Meet The Lab

Brandon Schermitzler, M.S.

Brandon earned his B.S. in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Public Health from the University of Minnesota in 2018. He joined the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Auburn University in Fall 2021.

Broadly, his research interests focus on cognitive-affective mechanisms of substance use disorders (SUDs), examined through a combination of psychophysiological, neuroimaging, neuromodulatory, behavioral, and self-report methods. More specifically, he is interested in better understanding how factors, such as substance-related problem recognition and motivation to change, contribute to change, or lack thereof, in substance use behaviors. He is also interested in the development of accessible interventions to help people who experience SUDs. In his free time, Brandon enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and buying (and unfortunately killing) too many plants.

Mallory Cannon, M.S.

Mallory obtained her bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from Marist University in 2020. Following graduation, she worked as a lab coordinator for Dr. Robin Aupperle's NeuroCATT Lab at the Laureate Institue for Brain Research in Tulsa, OK. In Fall 2022, Mallory joined the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Auburn University. In Fall 2025, Mallory transferred to Florida State University with Dr. Macatee to continue her PhD under his mentorship.

Broadly, she is interested in studying how higher-level processes, such as emotional regulation, decision-making, and fear extinction, relate to trauma experiences and anxiety or substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms – and how delineating these processes may help us implement strategies to improve therapeutic techniques and interventions. In her free time, Mallory enjoys traveling, hiking, working out, reading books, and spending time with her pets.

Zoe Howell, MRes

Zoe joined the Clinical Psychology programme at FSU in 2025, and is a current graduate student in Dr. Macatee’s lab. She graduated with first class honours at The University of Manchester (England) in 2022 with a BSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology. She then went on to pursue higher education at University College London and Yale University, studying a Masters of Research in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychology. After moving to the US and completing her MRes, she continued work at Yale as a Postgraduate Research Associate, studying opioid use during pregnancy.

Zoe’s academic research focusses on the translation of ‘brain to behaviour’ in substance use disorders, and the mechanistic intersections between substance use and internalising disorders. Zoe aims to understand the underpinnings and transdiagnostic factors of substance use, to better aid those impacted with substance dependency.