Dr. O’Donovan is a Co-Principal Investigator (PI) for the SMART study. She received her Masters in Health Psychology from the National University of Ireland, Galway and a PhD in Clinical Psychobiology at University College Dublin before embarking on postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Dr. O'Donovan is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF. Her program of research is focused on uncovering how traumatic psychological stress causes ill health, and on developing interventions to reduce the deleterious effects of traumatic psychological stress. She has completed a number of studies focusing on posttraumatic stress symptoms, and has served as PI and Co-PI on a number of digital health studies. She was the PI on the Remote REPS trial, which was the largest ever trial examining the effects of one type of cognitive training for posttraumatic stress symptoms. Dr. O'Donovan serves as Co-PI on the SMART study. 

Dr. O'Donovan leads the THRIVE lab. To learn more about the THRIVE lab's work, please click here.

Dr. Woolley is a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on the SMART study. He received an MD/PhD from UCSF after completing a PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Woolley is now a Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF. His program of research is focused on identifying and testing novel interventions for psychiatric disorders. Additionally, he has extensive experience in conducting clinical trials in patients with a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses, including and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Woolley served as Co-PI on a number of clinical trials focused on posttraumatic stress symptoms. Dr. Woolley serves as Co-PI on the SMART study.

Dr. Woolley leads the BAND lab. To learn more about the BAND lab's work, please click here.

Dr. Anguera is one of the Co-Principal Investigators on the SMART Study. He grew up in San Diego, and in 200 completed his undergraduate degree in Animal Physiology/Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego. While working on his BS, Dr. Anguera worked in a physical therapy clinic where he noticed that some patients made very little improvements and that the reasons for this were not always clear. This led him to pursue a Master’s degree in Kinesiology from the California State University, Northridge before receiving his PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Anguera has extensive experience with app-based and remote studies, and has worked on research involving the creation and use of 10 different apps to date.

Dr. Anguera’s long-term research is focused on using state-of-the-art technological approaches to both create training tools that can treat cognitive deficiencies and using mobile-technology to measure and improve aspects of cognition outside of the laboratory. While not at work, he enjoys…

Dr. Anguera is the Clinical Director of the Neuroscape lab. To learn more about Neuroscape's work, please click here.

Dr. Nishimi completed her MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2016 and PhD in Population Health Sciences in 2020 at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Her graduate training in social and psychiatric epidemiology focused on the social determinants of health, psychosocial stress and development, and quantitative research methods. Her research examines the impact of trauma on both mental and physical health outcomes, and she was involved in the early development of REPS, an app-based cognitive training for PTSD.

Zoe joined THRIVE Lab as the lab manager in July 2022. Born and raised in China, Zoe recently graduated with a BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Zoe is interested in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD in individuals exposed to sexual violence and childhood trauma. With a passion for advancing our understanding of trauma, Zoe hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. When procrastinating, Zoe enjoys karaoke nights, planning train trips, and being a part-time theater nerd.

My name is Sasha and I am an undergraduate student at University of California, Davis, pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Specifically interested in studying trauma, I hope to eventually pursue a career in psychiatry. At the THRIVE lab, I aspire to learn more about PTSD as it pertains to physical health and society. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, drawing, and spending time with friends and family.

Hi! My name is Jeri, and I am an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cellular Biology with minors in Early Learning & Development Science and Asian American Studies. I joined the THRIVE Lab with an interest in how trauma can affect the mental and physical health of an individual, specifically through immune system mechanisms. I hope to learn more about how trauma affects the immune system and how to provide appropriate support and care for individuals with trauma. My future goals include pursuing a career in medicine, but as for now, I spend my undergraduate days paddling on a dragon boat, swimming and spending time with loved ones.

Hi, my name is Andrew. I am an undergraduate psychology major at UC Berkeley and plan to apply to medical school after graduation. Broadly speaking, I am interested in understanding the interplay between mental and physical health. I joined the THRIVE Lab in hopes of exploring the imperative role of traumatic and chronic psychological stress in affecting one’s mental and physical well-being. When I’m not at my laptop, I enjoy swimming, making coffee, and hanging out with my beagle!