Center for Research in Child Development
Loyola University Chicago


Our Team

Lab Director

Dr. Maggie Guy
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago
Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2014
Postdoc, University of South Carolina, 2014-2017
My research interests are in the area of developmental cognitive neuroscience with an emphasis on the development of attention, information processing, and recognition memory in typically developing infants and infants at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). My primary research aims are to define the developmental trajectory of social and nonsocial information processing in infancy, to identify neural mechanisms contributing to differences in responses to social and nonsocial stimuli, and to determine overlap and divergence within the development of information processing across infants at low and high risk for ASD.
Graduate Students

Asli Bursalioglu
I am a fifth year student in the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program at Loyola University Chicago. My research interests consist of, but are not limited to, executive functions and their neural bases, as well as how these functions affect the progression of ASD. In my free time I enjoy traveling, exploring the city of Chicago, reading and spending time with friends.

Cidnee Hall
I am a first year student in the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program at Loyola University Chicago. Broadly, I am interested in typical and atypical cognitive development across the first year of life and initiatives to engage diverse communities in research. I like to spend my free time crocheting, playing cello, and exploring the city with my dogs.
Undergraduate Research Assistants

Rachel Barbanente
I am a junior undergraduate student majoring in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. In the future, I plan to attend medical school. During my time at Loyola, I plan on continuing research related to Neuroscience as well as gaining clinical experience. My passions include working with children and learning about cognitive/developmental disabilities. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, running, and ice skating.

Trinity Bauer
I am a senior at Loyola University Chicago, studying Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and Theology, on a pre-med track. I first became interested in neuroscience from working at a group home for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. I am especially interested in developmental neuroscience and computational cognition, and after graduation I would like to pursue acceptance to an MD/PhD dual degree program. My hobbies include yoga and exploring local coffee shops!

Nhi Duong
I am a senior undergraduate student studying Psychology with minors in English and Multimedia Journalism. After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school to earn a Master's in Clinical Psychology and to be involved in research with developmental psychology. My research interests include cognitive/developmental disabilities, the other-race effect, and environmental impacts on brain development. Outside of school, I like to spend time with friends and family, learn about art history and fashion, and teach new tricks to my cat named Tigger.

Grace Ellerbeck
I am a junior undergraduate student at Loyola studying Biology with a Bioethics minor. I am fascinated by child development and am interested in learning more about how children, specifically infants, process both new and familiar surroundings and the processes that allow them to form meaningful associations. Following graduation, I hope to attend medical school to achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a physician! In my free time, you can find me volunteering, working in clinical settings, staying active, and spending time with my family and our dog, Charlie.

Olivia Hutchinson
I am a senior undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago studying Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. After graduation, I plan to pursue a doctoral degree specializing in an area of neuroscience. I am really interested in developmental neuroscience and gaining more knowledge about neurological disorders. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hanging out with friends and baking!

Osinigwe Ibekie
I am currently a senior undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago. My major is psychology, my passion is medicine, and I hope to one day become a psychiatrist. I am interested in social and cognitive psychology. My interest in cognitive psychology has grown through internships, shadowing clinical psychologists, and past participation in cognitive psychology research focused on optimizing cognitive function to promote wellness. For fun, I like to explore the city with friends, do yoga, and listen to music!

Milosz Krzewinski
I am a junior studying Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Bioethics on the Pre-Med track. I am interested in learning about autism spectrum disorder and its impact on learning and memory. In my free time, I like to write, spend time with my family, travel, and go to my favorite cafe. After graduation, I plan to attend medical school to become a neurologist or pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to become a neuropsychologist. Fun fact about me: I was born in Poland, and I am fluent in Polish and English.

Emily Pawelko
I am a freshman undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Psychology. I am interested in all aspects of developmental psychology, but particularly interested in the cognitive and emotional development from infancy to childhood. After graduation, I hope to pursue graduate education and eventually become a developmental psychologist. My hobbies include baking, biking, and playing the piano!

Priscilla Preciado
I am a junior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and minoring in Bioethics. In terms of research, I am most interested in developmental neuroscience for both neurotypical infants and infants at high-risk for autism. My own personal connections with people who have intellectual or developmental disorders made me want to join the Cognitive Development Lab and my favorite part of the lab is meeting the participants. After graduation, I hope to study medicine and become a physician. During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, but I also like to read and workout!
Lab Alumni
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Katya Aguilar (2020-2021)
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Megan Alagna (2020-2022)
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Eli Au Buchon (2020-2021)
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Rebecca DePiero (2020-2021)
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Aleena Ferozuddin (2018-2021)
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Maria Gonzalez Rodriguez (2020-2022)
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Mary Graebner (2020-2021)
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Sabina Hajdarovic (2018-2019)
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Batul Karimi (2020-2022)
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Samia Khatoon (2020-2021)
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Aleks Kostic (2020-2021)
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Diana Mahlis (2018-2020)
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Kerri Maselli (2018-2019)
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Bella Mershad (2020-2022)
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Alexandria Michalak (2021-2022)
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Mudra Patel (2018-2019)
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Sunny Patel (2021-2022)
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Nadira Shabbir (2021-2022)
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Leighanna Sheran (2018)
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Elizabeth Wolfgram (2018-2020)