Joe Lau is a Research Assistant Professor. He received his Ph.D. in Linguistics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Lau’s research concerns the neurocognitive bases of speech representations and speech processing broadly defined. His prior research used neurophysiological and behavioral methods in consonance with machine learning techniques to understand long-term and online neuroplasticity in speech encoding in neurotypical populations and autistic individuals.

Lau’s most recent research in the NDL focuses on identifying the mechanistic underpinnings of the speech and language characteristics of autism. His research utilizes novel computational- and machine-learning-based analytic techniques to identify fine-grained underlying mechanisms pertaining to speech, eye-gaze, and neurophysiology that cascade into communicative difficulties in autism. Examining phenotypic data from autistic individuals using a data-driven approach, his research also aims to identify combinations of language, cognitive, and neurophysiological measures which could best represent phenotypic profiles of autism.

Dr. Andréa Burchfield is a Research Project Manager who brings over 15 years of experience in clinical, community, and academic settings, specializing in behavioral research, clinical interventions, and project management. Her expertise spans working with diverse populations, including individuals with autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

Dr. Burchfield has extensive experience as a behavioral therapist and researcher, designing evidence-based interventions, data collection systems, and training multidisciplinary teams to ensure treatment fidelity. She also has extensive teaching experience, and is the co-creator of Roanoke College’s Disability Studies program, where Dr. Burchfield mentored students in disability research and advocacy.

Committed to advancing research with practical applications, Dr. Burchfield is passionate about promoting inclusion and enhancing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. She leverages her extensive background in research coordination, team leadership, and behavioral science to support the lab’s mission of driving innovation in neurodevelopmental diversity research.

Anne Taylor is a research project co-manager who has worked with Dr. Losh and collaborator Dr. Martin for over a decade, and has played a key role in developing new research directions in the lab. She works remotely for the NDL from Chapel Hill, NC.

Anne has more than a decade of experience working on nationally funded research projects that examine various aspects of language and cognitive development in autistic individuals. Currently, Anne coordinates personnel and budget activities; leads grant submissions, progress reports, and other project products; manages data administration, coding, and processing; and supervises and mentors research assistants, students, and volunteers.

Anne especially enjoys helping graduate students navigate the grant proposal process, so that they can become successful independent researchers.

Anne earned her B.A. in Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lindsay is a Research Coordinator at the NDL.

While earning her B.A. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she worked as an undergraduate intern at the NDL. As an undergraduate, Lindsay worked with adolescents with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Looking ahead, Lindsay is eager to pursue a career as a neuropsychologist.

Kylie is a research project assistant at the NDL.

Kylie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences from the University of Connecticut in 2024. Prior to joining the NDL, Kylie worked as an undergraduate research assistant at UConn’s Child Language Lab, where she completed a project on sex differences in language among autistic toddlers. Kylie looks forward to enhancing her experience in autism research at the NDL. In the future, she aims to pursue a career as an academic researcher with a focus in autism and gender.

Arianna recently joined the NDL as a research study assistant.

While growing up in Chicago, Arianna spent time as a model peer in special education classrooms and  social groups, experiences that sparked her interest in psychology. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she worked as a research assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, focusing on pediatric ADHD. Arianna is excited to gain further research and clinical experience in neuropsychology at the NDL.

Abigaël recently joined the NDL as a research study assistant.

Abigaël graduated from the University of Chicago in 2023 with a BS in Neuroscience. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant in the Infant Learning and Development Laboratory, where she gained research experience in infant development of executive functions and infant EEG. Before joining the NDL, she was a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, where she worked with individuals with autism and related neurodevelopmental rare genetic conditions. She coordinated research studies that aimed to understand how these populations navigate their social and physical environments by collecting EEG, behavioral, and physiological data. Abigaël is interested in pursuing a clinical psychology doctoral degree and continuing to work with the autistic community in a research setting.