Abbie Shannon
Abbie is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double majoring in Psychology (B.S.) and Medical Anthropology with a minor in Neuroscience. As someone who loves working with children and is interested in learning about how different life experiences affect mental health and aspects of child development, she is so excited to join the CIRCLE Lab. After graduation, Abbie hopes to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the healthcare field. In her free time, Abbie enjoys going on walks, playing piano, and swimming. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Alexa Alhadeff
Alexa is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is double majoring in Psychology (B.A.) and Human Development and Family Science. She is very excited to be a part of the CIRCLE lab and explore the field of clinical psychology research relating to her interests in child development and mental health. Alexa is also interested in the impact of SES and adversity on education for minority groups. She enjoys teaching and plans to attend graduate school for an undecided specialty. In her free time, Alexa swims on the Club Swimming team and enjoys reading and spending time with friends. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Anna Idichandy
Anna Idichandy is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is double majoring in Psychology (B.A.) and Human Development and Family Science. She has always had an interest in working with children and is excited to further her passions through working with the Circle Lab. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school where she can further her education and hopefully become a school psychologist. In her free time, Anna enjoys cooking, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family. (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Anushree Ramanujam
Anushree Ramanujam is a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is from Concord, NC and is majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-med track. She is excited to join the Circle Lab and explore clinical psychology. She is interested in gaining hands-on experience in a research setting and furthering her knowledge in neuroscience and psychology. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Arianna Griffiths
Arianna is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a major in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience. She is excited for the opportunity to work with the CIRCLE lab and become part of the team while expanding on her interests in neuroscience and psychology! She is very interested in learning more about how childhood experiences affect brain development. After she graduates, she hopes to attend medical school. She is also a Certified Nursing Assistant. In her free time, she enjoys running, baking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Ava Moreau
Ava is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill double majoring in Psychology (B.A.) and Human Development and Family Science. She is passionate about working with children and learning more about how mental health affects their development. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school in hopes of becoming a pediatric psychologist. She is very excited to join the CIRCLE lab and gain hands-on research experience that could lead to a greater impact!
Ché McDowell
Ché McDowell is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double majoring in Neuroscience and English & Comparative Literature. She is interested in utilizing her passion for mental health to study how traumatic experiences during early childhood impact behavioral and neural development long term. In the future, she plans to expand upon this passion in graduate school, where she hopes to study the specific impact of gun violence on development for minority youth before applying what she has learned to the betterment of future generations as a professor. She is very excited to have the opportunity to learn and further nurture this goal through the CIRCLE lab. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, spending time with loved ones, and continuing to write her science fiction novel! (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Diana Montoya Alvarado
Diana Montoya Alvarado is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is majoring in Psychology (B.S.). She is excited to work with the CIRCLE Lab team, for the great opportunity to learn, and see the influence of adversity and early life experiences. She plans to attend graduate school and is still open about a specialty. In her free time, she loves to watch movies, read, and spend time with family and friends! (Pronouns: she/her)
Emerson Gonzalez-Roblero
Emerson Gonzalez is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is double majoring in Psychology (B.S) and Human Development and Family Science. He is interested in how life experiences affect the human brain and its development. He is eager and excited to work in the CIRCLE lab as well as working with people who have followed a path that he wants to follow. After undergrad, he wants to enter a graduate program while also exploring the social work field. Outside of school, he enjoys listening to music, hiking, & going to concerts! (Pronouns: he/him/his)
Isra Marcu
Isra is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is majoring in Psychology (B.S.) with minors in Data Science and Health and Society. She has a particular interest in clinical psychology focusing on child development and is excited to be a part of the CIRCLE Lab. She plans to attend graduate school for clinical psychology. In her free time, Isra enjoys reading, spending time with friends, listening to music, and attending UNC sports games. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Jasper (Yuetong) Liu
Yutong is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double majoring in Psychology and Statistics. She is excited to work with the CIRCLE lab team in understanding how adolescents are influenced and shaped by their early life experiences. Specifically, she is eager to learn more about coding qualitative findings in CIRCLE and looks forward to using her experiences to help better understand adolescents. She also loves drawing illustrations depicting a fantasy world in her free time. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Kate Drury
Kate Drury is a sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in Neuroscience. She is from New Orleans, Louisiana and is very excited to join the CIRCLE Lab team! She has been interested in neuroscience since she volunteered on a medical mission trip in Mexico during which she noticed that mental health was one of the primary health problems and that there were too few healthcare providers who focused on the brain and mental illness. She is looking forward to expanding her understanding of the brain, neurology, and the links between early experiences and later cognitive function. In her free time, she loves playing and watching soccer, listening to music, and running. After college, she hopes to eventually attend medical school and become a Neurologist or Cardiologist.
