The Team
B.A. Wesleyan University
M.Ed. Boston College
Ph.D. University of Michigan
Dr. Rhiannon Luyster is the director of the LI+TLE Lab at Emerson College and an Associate Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is a developmental psychologist who studies social communication and language in young children with autism.
B.A. University of Southern California
M.A. University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Sudha Arunachalam is the director at the Language Experience and Acquisition Research at NYU Lab. She is a Full Professor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, and she studies language development in young children ages 0 to 5 years. In her research program, she examines how infants, toddlers, and preschoolers acquire their native language. She studies children who are developing typically, children with autism, and children with language delay. She is particularly interested in the learning mechanisms underlying language acquisition and in how caregiver-child interactions support learning.
Clinical Psychologist
B.A. University of San Diego
Psy.D. California Institute of Integral Studies
Dr. Catherine Sancimino is an Instructor within the Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in comprehensive assessment to determine the presence of autism spectrum disorder. She has provided psychological services in diverse settings, including pediatric primary care, outpatient psychiatry, public schools, and research labs. Dr. Sancimino is interested in learning how multisensory processing and adaptive skills develop in children with autism.
Thuy Buonocore
Project Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. New York University
Thuy Buonocore has extensive experience in patient care coordination in clinical settings through her work at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and South Shore Hospital. She is passionate about bringing people together and building community, especially for families with young children.
Kelly Steen
Associate Research Scientist, NYU LEARN Lab
B.A. University of Colorado
M.S. Emerson College
Kelly is a pediatric speech-language pathologist with experience in educational, clinical, and research environments. She has worked with young children and their families in a variety of settings including Early Intervention, pediatric private practice, preschools, daycare centers, Head Start classrooms, and home-based programs while collaborating with public school systems. Kelly previously served as a Clinical Research Coordinator for several autism research studies at Massachusetts General Hospital. She values the importance of participating in clinical research to contribute to the field on a broader scale.
Lauren B. Nehilla
Research Affiliate
B.A. University of Rochester
M.S. Emerson College
Lauren is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist with clinical experience in Early Intervention and public schools. As a clinical educator and instructor, Lauren’s supervision and classroom teaching focuses on the clinical processes for treatment and assessment of developmental and school-aged speech and language disorders. She has been involved in clinical research efforts (service learning through a parenting program for incarcerated mothers; understanding and supporting the needs of Autistic college students) and serves on graduate thesis committees in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department.
Mitchell Chan
Research Associate, LI+TLE Lab
B.A. University of California, Berkeley
Mitchell earned his B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. He previously worked as a research assistant for the Language and Cognitive Development Lab and the Moore Accuracy Lab within Haas School of Business. He additionally has experience within the early childhood education setting, and in his free time he loves to learn languages and explore new things.
Monica Apreutesei
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Student at Emerson College
Monica is in her third year of undergraduate education at Emerson College, where she is double majoring in Communication Disorders and Musical Theatre. She has prior clinical experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder at the University of Washington’s Autism Center, where she was an EDI Counselor for their Apex Summer Camp program. Monica is greatly appreciative of the opportunity to take on a more investigative approach to related research though her work at the LI+TLE Lab.
Megan Marr-ONeil
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Student at Emerson College
Megan is in her 3rd year at Emerson College. She is majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and triple minoring in Hearing & Deafness, Psychology, and Health & Society History. She joins the lab with extensive professional experience having worked in the field of Early Childhood Education as a teacher for over 16 years. Megan is very excited to be a part of the LIT+LE Lab family!
Mia DiGiorgio
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Student at Emerson College
Mia is a second-year CSD student at Emerson College. She is passionate for the field of Speech-Language Pathology and is commited to enhancing the lives of individuals with communication disorders. She is eager to learn from experienced individuals in the field and make contributions towards a meaningful impact.
Gabriela Spizale
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
B.S. Loyola University New Orleans
Student at Emerson College
Gabriela earned her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration at Loyola University New Orleans. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College. Gabriela has previous experience working as a research assistant for the Autism and Anxiety Lab at Loyola University New Orleans. Her passion for Communication Sciences and Disorders drives her commitment to learning more about this field and contributing to research through this opportunity.
Brianna Armstrong
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
B.A. University of Massachusetts Boston
Student at Emerson College
Brianna is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorder (CSD) program at Emerson. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Boston with a double major in Psychology and Early Education. Brianna has various clinical experiences working with children who have autism spectrum disorders, including home services and educational, clinical, and research settings. She will be completing her Master’s Thesis with the LI+TLE Lab and hopes to contribute to the growing body of strength-based ASD research.
Vivian Nguyen
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Student at Emerson College
Vivian is a senior at Emerson where she is double majoring in Communication Disorders and Sports Communication. She previously interned for the Department of Public Health for her home state CT where she worked with the Communications office as well as the Maternal and Child Health unit. Vivian is very excited to learn more about autism through the LI+TLE Lab and gain important experience in the field as she prepares for grad school!
Marley Cannon
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Semester Intern
Marley is a senior psychology student at Endicott College and is doing a semester internship at the Li+tle Lab to learn more about the research and statistical side of psychology. She has previous experience as an intern working directly with children and adults with intellectual disabilities. She is excited to apply her passion for autism into research with Dr. Luyster, contributing to projects that aim to deepen understanding of how autism impacts learning.
Kiah Tandon
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Student at Emerson College
Kiah is an undergraduate student at the University of Bath, where she is studying Education with Psychology. She has a keen interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and is particularly excited about the opportunity to explore language development in individuals with ASD through her internship at the LI+ TLE Lab. This position aligns perfectly with her passion for education and psychology, and she is enthusiastic about contributing to and learning from this dynamic field.
Leyaan Adam Ali
Research Assistant, LI+TLE Lab
Student at Emerson College
Leyaan is a third-year Education with Psychology student at the University of Bath. Currently completing her placement year at Emerson College, she is excited to be working at the LI+TLE Lab. She has a strong interest in autism and is dedicated to understanding and supporting individuals on the spectrum.