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SEA Lab Members

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ASHLEY E. MASON, PHD

Laboratory Director

Ashley E. Mason is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Core Faculty at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health, Co-Director of the Center for Obesity Assessment, Study, and Treatment (COAST), and Director of the UCSF Osher Center Sleep Group. She joined UCSF's Osher Center for Integrative Health in the Fall of 2013 as a postdoctoral fellow. She completed her Clinical Internship in Behavioral Medicine at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Arizona, and her undergraduate degrees at Northwestern University.
 

She is the principal investigator on federally funded projects from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Department of Defense. The overarching theme of her work is developing non-pharmacologic interventions to improve psychological and physical health outcomes. To this end, her work has focused on (1) the biology and experience of eating, in particular, of craving and craving-related eating, in the service of improving glycemic control in diabetes, increasing weight loss and reducing binge eating in obesity, and reducing sugar consumption overall (2) developing whole-body hyperthermia protocols for the treatment of clinical depression, and (3) using wearable devices to assess changes in physiological metrics, in particular body temperature, as either predictors of illness or as correlates of changes in depression symptoms.

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ANOUSHKA CHOWDHARY, BA

Laboratory Manager

Anoushka joined the lab in September 2019. She got her B.A. in Psychology with Honors from the University of Chicago and aims to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology in Fall 2021. At the SEA Lab, Anoushka is the research coordinator for the HEAT BED Study which aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of up to 8 sauna sessions in patients with clinical depression as a potential treatment. She was also a co-coordinator for the TemPredict Study which was a large-scale global study that involved the use of wearable sensors for the early detection of COVID-19 symptoms.  For Dr. Mason’s Sleep Group, Anoushka is developing a digital sleep calculator and online lectures. 

Siwik, Chelsea

CHELSEA SIWIK, PHD

TRIM Postdoctoral Fellow

Chelsea Siwik joined UCSF's Osher Center for Integrative Health and the SEA Lab in August 2020. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville, completed her clinical internship/residency in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Washington, and her undergraduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her research interests center on the intersection of the psychosocial and biological pathways of stress, health, and resilience as well as developing and testing interventions. As a T-32 Post-Doctoral Scholar-Fellow, she is working with Drs. Ashley Mason and Rick Hecht to elucidate biopsychosocial changes on an intraindividual level to inform precision, person-centered, and integrative mind-body medicine. She has over 5 years of clinical experience and is working toward obtaining her clinical licensure. 

Anglo, Claudine

CLAUDINE ANGLO, BS

Senior Research Assistant

Claudine joined the SEA Lab in August 2020 after working three years in a lab focused on neurodevelopmental disorders at the UC Davis MIND Institute. She received her B.S. in Human Development with a minor in Psychology from UC Davis. She is currently a co-coordinator for the HEAT BED Study, helped coordinate the TemPredict Study in the past, and assists with Dr. Mason's Sleep Group. Claudine is currently earning her graduate degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of San Francisco to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. During her time in the SEA Lab, Claudine wants to learn more about mind-body research in hopes to develop knowledge and skills that will assist in her future career as a mental health clinician.

Pandya, Leena

LEENA PANDYA, ND

TRIM Postdoctoral Fellow

Leena Pandya is a newer addition to the lab, joining in October 2020. She earned her undergraduate degree in Neurobiology & Behavior from Cornell University, after which she pursued her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and completed her residency at an outpatient integrative neurology clinic. Leena has contributed to various research projects in the past at the NIH's National Cancer Institute, UW-Harborview, and both her alma maters. Currently, she is a practicing Naturopathic Doctor specializing in lifestyle medicine, herbal remedies for primary care concerns, and regenerative joint therapies. Her most recent research interests include non-pharmacological options for metabolic syndrome and non-opiate solutions for pain. At the SEA Lab, she assisted with the TemPredict study and is currently working on the HEAT BED study.

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STEFANIE ROBERTS, BS

Clinical Research Coordinator

Stefanie Roberts joined the lab in June 2022. Stefanie received her Bachelors Degree in Biology from San Francisco State University. At the SEA Lab, Stefanie is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the HEAT Bed Study which aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of 4 sauna sessions in patients with clinical depression as a potential treatment. She also assists Dr. Mason with Sleep Group. Stefanie is interested in learning about non-pharmacological treatments for physical and mental health.

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JENNA BOROVINSKY, BA

Clinical Research Coordinator

Jenna Borovinsky joined UCSF's Osher Center for Integrative Health and the SEA Lab in March 2023. Jenna received her B.A. in Molecular Biology from Colgate University and aims to pursue medical school in the future. At the SEA Lab, Jenna is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the HEAT BED Study and also assists with Dr. Mason’s sleep group. During her time at the SEA Lab, Jenna desires to gain more knowledge and experience within integrative healthcare and psychiatry, which she hopes to carry with her as a physician working within these fields. Jenna is eager to learn from her incredibly talented peers and grateful to be a part of a team that shares the same interest in promoting the health and wellbeing of patients and their families.

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