The MOSB Lab will not be reviewing applications submitted in the fall of 2025 for LSU's doctoral program.
Halle Fowler
Halle is a second-year graduate student in the MOSB lab. She grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in History and Psychology from Brown University in 2022. She then completed her Master's degree in Developmental Psychology at Gallaudet University.
Halle is interested in the treatment and prevention of NSSI and suicide, thinking specifically about day-to-day experiences that contribute to NSSI, mental health infrastructure in rural areas, and assessment and treatment of suicidal ideation in the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community.
In her free time, Halle loves to read, hike, and ballroom dance.
Max Stivers
Max Stivers (he/him) is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Mitigation of Suicidal Behavior Lab. Originally from Southern California, Max earned his B.A. in psychology and philosophy from NYU and an M.A. in psychology at Pepperdine. In the process of earning/paying for those degrees, he has contributed to suicide and mood disorder research in a variety of academic, clinical, and community settings.
Moving forward, he is interested in examining facilitators of help-seeking related to suicidal thoughts and behavior, as well as the development of more accessible and acceptable resources for members of marginalized groups.
Outside of his studies, Max enjoys baking, boardgames, and a smattering of other hobbies that don't begin with B.
Emma O'Brien
Emma is a first-year graduate student in the MOSB lab. She is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and French from Earlham College in 2020. She then worked in Dr. Katalin Szanto’s Longitudinal Research Program in Late-Life Suicide at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2020-2024.
Emma is interested in developing better prediction and prevention measures for medically serious suicidal behavior and assessing risk and protective factors for suicide in high-risk groups including military members, sexual and gender minoritized individuals, and older adults.
In her free time, Emma loves to run, play sand volleyball, cook/bake, travel, and spend time with family and friends!
Nick Brdar
Nick Brdar (he/him) is a first-year graduate student in the MOSB Lab. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and earned his B.S. in psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan. After graduation, he continued to work at U-M in Dr. Lindsay Bornheimer’s Suicide Prevention, Treatment, and Research (STaR) Lab, where he contributed to research focused on adapting and testing suicide prevention interventions for adults with serious mental illness.
Nick is particularly interested in understanding how the progression from thinking about suicide to engaging in suicidal behavior is influenced by the developmental transition from adolescence to adulthood. He is also interested in improving suicide risk assessment methods and suicide-specific interventions, with a focus on underserved and disproportionately affected populations, including LGBTQ+ people, healthcare workers, and adults with emerging or chronic serious mental illness.
Outside of his academic work, Nick enjoys drinking iced coffee, petting dogs, traveling, watching the Detroit Tigers, and playing volleyball, pickleball, and board games with friends.
