Megan N. Perez, Ph.D., M.B.A., is currently a post-doctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in behavioral oncology. Dr. Perez is a 2021 graduate of Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology program, specializing in pediatric and child psychology. She completed her internship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 2021. She earned her B.S. in Psychology and M.B.A. from Kansas State University, and a M.S. in Clinical Behavioral Psychology at Eastern Michigan University where she worked in collaboration with the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital in pediatric cancer and bone marrow transplant research. Her primary research interests include family adjustment to pediatric cancer diagnosis, including risk and resiliency factors, as well as ways in which the medical environment can facilitate resilience. On fellowship, Dr. Perez will be conducting clinical research on family adjustment to pediatric cancer diagnoses, including screening and intervention for families at increased risk of distress. She will also be providing clinical care to families of children undergoing cancer treatment as well as those in survivorship.
Twitter: @Megan_Perez_
Dana Bakula, Ph.D., is currently a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Dr. Bakula is a 2020 graduate of Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology program. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, her post-doctoral fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital, and earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. Dr. Bakula’s research interests include child and family psychosocial adjustment to chronic illness and psychosocial interventions aimed at improving child and family wellbeing. On fellowship, Dana is engaging in clinical research aimed at improving the wellbeing of children with feeding difficulties and obesity, while also working clinically with these populations. Dr. Bakula, has completed research aimed at understanding psychosocial adjustment, wellbeing, and adherence among children and their parents in pediatric rehabilitation, cancer, epilepsy, IBD, DSD, and general medical populations. Dr. Bakula’s dissertation evaluated the psychosocial adjustment of parents of children admitted for inpatient pediatric rehabilitation, as well as associated risk and resilience factors.
Hannah Espeleta, Ph.D., is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Sharkey is a 2020 graduate of Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology program. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Medical University of South Carolina. Hannah grew up in Dayton, Ohio and graduate from Miami University, Ohio with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Criminology. At Miami University, Hannah completed her Honor's thesis, "Adult Interpersonal Difficulties in Survivors of Child Abuse: Mediating and Moderating Roles of Emotion Dysregulation and Parental Care," under the advisement of Terri Messman-Moore, Ph.D. She also assisted on a longitudinal study funded by a NICHD-R01 grant, which examined the emotional and psychosocial mechanisms underlying sexual revictimization. Hannah's current research interests include the implementation and efficacy of child maltreatment prevention programs, family violence, health-related outcomes for children in foster care, and the treatment of problematic sexual behavior in youth. Hannah hopes to one day work in a hospital setting, researching children in child welfare's access to services and the implementation of child abuse interventions.
Alexandria “Alli” Mullins Delozier, Ph.D. is a 2019 graduate of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Oklahoma State University (OSU). She completed her clinical internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), where she currently serves as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Delozier’s research focuses on understanding and addressing factors impacting health disparities and adjustment outcomes in gender and sex diverse youth and their families. Her dissertation, which was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Mullins at OSU examined the relation between stigma, uncertainty, and psychological distress in parents of children newly diagnosed with a disorder of sex development (DSD) and atypical genital development. In addition to research, Dr. Delozier has a clinical interest in working with gender, sex, and sexual minority youth and their families. She is the current Research Director and Associate Medical Director of the LGBT+ health clinic at UMMC.
Alayna Tackett, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Tackett completed her internship at Brown University and a postdoctoral research fellowship through a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); Award # F32HL138734-01) at the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center. Dr. Tackett’s postdoctoral research will examine the respiratory and inflammation effects of electronic cigarette use in youth with asthma under the mentorship of Theodore Wagener, PhD, Elizabeth McQuaid, PhD, Deborah Pearlman, PhD, and Kate Guthrie, PhD. Recently, Dr. Tackett was awarded a Loan Repayment Grant Award from the NIH/NHLBI. After completing postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Tackett is interested in continuing her research interests in tobacco regulatory science, with a specialized focus on evaluating the pharmacological and behavioral use patterns of non-cigarette tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes and marijuana, use in youth with chronic health conditions. She hopes to contribute to the field of pediatric health psychology by writing grants, developing research protocols, and teaching/training students at all levels. Dr. Tackett continues to work with the PHP Lab on projects, collaborating on her early career award (K01HL148907).
