People

Jason Hassenstab, PhD

Jason Hassenstab, PhD, is a Professor of Neurology and of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the director of the Cognitive Technology Research Laboratory (CTRLab) at Washington University in St. Louis. He also leads the Cognition Cores for the Dominantly-Inherited Alzheimer Network-Trials Unit (DIAN-TU) and the DIAN observational study and the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. The CTRLab’s focus in on using technology to improve cognitive assessments in Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders. We use measurement burst designs, based on principles from ecological momentary assessment, to measure cognition rapidly and frequently on smartphones in normal and clinical populations. We also develop web-based cognitive assessments designed to be sensitive to the very earliest stages of neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Hassenstab has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2007 and also receives funding from foundations. His most recent projects include development of the Ambulatory Research in Cognition (ARC) smartphone application for the DIAN observational study, the DIAN-TU Phase III clinical trials, and the Healthy Aging and Senile Dementia program project grant at the Knight ADRC. Prior to pursuing academics, Dr. Hassenstab toured internationally as a professional jazz saxophonist, often sporting a purple pinstriped zoot suit, and made hundreds of dollars. He completed a bachelor’s degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance at New York University and a PhD in psychology under mentorship of Dr. Antonio Convit at New York University and Fordham University. He then completed a Fellowship at Brown University and joined the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis in 2010.

Andy Aschenbrenner, PhD

Andrew (Andy) Aschenbrenner, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. He has expertise in the development, administration, and analysis of cognitive and behavioral tests in healthy older adults and individuals with preclinical and very mild Alzheimer disease (AD). His current interests include evaulating the utility of intraindividual variability in cognition and personality as predictors of AD risk. He is also interested in applying novel statistical techniques (e.g., dynamic structural equation modeling) and computational models to further understand cognitive changes in the earliest stages of AD.

Sarah Stout, MSW, LCSW

Sarah Holtz Stout is a Clinical Research Manager in the Cognitive Technology Research Laboratory (CTRLab). The CTRLab works in conjunction with the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) and the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN). Sarah manages the lab, along with the development of the of the Ambulatory Research in Cognition (ARC) smartphone application, and she assists the PI, staff, and collaborators with its implementation. She previously worked in the DRIVES lab for five years, managing lab operations for a study on preclinical Alzheimer disease, driving, and mood. Ms. Stout used her social work training at the Alzheimer’s Association from 2007-2014, managing support groups for 20+ counties and providing individual consulatations to family caregivers, and from 2014-2015 as a hospice social worker assisting patients and their families. She received her bachelor’s in psychology, followed by her master’s in social work, both from Washington University. She enjoys hanging out with her partner and their two daughters, bike rides, musical theater, and baking/eating just about any kind of cake, except lemon.

Hannah Wilks, BS

Hannah graduated from Saint Louis University with her B.S. in Neuroscience and Minor in Psychology. Hannah performed in person and remote cognitive assessments at the Memory and Aging Project before transitioning to the CTRLab as a graduate student in the Washington University Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences clinical training program. She is passionate about Alzheimer’s research and excited to continue work with our many dedicated participants. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys working out at her gym in Soulard, spending time outdoors, and daydreaming about her next road trip with her significant other. Trip recommendations are always welcome!

Leslie Symonds, MS

Leslie Symonds is a clinical research coordinator with the CTRLab, working with the Dominantly-Inherited Alzheimer Network in the Trials Unit (DIAN-TU) and the Observational (DIAN-Obs) study. She is excited to be continuing a life in clinical research in the Neurology department on such important studies, with such a goofy team. Leslie received her bachelor’s in Biology (Genetics and Biotechnology Track) from the University of Iowa, where she worked for nearly 4 years investigating the gene regulatory networks of neural crest development in Robert Cornell’s zebrafish lab. She graduated with her master’s in health behavior research at Washington University in St. Louis, while working full-time coordinating clinical studies with the Cystic Fibrosis team at Children’s Hospital. This work with children and families established Leslie’s passion for making clinical research accessible and empowering for all involved. She enjoys writing/performing sketch, doing improv comedy, and the occasional Shakespeare in the Park engagement.

Jennifer Smith, PhD

Jennifer Smith has over 15 years of experience in management consulting, research science, and higher education environments. Her training is in behavioral observation, measurement, and quantitative analysis, and she holds a Ph.D. in Experimental-Cognitive Psychology from Saint Louis University.

Jennie currently serves as the Clinical Trials  Manager for the Dominantly-Inherited Alzheimer Network-Trials Unit (DIAN-TU) and the DIAN Observational studies’ Cognition Cores. This role consists of supporting global teams to ensure appropriate training and collection of data. Jennie has identified leading-edge IT solutions to support the changing needs of training, data collection, and communication across countries and cultures since 2014.

She spends her spare time hanging with her daughter, significant other, and pup Oshie, non-profit fundraising, traveling and exploring new restaurants in St. Louis. Extracurricular activities include avoiding chit-chat (specifically if it relates to CrossFit) and chasing after her supervisor to get study documents signed. Dirty little secret: she uses a Keurig.

Lena Woods, BA

Lena Woods graduated with her BA in History from the University of Missouri, St. Louis (UMSL) in 2016. She is a clinical research coordinator for the DS-ARC and ALF studies. Prior to joining the lab she worked as an advocate and support person for people with various intellectual and physical disabilities at L’Arche St. Louis and Chicago. She is passionate about accessibility and technology. In her free time she enjoys film photography and reading.

