Lab Staff
Irene Joy-Becker
Irene is the Lab Manager at the DOME Lab. She is from South Africa. She is a childhood cancer survivor and this led to her interest in child development. She completed her BA and honorary degrees in clinical psychology at the North West University in South Africa, an Educational Psychology honorary degree at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and completed a research psychology Masters at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. She did her Developmental Masters degree at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She loves working with our caring research team, our amazing families, and our kiddos. Outside of the lab, she loves traveling, crafts, and hiking.
Hannah Jeong
Hannah is a full time Research Assistant at the DOME Lab. She completed her BA in
Cognitive Science at the University of California, Berkeley. During her time at UC Berkeley, she was a research assistant at the Berkeley Early Learning Lab looking at how early socially contingent interactions influence language learning. She also served as a mentor for the Undergraduate Lab, Psychology and Cognitive Science which provided accessible research opportunities for undergraduate students. She has also worked closely with adolescents in educational settings as a program counselor at the nonprofit YMCA Y-Scholar program. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a research focus on developing family-focused interventions for internalizing disorders. Outside the lab, Hannah likes to go rock climbing, traveling, and trying new restaurants.
Graduate Students
Sarah is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the DOME lab studying Clinical Psychology. After receiving a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from Texas A&M, she completed her Master’s of Research in Developmental Neuroscience & Psychopathology at University College London and Yale University. Her research interests include parental brain development across the prenatal to postpartum period, its impact on child development and early attachment, and mental health within the family system. Outside the lab, I like to travel, play volleyball, and do arts and crafts.
Beth is a second-year PhD student in the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience area. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at Temple University, then served as Research Coordinator in the MEG lab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 3 years. Her research interests focus on child brain development and the emergence of fearful and anxious traits as it relates to early experiences. Outside the lab, Beth enjoys traveling, thrifting, and cheering on her Philadelphia sports teams.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Choi attended Korea University in South Korea where she obtained her Master’s and Ph.D in child studies. Her research focuses on how early parent-child relationships shape children’s socio-emotional development. Outside of the lab, she loves to travel and spend time with her friends and family.
Undergradaute Research Assistants
Ally Podner
Ally Podnar is a senior psychology major from Austin, Texas. After graduating, she plans to attend Occupational Therapy school and become a pediatric OT. In her free time she likes to make bracelets, draw, and hang out with her family and friends.
Alyssa Moore is a senior psychology major with hopes of obtaining a PhD/specialist degree in school psychology or a PhD/master's degree in clinical psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and hanging out with friends!
Somya Meheotra is a senior neuroscience major from Sugar Land, Texas. After graduating, she hopes to pursue becoming a pediatric oncologist! In her free time, she likes to bake, hang out with friends, and do crafts!
Vaneesha is a junior from The Woodlands, Texas, majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience and public health. She plans to attend medical school after graduating. In her free time, Vaneesha enjoys working out, watching TV, hiking, and spending time with her friends and family!
Emily is a senior psychology major with a minor in neuroscience. In her future career, she hopes to work with children! Specifically, she is interested in getting her masters in child development of family sciences. In her free time she loves making sourdough, hammocking, and spending time with friends and family.
Jana Yip is a junior psychology major from Frisco, Texas. After graduating, she hopes to pursue becoming a child psychologist and work with kids! In her free time, she likes to read, watch movies, and cook with friends!
Ashley is a senior studying Psychology at Texas A&M University. After graduating with her Bachelor's, she wants to earn a master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Clinical Psychology. She wants to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), with an emphasis on trauma treatment across all age groups. She also wants to be licensed in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapies. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, thrifting, and hiking.
Maya is a sophomore neuroscience major from Houston, Texas. She hopes to attend medical school after graduation, and loves to work with children! In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, playing video games, swimming, and playing the piano.
Rayna is a junior public health major and psychology minor! She is also on the pre-med track and hopes to specialize in child and adolescent psychiatry. Some of her hobbies include baking, running, and traveling!
Natasha is a senior Psychology major with a minor in Journalism from Dallas, Texas. After graduating, she plans to take a gap year working as a medical assistant before applying to medical school. Natasha hopes to work as a child psychiatrist in the future. I love to run and read books in my free time.
Paige is a junior Psychology major. After graduating, she wants to go to grad school for clinical psychology to become a neuropsychologist. In her free time, Paige loves reading, going on walks, hanging out with friends, and being active!!!
LAB ALUMNI
Abbie Spaller
Abby Varghas
Aliuna Schorn
Ash McDonough
Augustus Cosby
Catie Samson
Emily Mallin
Emily Palacios
Jadde Aponte
Jakob Reininger
Jenna Heerboth
Jill Justice
Katelyn Youngblood
Kimberly Aguilar-Martinez
Leslie Garcia Perez
Lily Pittman
Megan Perry
Megan Wang
Miles Rodriguez
Miriam Damian-Jacobo
Reagan Watson
Samantha Rodriguez
Sophia Ponce
Corrigan LeValley
Kylie McDaniel
Anna Morales-Wade
Mariana Zarate
Vivica Vasquez
Aranza Perret
Uxia Gago