In 2006, The Friends, through a generous grant from the Joseph Drown Foundation, were able to provide funding for the first FRIENDS FELLOW, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor. Dr. O’Connor completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2004. Her master’s thesis and dissertation focused on the psychophysiological correlates of bereavement, including a longitudinal study of vagal tone and emotional expression, and fMRI during grief elicitation. Following her internship in Health Psychology at UCLA, she joined the Cousins Center for PNI, where she is integrating vagal tone, fMRI and cortisol measurement in bereavement.