Research Interests
As a developmentalist in the Psychology Department and an affiliate of the Neuroscience Center, I conduct studies with infants, children, and adults. I have interest in typically developing and atypical populations, such as those with an attentional or cognitive deficits (including those with autism, traumatic brain injury, or attention deficit disorder). The goal of my research is to clarify influences on cognitive development from infancy to adulthood.To reach my goals, I use psychometric, genetic, self-report, and interview methodology. For example, my psychometric approaches use reaction time and accuracy to visually presented stimuli such as geometric shapes. I collect saliva samples to examine individual differences in neurotransmitter production. I gather information from participants on their nutrition, academic functioning, peer-relationships, and socio-economic experiences to look for associations with brain-related outcomes. Some of my studies involve collecting longitudinal information to answer particularly intriguing questions about the trajectories of development that cannot be satisfactorily answered in other ways.
The depth of my commitment to attain my research goals is illustrated by the variety of skills I have been developing in computer programming, protocol development, advanced statistical analyses, and neuroimaging.
Teaching Interests
CognitionCognitive Development
Child Development
Research Methods
Writing within Psychology
Education
- PhD, Cognitive Neuroscience , Rice University (2013)
- MA, Cognitive Neuroscience , Rice University (2011)
- MEd, Counseling and Guidance , Brigham Young University (1990)
- BS, Pre-Physical Therapy , Brigham Young University (1987)
Memberships
- International Society for Autism Research (2019 - Present)
- Autism Connect (2014 - Present)
- Society for Research in Child Development (2008 - Present)
Professional Citizenship
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Autism: International Journal of Research and Practice (2016 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Child Development Perspectives (2016 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Infancy (2016 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2015 - 2015)