our team
Principal Investigators
Patrick Corrigan
Patrick Corrigan is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Prior to that, Corrigan was Professor of Psychiatry and Executive Director of the University of Chicago Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Corrigan has worked most of his 30-year career in providing and evaluating services for people with psychiatric disabilities with special focus on the impact of health equity. Realizing that the benefits of psychiatric services are limited by stigma, he has spent the past two decades broadening his research to the prejudice and discrimination of mental illness. His work has been supported by NIH and PCORI for most of that time to, among other things, develop and lead the National Consortium on Stigma and Empowerment (www.NCSE1.org). This led to development of the Honest, Open, Proud program to erase the stigma of mental illness (www.hopprogram.org). Corrigan also extended his research to mental health AND social determinants (e.g., ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and age) and corresponding social disadvantage related to poverty, criminal justice involvement, and immigration concerns resulting in the Chicago Health Disparities Center (www.chicagoheatlhdispariteis.org). Corrigan has authored more than 450 journal articles and 20 books. He is also editor of Stigma and Health, an APA journal.
Lindsay Sheehan
Dr. Lindsay Sheehan, PhD, is Assistant Professor and Associate Director at the Center on Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr. Sheehan has over 30 peer-reviewed publications and is principal investigator on multiple psychiatric disability-related research and training grants. She developed the Inspiring Change community-based participatory research (CBPR) curriculum and has extensive experience implementing CBPR programming. She is director of a state-funded program to train certified recovery support specialists/ certified peer recovery specialists (CRSS/CPRS). Her research has focused on the stigma of mental illness, suicide, health equity, and the evaluation of peer services for people with mental illness. Dr. Sheehan also has a decade of experience working in community mental health care, including provision of counseling, case management, residential support, and vocational training services.
Senior Research Faculty
Jon Larson
An associate professor and chair of psychology at Illinois Tech, Jonathon Larson is a core faculty member in the Department of Psychology’s Division of Counseling and Rehabilitation Science. He is the principal investigator for “Testing the Effectiveness of Neurofield: A Pulsed Electromagnetic Field System for Electroencephalogram Regulation” funded by Neurofield, Inc. He is a co-investigator for the “Motivational Interviewing for Social Security Exiters” project funded by the Social Security Administration. Larson was principal investigator for: a five-year transformation grant on “Trauma Informed Care for Veterans and Family Members” funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, and four Rehabilitation Training Grants funded by Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education. He was co-investigator for: “Patient-Centered Research Center Project of Peer Navigators” funded by the Agency for Health Research and Quality; “Supported Education for Veterans with Mental Illness” funded by the Veterans Administration; and “Center on Adherence and Self-Determination” funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Larson has authored 61 peer-reviewed publications, seven book chapters, and 22 published training chapters.
Nicole Ditchman
Arryn Guy
Dr. Arryn A. Guy (she/they) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and core faculty in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and was a clinical psychology resident at the Edward Hines Jr VA. Dr. Guy completed an NIMH-funded T32 fellowship in Biobehavioral HIV research at Brown University in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, while cross-training with the Alcohol Research Center on HIV (ARCH) and Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS) in the School of Public Health. Dr. Guy‘s work focuses on community-based participatory research with queer and trans communities to develop and implement evidence-based behavioral health interventions. Their work aims to heal negative psychological sequelae resulting from stigma, support addiction recovery, increase access to gender affirmative care, and reduce HIV health inequities. Dr. Guy is the PI of a NIDA-funded K99/R00 to adapt and test an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based, gender-affirming stigma intervention aimed to reduce substance problems and improve HIV prevention and care engagement among trans adults.
Research Associates
Vardha Kharbanda
Vardha is a second year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at Illinois Institute of Technology. She was born and raised in New Delhi, India. Drawing from an
interdisciplinary background and extensive psychology training, Vardha’s
approach is characterized by mindfulness and a deep appreciation for multicultural perspectives. Her unwavering passion lies in advocating for the mental health of minority communities. As a first-generation graduate student, Vardha intimately understands the challenges faced by minorities in academia. This personal insight fuels her commitment to reshaping existing literature, making it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of underserved populations. Her overarching goal is to collaborate with students, behavioral health providers, and experts from diverse disciplines to ensure that high-quality mental health care and education are accessible to all individuals.
