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.
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.
Staff:
Lab Manager
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Regan Carell graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. Regan is currently the lab manager for the Vanderbilt Stress and Early Adversity Laboratory. Her research interests include understanding differences in how parents mentally represent their children, and whether these differences are linked to child outcomes. Outside of the lab, Regan enjoys spending time with loved ones and cooking.
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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 a project coordinator for the Vanderbilt Stress and Early Adversity Laboratory. Her research interests include studying factors that impact the transition to parenting, such as maternal stress or quality of peripartum care, in order to identify targets of intervention, and studying the importance of the caregiving environment in shaping infant mental health. Outside of the lab, Elizabeth enjoys reading, going backpacking, and cooking.
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Project Coordinator
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Hannah Piersiak received her M.Ed. in Child Studies from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Education in 2020. Before completing her master’s degree, she received a B.A. in Psychology from Colby College in 2017. Her research interests include the developmental outcomes associated with different early life experiences, particularly 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.
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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 was the lab manager of the SEA Lab for 2 years and now assists with young child developmental assessments. She is employed full time at The Center for Child Health Policy at VUMC. Outside of research, Mia enjoys being outdoors, spending time with friends, and eating good food.
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Ph.D. Students:
Emilia "Emili" Cárdena
Emili is a third year doctoral student in the Clinical Science area and is co-mentored by Drs. Humphreys and Autumn Kujawa. 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. Outside of the lab, Emilia enjoys watching live music, cooking dinner with friends, and reading good books.
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Marissa Roth
Marissa is a third year doctoral student in Clinical Science. 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 perinatal and infant mental health. She hopes to develop interventions to support the transition to parenthood and in caring for young children. Outside of the lab, Marissa enjoys running, exploring Nashville’s coffee scene, and spending time with family and friends.
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Sanjana Ravi
Sanjana is a first year doctoral student in the Clinical Science program. She graduated from University of Washington in 2018 with a double degree in Psychology and Early Childhood and Family Studies. Prior to joining the SEA Lab, Sanjana worked as a research coordinator in the Child Development Lab at the University of Maryland. She is interested in studying parenting of young children, as well as identifying how to promote healthy development/protect against the development of psychopathology. Outside of the lab, Sanjana is an avid CrossFitter. She loves trying new restaurants and cafes, watching vlogs on YouTube, and spending time with friends.
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Masters Students:
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Sara Schunck recently completed a master’s degree in Child Studies. 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.
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Undergraduate Students:
Ekene Azuka
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Emma Baker
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Jenna Collazzo
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Vik Dodda
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Sarah Lempres
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Gabrielle Napper
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Jadyn Rodgers
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David Russo
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Bria Savoy
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Sabrina Scollar
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Sydney Takemoto
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Rachel Yang
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Lab Alumni:
Trinity Bell
Nikki Delgado
Nelson Eiselstein
Nicky Farren
Sean Gallagher
Vedant Gandhewar
Margaret Gaw
Addison Glover
Madi Halwes
Paige Hamilton
Maya Matsumoto
Leah Mortimer
Connor Pinson
Joyce Woo
Nikki Delgado
Nelson Eiselstein
Nicky Farren
Sean Gallagher
Vedant Gandhewar
Margaret Gaw
Addison Glover
Madi Halwes
Paige Hamilton
Maya Matsumoto
Leah Mortimer
Connor Pinson
Joyce Woo
