People

Principal Investigator:

Kathryn L. Humphreys, Ph.D., Ed.M. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. She is a member of the Clinical Science faculty and directs the Stress and Early Adversity (SEA) Laboratory. Dr. Humphreys attended Vanderbilt as an undergraduate, where she studied Child Development and Cognitive Studies. She earned a master’s in Risk and Prevention at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Humphreys completed her clinical internship and clinical postdoctoral fellowship in Infant Mental Health at the Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Humphreys’s ultimate goal is to promote healthy development through supporting families during what is often a challenging time. She has two young children of her own, who inspire her daily.

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Post Doctoral Fellow:

Virginia Salo, Ph.D., M.S. is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Psychology and Human Development. She studied Psychology and Public Relations at Syracuse University, and then earned a master’s in Psychology from Villanova University and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Quantitative Methods from the University of Maryland. Virginia’s research focuses on how early parent–child interactions influence children’s social and cognitive development. She is particularly interested in early communicative interactions when infants are preverbal, and much of her graduate work examined the role of gestures in parent-child interaction as a predictor of later language development. In addition, using EEG, Virginia’s work has explored the action-perception system as a potential neural correlate for communicative development in infancy, and as a mediator for the relation between exposure to and understanding of gestures. As a postdoctoral researcher in the SEA Lab, Virginia will continue to explore the nuances of and individual differences in parent–child interactions in the earliest year(s) of life as predictors of children’s social-cognitive achievements.

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Lab Manager:

Mia Letterie graduated from Whitman College in 2018 where she wrote her undergraduate honors thesis on the association between mind perception of infants and parental behavior. Mia is currently the lab manager for the Vanderbilt Stress and Early Adversity Laboratory. She previously worked for Dr. Humphreys at the Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect, and Psychopathology Laboratory. Outside of research, Mia enjoys being outdoors, spending time with friends, and eating good food.

Project Coordinator:

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Elizabeth Estes graduated from the University of Michigan in 2019 with a B.A. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and a minor in the History of Medicine and Health. Elizabeth wrote her undergraduate honors thesis on the association between child maltreatment and the volume of the extended limbic system in a population-based sample of adolescents. Currently, she is the project coordinator for the Vanderbilt Stress and Early Adversity Laboratory. Her research interests include studying the biopsychosocial impacts of abuse and neglect in early childhood through an intergenerational and longitudinal framework, as well as identifying behavioral interventions that can promote positive parent and child outcomes. Outside of the lab, Elizabeth enjoys reading, cooking dinner with friends, and listening to true crime podcasts.

Ph.D. Students:

Emilia Cardenas

Emilia is a second year doctoral student in the Clinical Science area and is working with Drs. Autumn Kujawa and Kathryn Humphreys. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2016 with a dual degree in Psychology and Art. Emilia then worked as a research coordinator in the Lab for Affective and Translational Neuroscience at McLean Hospital for two years. Emilia is interested in investigating the behavioral and neurobiological impacts of early life relationships and stress on the development and maintenance of depression. After graduate school, Emilia hopes to strike a career balance between research and clinical work. Outside of the lab, Emilia enjoys watching live music, cooking dinner with friends, and reading good books.

Marissa Roth

Marissa is a second year doctoral student in the Clinical Science area working with Dr. Kathryn Humphreys. She graduated from Stanford University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Prior to joining the SEA Lab, she worked as a research coordinator in the Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect and Psychopathology Lab. Marissa is interested in studying cognitive and neurobiological changes across the perinatal period, and hopes to develop interventions to support the emotional transition to parenthood. Outside of the lab, Marissa enjoys running, exploring Nashville’s coffee scene, and spending time with family and friends.

Masters Students:

Austin Darling

Austin is a first-year Psychiatric Nursing student. He graduated with honors from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and dual minors in Forensic Science and Public Health. Austin is interested in optimizing outcomes for children who experience early life stressors, such as trauma and severe illness. Additionally, he is interested in the mechanism by which identity develops, especially in sexual and gender minority youth, and how various factors influence this development. Upon completion of his program, Austin intends to pursue further training either as a Clinical Psychologist or as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, specializing in child populations. In his spare time, Austin enjoys baking, live music, and spending time with family and friends.

Hannah Piersiak

Hannah is a second year master’s student in the Child Studies program on the Clinical & Developmental Research track. She graduated cum laude from Colby College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. Her research interests include the developmental outcomes associated with different early life experiences, particularly in terms of emotion regulation and mental health, and protective factors and interventions that can promote resilience and positive outcomes for children and families. Outside of the lab, Hannah enjoys being outdoors, running, and watching sports.

Sara Schunck

Sara is a second year master’s student in the Child Studies program. She was a member of the honors program at the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated in 2017 with a B.S. degree in Neuroscience and Behavior. She then served as a year-long volunteer at a children’s home in South Africa. She is interested in studying the psychological and behavioral impacts of abuse and neglect, and the role of resilience. Outside of lab, Sara enjoys cooking, playing rugby, spending time with friends, and watching Notre Dame sports.