Lisa Schoolcraft, BFA

Lisa is a Senior Clinical Research Specialist in the department of Neurology and manages the Cognitive Assessment Unit (CAU) for the Knight ADRC. She began her career at Washington University in 1999 working on various behavioral research projects in Psychiatry, moving to Radiology as a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator in 2007 where she was first introduced to the MAP and DIAN studies, specifically the imaging procedures under those protocols. She decided to make the transition to her current position in 2021, where she remains involved with the MAP and DIAN studies, as well as ADNI and LEADS under the leadership of Jason Hassenstab.

Serena Cepeda, BA

I am a clinical research coordinator performing cognitive assessments with the Memory and Aging Project. I graduated from The University of Missouri in Columbia (MIZZOU) with my bachelors in biology and psychology. Throughout school, I worked as a mental health technician at CenterPointe Hospital. I also previously worked in the Child and Adolescent Therapy Research Group at Mizzou. I grew up in Arnold, MO just south of St. Louis. In my free time, I enjoy watching scary movies and reading. I am passionate about mental health, especially in older populations.

Matt Welhaf, PhD

Matt Welhaf, PhD is an Instructor of Neurology in the Cognitive Technology Research Lab (CTRLab). He completed his PhD at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under Dr. Mike Kane and received both his B.S. and M.S. at Nova Southeastern University studying with Dr. Jonathan Banks. Matt’s expertise is in understanding and improving the measurement of attentional consistency or how well people can maintain optimal task focus to successfully, and consistently, perform goal related actions. His early research focused on mind-wandering (pun intended) and how the content of peoples mind-wandering can vary. His current research involves understanding how accelerated long-term forgetting plays out in preclinical and autosomal dominant AD.

Nissi Undurthi, MPH

Nissi Undurthi is a Clinical Research Coordinator with the CTRLab working with Memory and Aging Project’s Ambulatory Research in Cognition (ARC) Smartphone study. She received her Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in Global Health from Washington University in St. Louis. Previously, she worked as a Graduate Research assistant at Bioethics Research Center where she worked on projects involving responsible navigation of Neurotechnology partnerships using qualitative and quantitative research methods. She is passionate about healthcare research and implementation primarily in rural communities. She is excited to be a part of Alzheimer’s research and all the interactions with the study participants. In her free time, she loves reading novels, singing, long-distance hiking, and the occasional creative writing.

Ruby Kaplan

Ruby is a student at Washington University. She is working on a major in Psychological and Brain Sciences, with minors in Anthropology and Studio Art. She helps with pilot testing in the lab, while she learns about research with Dr. Hassenstab.

Trevor Durey, BS

I graduated from Harding University in Searcy, AR with my Bachelor’s degree in psychology, and I also met my wife Katelyn there! I grew up near Osceola, MO before moving to Little Rock with my wife where we lived for two years before finally moving here to St. Louis. Some of my favorite hobbies include reading, watching and discussing movies, baking, and rock climbing.

Samhita Katteri

Samhita graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Cognitive Science. During college, she worked with Dr. Ny Vasil and Dr. Alison Gopnik researching the development of causal reasoning in children.

After college, Samhita joined the University of California, San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, where she coordinated the following studies led by Dr. Katherine Possin: the TabCAT Brain Health Assessment, the Care Ecosystem, and the Feasibility and Development of a Scalable Clinical and Research Pathway for an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis using TabCAT and Plasma Biomarkers. She also managed the piloting, validation, and reliability studies for novel assessments on the TabCAT (Tablet-based Cognitive Assessment Tool) platform.

As a graduate student in the Washington University Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences clinical training program, Samhita is excited to contribute to Alzheimer’s research. She aims to leverage the intersection between neuropsychology and technology for the early detection of cognitive decline, explore cognitive aging across diverse groups, and promote brain health.

Samhita enjoys trying new ice cream places, playing tennis, and catsitting!

Rachel Buenger

Rachel is a clinical research coordinator for the Memory and Aging Project where she administers cognitive assessments. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychological & Brain Sciences. As an undergraduate student, Rachel worked in the Clinical Geropsychology Lab for 2.5 years and volunteered every week at two local assisted living communities. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, exploring new restaurants in St. Louis, and going for long walks.

Wenting Yu

Jetske van der Schaar, MSc

Jetske van der Schaar is a PhD candidate at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, where she specializes in medical ethical aspects of personalized medicine for Alzheimer’s disease. Her work primarily focuses on early detection and diagnosis, based on biomarkers or genetic factors. With an MSc degree in Cognitive Science, she employs an interdisciplinary and empirical approach to capture the perspectives of affected individuals and their families, in order to develop practical patient-centered ethical guidelines for research and healthcare. She works with the CTRLab as a visiting researcher, studying the impact of testing positive for a mutation associated with Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease.

Beyond her academic work, Jetske is a passionate advocate for patient and public involvement in research. She is the author of a book on the personal impact of Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease, which was published by Prometheus. Additionally, she hosts a podcast on scientific advancements for a broad audience, to bridge the gap between academia and the general public. As a member of the advisory board for the National Dementia Strategy of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport, she contributes her expertise to shaping policies that aim to improve the lives of individuals affected by dementia.

In her free time, Jetske enjoys running and hiking, sewing her own clothes, and going to the movies.