My research interests intersect neurodevelopment, adversity and resilience, and caregiver and family well-being

Current role: Clinical Research Coordinator

I currently support recruitment, data collection, and daily operations for the Boston Children’s Hospital site of the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD).

The HBCD Study follows mother-child dyads starting in pregnancy and into childhood, with the aim to characterize neurodevelopment in the context of caregiver experiences and environmental factors.

This role involves collecting non-sedated infant and toddler MRIs, EEGs, parent-child interactions, behavior assessments, caregiver questionnaires, and biospecimen and physiological samples.

Outside of HBCD, I have been able to also support research deepening our understanding of parent-report tools in toddlers with receptive and expressive language concerns, with the aim to improve early identification of language and communication concerns.

Expanding access to EEG research participation - Curly Hair Specialist

At Boston Children’s Hospital, the HBCD Study coordinates EEG appointments among toddlers and children with a Curly Hair Specialist (CHS). Our CHS consults with families before EEGs and can style participants hair before we collect EEG data.

We are currently collecting caregiver-perpsective data regarding interest and feasibility of this free service for study visits.

See our team’s preliminary paper: Boosting Representation and Validity in Pediatric Electroencephalography Research: The Conceptualization, Development, and Implementation of the Curly Hair Specialist Initiative

Undergraduate research

I am a first-generation college student and attended Providence College in Providence, RI. As a double major in Biology and Psychology, I conducted both developmental biology and social psychology research.

Providence College STEM Cell Lab

Under the mentorship of Dr. Chuck Toth, I designed a research question and followed iPSC protocols to grow and differentiate neuronal stem cells to examine E/I imbalance in ASD cell models.

My undergraduate project was awarded the Providence College Grant to acquire ASD patient cell lines and continue our data collection and analysis (immunofluorescence and ELISA) throughout my senior year.

This research sparked my interest in conducting post-baccalaureate research on externalizing behaviors and phenotypes in animal models, and eventually externalizing behaviors among infants and toddlers through the HBCD Study.

Social Perception and Attitude Lab (SPA)

Under the mentorship of Dr. Saaid Mendoza, I was awarded the Clint Anderson Research in Psychological Science Award with my co-collaborator, Hope Tiboni, to conduct a literature review and create an evidence-based intervention tool for educators to use in classrooms. This toolkit is a free resource to foster resilience and grit, and combat stereotype threat among young girls in STEM.

While gaining experience developing and implementing evidence-based intervention, I learned I am deeply interested in conducting research that both improves our understanding of how families are impacted by systemic barriers and financial hardship, as well as utilizing person-first perspectives to inform interventions.

Our toolkit is a free PDF with low-cost activities for elementary classrooms to bolster grit and confidence among young girls to participate in STEM:

(presented at Eastern Psychological Association, 2022)

access toolkit here

Teaching and science communications

Communicating psychological concepts and research tools is vital not only in the classroom, but with participating caregivers and their children as well.

Person-first and strength-based narratives are crucial to better connect research with lived experiences of families enduring adverse circumstances, financial hardship, and systemic barriers.

Throughout my early research career, I have grown as a teacher and mentor, and aim to continue to teach and mentor throughout my career.

    • Social Psychology

    • Study Strategies

    • Development of Western Civilization I-IV

    • Organic Chemistry I-II

    • Human Anatomy

    • Human Anatomy (human cadaver)

    • Developmental Biology

    • General Chemistry I & II

    • HBCD Journal Club

    • Laboratories of Cognitive Science: Summer Seminar Series

    • HBCD Science Communications 101