Dr. Macatee is the director of the BRAINS Lab and an assistant professor in the clinical psychology department at Auburn  University. Dr. Macatee earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Florida State University in 2018 after he completed a pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Department of Psychiatry at University of Illinois – Chicago. At the BRAINS Lab, Dr. Macatee focuses on the multi-method measurement and treatment of biobehavioral risk and maintenance factors for internalizing and substance use disorders, with a particular emphasis on co-morbid presentations. In his spare time, Dr. Macatee enjoys spending time at home with his wife as well as his consultant, Professor Moose (see below). 

Kaveh graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a major in psychology and a minor in philosophy. He joined the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Auburn University in Fall 2019. His research interest is studying psychophysiological and neural biomarkers to better understand internalizing disorders and other related psychopathologies. In his free time, he likes to play chess, watch movies, read books, and ride his bike around Auburn.

Julia is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program. She joined the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Auburn University in Fall 2019 after graduating from Florida State University with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in August 2019. Julia is interested in cognitive factors that impact the etiology and maintenance of anxiety and fear-related disorders (e.g., metacognition, information processing biases). Julia’s long-term goals include the development of interventions that target risk factors to mitigate anxiety and fear-based symptoms.

TJ is currently a fifth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program here at Auburn. He graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. TJ is interested in converging multi-method (EEG, behavioral, self-report) approaches to examine comorbid problematic substance use and posttraumatic stress disorder. In his free time, TJ loves buying too many plants, running, and telling his cat to get off the counter.

Brandon earned his B.S. in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Public Health from the University of Minnesota in 2018. He joined the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Auburn University in Fall 2021. Broadly, his research interests focus on cognitive-affective mechanisms of substance use disorders (SUDs), examined through a combination of psychophysiological, behavioral, and self-report measures. He is also interested in the development of accessible interventions to help people who experience SUDs. In his free time, Brandon enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and buying (and unfortunately killing) too many plants.

Mallory graduated from Marist College in 2020 with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy and a Cognitive Science minor. She joined the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Auburn University in Fall 2022. Broadly, she is interested in studying how higher-level processes, such as emotional regulation and decision-making, relate to trauma experiences and anxiety or substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms – and how delineating these processes may help us implement strategies to improve therapeutic techniques and interventions. In her free time, Mallory enjoys traveling, hiking, working out, reading books, and wishing she had a pet to call her own.

Sophie graduated from Elon University in December 2021 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. She then pursued her Master’s in Clinical Psychological Sciences from The University of Maryland and graduated in November 2023 and joined the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Auburn University in Fall 2024. Sophie is broadly interested in studying the intersection between internalizing disorders, distress intolerance, and substance use disorders (SUD). In her free time, Sophie likes trying new restaurants, reading books, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog! 

Vincent joined the BRAINS Lab in Fall 2023. He currently serves as the lab manager, working very closely with Odis. They graduated from Virginia Tech in 2023 with a degree in Psychology and minors in Sociology and Adaptive Brain and Behavior. He plans on pursuing a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology and is broadly interested in examining how sociocultural factors inform health and cognitive outcomes, with a particular interest in how chronic minority stressors (i.e., financial stress, racial-identity stress) impact long-term cardiovascular health and warp decision making. In their free time, Vincent enjoys cooking, playing video games, and hanging out with his cat.