Photo Flash: First Look - Michelle Trachtenberg on CRIMINAL MINDS

Michell Trachtenberg (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, GOSSIP GIRL) is set to guest star on CBS' drama CRIMINAL MINDS in January. The episode is entitled, "Zugzwang," and follows Reid, who discovers that his girlfriend has been kidnapped by her stalker, he and the BAU team band together to find her before it's too late, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Michelle Trachtenberg guest stars as Diane, a genetics research assistant.

CRIMINAL MINDS revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU, who is essential in helping the team solve new cases. The BAU team is led by Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, a strong profiler who is able to gain people's trust and unlock their secrets. Other members include Special Agent Derek Morgan, an expert on obsessional crimes; Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, a classically misunderstood genius whose social IQ is as low as his intellectual IQ is high; Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, the team's former unit liaison-turned-profiler who recently married her longtime love; Penelope Garcia, the team's indispensible computer wizard who helps research the cases with her unique charm; and the team's newest member, Alex Blake, who rejoins the FBI after a stint as a university teacher and brings her linguistics expertise to the BAU. Each member brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in the attempt to stop them.

Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/CBS