Lab Members
Ashlee Loughan, PhD, MEd
Associate Professor, VCU Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology
Director, LiveNOW Lab
Dr. Loughan is dedicated to a career focused on improving life quality across the brain cancer trajectory. She is a clinical neuropsychologist and Associate Professor in the VCU School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neuro-Oncology, and an Associate Member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Loughan earned her PhD from Walden University and completed her clinical residency at Goodwill Rehabilitation Center (Portland, Maine), followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital (Augusta, Georgia); both with specialized training in neuropsychology. Her clinical and scholarly work centers on the development and delivery of evidence-based neuropsychological care for individuals with brain tumors and their families, with particular emphasis on the significant sequelae following aggressive brain tumor diagnoses, including cognitive impairment, existential distress, and insomnia.
Her research has been supported by internal (VCU, Massey), foundation (National Brain Tumor Society, American Psychological Foundation), and federal funding agencies (NIH National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense, NRG Oncology). Dr. Loughan holds leadership roles within several national and international organizations, including the Society for Neuro-Oncology (Elected Board Member), American Brain Tumor Association (Clinical Advisory Board Chair), RANO–Cognitive Outcomes Working Group (Founder and Co-Chair), and RANO–Patient-Reported Outcomes Working Group (Co-Chair). She is also an active member of NRG Oncology and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, where she serves as the Neuro-Oncology Patient-Reported Outcomes Chair across multiple multi-site cooperative group trials.
Throughout her academic career, Dr. Loughan’s work has been grounded in the voices of patients and caregivers. She remains committed to advancing neuro-oncology care both locally—maintaining a weekly clinical practice at VCU Health—and nationally through LiveNOW’s large-scale recruitment infrastructure and applied intervention research. Through these efforts, Dr. Loughan has contributed meaningfully to improving care at VCU and aims to spread this patient-centered model across neuro-oncology programs nationwide.
Sarah Braun, PhD, LCP
Assistant Professor, VCU Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology
Assistant Director, LiveNOW Lab
Dr. Braun is a clinical neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology in the Division of Neuro-Oncology. She completed her PhD in clinical psychology at VCU, her clinical residency in neuropsychology at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and a neuropsychological fellowship at VCU, Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, with a specialization in the neuropsychology of brain tumors. Her research aims to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mild neurocognitive disorder in cancer patients. She is particularly interested in the development and investigation of behavioral interventions (e.g., mindfulness, neuropsychological rehabilitation) to improve neurocognitive and health outcomes in brain tumor patients.
Autumn Lanoye, PhD, LCP
Assistant Professor, VCU School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Director, LiveNOW Lab
Dr. Lanoye is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at VCU's School of Public Health. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from VCU and completed her clinical residency at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. Her research interests include health behavior interventions and the effects of physical activity on cognitive functioning in cancer populations.
Giuliana Zarrella
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Giuliana Zarrella is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is mentored by Drs. Bruce Rybarczyk, Ashlee Loughan, and Sarah Braun. Her background and research interests focus on the cognitive and behavioral consequences of cancer, including both brain tumors and non-central nervous system cancers. She is also interested in quality of life outcomes in neuro-oncology patients.
Brighton Payne
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Brighton Payne is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she is mentored by Dr. Sarah Braun. Her research interests center on cognition, particularly how it is impacted by various brain injuries and diseases. She is dedicated to discovering and developing effective methods for cognitive rehabilitation to enhance the quality of life for affected individuals.
Karly Derrigo, MS
Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student
Karly Derrigo is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University under the mentorship of Dr. Suzanne Mazzeo. She holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Drexel University. Her research focuses on the psychological mechanisms underlying eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphia. She is also interested in the role of fear in shaping psychological and physical health outcomes.
Max Hernand
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Max Hernand is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University under the mentorship of Dr. Ashlee Loughan and Dr. Jared Keeley. His research interests include psycho-oncology, illness perceptions, and behavioral health interventions following oncology diagnosis, illness progression, and unsuccessful treatment. He is particularly interested in how meaning-making impacts the psychological sequelae of cancer.
Mary H. Bridgman, MS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Mary is a clinical research coordinator in the Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neuro-Oncology, at Virginia Commonwealth University. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from VCU and her master’s degree in Psychology from Liberty University. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Health-Related Sciences program at VCU. Her research interests include stress management, clinical risk assessments, and psychopathology among patients with brain tumors.
Rachel Stephens, BS
Psychometrist
Rachel is a psychometrist with the Department of Neuro-Oncology at VCU Health. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Christopher Newport University. She is passionate about patient-centered care and brings a strong foundation in biological sciences to neuropsychological assessment and clinical research support.
Lab Alumni
Farah Aslanzadeh: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/faslanza
Julia Brechbiel: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/provider-directory/julia-brechbiel.html
Rachel Boutte: https://www.rushu.rush.edu/faculty/rachel-l-boutte
Lisa Chung: https://pcpsych.vcu.edu/people/graduate-students/chung.html
Alexandria Davies: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandria-davies-85363050/
Amber Fox
Mariya Husain: https://www.rushu.rush.edu/education-and-training/graduate-medical-education/residency-programs/neurology-residency/residents
Christopher Kleva: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kleva-b127a173/
Scott Ravyts: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/physical-medicine-rehabilitation/education-training/rehab-psych
Morgan Reid: https://psychology.vcu.edu/directory/reid-morgan.html
Jaclyn Sadicario: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-sara-sadicario-ba50692a/
Audrey Villanueva
Kelcie Willis: https://www.topspostdoc.org/tops-fellows-alumni
Medical Student Collaborators
Sarah Barrett
Emilie Cheng
Sarah Cook
Natasha Deo
Mariya Husain
Lauren Kovalchick
Jenna Langbein
Karen Lo
Kyra Parker
Jake Verter