MIRECC / CoE

Lisa Brenner, PhD (Principal Investigator)
I have over 20 years of experience working with Veterans and have championed nationalefforts to prevent suicide among Veterans. My research interests include traumatic brain injury and comorbid mental health conditions, including suicide. Providing high-quality, evidence-based care and resources to Veterans and their loved ones is very important to me.

Lisa Betthauser, MBA, PhD (Co-Investigator)
I am a clinical research psychologist and investigator at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC. It has been my pleasure to provide clinical and research services to our nation’s Veterans for 12 years. My research interests focus on complementary and integrative health interventions specifically for Veterans with PTSD and TBI, acceptability and feasibility of using smartphone technology to enhance upstream suicide prevention efforts, and associations between transitions between identity status (e.g., Active Duty to civilian) and suicide risk.

Diana Brostow, RDN, MPH, PhD (Co-Investigator)
I am a Research Nutritionist at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC, and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. I have five years’ experience working with Veterans, particularly populations struggling with food insecurity and mental health disorders. My primary research interest is nutrition in relation to traumatic brain injury and mental health.

Jeri Forster, PhD (Co-Investigator)
I am a Biostatistician, and Director of the Rocky Mountain MIRECC’s Data and Statistical Core. My primary research interests are longitudinal data analysis, nonignorable dropout, and varying-coefficient models. My work has focused on methods that adjust for potential nonignorable dropout in longitudinal studies and clinical trials. I have additionally led analyses on numerous studies related to TBI, PTSD and suicide risk.

Erin Higgins, LCSW (Study Clinician)

Morgan Nance, MA (Study Coordinator)
I am a professional research assistant at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC and the study coordinator on the FAAST study. I have worked on several studies investigating traumatic brain injuries and negative psychiatric outcomes.

Molly Penzenik, MPH (Data Analyst)
I have worked for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for four years, first as a research assistant and then as a member of the Data and Statistical Core. I have extensive experience with online data collection methods. I am currently completing an MPH degree in Biostatistics.

Emerald Saldyt (Research Assistant)

Kelly Stearns-Yoder, MA (Co-Investigator)
I am a Research Program Director at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. My primary research interests include operational and functional outcomes in the Veteran population, as well as critically appraising and synthesizing bodies of literature.

Captain Aaron D Werbel, PhD (Co-Investigator)
Captain Werbel serves as Director, Midshipmen Development Center at the U.S. Naval Academy. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical and Medical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and a certified trainer of mental health providers in “Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk.”