Researchers

Researchers

Mandy J Maguire

Mandy J Maguire, PhD

Dr. Maguire’s research interests include studying children’s typical language development through behavioral and electrophysiological responses. Her primary goal is to study the neurological underpinnings of typical language development as a foundation for better understanding of language disorders and delays. To learn more about the current research in the lab, see our “Studies” page. For a list of Dr. Maguire’s publications, see “Publications.”

Dr. Maguire received her undergraduate degree in psychology at Penn State University where she focused on cognition and development. Following a year as a research assistant in Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging, she began the Developmental Psychology PhD program at Temple University. There she worked with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek studying semantic development in children, focusing primarily on verb learning. In her dissertation she identified various cues that children use to learn new verbs, and then extended that work with English speaking children to those learning Japanese and Spanish. Dr. Maguire then returned to her work in cognitive neuroscience during a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Louisville in the Developmental Neuroscience Lab where her primary work included collecting data for a longitudinal study of early EEG markers of later reading disabilities. Since starting at The University of Texas at Dallas her work has worked to combine behavioral and neurolinguistic techniques to better understand typical language development.

Doctoral Students

Mohammad Hossein Behboudi

Mohammad Hossein Behboudi is a doctoral student in cognition and neuroscience. He completed his undergrad studies in electrical engineering at K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in 2020. Before joining our lab, he was working on EEG signal processing and the application of Machine Learning in brain studies. His main interest is to gain a deep understanding of brain function and connectivity using high-level analysis during cognitive tasks such as language learning. Besides doing research, he likes to run, hang out with his friends, learn to play santour (Persian Instrument).

Kathleen Denicola-Prechtl

Kathleen Denicola-Prechtl is a doctoral student in the communication sciences and disorders program. She completed her bachelor of science in speech and hearing sciences at The State University of New York at Cortland in 2012 and her master of science in communication disorders from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2014. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Kathleen has over seven years of clinical experience working in both school-based and in-patient medical settings. Her research interests include vocabulary acquisition of adolescent populations and how childhood environment influences language acquisition.

Master’s Students

Prasanth Chalamalasetty

Prasanth Chalamalasetty is a master’s student currently working towards a MS in applied cognition & neuroscience. After graduating, he plans to learn more about the mysteries of the brain through patient interaction, diagnoses, and research. Some of his hobbies include painting, playing table tennis, and reading in his free time.

Reyes Veliz

Reyes Veliz is a master’s student currently working towards a MS in speech language pathology. After graduating, he plans to work in a medical setting and explore possibly working with the NICU, dysphagia, or stroke demographic. Some of his hobbies include working out, watching movies, and listening to music.

Undergraduate Students

Lyan Alshaikhsalama

Lyan Alshaikhsalama is a junior majoring in child learning and development. She is working towards obtaining an MD-PhD degree to begin research as a pediatrician focusing on children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her younger siblings, working out, and reading. Additionally, she is passionate about advocating for underrepresented voices and promoting peace.

Arjun Burgula

Arjun Burgula is a rising sophomore majoring in healthcare management. He plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician and make an impact in the healthcare industry. Arjun is fluent in both Telugu and English. He enjoys swimming, playing video games, and going to the gym.

Manuel Cruz

Manuel Cruz is a speech language and hearing sciences major and plans to become a speech language pathologist. He is especially interested in bilingual language development and swallowing disorders. He likes to spend time with his family, read, and write stories.

Janett Gomez

Janett Gomez is a speech, language, and hearing sciences major and plans to become a speech pathologist. She is interested in bilingual language development, swallowing disorders, and aphasia in adults. She is a fan of TV shows and enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys participating in any Mexican culture and enjoys traveling to Mexico.

Thomas Greifenkamp

Thomas Greifenkamp is a sophomore looking to major in biology and minor in child development. He plans to pursue a pre-med route after graduation and is interested in pediatric surgery. Outside of academics he enjoys volunteering, cooking, and being around his friends and family.

Fatima Jafri

Fatima Jafri is a psychology and child learning and development double major and plans to pursue a career in counseling psychology. Her interests include researching diverse therapy approaches in clinical settings and how language defines perception of feelings. In her free time, she likes to write, read, and travel with friends.

Avni Jain

Avni Jain is a junior biology major and psychology minor. She is on the pre-med track and hopes to work in healthcare in the future. She enjoys working with children and strives to have a positive impact on the lives of the people around her. In her free time, you can find her exploring new hiking trails, reading fantasy/mystery books, and watching TV shows.

Emily Leung

Emily Leung is majoring in neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. She hopes to go on to medical school after graduation. In her free time, she loves playing guitar, trying different crafts, and finding ways to be active with friends.

Celeste Miranda

Celeste Miranda is a junior with a major in psychology. Her future aspirations include pursuing a career in clinical psychology, with a focus on working with both children and geriatric patients. In her limited free time, she finds joy in spending quality moments with her family and exploring new destinations through travel.

Hamsika Naganaboina

Hamsika Naganaboina is majoring in neuroscience on the pre-medical track. She is passionate in learning about language, memory, and how neurolinguistics impacts child development. She is primarily interested in analyzing cognitive changes and unraveling the mysteries of the nervous system. She hopes to attend medical school in the future. She enjoys spending quality time with family, traveling to new destinations, and playing the violin.

Luery Pineda

Luery Pineda is a speech-language and hearing sciences major with a minor in Spanish and aspires to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist. She is primarily interested in bilingual language development in children and hopes to work in clinical/hospital settings. She adores partaking in Latin social dancing (bachata, salsa), has an identical twin, enjoys the city night life, and loves spending quality time with her family and friends.

Patricia Quispe

Patricia Quispe is a dedicated pre-med student with a strong background in biology and healthcare management. She is passionate about molecular biology, where she unravels the secrets of life at its core. She aspires to become a primary care physician, forging lasting connections with patients and delivering holistic healthcare.

Suhana Siwakoti

Suhana Siwakoti is majoring in psychology. She hopes to attend medical school in the future and eventually specialize in emergency medicine. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and friends and explore the Dallas area.

Reagan Westberry

Reagan Westberry is a psychology major and plans to attend graduate school to pursue a career in research. She is particularly interested in cognitive science and language comprehension. She likes to play video games and write comedies with her friends.

 

Lab Alumni

Virginia Chen graduated from UTD with their master’s in psychology. They are a lab coordinator at The University of Texas at Austin.

Tina Melamed, PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Anna Middleton, PhD leads the research efforts of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. She earned her PhD in communication sciences and disorders at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2017.

Sonali Poudel, PhD is a post-doc at The University of Texas at Austin. She is interested in implementation science that will help apply evidence from current neuroscience research to clinical practices in speech and language therapy.

Yvonne Ralph, PhD is an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Tyler. Yvonne successfully defended her dissertation and graduated with her doctorate from UT Dallas in psychological sciences.

Julie Schneider, PhD is an assistant professor in the department of communication sciences and disorders at Louisiana State University.