Principal Investigator

Sabra Inslicht, Ph.D.

Dr. Inslicht has been conducting human clinical research on the psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for the past 20 years, serving as Principal Investigator on projects sponsored by the Dept of Defense, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institute of Health.

Her research goals are: 1) to identify psychobiological causes and consequences of traumatic stress symptoms; 2) to characterize sex differences in the biology of PTSD; and 3) to develop drug treatments that have potential for facilitating fear extinction and improving the treatment of PTSD.

She has led clinical studies using a human laboratory paradigm to examine fear conditioning in PTSD and has examined complex steroid pathways, reproductive hormones, and immune function. Her ultimate goal is to use the knowledge gained on the neurobiology of PTSD to inform novel interventions for ameliorating prolonged posttraumatic stress responses. The possibility that there may be sex differences in the neurobiology of PTSD may lead to more tailored treatments for men and women.

Clinical Research Coordinators

Sherry Yam MSW, LCSW

Sherry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker by training and received her master’s degree from University of Southern California. She has worked in the VA for 8 years and has focused on developing treatments for individuals who have experienced military sexual trauma and other forms of complex trauma in rural areas. Her research interest is dedicated to the development of effective, culturally-sensitive, flexibly-delivered mental health programs for trauma exposed populations. With her special interest in humanitarian work and bridging the gap of health disparity, she enjoys volunteering as a Cantonese translator for the International Society for Trauma Stress Studies, a Co-Chair for the Military Special Interest Group at the EMDR International Association and a coordinator for the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program. Sherry enjoys playing piano and chasing after her bunny.

Bella Benzaken

Bella Benzaken earned her M.A. in Mind, Brain, and Behavior from San Francisco State University in 2026. Her graduate research focused on the neural mechanisms underlying learning and habituation, using electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate how the brain filters out repetitive, irrelevant information. Specifically, her work explored how we "tune out" stimuli in our environment, allowing us to remain attentive to novel and meaningful information. Her long-term research interests include the neuroscience of stress, resilience, and memory, as well as understanding how music influences brain function and emotional well-being. She is particularly interested in exploring how music-based interventions may reduce stress and anxiety, enhance memory, and promote overall mental health. Outside of work, Bella enjoys practicing yoga, playing the ukulele, singing, and spending time at the beach.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Natalie R. Beylin, Ph.D.

Natalie R. Beylin, Ph.D., is a VA Advanced Postdoctoral Fellow in Women's Health at the San Francisco VA Medical Center/UCSF. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Psychology from UC Merced and her B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences from UC Santa Barbara. Her research examines the biopsychological mechanisms through which chronic stress and trauma shape health and behavior, and how those insights can inform targeted interventions for at-risk populations. Her current work applies this approach to women veterans, advancing sex- and gender-informed care to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of health conditions.

Practicum Students

Monika Krah

Monika (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Georgia Southern University. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and German Studies from the University of Connecticut. Monika is currently training at the Georgia Southern University Psychology Clinic and will be training at Georgia Regional Hospital in the Fall. Monika’s research interests include physical health outcomes and sleep changes associated with PTSD. Monika’s clinical interests include supporting individuals coping with chronic illness, enhancing health-related behavior change, and promoting overall well-being through integrated, compassionate care. Monika hopes to become a licensed clinical health psychologist.  

Rikki Baltes

Rikki (She/her) is a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Alliant University. She received her Master’s in Applied Clinical Psychology from Pacific University. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Community Health Education and Psychology from Portland State University. Her research interests include moral injury and early intervention for trauma as a public health initiative. Rikki’s clinical interests include working with survivors of domestic violence and helping individuals heal from trauma and PTSD.  In her free time, Rikki enjoys going to concerts, working on puzzles, and spending time outdoors.

 

 

 Research Assistants 

Andrew Tunggal

Andrew graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Data Science. After doing some work in data analytics, he spent some time in a Bible Truth and Service program where he received more inspiration to pursue a path in clinical psychology and apply his data-oriented tool kit to this domain. He is interested in the impact that trauma has in daily life, and the ways—conscious and subconscious—that our bodies and our psyches process and deal with both major traumatic events and micro traumas that can be found in seemingly minuscule matters. In addition to working as a Research Assistant for the STAR Lab, he works as a spiritual counselor for youth and college students at the Church in Berkeley. He also enjoys outdoor activities such as tennis, ultimate frisbee and hiking, and playing the guitar and piano.

Lucas Taylor

Ananya Vittaladevuni

Ananya Vittaladevuni is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying Integrative Biology and Molecular & Cell Biology. She is passionate about bridging neuroscience, molecular therapeutics, and translational medicine to improve treatments for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Her research experiences include PTSD, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, metabolomics, RNA biology, and animal cognition across laboratories at UCSF, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Stanford University, the University of Basel, and the Comparative Cognition Research Station in Tenerife. In the STAR Lab, she studies how sociocultural and physiological sex differences shape PTSD symptomatology in veterans and how these insights may inform future therapeutic approaches. Outside of research, she mentors STEM students in the East Bay and enjoys collaborating on interdisciplinary healthcare innovation projects.

Noa Marks 

Noa is an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Psychology with plans to attend medical school. As a Research Assistant in the STAR Lab, she contributes to participant recruitment, data management, and overall study coordination. Noa is intrigued by biological psychology and the ways our environments shape our biological processes and influence our wellbeing. Her interests include fear conditioning and extinction, sleep and stress physiology, and empathetic, human-centered healthcare. In her free time, Noa enjoys competing in triathlons, reading, and walking her dog in the park.

Pranjal Deo

After studying Electrical Engineering, Pranjal worked in the Tech industry for fifteen years. Most recently, she worked at Google for nine years as a Senior Engineering Program Manager and completed her Master's in Organizational Psychology from Harvard University while working full-time. Now, she is on a journey to pursue her dream of working in mental health and is exploring potential paths. At the STAR Lab she is studying how improved sleep can help alleviate PTSD symptoms in U.S. veterans via fear extinction mechanisms in the Suvorexant clinical trial. Additionally, she is contributing as a Summer Fellow in the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University where she runs experiments to study AI's impact on mental health. She also works as a Crisis Counselor at the Crisis Text Line, a Data Analyst at the San Francisco nonprofit Community Living Campaign and a Research Assistant at UC Berkeley. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her Golden Retriever, traveling to new countries, cross country skiing, and lifting weights. She is also venturing into photography and learning Spanish.

Alexander Wong

Alexander Wong is a second-year graduate student at the University of San Francisco, pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. For his undergraduate studies, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. In addition to his role as a research assistant, Alexander serves as a clinician at the Community Youth Center of San Francisco, where he provides therapeutic services for at-risk youth and families in underserved communities. Alexander intends to pursue doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology, with a research focus on the lifespan development of youth and adolescents with trauma histories. Outside of his academic and professional life, Alexander enjoys picking up new skills, reading a variety of literature, and taking long coffee walks through San Francisco.