OUR TEAM

MEGHAN H. PUGLIA, PH.D.

Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Neurology

Meghan earned her B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience from Penn State University in 2009, her M.A. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Virginia in 2015, and her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from UVA in 2019. Her research interests include (1) merging human neuroscience and behavioral epigenetics to understand individual differences in human behavior; (2) designing and executing infant longitudinal studies merging multilevel, multidimensional techniques to understand environment-gene-brain-behavior interactions throughout development; and (3) employing innovative methodological approaches to analyze “big data” generated with neuroimaging, longitudinal, and genetics data sets.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

CAT THRASHER

Developmental Psychology

Cat examines the neural and physiological mechanisms underlying the social regulation of emotion between infants and their caregivers. She earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Virginia.

CABELL WILLIAMS

Cognitive Psychology

Cabell studies the environmental influences of epigenetic modifications and how these changes may lead to individual differences in the neurological processing of social cues throughout infancy. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology from George Mason University and her M.S. in Clinical Research from UVA. Prior to her time as a doctoral student, she spent time in a lab studying the effects of parenting mindfully on adolescents’ emotional development, academic success, and risk-taking behaviors and in a clinic where she studied how to create a state of “peak performance” using EEG based neurofeedback.

STAFF

ALLISON BELKOWITZ

Lab Manager

AVERY DOUGALD

Project Coordinator

MADELYN NANCE

Project Coordinator

KELLAM SCHMUDDE

Project Coordinator

QAIS YOUSSEF

Recruitment Coordinator

MELISSA ABEL

Cognitive Science & Spanish 2023

MADELEINE AMES

Neuroscience 2024

SONI BAE

Neuroscience & Psychology 2024

LOREN BLACK

Kinesiology 2024

OLIVIA BULLOCK

Neuroscience 2024

HELENA CULLEN

Psychology (Intended) 2024

EMILY DAVIS

Psychology & Spanish 2024

EMILU ENGLANDER-FUENTES

Undecided 2025

ZAINAB FAISAL

Cognitive Science & Global Public Health 2023

KAYLYN FEELEY

Cognitive Science 2024

MADELINE FORD

Cognitive Science 2023

SKYLAR GOODOVE

Neuroscience 2024

CHLOE HOANG

Cognitive Science 2023

MATTHEW IMMORDINO

Chemistry (intended) 2024

CATTIE LI

Neuroscience 2023

BAILLIE MCNITT

History & Public Policy 2024

ANNA MCSHERRY

Psychology 2023

MADISON MONROE-MOHAJERIN

Neuroscience & Psychology 2023

EMILY MORTMAN

Undeclared 2025

SAMANTHA NATOUR

Biology 2023

SUNJAL PATEL

Cognitive Science & South Asian Studies 2024

OLIVIA PRENDERGAST

Psychology 2024

CAROLINE RICH

Biology (Intended) 2025

GIANNA RODRIGUEZ

Summer Intern; Biology 2023

SAMIRA SAMADI

Cognitive Science (Intended) 2024

ALYSSA SMITH

Neuroscience 2024

BIANKA SMEULDERS

Cognitive Science 2023

KAROLINA STRAZNIKIEWICZ

Psychology 2023

ASHLEY TRINH

Neuroscience (intended) 2025

VINEE VERMA

Cognitive Science 2024

ELIZABETH WAT

Medical Student 2024