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-Uvsitzky

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. 

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.

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.

WHITNEY KASENETZ

I received my M.A. in Psychological Sciences with a concentration in data analysis from the University of South Florida in 2024. During my time as a graduate student, I worked in a research laboratory under Dr. Jennifer O'Brien testing cognitive training to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. I also managed the laboratory of Dr. Max Owens', studying the neural correlates of rumination and decision-making using electroencephalography, eye tracking, and cardiovascular measures. Currently, I am a research associate working with the HBCD EEG core. 

TRISHA MAHESHWARI

I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A. in Cognitive Science, a concentration in Neuroscience, and a minor in Computer Science. As an undergraduate, I was a lead research assistant in the Connelly Morris Epigenetics Lab, where I completed a senior thesis focused on using prairie vole animal models to understand different family structures on offspring social behavior development. I also participated in a research team on a mixed methods Ph.D. project identifying structural problems and solutions for stress relief for early-care teachers. These experiences interested me in learning more about family and caregiving influences on early life development. Currently, I am a faculty research assistant with the Healthy Brain and Child Development study, where I facilitate EEG data collection, quality control, pre-processing, distribution, analysis, and more. In the future, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science or Psychology.