Abigail Thomas, Undergraduate Volunteer

Abigail is a senior at Northwestern University majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Data Science. She is interested in better understanding psychopathology and contributing to the creation of effective interventions.

Currently she is working on her honors thesis in the lab understanding linguistic dysfluency production among women with and without the FMR1 premutation.

Amber Wang, Undergraduate Volunteer

Amber Wang is a sophomore at Northwestern University majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Religious Studies and Data Science. Her research interests focus on cross-linguistic differences in prosody and narrative structure in children with autism spectrum disorder.

She is particularly interested in pediatric populations and values direct engagement with children and adolescents, especially those who are neurodivergent. In the lab, she hopes to explore voice- and speech-based approaches to understanding ASD and contribute to research involving language and communication.

Ayaan Kamal, Undergraduate Volunteer

Ayaan is a fourth-year student at Northwestern University double majoring in Biology and Psychology.

He is a premed student interested in psychiatry and clinical psychology and in learning more about speech development in children with autism and/or fragile X syndrome.

Brianna Ciaramello, Lab Volunteer

Brianna Ciaramello is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Communication Sciences and Disorders, with minors in Disability Rights and Services and Education and Educational Services. Her academic interests center on speech and language development, particularly in children with hearing loss and speech sound disorders.

She is interested in exploring how evidence-based practice can support language acquisition in diverse populations. In the lab, she hopes to gain hands-on research experience and contribute to projects that focus on understanding and supporting diverse developmental profiles.

Chizora Okolo, Undergraduate Volunteer

Chizora Okolo is a second year undergraduate student at Northwestern University, pursuing a double major in Biology and Psychology. She plans to attend medical school and is interested in working with children, with a potential focus on pediatric psychiatry or neurology.

Her academic interests center on developmental disorders and how genetic factors influence communication. Through her work in the lab, she explores the biological and psychological mechanisms underlying differences in communication.

Delaney Caudill, Undergraduate Volunteer

Delaney Caudill is a junior majoring in psychology and global health studies at Northwestern University. She is particularly interested in psychopathology and the accessibility of mental health care in rural and underserved communities.

Delaney is eager to learn more about ASD and fragile X syndrome, and how these interact with environmental influences to shape development.

Emilia Schwenk, Lab Volunteer

Emilia Schwenk recently graduated from Rhodes College where she majored in Neuroscience with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. Throughout her undergraduate career, she gained a variety of research experiences, culminating in a senior thesis on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and comorbid insomnia.

Currently working as a pediatric neuropsychological evaluator, she has further strengthened her interest in working with children with ASD. In the NDL, she looks forward to exploring differences in language and social development in children with ASD, as well as how these traits may run in their families.

Israa Eisa, Undergraduate Volunteer

Israa is a student at Northwestern University majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Data Science. Her primary research interests focus on neurodevelopmental disorders in women and children, with an emphasis on understanding how these disorders affect both biological and social aspects of life.

In the NDL Lab, she looks forward to exploring the role of environmental influences on individuals with these conditions.

Julianna Duran, Undergraduate Volunteer

Julianna is a first-year student at Northwestern University studying neuroscience and psychology on the pre-med track. She is interested in studying the biological bases behind neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD, as well as social or parental influences on personality and mood disorders.

At the NDL, she is excited to expand on those interests by exploring the lab’s research on linguistic differences in autism and how these traits appear across families.

Leanna Brown, Undergraduate Volunteer

Leanna is a sophomore at Northwestern University, majoring in psychology and journalism. Her academic interests center on language and communication.

In the Neurodevelopmental Diversity Lab, she hopes to contribute to ongoing autism research and explore how communication differs in various social settings.

Mariia Machalina, Lab Volunteer

Mariia Machalina is a junior at Lake Forest College majoring in Psychology. She is an aspiring undergraduate researcher with a strong interest in language, developmental processes, and psychopathology. Through her work as a Registered Behavior Technician, she has gained extensive experience working with neurodivergent and vulnerable populations of children and adolescents.

Her career goal is to become a psychology doctoral student specializing in communication and mood disorders in adolescence and young adulthood. She is dedicated to advancing psychoeducation and reducing stigma surrounding mental health. In the lab, she hopes to further develop her research skills while contributing to a deeper understanding of the biological and environmental factors influencing ASD and Fragile X syndrome.

Melanie Galindo, Undergraduate Volunteer

Melanie Galindo is a second-year student at Northwestern University, majoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Global Health Studies.

She is interested in the language aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the connection between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X syndrome. In the lab, she is interested in exploring the aspects of high-functioning autism and its effects on language.

Mia Martinez, Undergraduate Volunteer

Mia Martinez is a first-year student at Northwestern University majoring in Journalism and minoring in Korean. Recently, she decided to pursue the pre-med track and has begun taking the required coursework, which also led her to start an independent study at the Neurodevelopmental Diversity Lab.

Mia is especially interested in East Asian languages, particularly Korean, and plans to study abroad this summer at Seoul National University. As a regular volunteer with the ACEing Autism program, she is excited to deepen her understanding of the cognitive processes and speech patterns of individuals on the autism spectrum.

Natalie Xie, Undergraduate Volunteer

Natalie Xie is majoring in psychology at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. She is currently on a pre-med track and is part of the student work study program in the lab.

She looks forward to exploring data analysis techniques used in researching psychology, and her interests lie in the field of telehealth, with a focus on the process of providing psychiatric care and support to rural and impoverished communities.

Nisma Malik, Undergraduate Volunteer

Nisma is a third year undergraduate student at Northwestern University pursuing a double major in Psychology and Biological Sciences with a concentration in Human, Health, and Disease. She hopes to attend medical school and is interested in working with children who have neurodevelopmental conditions, focusing on developmental-behavioral pediatrics or psychopathology.

In the NDL, she hopes to explore how cultural differences shape interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder, as well as the role that theory of mind plays in social and cognitive development in ASD individuals.

Wendy Jiang, Undergraduate Volunteer

Wendy Jiang is a sophomore at Northwestern University majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She is a research assistant in Northwestern’s Neurodevelopmental Diversity Lab, where she supports projects on phenotypic variation in autism.

With a background working with autistic children through community programs, her interests center on variability in autism expression, particularly across cultures and genders, and how this shapes diagnosis and care. Wendy looks forward to continuing to build her experience in autism research at the NDL.

Wiktoria Mleczko, Undergraduate Volunteer

Wiktoria is a first-year student at Northwestern University studying Data Science and Global Health Studies. She is interested in exploring how environmental and genetic factors influence health outcomes across populations, and how these factors impact condition identification and development over time.

Within the NDL, she looks forward to studying how language and communication develop differently across individuals, as well as the factors that shape neurodevelopmental conditions across generations.