Dr. Alva Tang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Dallas, and the Principle Investigator of the Laboratory for Healthy Social-Emotional Development. Dr. Tang completed her BSc at the University of Toronto, PhD at McMaster University, and post-doctoral training at the University of Maryland. Dr. Tang’s ultimate goals are to (1) to promote long-term healthy development for children, by understanding the risk factors and developmental processes that can enhance our ability to implement prevention strategies; (2) train the next generation of young scientists with rigorous methods and theoretically grounded research programs. See Alva’s CV.

Research Assistant

Christina Vlahakos graduated in 2023 from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. As Research Assistant I, Christina hopes to gain significant experience and knowledge in how individual differences shape the developmental processes and health of children. Christina plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist while continuing research. In her free time Christina enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family.

PhD Students

Carole Leung is a second-year PhD student in the Cognition and Neuroscience program at UTD. She completed her MSc in Music, Mind and Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London. Carole is interested in how individual differences and life experiences during childhood and adolescence shape development and mental well-being over time. Additionally, she is interested in investigating the neural mechanisms underpinning these processes. In her free time, Carole likes to watch Netflix, play the piano, and go on walks in parks.

Master’s Students
Elise Riggle is a second-year master’s student in the Applied Cognition and Neuroscience program at UTD. She received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Lawrence University in 2020. Elise is interested in studying reward dysfunction as it is related to risk-taking behaviors – including risky drug and alcohol use, sexual behaviors, and aggression. She seeks to understand the social and emotional precursors as well as the neurological correlates and repercussions tied to those behaviors.

Roopa Prasad is a second-year master’s student in the Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders program at UTD. She received her BS in Cognitive Science at UTD in 2021. Roopa is interested in social-emotional development and school belonging in at-risk populations. Beyond seeking licensure as a school psychologist, she hopes to enhance school belonging at a systems level, where classroom expectations in schools are expanded to accommodate the needs of a diverse population of students. In her free time, Roopa likes to spend time with her cat. 

Amruta Viswanath is a first-year master’s student in the Psychology program. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Child Learning and Development at UTD in 2021. Amruta is interested in how familial relationships and adversities are related to social development and mental health of adolescents. Amruta plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and engaging in community outreach efforts to influence policy. In her free time, she loves reading, watching movies, and spending time outdoors.

Undergraduate Students

Brian Nguyen
Ethan Taylor
Leonardo Mandujano
Lucie Nguyen