Lab Members
Ashlee Loughan, PhD, MEd
Associate Professor, VCU Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology
Director, LiveNOW Lab
Dr. Loughan is a clinical neuropsychologist in the Division of Neuro-oncology, an Associate Professor of Neurology, and an Associate Member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Massey Cancer Center. She received her PhD from Walden University and completed her clinical residency at Goodwill Rehabilitation Center (Portland Maine) and her 2-year post-doctoral fellowship at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital (Augusta Georgia); both with specializations in neuropsychology. Dr. Loughan is dedicated to a career of improving quality of life during the brain cancer experience. She specializes in maintaining cognitive capability and supporting mental health while navigating challenging cancer treatments. Dr. Loughan is a member of the Global Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) Program (based at the University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) and became the first CALM certified therapist in the United States. She is also an active member of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Cooperative Group and the co-chair of the Palliative Care Research Committee for the International Psycho-Oncology Society. Dr. Loughan’s research interests focus on the assessment, understanding, and effective treatment of existential distress among individuals with brain tumor.
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 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care
Assistant Director, LiveNOW Lab
Dr. Lanoye is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care. 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.
Alexandria Davies, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Davies is a psycho-oncology postdoctoral fellow in neuro-oncology. She received her PhD in counseling psychology from VCU and completed her clinical residency at the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, NC. Her research interests are in health behavior change interventions (e.g., healthy eating behaviors) for cancer prevention. Further, she is interested in improving quality of life for patients living with terminal and chronic illnesses.
Amber Fox, BS
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Amber Fox is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She recently began her first year of clinical practicum at Massey Cancer Center's Neuro-Oncology division under the supervision of Dr. Ashlee Loughan, conducting neuropsychological assessments. Her research interests include culturally-informed mental health treatment in integrated care settings.
Christopher Kleva, MA
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Christopher Kleva is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Currently, he is completing a one-year clinical externship conducting neuropsychological assessments at Massey Cancer Center's Neuro-Oncology division under the supervision of Dr. Ashlee Loughan. Broadly, his research interests involve the classification of psychopathology and clinician cognition. He is also interested in how provider-patient relationships affect the well-being of patients with primary brain tumors.
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.
Lab Alumni
Farah Aslanzadeh
Julia Brechbiel
Rachel Boutte
Lisa Chung
Mariya Husain
Scott Ravyts
Morgan Reid
Audrey Villanueva
Kelcie Willis