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.

Osnat (Ossie) Lupesko-Persky is a licensed psychologist (License #34161), specializing in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders using evidence-based psychotherapies. Ossie joined the SEA Lab as a clinician in the fall of 2022 and has been conducting clinical evaluations and providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the study’s participants since. Ossie divides her time between SEA Lab and her work as a Staff Psychologist in the PTSD Clinic at San Francisco Veterans Affairs, where she focuses on clinical diagnoses and treatment of Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder through individual and group interventions. Ossie completed her predoctoral training at Loma Linda VA focusing on treatment of depression, PTSD and substance-dependence. She attended Palo Alto VA for postdoctoral residency where she focused on the treatment of severe mental illnesses, and crisis intervention. Ossie obtained her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University (2021), where her research focused on the relationship between PTSD and associated disorders.  

Erika Jung is a licensed psychologist (PSY30770) who has worked with adolescents and adults in a variety of settings across the continuum of care. She joined the SEA lab in 2023 as a therapist providing CBT for depression as part of the HEAT BED study. In her private practice, she treats depression, anxiety, trauma, and eating disorders utilizing a weight-inclusive approach. She received her BA from Brown University and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed her predoctoral internship at Stanford University Counseling and Psychological Services and her postdoctoral residency at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City, where she worked from 2017 to 2022.

Erin Hartley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#90728) who is passionate about evidence-based mental healthcare. Erin has over two decades of experience in clinical research, operations, behavioral health technology innovation and care delivery. 

Erin received her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Boston University and her Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.

Erin has received advanced training from the University of California, San Francisco’s world renowned hospital and clinics in treatment of mood disorders including depression and anxiety with emphasis on complementary approaches that focus on the mind-body connection.  From 2017-2023, Erin helped to develop a mindfulness-based digital therapeutic program to treat depression. She now maintains a small private practice working with clients and drawing on an electric range of science-supported therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and self-compassion. 

Lindsey Hopkins is a licensed psychologist (PSY30624) who joined the SEA Lab in 2023, as a therapist providing CBT for depression. Lindsey has long-standing clinical and research interests in novel complementary approaches as adjunctive treatments to CBT. Much of her own research has focused on examining the benefits of hot yoga for various mental health concerns. Lindsey double-majored (BA, 2006) in Psychology and Child Development at The University of Texas at Dallas and went on to earn a doctorate (PhD, 2014) in clinical psychology at Southern Methodist University. Her predoctoral internship was at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, with a focus in health psychology/behavioral medicine. Her postdoctoral research fellowship and subsequent positions at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, in conjunction with UCSF, focused on women’s health, PTSD, and addiction medicine. Lindsey’s private practice focuses primarily on evidence-based intervention for post-traumatic stress, anxiety-related disorders, and disordered eating. 

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.

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.

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.

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.