Beth Cohen completed medical school, an internal medicine residency, and a clinical research fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. She is currently an Assistant Professor at UCSF and the San Francisco VA, where she conducts medical research and sees patients as a primary care provider. She is conducting an ancillary study within Heart and Soul to examine the effects of trauma and stress on the heart.

Alyssa joined the Heart and Soul Study in November 2008 as project manager. She holds a B.A. in Women and Gender studies from the University of California, Davis, and received her Master’s in Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Boston University. Prior to joining the Heart and Soul team, Alyssa spent several years working in the field of family violence prevention for a Sacramento-based non-profit, and has served in a variety of capacities to address disparities in health and education. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys home improvement projects, cuddling with her two cats, and throwing dinner parties with friends and family.

Benjamin received his Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology in 2005 from the University of California, Irvine. He joined the Heart and Soul Study staff in June 2007 as a Research Assistant and Laboratory Technician. After hours, Benjamin enjoys pretending he is a master chef, running in the Golden Gate Park, and teaching science courses at a local school of acupuncture.

Jameze graduated from UC Berkeley in 2006 with a degree in psychology and emphasis in neuroscience. He is a native San Franciscan and loves cooking fusion dishes, playing basketball, and hiking.

Lauren Norris is a research assistant with both the Mind Your Heart and Heart and Soul studies. She attended University of California, Santa Cruz and recently returned from serving as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname. In her spare time, Lauren likes to explore San Francisco's parks, snowboard in Tahoe and experiment in the kitchen.

Annelisa joined the Mind Your Heart Study as a research assistant in March 2009.  Before coming to the VA, she worked with a non-governmental organization in refugee camps in Zambia and at a charter middle school in Boston.  Annelisa holds a B.A from Harvard University in Music and English Literature and will pursue graduate study in community mental health.  In her free time, Annelisa studies psychology and enjoys exploring San Francisco’s diverse network of parks.

Haley graduated in June, 2008 from Harvard College with a B.A. in Environmental Science and Public Policy and joined the Mind Your Heart Study in October, 2008 after moving to the Bay Area over the summer.  Haley has a strong interest in health disparities and social medicine, and plans to apply to MD/MPH programs so he can pursue his interest in international public health.   In his spare time, he enjoys salsa dancing, Thai, Cajun, and Caribbean cooking, and making new friends on the 38 Geary.

Amanda joined the Heart and Soul study in October 2009 as a Research Assistant. She received a B.A. in Medical Anthropology from Stanford University and plans on pursuing an MPH in the near future related to her interest in adolescent health. Amanda enjoys sunny days, all types of dance, and all things Italian.

Kristi Samuelson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1998 from the University of Virginia. She is a research psychologist in the PTSD Research Program at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. She joined the Mind Your Heart Study in June 2008.