Kristina Suorsa, Ph.D., is a recent graduate from the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Dr. Soursa was a member of the Pediatric Health Psychology Lap under the mentorship of Larry L. Mullins, Ph.D. Currently, Dr. Soursa is completing her postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan/Michigan Medicine with David Sandberg, PhD. Her postdoc training will focus on gaining clinical and research skills with patients with a Difference/Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) and their families. She recently completed her pre-doctoral internship at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Soursa attended the University of Rhode Island, graduating with a B.A. in psychology and French. Before attending OSU, Dr. Soursa worked for three years at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, completing research in adherence with children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Soursa’s current research interests include exploring the psychosocial functioning and overall medical care of patients with a DSD.
Dr. Elizabeth Molzon, Ph.D. is a Pediatric Psychologist at Shandy Clinics in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Molzon completed her internship at DuPont Children’s Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Ashley Junghans-Rutelonis, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a clinical supervisor at Behavioral Healthcare Providers, an organization committed to providing behavioral healthcare services through innovation to over 30 Emergency Departments in the Midwest. She leads a team of 40+ licensed mental health providers as they utilize technological innovation and clinical expertise to provide crisis intervention and assessments to thousands of patients annually. Through her unique combination of operational skill and clinical knowledge, she has restructured training and education, improved communication pathways between leadership and staff, and been a vocal advocate for her team and for patient care. Ashley earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University. She completed her predoctoral residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a two-year clinical child and pediatric medical psychology postdoctoral fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she was also an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Junghans-Rutelonis has over a decade of experience in healthcare systems where she has partnered with families to improve patient care outcomes and with colleagues to build and sustain interdisciplinary clinics. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, has presented more than 50 times to medical and psychological professionals, and has received accolades for her teaching and staff engagement strategies. In her time away from work and her laptop, she is laughing with her family, reading a book, and sneaking ice cream.
Dr. Stephanie Hullman is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Indiana Medical School. Stephanie is from Pottstown, Pennsylvania and received her bachelor's degree from Bucknell University, where she double majored in Psychology and Biology. Her master's thesis examined the role of parenting capacity variables and health-related quality of life in children with pediatric cancer and their caregivers. She has a particular interest in examining parent and child adjustment to pediatric cancer using a positive psychology framework. Stephanie's dissertation project examined posttraumatic stress and growth and psychophysiological adjustment in parents of children with cancer. Stephanie completed her predoctoral internship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center during the 2012-2013 academic year.
Dr. David Fedele is an Associate Professor in at the University of Florida. Dr. Fedele completed his internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. Dr. Fedele’s current research focuses on pediatric asthma, cystic fibrosis, and food allergies. He is particularly interested in how health behaviors, adherence to treatment regimens, and the child-caregiver relationship impact youth health and well-being.
Dr. Leafar Espinoza graduated from OSU with Ph.D. in Psychology (2007). Completed internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO (2006 - 2008). Completed Masters of Public Health Degree at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2009).
Dr. Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D., M.P.H. is an Endowed Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Fuemmeler earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2001 and completed a clinical internship and one year post-doctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina. He then went on to a 3-year fellowship sponsored by the National Cancer Institute in preventive oncology. During the fellowship he earned a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University in 2003 and subsequently worked in the NCI’s Health Promotion Research Branch. Currently he is on faculty at Duke University in the Department of Community and Family Medicine. He conducts research on both cancer survivorship and cancer prevention. In the area of survivorship, Dr. Fuemmeler’s research has focused on psychological adjustment of cancer survivors and their families as well as secondary health-risk prevention. In the area of cancer prevention, Dr. Fuemmeler conducts research on the bio-psycho-social correlates related to modifiable cancer risk factors (e.g., smoking, physical activity, and obesity) from a life-course perspective. He is particularly interested in identifying salient bio-psycho-social factors in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood that would inform health promotion and prevention intervention science. His research is investigating parental and family factors that influence obesity and physical activity during youth, and child psychiatric conditions that have the potential to influence smoking risk. Dr. Fuemmeler is also working with collaborators from multiple disciplines at Duke University investigating candidate genes that regulate dopamine and serotonin in the brain in order to identify the potential relation that these genes have with obesity, physical activity, and smoking.
