Dr. Cheri A. Levinson, Ph.D.
Director & Assistant Professor
Clinical Psychology Ph.D.: Washington University, Department of Psychology
​T32 Post-doctoral Fellowship: Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Clinical Internship: University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry 
Center for Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED)

Dr. Levinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville and Director of the EAT lab and clinic. Dr. Levinson’s research focuses on (a) understanding the high levels of comorbidity between eating and anxiety disorders and (b) applying empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders, specifically exposure therapy, to the eating disorders. Dr. Levinson has published more than 45 peer-reviewed manuscripts and chapters and has been the primary investigator on several national grants and awards. She has received several awards for her work from the Academy for Eating Disorders, including the 2015 Outstanding Scientific Contribution Award. Dr. Levinson’s clinical work focuses primarily on treating patients with eating disorders using CBT, DBT, and other empirically-based treatments. 

To see Dr. Levinson's CV, please click here: LevinsonCV
Graduate Students

Leigh C. Brosof, B.A.
Graduate Student

Leigh Brosof (B.A. Washington University in St. Louis) entered graduate school in July 2016. Her research interests include exploring the etiology of eating disorders and testing novel treatments of eating disorders based on etiological models. She is also particularly interested in longitudinal modeling and ecological momentary assessment methods. She is currently investigating perfectionism, dietary restraint, and social appearance anxiety as factors that may contribute to the development or maintenance of binge eating. In her free time, Leigh enjoys running, spending time outdoors, and exploring the local restaurant and food scene.

Representative publications and presentations:

Brosof, L. C., & Levinson, C. A. (under review). Social appearance anxiety and dietary restraint as mediators between perfectionism and binge eating: A six month three wave longitudinal study.

Levinson, C. A. & Brosof L. C. (in press). Cultural and ethnic differences in eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors. Current Psychiatry Reviews.

Levinson, C. A., Rodebaugh, T. L., Riley, E. N., & Brosof, L. C. (under review). Restraint and evaluation impair self-regulation after stress: Interacting individual differences impact food intake, disordered eating, and weight.

Brosof, L. C. & Levinson, C. A. (2015, November). Social appearance anxiety is the domain of social anxiety that predicts binge eating over time. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.

Brosof, L. C. & Levinson, C. A. (2015, May). Social appearance anxiety mediates the relationship between concern over mistakes and binge eating: A six-month three wave longitudinal study. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science, New York, NY.

​                                        Benjamin J. Calebs, B.A.
                                                                      Graduate Student
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Benjamin J. Calebs (B.A. University of Michigan) entered graduate school in July 2016. Ben is a graduate student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville. His previous research has focused on the intersections of attachment, minority stress, mental health, and culture. His current research focuses on the intersections of mental health, trauma, and culture. He is also interested in using network models to understand the connections between mental health and culture.

Representative Publications and Presentations:

Cook, S. H., Calebs, B., Perry, M., & Hopkins, R. (in press). Stress and health: Examining minority stress and poor health among populations of vulnerable ethnic/racial minority males. In A. B. Editor (Ed.). Social issues in living color: Challenges and solutions from the perspective of ethnic minority psychology. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Books.

Cook, S. H., &  Calebs, B. (in press). The Integrated Attachment and Sexual Minority Stress Model: Understanding the role of adult attachment in the health and well-being of sexual minority men. Behavioral Medicine.
 
Cook, S. H., Watkins, D. C., Calebs, B., & Wilson, P. A. (in press). Attachment orientation and sexual risk behavior among young Black gay and bisexual men. Psychology & Sexuality.

Calebs, B., & Hopkins, R. (April 2015). Attachment, stress, and health among young, gay and bisexual men. Presented by B. Calebs and R. Hopkins at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Spring Research Symposium 2015, Ann Arbor, MI.

                                                                                    Jackie Ma, B.A.
​                                                                                    Graduate Student

Jackie Ma (B.A. James Cook University; B.A. (Hons) Flinders University) will be entering graduate school in July 2017. Broadly speaking, her research interests lie in (a) the intersection between eating and anxiety disorders as well as (b) improving treatment outcomes for eating disorders through the development of innovative treatments. Hence, she is very keen on applying exposure therapy to the treatment of eating disorders. Specifically, she is interested in investigating ways of optimizing exposure therapy for eating disorders and in understanding fear extinction mechanisms.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, attending concerts, running, and spending time with friends and family.

                                                                                  Irina Vanzhula, B.A.
                                                                                  Graduate Student

Irina Vanzhula (B.A. University of Illinois at Springfield; M.A. Saint-Petersburg State University) entered graduate school in July 2015. Irina is interested in the comorbidities of binge eating disorder with other psychological disorders, as well as mechanisms of overlap between binge eating disorder and obesity. Irina’s research interests also include mindfulness-based treatments for eating disorders and maladaptive eating behaviors. Irina is currently collaborating with UofL Health Promotion Office to conduct a 4-week mindful eating workshop and empirically evaluate its effectiveness. In her free time, Irina enjoys traveling, cooking, and yoga. 



