dog.
Lauren Meier
Research Practicum Student
Lauren received her B.S.'s in Clinical Neuroscience and Psychology from Virginia Tech in May 2023. During her time in undergraduate, she was a part of the Research for Alcohol and Couple's Health (REACH) Lab where she acted as a lab manager, project coordinator, and research assistant. This lab aimed to explore the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and alcohol use. Lauren took an interest in cyber dating violence, a form of IPV, and LGBTQ+ populations. In a grant she obtained herself, she explored how alcohol and drugs contributed to risky behaviors in LGBTQ+ hook-up experiences. Outside of lab, she obtained pediatric neuropsychological experience such as working as an ABA technician and also working in a private practice administering and scoring assessments. Her interests broadly are neurodevelopment and executive functioning among adolescents, substance use and risky behaviors, and LGBTQ+ populations. Lauren hopes to apply to clinical psychology PhD programs eventually with a focus in neuropsychology. Outside of her work and research, she loves cooking and going to aquariums.
Lisa N. Cruz, PhD Fellow 2023-2025
Dr. Lisa N. Cruz is a Filipina-American woman, working as a first-year neuropsychology research fellow at Palo Alto VA Sierra Pacific MIRECC and Stanford School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She received her MA from Harvard University, and a BA from Stony Brook University. Research interests include utilizing digital tools to: identify biomarkers of neurocognitive disorders; streamline the process of measuring neurocognitive abilities; and identify intervention strategies for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders. Clinically, she is interested in assessing adults with cognitive impairment, psychiatric comorbidities, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Helping to reduce sociocultural health disparities and advocate for underrepresented groups is interwoven throughout her work. She was a Fellow of the APA Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program (2020-2022), and has served on student/trainee executive boards for several professional organizations.
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Linden Aly
Clinical Research Coordinator, NEAT Lab
Linden Bucsit Aly received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside in 2022. During her time as an undergraduate student, she contributed in the Teaching, Engagement, Active Learning, and Creative thinking in Higher Education(TEACH) Lab, as well as the Experimental Methods and Behavioral Science(EMBS) Lab which focused on measures such as academic achievement, memory, and cognitive functions. She has clinical work experience as a Board Certified Autism Therapist(BCAT), where for over 3 years, she administered Applied Behavior Analysis(ABA) therapy with children diagnosed with ASD, ADHD, OCD, and other related disorders, as well as trained potential therapists in Southern and Northern California. Other implications taught to the clients included motor, academic, social, and behavioral modifications while administering baseline measures as well as administering other assessments related to motor skills, spatial skills, and linguistic functions. Linden is interested in pursuing either a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology or an MD with a specialization in Psychiatry.