Katelyn Feinsmith
Katelyn Feinsmith, a junior at the University of North Carolina, is pursuing a dual major in Neuroscience and Psychology and minoring in Chemistry. Originally from the suburbs of Atlanta, Katelyn is invigorated to be an integral part of the CIRCLE Lab. Katelyn’s profound passion encompasses a desire to comprehensively understand the intricate neurobiological consequences of trauma, particularly in the context of childhood trauma. This passion is deeply rooted in her own personal experience with PTSD. Additionally, her fascination extends to exploring the mechanisms, risk factors, and treatments related to trauma-mediated disorders, with a specific emphasis on borderline personality disorder. She aspires to redefine the approach to treating these complex conditions. In her daily life, she is an ardent advocate for raising awareness about complex mental health issues, improving psychiatric treatments, and diminishing the stigma surrounding borderline personality disorder. After graduation, Katelyn’s ambitions include earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and an M.D. in Neuropsychiatry. Her ultimate vision involves establishing a network of specialized psychiatric facilities, offering both inpatient and outpatient services, with a profound emphasis on using a neuroscientific approach to treating complex conditions. Her greatest ambition lies in establishing a dedicated center for individuals dealing with trauma-mediated disorders, which will utilize advanced imaging techniques to tailor individualized treatment protocols. Moreover, Katelyn envisions integrating pharmacological assistance through substances such as MDMA and psilocybin in conjunction with psychotherapy to offer a more holistic treatment approach. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Katelyn Lien
Katelyn Lien is a junior in the Honors Carolina program at UNC Chapel Hill studying Quantitative Biology and Spanish. She is interested in studying the effects of early childhood experiences on brain development and is excited to gain experience in psychological research. In her free time, she enjoys figure skating, reading, and hiking.
Kayla Duran
Kayla Duran is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience. She has an interest in working with children and specializing in their development. After graduation, Kayla plans to earn her Master’s in Social Work and continue working with young children. She is excited to further her knowledge within social psychology and child development while working with the CIRCLE Lab. In her free time, she loves to watch movies, be with her sister Anastasia, and bake sweet treats. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Madison Sokolik
Madison Sokolik is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Conflict Management. She is from St. Louis, Missouri and is excited for the opportunity to gain new experiences in psychological research while working with the CIRCLE Lab team! Madison is passionate about furthering her understanding of how early experiences influence psychopathology. After undergrad, she plans to attend graduate school and is still open about a specialty. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Mariana Chavez
Mariana Chavez is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill double majoring in Psychology (B.S.) and Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Education. She is passionate in social and cognitive changes in child development and how they influence school performance and educational equity as a whole. Mariana hopes to continue studying this in graduate school with the goal of becoming a professor. In her free time, Mariana loves playing piano, watching movies, and building escape rooms through UNC’s Chapel Thrill Escapes. (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Masita Wicaksana
Masita is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with intentions of majoring in/applying to the nursing program. She is excited to examine the effects of life experiences on child and adolescent development and looking forward to utilizing the experience she gains with the CIRCLE Lab throughout the rest of her time at Carolina. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Merry Li
Merry is a sophomore at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is from Qingdao, China and is majoring Psychology and Business. She is interested in two factors in human life quality: mental health and finance. At CIRCLE, she is excited to explore clinical psychology by opportunities engaging with participants. Any time you have a question about how to pick the best movie to watch, or how to tame 5 dogs and 3 cats, she’s your girl!
Nyjah King
Nyjah (she/her/hers) is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in education. She is excited to work in the CIRCLE lab learning and doing hands-on research for the WHALE study. Nyjah is interested in the effects of early adversity on adolescent development. After graduation, Nyjah is interested in pursuing a master’s in Mental Health Counseling and a Ph.D. in early childhood development. In her free time, Nyjah enjoys writing, spending time with friends, and participating in various student organizations such as Every Nation Campus, One Africa, and the Black Student Movement.
Pranav Swarna
Pranav Swarna (he/him/his) is a junior pursuing a major in Neuroscience (B.S.) with minors in Biology and Data Science. He has always been interested in human development and has found deep interest in studying trauma and/or mental illness as he progressed through his journey of higher education. He is excited to join the CIRCLE Lab and contribute to the team, while also furthering his knowledge of child development and gaining hands-on experience in a professional research environment. After he graduates, he hopes to pursue further education and a career in the field of cardiology or neuroscience as a surgeon.
Ria Patel
Ria Patel is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing majors in Neuroscience and Biology along with a minor in Medical Anthropology. Ria has a strong passion for working with children, especially with those who have neuropsychological disorders. Ria is enthusiastic and excited to join CIRCLE Lab, where she hopes to gain insight into the world of research, collaborate with motivated peers, mentors and doctors as well as first-handedly get to understand the complexities of child cognitive development. Ria hopes to attend medical school where she can explore clinical approaches to treating and alleviating the effects of neuropsychological disorders in children to improve educational experiences.
Sara Junuzovic
Sara Junuzovic, is a junior double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology (B.S.), and is also minoring in comparative literature. For a long time now, she has been interested in the way someone’s childhood experiences, especially language use and home environments, impact their cognitive development. During her free time, she loves to read and hang out with her dog 🙂
Sharon Mabasa
Sharon is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. She is excited to combine her interests in developmental psychology, health, and the brain as she joins the CIRCLE Lab. Sharon is especially eager to explore how early childhood adversity may impact long-term health outcomes and the various observable mechanisms within the brain that can be further analyzed. After college Sharon hopes to attend medical school and specialize in neurology. (Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Shivani Patel
Shivani Patel (she/hers) is from Wilmington, NC. She is majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Chemistry. She is on the pre-med track with a specific interest in maternal and child health. She has been fascinated by many aspects of this field for a long time, and recently learned how much it overlaps with her major. Psychology and neuroscience are recent interests of hers, and the CIRCLE Lab has given her the perfect way to pursue these interests while also working with children! She is excited to work with MRI’s and cognitive testing as part of the STAAR study.
Stephanie Li