Ahna Hoff, Ph.D. is a Professor and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Associate Professor at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the Colorado State University, her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Colorado and her Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology focusing on Pediatric Psychology from Oklahoma State University (2003). A poster based on her dissertation received the student poster award from the Society of Pediatric Psychology at the 2003 American Psychological Association convention. After completing her clinical internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dr. Pai pursued a two year postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Dennis Drotar at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University Medical School. Following her fellowship, she conducted research in the Division of Oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with Dr. Anne Kazak. Dr. Pai joined the Center for the Promotion of Adherence and Self-Management at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in August, 2007. Her research interests are centered on the development and dissemination of interventions designed to increase adherence to medical regimens in pediatric populations. Specifically, she is interested in systemic interventions targeting those components of family functioning that influence adherence and self-management behaviors in transplant populations. She is also interested in the construct of illness uncertainty and managing illness uncertainty as a means of decreasing caregiver and child psychological distress.
Dr. Angelica Eddington is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Bonheur Children’s Center. Dr. Eddington was born in Memphis, TN and has been living in Arlington, Texas for over 20 years. This McNair Scholar graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in psychology in May 2007. Dr. Eddington completed her internship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Under the direction of Dr. Larry L. Mullins, Dr. Eddington examined the issues of pediatric chronic illness with an emphasis on family and child adjustment.
Dr. Jill Isenberg, Ph.D. completed her Ph.D. with the Mullins' lab in December 2005. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. She then completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in the Division of Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. Currently, Dr. Isenberg is currently working as a pediatric neuropyschologist At Essentia Health.
Dr. Melissa Carpentier, Ph.D. is a pediatric psychologist in private practice in Houston, Texas. During her time at OSU, Dr. Carpentier focused on examining the utility of cognitive appraisal mechanisms in predicting child and parent adjustment to a variety of chronic illnesses, including diabetes, asthma, and cancer. She completed her internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS, and recently received her doctoral degree from OSU (July, 2007).
Misty Boyd, Ph.D. received her doctorate from Oklahoma State University in 2003. While a student at Oklahoma State University, she was mentored by Dr. Larry Mullins and worked in his lab. She was involved in research examining family adjustment to developmental disabilities and pediatric chronic illness, as well as the role of spirituality in adjustment to chronic illness in young adults. Dr. Boyd completed her internship through the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2002-2003. These experiences strengthened Dr. Boyds desire to work with underserved populations, leading her to her current position as a Clinical Psychologist with Cherokee Nation Behavioral Health Services in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She provides clinical services to American Indian children, adolescents, families, and adults.
Christina Sharkey, Ph.D., is currently an assistant professor at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Sharkey is a 2020 graduate of Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology program. She completed her clinical internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute, post-doctoral fellowship at Children’s National Hospital, and earned her Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. Dr. Sharkey’s primary research interests focus on understanding and addressing individual, family, and systemic risk and resilience factors that impact child and family psychological distress. As a graduate student, Dr. Sharkey completed research examining modifiable factors predicting patterns of adjustment among AYAs with chronic medical conditions, and families impacted by cancer, IBD, DSD, and other conditions. On fellowship, Dr. Sharkey will be providing clinical care to children and families affected by neuro-oncological conditions and will be conducting clinical research on the interrelationships between child neurocognitive functioning, and child and parent psychological adjustment in the context of pediatric cancer. This research extends directly from Dr. Sharkey’s dissertation entitled, “Neuropsychological Phenotypes of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors: A Latent Profile Analysis.”
Christina Sharkey, Ph.D.- Researchgate