Laura Holsen, Ph.D.

Primary Investigator

Laura Holsen is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and faculty member in the Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine and in the Department of Psychiatry at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She received her M.S. in Developmental Psychology from Vanderbilt University and Ph.D. in Child and Developmental Psychology from the University of Kansas under the mentorship of Dr. Cary Savage. Dr. Holsen completed postdoctoral training in affective neuroscience with Dr. Richie Davidson at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Outside the lab, Laura enjoys running, hiking and camping with her husband and two daughters.

Sarah Brassard, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Sarah Brassard is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She received her Ph.D. in Neurosciences from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, under the supervision of Dr. Iris Balodis. Following a Research Domain Criterion (RDoC) approach, Sarah’s research program aims to develop a better understanding of psychoneuroendocrinological mechanisms underlying cost-benefit computation. Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys running and biking, taking sommelier courses, finding trendy new restaurants and cuddling with her dog Finnegan.

Kelly Armstrong, B.S.

Research Assistant

Kelly Armstrong joined the Holsen Lab in 2024, where she works on the ANSWER study to research adults with avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Kelly is a UMass Amherst graduate who got her B.S. in psychology with a specialization in neuroscience. She has a research background analyzing sleep patterns and motor memory across various age ranges through PSG sleep monitoring. Kelly is now a coordinator using fMRI to study eating behaviors in individuals with ARFID. 

Arjun Shreekumar, B.A.

Research Assistant

Arjun Shreekumar joined the Holsen Lab as a Research Assistant in July 2024. He studied at Columbia University, where he graduated with honors in History and Psychology. Arjun previously conducted clinical research on family based therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Prior to research, he worked as a residential care specialist at an inpatient treatment facility for adults with depression. He is currently coordinating a study evaluating the neural and behavioral outcomes of cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescents with ARFID.

Fiona Wu, B.S.

Research Assistant

Fiona joined the Holsen lab in July 2024 after graduating from Vanderbilt University with Honors in Medicine, Health, and Society and Neuroscience. She has previous qualitative and quantitative research experiences across labs and disciplines, all surrounding the topic of mental health. For instance, her honors thesis explored immigrant mental health through an anthropological lens while her research at Vanderbilt studied cortical thickness in infants with risks of ASD. She currently coordinates a clinical trial examining TMS as a treatment for hyperphagia.

Dara Omoloja

Undergraduate Intern

Dara Omoloja joined the Holsen Lab in March 2025 and is a Neuroscience concentrator at Harvard with a secondary in History of Science. Passionate about mentorship, peer support, and teaching, she also makes time for arts and crafts, good books, and the occasional food adventure. Dara is interested in how technology can help us better understand and alter neural circuits, with future goals of practicing medicine—possibly in pediatric surgery or oncology.