Katherine A. Duggan, PhD

PATHS Lab Director

Kat is an Assistant Professor and the director of the Personality And Trajectories to Health and Sleep (PATHS) Lab in the Department of Psychology at North Dakota State University. You can read more about her here.

Odalis García, BA

PhD Psychology, 2021-present; nsf grfp fELLOW 2023-PRESENT

My name is Odalis G. Garcia and I joined the PATHS Lab as a graduate student in the Psychology Ph.D. program in 2021. I am originally from the Houston, TX area and I come from the University of North Texas where I earned a B.A. in Psychology (2021). During my time at the University of North Texas I became a McNair Scholar and conducted undergraduate research in topics such as “The Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Work Stress on Insomnia Symptoms in Nurses” and “Bidirectional association between daily stress and nightmares”. As a graduate student, my program of research focuses on how sleep, dreams, and nightmares are impacted by stress across development. My long-term goal is to obtain a tenure-track faculty position and continue to do research in behavioral sleep medicine.

You can view my CV here.

I am also a co-host on the Scientists in Training podcast. Learn more about us here.

Anita Adams, MS

PhD Clinical Psychology expected 2025, University of Kentucky; affiliated PATHS Lab graduate student and external advisee, 2022-present

My name is Anita Adams, and I am a 6th year clinical psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky. I am an Air Force “brat” and moved around a bit as a child, but eventually settled in North Carolina where I earned my B.A. in Psychology and English-Creative Writing from North Carolina State University. During my undergraduate research career, I studied the impact of culture and parental emotion socialization in children’s emotion understanding and development. I also studied emotion regulation, personality, and sleep behaviors in undergraduate student populations. During my post-baccalaureate experience, my research shifted to a more clinical focus, and I worked with older and middle adult and child populations with diagnoses such as dementia, hormonally-impacted depression (specifically perimenopausal depression), and autism.

My current research is centered on the relationship between trait responses to emotion (e.g., how one’s consistent style of coping develops into a personality trait) and adverse childhood experiences. More specifically, I am interested in how one’s early life experiences can impact one’s later emotional and physical health into adulthood. I am also interested in how trait responses to emotion may serve as transdiagnostic mechanisms for psychopathology. If we can identify these transdiagnostic mechanisms, we can leverage them to improve psychosocial and physical health outcomes for minoritized populations.

Claire Glade, BA

Lab Manager; BA Psychology and Spanish 2023; in the lab since 2020

Claire joined the lab in 2020 while she was an undergraduate student in Psychology and Spanish at NDSU; she has been our lab manager since 2023. Claire is considering careers at the intersection of public health, social justice, and research. She is also passionate about culturally-sensitive care, and is excited to apply her training to careers at the intersection of public health, social justice, and research. Outside of her travels, she rides horses, reads, and spends time with loved ones.

Katelyn Hanson

BS Psychology 2026; in the lab since 2022; Thesis student

Katelyn is currently an undergraduate student in psychology. She hopes to apply for her PhD in clinical psychology working with pediatrics. Katelyn is interested in all things cognition, communication, and children. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and teaching dance to ages 3-12 as well as reading, camping, and being out on the lake.

Allie Niska

BS Biological Sciences 2024; in the lab since 2022

Allie is a biology major (biomedical sciences emphasis) with a minor in psychology. She is working towards becoming a physician focused on pediatrics or neurology. In her free time, she likes to run, read, and travel.

Joelle Hannam

BS Psychology and Sociology 2025; Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar; NIH INBRE Scholar; thesis student; in the lab since 2022

Joelle is an undergraduate Psychology and Sociology double major. She is working on independent research focused on sleep-related beliefs and behaviors in low income communities using quantitative and qualitative methods. She hopes to pursue graduate training in clinical or counseling psychology.

Mariel Cabeza

BS Biological Sciences 2024; in the lab since 2023

I am originally from Lima, Peru and currently attend North Dakota State University. After graduation I will be applying for medical school in the hopes of becoming a pediatric surgeon. I want to participate in research since it contributes to the knowledge of how to treat widespread chronic conditions. My favorite part about research is that there is always something new to learn everyday. Also, in research most of the time there is no right or wrong answer, and that even the most “insignificant” finding can be quite valuable in the long run. During my spare time I work as a learning assistant for Organic Chemistry, volunteer at a Child’s Autism Center, bake and draw.

Polly Rudolf

BS Psychology 2025; in the lab since 2023

Polly is a Junior studying Psychology with a Business minor. Her hope is to obtain a PsyD in clinical psychology and work as a pediatric psychologist. Polly spends her summers teaching art to kids and working at a daycare. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, painting, and playing soccer.

Jocelyn Demontiney

BS Psychology 2024; in the lab since 2023

Jocelyn wants to work as a child and adolescent therapist one day. She is also considering career paths in clinical psychology. She is participating in research because she is eager to collaborate with new and experienced scientists and contribute to meaningful projects and discoveries. In her free time she spends time with friends and family and travels! You can always catch her strolling around Target, too.

Jocelyn Casavant

BS Biological Sciences 2024; in the lab since 2023

Jocelyn is pursuing a career in medicine with the hope of becoming a family practice doctor in a rural community. She is interested in learning about the intersectionality of different aspects of health. She recognizes that many factors have an impact on health, especially physical, mental, and social well-being. In her free time, she loves to hike, travel, and spend quality time with loved ones.

Mintong Li

BS Psychology 2027; in the lab since 2023

Mintong Li, an undergraduate psychology student, is deeply intrigued by the intersection of psychology, culture, and health. Her goal is to pursue a Master’s or PhD in counseling psychology, aspiring to work in diverse community settings. During her free time, she actively participants in cultural associations, enjoys digital art, and finds relaxation in playing piano.

Julia Schmidt

BS Nursing 2026; in the lab since 2023

Julia is pursuing a career as a nurse. She hopes to always recognize that health is not just a biological issue, but it is also influenced by other areas of our lives and our behaviors. Through research, she is excited to continue to expand her knowledge of the impacts on heath. Julia loves to read books, spend time with family and friends, and play games: Twilight Imperium is her current favorite.