Meet the Team!
Lab Director
Elizabeth Redcay
Elizabeth Redcay is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the director of the Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology and Cognitive Science from UCSD and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in MIT's Brain and Cognitive Sciences department before starting at UMD.
Graduate Students
Victoire Alleluia Shenge
Victoire is a graduate student in the developmental psychology PhD program. She graduated from the University of Rochester with a BS in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a minor in Linguistics, and went on to do a fellowship around Mental Health, Faith and Youth under the guidance of Dr. Ann Marie White and Dr. Nancy Chin. Following her fellowship, she worked with Dr. Duje Tadin and Dr. John J Foxe, as a lab manager and study coordinator on different projects including multisensory integration in autism and face recognition. She is broadly interested in the development of social cognition especially in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Erin
Erin is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program. She graduated from the Catholic University of America with a BS in Psychological and Brain Sciences and a minor in Neuroscience. She went on to complete her MSc in Clinical Neuroscience at the University College London. She is broadly interested in exploring the risk and protective factors of loneliness in order to best support development for children on the autism spectrum.
Norma Pena-Flores
Norma is a graduate student in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science PhD program. She received a BA in Philosophy from the University of Navarra and a BS in Physics from Florida International University. She began her PhD studying the neurobiological effects of social isolation in a crayfish model at the Lab of Crustacean Neurobiology and Behavior. In 2023 she joined the DSCN lab to study the interplay between the development of social cognition brain networks and gastrointestinal health in adolescents. She is broadly interested in the biological and environmental factors affecting social cognitive brain development.
Postbaccalaureate Lab Personnel
Mia Zwally
Mia is the lab manager for the Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2023 with a B.S. in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. She plans to pursue a PhD degree in cognitive neuroscience.
Emily Reid
Emily is a post-baccalaureate research coordinator with the Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, as well as a Masters student at the University of Maryland. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in psychology.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Brynn Saffer
Brynn is a senior Social Data Science major on the psychology track. She is interested in research focusing on neurodiversity and is excited to learn more about the research process, especially statistics. Outside of the DSCN lab, she is a tour guide for Maryland Images, a lead peer mentor for the TerpsEXCEED program, and a part of College Mentors for Kids. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school and continue to do research.
Nell O'Hara
Nell is a senior psychology major on the B.S. track with a minor in human development. She has a passion for working with children and promoting equity and access in the psychology field. On campus, Nell is a student in the Gemstone Honors Program and a member of the gender-inclusive service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Outside of UMD, she works as a Registered Behavioral Technician at the Language and Behavior Center in Silver Spring, MD. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in school psychology.
Sofia Plastino
Sofia is a junior majoring in Psychology and Public Health, with an interest in pursuing research in the future. She loves working with kids and is interested in neurodiversity in relation to social interactions and neuroscience. On campus, she is a supporter for Lean On Me, Vice President of Students Engaged in Public Health, and Co-President of Meet Me Behind McKeldin Mall.
Sophia Ubiera
Sophia is a junior psychology and Japanese double major on the B.S track with a minor in neuroscience. She is interested in neuropsychology and working with children and adolescents. On campus, she is involved in the Honors Humanities and Language Partner program, and is a residential assistant as well as the president of the Puerto Rican Dominican Student Association. Outside of the lab she enjoys teaching pre-ballet and watching anime!
Rachel Resnick
Rachel is a third-year undergraduate student studying psychology and human development who plans to obtain her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She is interested in pursuing work in the research and development of clinical trials of novel treatments for child psychopathology. Outside of DSCN, she also works in the Maryland Child and Family Development Lab and is assisting with an NIH-funded study at James Madison University.
Kayla Warren
Kayla is a sophomore Neuroscience major on the Molecular and Cellular track who is looking to attend graduate school to obtain a Ph.D in clinical psychology to then practice neuropsychology. She is deeply interested in exploring the intersections of brain anatomy and human function, with the goal of advancing our understanding of the mind and tackling the challenges our brains face. On campus, Kayla is a part of University Honors and Banneker/Key scholars and a member of the Women’s club volleyball team.
Lab Alumni
Desi Jones
Alicia Vallorani
Kathryn McNaughton
Grace Daley
Eli Robinson
Haroon Popal
Matthew Kiely
Paige Munshell
Junaid Merchant
Quentin Leifer
Diana Alkire
Oliver Xie
Aditi Hosangadi
Libby Giacobbe
Hema Clarence
Aliceann Trostle
Manasvinee Mayil Vahanan
Ming Yuang
Nicole Chapman
Raphe Shankman
Ryan Regars
Ryan Stadler
Stephanie Moy
Deena Shariq
Jacqueline Thomas
Alexandra Hickey
Adnan Rashid
Bess Bloomer
Diana Grant
Miranda Sapoznik
Sydney Maniscalco
Yaqiong Xiao
Laura Kirby
Dylan Selbst
Dominic Smith- DiLeo
Debbie Choi
Dustin Morascewski
Katie Bouvier-Weinberg
Katie Beverley
Sabine Huber
Hunter Rogoff
Zoey Maggid
Tova Rosenthal
Erin Brine-Dolye
Ishan Shah
Alex Mangerian
Eleonora Sadikova
Morgan Biggs
Jazlyn Nketia
Meredith Pecukonis
Kate Rice Warnell
Liat Hotz
Joana Romero
Stephanie Goncalves
Alexis Pappadeas
Stephanie Golding
Lesley Sand
Jennifer Trinchere
Cashmire Norfleet
Katherine Calabrese
Helen Kong
Jessica Golding
Harrison Pierce
Eric Czinn
Tara Feld
Brogan Murphy
Eric Meyer
Toby Hamovitz
Lindsey Benjamin
Simren Kanwal
Ishaan Parikh
Brieana Viscomi
Daniel O'Young
Nina Lichtenberg
Ruth Ludlum
Jeremy Baker
Viviana Bauman
Shannon Coveney
Robert Cai
