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
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

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
LAB ALUMNI
JACQUELINE SLOBIN
Global Public Health 2021
2021 - 2022 Project Coordinator
2020 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant
AVERY DAHL
Cognitive Science 2022
2021 - 2022 Undergraduate Research Assistant
ANNIE SON
Biology 2022
2021 - 2022 Undergraduate Research Assistant
SREYA KUNAPULI
Global Public Health 2023
2019 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant
CLAIRE MANSOOR
Psychology 2022
2021 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant
AARIA MALHOTRA
Neuroscience 2021
2018 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant
2020 - 2021 Harrison Undergraduate Research Grant
2020 - 2021 Distinguished Majors Program
SCARLET OMAIS
English & Biology 2022
2020 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant
HANNAH SHARPE
Biology 2021
2019 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant
PAYTON ST. LOUIS
Chemistry 2023
2019 - 2021 Undergraduate Research Assistant