JULIE STAPLES-WATSON

I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2000 with a BA in Psychology. I have managed service-learning programs, program evaluation projects and I was the Project Manager for the Lumeng Miller Lab at the University of Michigan's Center for Human Growth and Development prior to coming to the University of Maryland. Currently, I am the Project Manager for the planning phase of an exciting new study that will build upon the work of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project by examining the effects of institutionalization on brain and behavioral development in countries with different levels of resources in different regions of the world. 

JAMIE LISTOKIN

I graduated from Touro University in 2016 with a B.A. in Psychology. I received my M.S. in Clinical Research Methodology from Fordham University in 2019. My thesis examined emotional lability in young children (ages 5-9 years old) with ADHD, some of whom had significant emotional lability, in the form of severe temper outbursts, and some who did not, as well as typically developing children and the underlying neural mechanisms. I am currently the Project Coordinator for the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study.

DANIELLE BURNS

I graduated from PennWest University (California University of PA) with my B.S. in Health Science in 2015. I received a Masters in Public Health from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in 2021. My thesis was a Critical Analysis of African Americans' COVID Vaccine Rejection based on Mistrust and History with the United States HealthCare System. I am a native of Prince George's County, Maryland. I am interested in Public Policy, Racial Disparities, and Inequalities.  I am a Faculty Research Associate with the Healthy Baby and Child Development (HBCD) Study focusing on recruitment and retention. 

JESSICA NORRIS

I graduated from Oberlin College in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and French and a minor in statistical modeling. As an undergraduate, I conducted research on emotion word acquisition and use in first and second languages. For my Honors thesis, I investigated how native versus non-native speaker status, extraversion, and vocabulary size influenced English speakers’ emotion word use when describing a sad memory. I also worked on a project investigating psychophysiological measures of implicit bias in a hiring simulation. In the Child Development Lab, I am a faculty research assistant on the Healthy Brain and Child Development Study. In the future, I hope to pursue a PhD in developmental psychology.

KATHRYN ALTMAN

I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023 with a B.Phil. in Psychology and minors in Spanish and Neuroscience. There, I worked in the Infant Communication Lab studying language and motor development in children at an elevated likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder, and completed an honors thesis investigating the ways in which caregivers of differently-developing children support their children’s pretend play skills. I worked in a second lab studying the intergenerational transmission of emotion regulation skills between mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder and their children. Currently, I am a faculty research assistant working on the Origins of Infant Temperament study. In the future, I hope to attend graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology or Neuropsychology.

MORGAN JONES

I graduated from Penn State University in 2023 with a B.S. in Communication Science and Disorders, a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience, and a minor in Biology. During my time at Penn State, I worked in the Cognition, Affect, and Temperament lab with Dr. Pérez-Edgar. At the lab, I worked on projects focusing on Mobile eye-tracking as a tool for studying socioemotional development, emotion regulation, and mother-infant synchrony. My senior thesis project looked at the relationship between temperamental regulation and mother-infant neural synchrony using fNIRS. Currently, I am a faculty research assistant working on the Healthy Brain and Child Development study.

SAVANNAH MCNAIR

I graduated from Tulane University with degrees in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy. I am particularly interested in the neurocognitive mechanisms of reward and attention, cognition, and contemplative science and seeing these bodies of knowledge as intrinsically linked to individuals' abilities to lead more meaningful, balanced, and healthy lives. After my time at the University of Maryland, I hope to pursue a PhD in cognitive neuroscience. Outside of lab, I am an avid meditator, cross country cyclist, fire spinner, and loves to read, garden, and play chess

ANGELA MCNEIL

I graduated from Bowie State University  in 2023 with a B.A. in Social work and Prince George’s Community College in 2020 with an A.A. in Sociology. In undergrad, I had worked with SURI research for two summers. During my undergraduate internship, I also had the opportunity to work on the mobile crisis team for PG County, where I worked with families to resolve crises and helped get them connected to resources. During the Pandemic, I had the opportunity to work as A.B.A. Therapist for the C.A.R.D. Center for Autism Related Disorders. In addition, I am a trained crisis counselor and an outreach coordinator for National 988 suicide prevention hotline. Currently, I am a study navigator on the HBCD study.

ANGEL YOUNG

I graduated from Frostburg State University in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. As an undergraduate, I served as a research assistant to our psychology department and was tasked with co-leading research on Racial Differences in Conspiracy Theory Belief, Cynicism, and Subclinical Paranoia. In my senior year, I developed a research proposal to study whether media viewings of police brutality invoke symptoms of desensitization among African American viewers. I am currently a research assistant for the Healthy Brain and Child Development Study. My interest include multicultural psychology, research in racism and mental health, and treatment of mood disorders. In the future, I will be pursing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

SPENCER CARTER

I graduated from Harvard University in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology. As an undergrad, I worked in a biology lab focused on adaptation and speciation in a genus of flowering plants called Phlox. I also worked as a staffer for a peer counseling group that provided a safe space for other Harvard students to talk about identity, mental health, and relationship concerns. My research interests are broad and still developing, but I’m very curious about the dynamics that emerge within parent-child interactions and interactions among groups of children. In the CDL, I’ll be working under Dr. Valadez on BRAVe - a project examining the links between executive function-related brain activity and changes in anxiety.

PAULINA PAYNE

I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2022 with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology. During my time as an undergraduate, I assisted in a neuroscience lab examining the impact of various receptors on sensory development, as well as in a lab studying the neural correlates involved in decision-making. I am currently a faculty research assistant for the Healthy Brain and Child Development study, and am excited to deepen my understanding of the factors that influence mental health across diverse populations. In the future, I hope to obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical or Developmental Psychology.