Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab

Megan is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Puerto Rico Testsite for Emerging Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Center as part of the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program under the guidance of Drs. Emily Zimmerman and Akram Alshawabkeh. Her research with PROTECT primarily focuses on understanding the relationships of non-nutritive suck (NNS) with prenatal exposures and later cognitive outcomes. Megan earned a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Biology from Northern Illinois University before pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where her dissertation work focused on the relationships of prenatal exposures to a class of endocrine disrupting chemicals called phthalates and acetaminophen with early language development and attention. In her free time, she enjoys spoiling her nephew, painting her nails, reading, listening to true crime and history or political/comedy podcasts, and spending time with her husband and their cat, Curie.

Alaina is a Postdoctoral Reserach Associate in the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab. She began working in the lab in 2018 as the lab manager and recently completed her Ph.D. in the Human Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences at Northeastern. Prior to this, Alaina earned her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology at Texas Christian University. Alaina is passionate about improving developmental outcomes for infants with feeding disorders. Her reserach in the lab has focused on examining NNS across the first year of life, variations in clinical populations, and its relation to neurodevelopmental outcomes. Outside of the lab, Alaina enjoys spending time with her husband and friends trying new restaurants and visiting quintessential New England towns.

Kate is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the SNL. She completed her doctoral training at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2024. Previously, Kate earned a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Boston University in 2004 and an M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2008. Kate brings experience as a classroom teacher, clinician, and clinical educator to her research. Her research interests include supporting families of children with language and literacy difficulties, including is it relates to early development and the home environment. She is also passionate about the implementation of best practices for language and literacy instruction and improving developmental outcomes through supporting families. During her free time, Kate enjoys swimming and spending time with her husband and kids.

Natalie graduated from Boston University in 2023 with majors in Linguistics and Psychology. She is most interested in language acquisition and multilingualism, as well as the intersection of linguistics and sociology. In the future, she plans to explore these areas through pursuit of a graduate degree. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking, and starting new languages on Duolingo.

Hayden is the current ROUTES Co-op Student in the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab. He is a 4th year majoring in Health Science with a Nutrition minor. Hayden’s interest in environmental contaminants on underserved communities and neurodevelopment drew him to the research done at the lab. He plans to use the knowledge gained during his co-op to advocate for preventative measures to reduce health disparities in underserved populations. Further, he plans to pursue an MD following his undergraduate degree. Outside of the lab, Hayden enjoys bodybuilding, photography, and cooking!

Jane received a B.S. in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2023. She works in both the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab and the Speech Motor Impairment and Learning Lab at Northeastern. Jane has aspirations to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology and is interested in the early development of speech and language. Outside of work, she enjoys going on walks with her dog, hiking, reading and spending time with friends.  

Ross is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Bouve College of Health Sciences under the mentorship of Dr. Emily Zimmerman. Ross earned his doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Sensorimotor Integration for Swallowing and Communication Lab under the advisement of Dr. Angela Dietsch. His dissertation work investigated swallowing and neuroimaging outcomes associated with skill- and strength-based swallowing rehabilitation regimens. Ross plans to assist Dr. Zimmerman in a variety of studies in the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab. Specifically, he will utilize electroencephalogram (EEG) measures as outcome variables in pediatric studies of speech and feeding development. In his free time, Ross enjoys playing basketball, hiking, puzzling, and spending time with his wife and cats.

Maria is the current ROUTES Co-Op Student in the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab. She is a 2nd year majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience with a Public Health minor. Maria has a passion for pediatrics and is interested in early intervention in infant neurodevelopment which is what drew her to the research being done at the lab. During her time at SNL, she hopes to explore how Non-Nutritive Suck is able to predict speech and neurodevelopment outcomes while learning more about research protocols and data analysis. Maria plans to pursue an MD following her undergraduate degree. During her free time, Maria enjoys weightlifting, dancing, and cooking!

Priscilla is the current ROUTES co-op student in the SNL lab. She is a 3rd year majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. Her interest of environmental impacts on brain development is what drew her to the research being done at the lab. During her time at SNL, she hopes to explore how Non-Nutritive Suck is able to predict speech outcomes and developmental milestones. Priscilla plans to pursue a Psy.D or PhD in Clinical Psychology following her undergraduate degree. During her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking with her friends.  

Sophia is the current ROUTES co-op student in the SNL lab. She is a 2nd year majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish on the Pre-Med track. Her combined interests in language and how the brain develops drew her to the work being done in the lab. During her co-op, she hopes to explore various factors that impact neurodevelopment, and more specifically environmental influences that may affect developmental outcomes. Further, she hopes to learn about how Non-Nutritive Suck predicts speech outcomes and other developmental milestones. She plans on going to medical school following her undergraduate years. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys swimming, volunteering, and exploring Boston.

Alicia is a recent graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in Health Sciences and a minor in Psychology. She worked as a co-op student under Dr. Zimmerman during the Spring of 2021, where she examined the interaction between sucking, feeding, and vocal development in infants, and continues to volunteer at the lab part-time. She is most interested in the field of public health; specifically, the effects of environmental contaminants on underserved communities. She plans to use the knowledge gained during her time at Northeastern and on her co-op to advocate for more emphasis on preventative measures against adverse health impacts on populations in order to reduce health disparities and inequalities. She hopes to become a strong proponent for environmental justice in the future. Outside of work, Alicia enjoys swimming, hiking, and reading poetry and books.

Meklite was the Co-op student in SNL lab in Fall 2022. She is majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Science on a Pre-Med Track. She is passionate about pediatric health, specifically in how environmental factors may affect development. This niche interest is what drew her to the work being done in the lab. During her co-op, she aspires to learn about the multiple intricate elements that play a part in infant’s development, and furthermore the potential in how Non-Nutritive Suck can be used as a measurement of early infant neurodevelopment. She plans on going to medical school and becoming a pediatrician following her undergraduate years. Outside of the lab, Meklite enjoys spending time in nature and reading books.