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.
Lilly Hacsi, B.A.
Research Assistant
Lilly Hacsi joined the Holsen Lab as a Research Assistant in July 2023. She studied at Pitzer College, where she graduated with Honors in Psychology and a minor in Data Science. Lilly previously conducted clinical research at the University of California, San Francisco, where she assisted with physiological studies on sleep and stress, and at Pitzer College, where she conducted EEG research on reward and motivation. She is currently coordinating a study utilizing fMRI and TMS to reduce hyperphagia in Prader-Willi Syndrome.
