Education and Experience

Westley A. Youngren (he/him/his) completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Psychology at the University of Kansas. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Youngren worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Veteran’s Affairs Center of Excellence for Suicide Research and at the University of Rochester Psychiatry Department where he examined the relationship between sleep and suicide.

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Kansas.

Postdoctoral Fellow, VA's Center for Excellence in Suicide Research

University of Rochester's Advanced Fellowship

Tori is a doctoral level graduate student through the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program under the direction of Dr. Westley Youngren. Tori previously completed her bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in clinical psychology through Missouri State University where she studied childhood adversity and its impact on characteristic development, such as resiliency, empathy, and conscientiousness. She also received her L.P.C. during her time working for an assessment clinic through MSU. Tori is currently interested in continuing to examine the impacts of trauma, specifically the intersection between posttraumatic sexual experiences, nightmares, and hesitancy on reproductive health treatment. During her free time, Tori coaches local high school color guard teams and hangs out with her cat.

Emma is a doctoral graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at UMKC under the supervision of Dr. Westley Youngren. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in chemistry and psychology from UMKC. Her research interests include comorbidities and interactions between substance use disorders and various other conditions, such as PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, nightmares, and sleep, as well as treatment outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys raising and caring for tropical fish, photography, hiking with her dog, and reading. 

Iyanna is currently a graduate student in the UMKC Master's of Counseling program with an emphasis in Mental Health. She graduated from UMKC after majoring in Psychology with a minor in Health Sciences. Her research interests include the interaction of socioeconomic status with disorders as well as many other mental health disparities. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, crocheting, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. 

Bailee Ehlers

Bailee is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Psychology. Her research interests include neurophysiological development of personality disorders and pharmaceutical development in mental health. She has also gained valuable experience in data analysis through her work in educational evaluation and research. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, reading, and spending time with her cat. 

Ainsley Pickering

Ainsley is a senior at UMKC double majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice & Criminology. Her research interests focus on perception, cognitive psychology, mental health disparities, and how psychology intersects with the criminal justice system. Outside of the lab, Ainsley enjoys going on long walks, watching the sunset, painting, and spending time with her two cats!

Hanan Hayyeh

Hanan is an undergraduate student in her senior year. Majoring in psychology. Her research interests include researching the success of diverse therapeutic modalities with different clientele, researching preventative measures for suicide and researching about adverse childhood experiences trajectory on suicide. In her free time she enjoys learning languages, reading, dancing and swimming. After graduation she plans on getting a PsyD in clinical psychology.

Adelin Baynum

Adelin Baynum is a recent graduate from UMKC, having earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. She has been with the NITE lab since May 2024 and has prior research experience working with the Urban Education Research Center also located on the UMKC campus. 

Ty Rustici

Ty is a senior undergraduate majoring in psychology with a minor in philosophy. His research interests are in neuroscience and biopsychology. After finishing his bachelor he wants to pursue his PhD in psychology. In his free time he likes to hike, read, play video games, and spend quality time with friends and family.

Ky Williams

Ky is a junior undergraduate student majoring in psychology. Their research interests include the intersection of neurodivergence and gender, adolescent mental health and treatment, and suicide prevention. In their free time, they enjoy caring for their animals, reading, writing, teaching dance, and listening to music. 

Sol Disney

Sol is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at UMKC. Her research interests include studying the impact that chronic illness has on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of individuals, as well as identifying how various marginalized groups are more at-risk for certain health and wellness discrepancies. In her free time, Sol enjoys discovering new music, rock climbing, reading, and being outdoors. After graduation, she plans on obtaining a master's degree in occupational therapy and wants to work with children and seniors post grad. 

Hadley Cotton

Hadley is a junior undergraduate student at UMKC and is majoring in Psychology. Her research interests include the impact of biological and environmental factors on mental health and development. After graduating at UMKC, Hadley plans on going into a PsyD program in clinical psychology.  In her free time, Hadley enjoys watching movies, drinking tea or coffee, hanging out with her cat, and reading.  

Sarina worked in our lab as a graduate student in the mental health counseling program. She is passionate about intergenerational trauma and epigenetics research. The population that she’s eager to work with post-grad is adult women with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. In her free time she enjoys traveling, supporting locally owned coffee shops, and beekeeping. 

Kate McKown

Kate worked in our lab as a senior undergraduate student majoring in psychology with minors in Spanish and criminal justice at UMKC. She graduated in 2025 with plans to attend graduate school. In her free time, Kate likes to spend time with her friends and dogs, crochet, watch movies, and play music. Her research interests include the interactions within social relationships, interactions between genders, and psychological disorders in social relationships, as well as sleep, trauma, and suicide.  

Laine Ross

Laine worked in our lab as a senior undergraduate student majoring in Psychology. She graduated from UMKC in 2024 and plans to attend graduate school. Her research interests include depression and anxiety studies along with the mental health of the geriatric population including coping with the challenges of aging. In her free time she enjoys movies, reading, and spending time with friends and family.  

Lydia Weaver

Lydia worked in our lab as an undergraduate student in her junior year, majoring in Psychology. She works as a home health CNA. She is most interested in researching suicide prevention. Her other interests include dancing, gardening, and reading. After graduation, she plans to get a master's degree in social work or mental health counseling.

Abigail Swanson

Abigail worked in our lab as a sophomore undergraduate student studying psychology at UMKC. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. In terms of research, she is particularly interested in the neurobiology of developmental disorders. In her free time, she enjoys going on hikes and watching horror movies, especially slashers.