 ​                            Laura Fewell, B.A.
                                                   Lab Manager/Study Coordinator

Laura received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University. Laura has worked in research labs at Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis, where she explored eating disorder pathology and related comorbidities. She currently serves as the Clinical Outcomes and Research Coordinator at McCallum Place Eating Disorder Centers and investigates treatment effectiveness and outcomes in the eating disorder population. Laura has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and has multiple poster presentations, including a poster at the Eating Disorders in Sports conference and at the Twelfth Annual Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Conference.
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Lisa Michelson, B.A.

Lisa Michelson graduated from Wake Forest University in 2014 with a B.A. in Religious Studies. Upon graduation, she worked for a year as a Clinical Trials Research Coordinator at Eastern Carolina Women’s Center in New Bern, North Carolina. In 2015, she started her Master’s degree in Bioethics and Medical Humanities at the University of Louisville. She’s interested in pursuing a career in medicine specifically in Hospice and Palliative Care. Lisa enjoys cooking, exploring, and laughing with her large family and friends.  
Alexandra Hicks-Chambers

Alexandra is a student at the University of Louisville currently pursuing a major in Nursing and a double minor in Global Health and Philosophy.  She intends to become a Nurse Practitioner and then a physician with a concentration in cardiovascular studies. Her interest circles around the effects that both eating disorders and anxiety have on the human body, specifically the heart.

Alex is very excited about this opportunity to work with this team.
​Samantha Melton

Samantha is a student at the University of Louisville pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology. After completing her undergraduate degree at U of L, she plans to further her education in pursuit of a doctoral degree in Neuroscience. Though the precise discipline within that area is yet to be defined, Samantha has intent of pursuing a career in research with respect to the underlying biobehavioral mechanisms in Psychology. 






Katerina Stratigis, B.A.

Katerina graduated from The University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and entered graduate school in August 2014. Katerina is a graduate student in Clinical Psychology at Spalding University.  Her research interest include perfectionism, risk factors of developing an eating disorder, and mental health.  In her free time, Katerina enjoys playing with her puppy, going on hikes, and spending time quality time with her friends.​
Christin Rutley

Christin is a student at the University of Louisville where she is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Exercise Science. Upon graduation she plans to continue her education to pursue a masters or doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology. Her ultimate goal is to work alongside a nutritionist and nurse practitioner and open up a treatment and counseling center as an Eating Disorder Specialist. Christin’s research interests include comorbidity rates of eating disorders with depression and OCD, as well as family influences on caloric intake and restrictions. In her free time, Christin enjoys working out at Pure Barre and Milestone, traveling, hanging out with friends and spending time with her family and two dogs.
William Adams
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William is double majoring in biology and psychology at the University of Louisville. After completing both majors, he would like to go into the counseling psychology or physiology graduate programs at the University of Louisville. William enjoys reading and exploring the internet in his free-time.
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Elaina Hurd

Elaina is a senior at the University of Louisville pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Bachelor of Science in communication. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school in advertising. Currently Elaina coaches gymnastics and is a co-coordinator for Amplify UofL.  In her spare time she enjoys cooking, watching horror movies, and travel.

Emily Wells

Emily is a student at the University of Louisville where she is pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology.  Upon graduation she hopes to enter a Clinical Psychology graduate program. Her goal is to intern with a pediatric hospital and specialize in Clinical Pediatric Neuropsychology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and working at a Vineyard.
Caroline Gates

Caroline is a junior Honors student at the University of Louisville pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for counseling psychology. She is interested in the relationship between family influences and eating disorders. Caroline is currently an editor for The White Squirrel, the Honors program’s literary and art magazine. In her free time, she also enjoys watching movies, baking, and petting dogs.

Anna Elise Toon

Anna Elise is a senior at the University of Louisville pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, as well as a minor in Studio Arts (2D). After graduation in 2017, she plans on attending a graduate program with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, drawing, enjoying the outdoors, spending time with her family, and binge watching Netflix.




Rebecca Aldammad

Rebecca has a background in biology, anatomy, and other health science related courses, but decided to pursue her main interest, psychology. Rebecca will graduate this spring with her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology. She is interested in the mind-body connection, mindfulness, and emotional well-being. However, she has yet to find an area of psychology that she did not appreciate, including statistics, experimental, cognitive, and exercise psychology, among others. Upon graduation, Rebecca hopes to attend graduate school for psychology. In her free-time she enjoys being outdoors, running, photography, and spending time with her family and friends.