Virginia Spicknall
Virginia Spicknall, MS, CRC, is a Clinical Research Associate with the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER). She received her Masters in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from Illinois Tech. Virginia provided mental health counseling services at Illinois Tech’s Student Health and Wellness Center as well as participated as a counseling intern with the Department of Rehabilitation Services. She also volunteered with Crisis Text Line, providing crisis counseling services. Virginia has gained research experience working on studies done at Illinois Tech and DePaul University, including studies on Parent Child Interaction Therapy, COVID’s impact on healthcare workers, peer-support services, etc. Within CHEER, Virginia is involved in projects related to disclosure, peer-support, CBPR, Stigma, and more.
Anastasia Tooley
Anastasia Tooley, MS, is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Rehabilitation at Illinois Tech. She currently works as a Clinical Research Associate at the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER). Her research interests include mental illness stigma and health equity, with previous experience in child development and families. After completing a BS at Purdue University, she earned her MS in Clinical Psychology at Illinois Tech for research on the public stigma associated with Tourette’s syndrome. She has experience providing therapy services across a variety of settings and populations, from working in community mental health to serving individuals with craniofacial conditions. Before coming to Illinois Tech, she supported children with autism and their families as an RBT-Certified, Applied Behavior Analysis therapist. At CHEER, she is engaged in research focused on peer support and psychiatric disability.
Miranda Twiss
Miranda Twiss, BA, works in the CHEER lab as a Clinical Research Associate. She received a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and is currently earning her Master’s in Clinical Counseling from Illinois Institute of Technology. Prior to her time at IIT, Miranda managed psychotherapy intakes and psychological testing at a mental health clinic in Washington, DC. She has previously worked on research studying implicit bias interventions, social perceptions, and inter-group attitudes. At CHEER, she is involved in research projects on peer navigation, telehealth services, trauma and recovery, and anti-stigma campaigns. Miranda’s research interests include stigma and cultural differences around mental health, as well as PTSD, trauma interventions, resiliency, and recovery.
Anna Riedel
Anna Riedel (they/she) is a Clinical Research Assistant at the CHEER Lab, where they contribute to various ongoing projects. They are particularly passionate about Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and are eager to deepen their understanding of how CBPR can support community-driven change. Anna holds a BA in Psychology with a community concentration from DePaul University and values the opportunity to apply their community psychology background to their work at the CHEER Lab.
Anna plans to pursue graduate studies with the goal of eventually leading their own CBPR study. Their academic interests include trauma recovery—particularly global approaches to trauma—cultural competency and inclusivity in mental health care, and advocacy for sexual assault survivors. Inspired by mentorship at the CHEER Lab, Anna has also developed a strong interest in understanding and combating mental health stigma.
Elliott Morris
Elliott Morris is the Community Research Navigator for the Center for Health Equity, Education, & Research at Illinois Institute of Technology. He has 44 years of experience in corporate organizations, hospital administration, peer recovery and mental health specialist and navigator roles at the Univ. of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, and Loyola. He is passionate about mental health recovery, exercise, and education for the aging and mental health communities from a peer perspective. He is a dedicated advocate for those who live with and have passed away from HIV/AIDS. He works with and advocates for BIPOC, aging, and LGBTQ+ community.
Santee Blakey
Santee Blakey is the Community Engagement and Research Coordinator at Illinois Tech. She is excited to educate, collaborate, and push forward projects that improve people’s health, especially those in marginalized communities. She has a background in several fields including social service case management, recovery support for mental health and substance use challenges, and even massage therapy. Her educational background includes receiving her Bachelor’s in Gender Studies from The University of Chicago and graduating from Illinois Tech’s CRSS Success Program and receiving her certification from the ICB in 2024. Her passion has always been related to improving people’s quality of life and supporting their personal growth through holistic practices. She is adept at peer counseling, life coaching, facilitating workshops, and marketing.
CHEER Fellows
Jannica Heinström
Jannica Heinström is Professor at the Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. Her research focuses on psychological aspects of information interaction, particularly the role of personality and individual differences. Her research has been funded by, among others, the Academy of Finland and the Fulbright Association. Recent work includes studies on self-stigma, concealed information needs, information avoidance, serendipity and information overload.