People

Dr. Eleanna Varangis

Lab Director

I am an Assistant Professor of Movement Science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. I received my PhD in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University’s Taub Institute before coming to U-M. 

My research focuses on utilizing cognitive neuroscience approaches to explore the effects of mTBI and aging on brain function. My background in cognitive neuroscience has inspired many of the methods I use to study these populations, including, but not limited to: cognitive assessment, in-scanner cognitive task performance, linear modeling of changes in task-evoked brain activity, resting state and task-based functional connectivity analysis, and diffusion weighted imaging analysis. 

Outside of the lab and the classroom, I love cooking, traveling, reading, swimming, watching football/Yankees baseball/UNC basketball/tennis, and trying to keep up with my two little kids. 

Follow me on twitter:

Twitter

Michaela Broadnax

Lab Manager

Michaela discovered her passion for studying cognitive performance during her senior year of university. Since then, she has worked to learn more about cognitive processes and brain injury. Prior to joining the ATHINA Lab, she was a lead research coordinator at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU SOM) and outreach coordinator for the multi-institutional Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (CADRC).

As ATHINA’s Research Laboratory Manager, she can marry her current research interest in brain injury and neurocognitive decline. She is especially interested in examining short- and long-term concussion effects on neurocognitive function and identifying ways to treat brain injury for the prevention of early cognitive decline.

Chia-Hao (James) Shih

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

James is a Research Fellow at the ATHINA lab. He holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Psychology from National Taiwan University, and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology, specializing in Sport and Exercise Psychology, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before joining the ATHINA lab, James enriched his research experience in neuroimaging at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Toledo. James' research interests focus on applying advanced statistical methods and leveraging neuroimaging techniques to investigate the relationships between physical activity and cognitive and brain health, in both healthy individuals and those with neuropsychiatric conditions.

Julia Leskow

PhD Student

Julia is a PhD student in Movement Science at the University of Michigan. She is interested in using MRI neuroimaging techniques to investigate the neurocognitive and structural brain effects of sports-related concussions in athletes, with a particular focus on football players at the youth, collegiate, and professional levels. Originally from Hanover, Massachusetts, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Educational Neuroscience from The University of Alabama, and a Master of Science in Neuroimaging and Informatics from the University of Southern California. Roll Tide, Fight On, & Go Blue!!!

Brooke Lang

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Brooke is a junior at the University of Michigan originally from Los Altos, California. She is majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Gender and Health. Brooke is interested in exploring the intersections between neuroscience and sports medicine. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine.

Ainsley Adair

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Ainsley is a junior from Manhattan, Illinois studying neuroscience with a sociology of health and medicine minor. She is interested in pursuing a career in sports medicine where she wants to research concussions and other brain injuries in athletes with focus on prevention as well as long-term effects. 

Brooke Essig

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Brooke is a senior from Santa Barbara, California studying Movement Science at the School of Kinesiology. On the pre-PA track, she works as an MRI Tech Assistant, aspiring to specialize in neurology or neurotrauma as a Physician Assistant.

Nour Abbass

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Nour is a sophomore from Dearborn Heights, MI, majoring in Movement Science. Her passion for sports medicine is closely tied to her interest in cognitive neuroscience, particularly in understanding how brain injuries impact cognitive function. After graduation, she plans to pursue an MD, with the goal of dedicating her career to providing specialized healthcare for children in the field of sports medicine. 

Lab Alumni