Our Director
Ece Demir-Lira, Ph.D.
Director - Development, Experience and Neurocognition Lab
Assistant Professor - Department of Psychological and Brain
Sciences/ Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Demir-Lira received her PhD from the University of Chicago and completed her postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Her research program is aimed at understanding how early environmental and biological factors interact in predicting children's academic outcomes - in both typically-developing children and children with atypical developmental trajectories. Her work leverages a diverse array of methods, including naturalistic parent-child observations, experimental designs and neuroimaging methods (MRI, fMRI and fNIRS). Representative publications can be viewed on GoogleScholar.
Email: ece-demirlira@uiowa.edu
Phone: 319-467-0376
Office: PBSB 275
Résumé/Curriculum Vitae: demirlira_cv_aug22.pdf
Research Coordinator
Katie Staudte
Katie is a lab coordinator for the DEN Lab. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Linguistics, with a focus in Chinese, and an MA in Learning Sciences from the University of Iowa. She is interested in the role that language plays in learning. She enjoys joining (too many) book clubs, running, and spending time with her three kids.
Email: katie-staudte@uiowa.edu
Graduate Research Assistants
Abigel Miskolczi
Abi, from Hungary, is a PhD students in the Clinical Science program. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Psychology and a second major in Biology. She aims to investigate how neuroimaging techniques could assist in the early identification and intervention of psychological/psychiatric conditions. A fun fact about her is that she struggles to hear the difference between “v” and “w”. In her free time, Abi enjoys spending time outdoors, playing the piano, and drawing.
Email: abigel-miskolczi@uiowa.edu
Ying Li
Ying is a PhD student in the cognition program. She is interested in better understanding the mechanisms underlying neural synchronization between children and their caregivers, especially fathers. She used to do research with monkeys in her master's program- so she posted the photo of a cute monkey and a tiny herself. Another picture was taken in the Forbidden City - her favorite place in Beijing. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Email: ying-li-1@uiowa.edu
Paige Nelson
Paige is a PhD student in the individualized training program, with a focus in developmental science. She is interested in studying plasticity in the developing brain and specifically neurocognitive development in children born premature. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Email: paige-nelson@uiowa.edu
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Rebecca Hughes
Rebecca is majoring in biomedical engineering, minoring in Spanish and on the pre-med track. She is interested in working in pediatrics in the future, and is excited to participate in research involving mathematical skills of preschoolers. One campus, she is involved in Dance Marathon, hospital volunteering, tutoring and the mobile clinic.
Julie Ivey
Julia is a fourth year studying neuroscience and on the premed track. She has a strong interest in pediatrics and mental health, and would love to pursue a career in pediatric psychiatry in the future. In her free time, Julia is involved with the DEI CLAS student committee, the UIowa biology undergrad mentorship program, and can be found reading or spending time with her kittens.
Julianne Van Arnum
Julianne is a senior studying exercise science on the Pre-Occupational Therapy track, with a certificate in disability studies. In the future, she is hoping to work in pediatric neurological rehabilitation and implement animal-assisted therapies into her practice! In her free time, she enjoys working out, reading, going on walks, journaling, or spending time with friends and family.
Sabrina Nguyen
Katie Sieprawski
Katie is a senior pursuing a B.A in chemistry with double minors in Spanish and psychology. She is interested in working in medicine as a physician assistant with a specialization in pediatrics. Katie loves working with people as she is also a patient care technician at UIHC and volunteers some of her time to hang out with the children in SFCH. In her free time, she likes to read, hang out with friends, and travel!
Jacqueline Hernandez-Garcia
Jackie is majoring in Psychology on the pre-med track and minoring in Global Translation. She is excited to work on the LaMINI project and overall learn more about how kids learn. In the future, she hopes to become a pediatrician and work with Spanish-speaking families. On campus, she is involved in MAPS/LMSA+, Iowa EDGE, and singing with some groups around Iowa City.
Bhoomika Shettigar
Rose Orr
Rose is a sophomore majoring in neuroscience on the pre-medicine track. Rose is interested in disability advocacy and developmental neuroscience. In the lab, Rose helps out with the MINI and HSCAN studies. Outside of the lab, Rose is a UI REACH Resident Assistant and she has her EMT certification. In her free time, Rose loves listening to music and trying new coffee shops around Iowa City.
Ethan Gruener
Ethan is a second year studying Neuroscience on the premed track and minoring in chemistry. He is interested in working in radiology or cardiology in the future and is excited to engage in research that focuses on gesture coding in the lab. On Campus he is involved with KRUI, APO, powerlifting, and more.
Graduates of the DEN Lab
We are proud of and miss our RAs who graduates from the DEN and went on to accomplish bigger and better things!
Previous PhD students
- Francesca Schreiber (Postdoctoral Scholar, Duke University)
Previous lab coordinators
- Haley Laughlin (PhD Student, University of Houston)
- Paige Nelson (PhD Student, University of Iowa)
Previous undergraduate RAs
- Paras Bassuk
- Callahan Morton
- Lupita Morales Aguilar (PhD Student, Counseling, University of Iowa)
- Maya Dosembach (PhD Student, Clinical Psychology, University of West Virginia)
- Laxmi Annapuriddy (Research Coordinator, Petersen Lab, University of Iowa)
- Talia Halleck (Neuroimaging Technician, Perlman Lab at University of Washington, St. Louis)
- Sabrina Brown (Research Professional, University of Minnesota)
- Isabelle Farmer (Research Technician, University of Iowa Hospitals)
- Hayley Bassett (Master of Science in Athletic Training, University of Iowa)
- Isabel Goetz (Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine)
- Nateshia Wilson (Doctorate of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennesse)
- Raquel Gomez (Doctorate of Medicine, Stony Brook University)
- Julianne Maxwell (PhD Student, Indiana State University)
- Sam Clingan-Silverly (PhD Student, University of Iowa, College of Education)
- Megan Schumer (Research Technician Associate, University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology)
- Annamaria Iarrapino (Masters Student, Chicago School of Psychology)
- Emily Sones (Masters in Counseling, University of Iowa)
- Alexis Potocki (Recruiter, Motion Recruitment)
- Andrew O'Neill (Digital Marketing Specialist, Clickstop Inc.)
- Shania Enriquez (Direct Support Professional, Independent)
- Stephanie LeBlanc
Collaborators
We have many wonderful research collaborators:
- Bob McMurray (University of Iowa)
- Kelli Ryckman (Indiana University)
- Dan Tranel (University of Iowa)
- Allison Momany (University of Iowa)
- Lane Strathearn (University of Iowa)
- Amy Conrad (University of Iowa)
- Ilaria Berteletti (Gallaudet University)
- Tilbe Göksun (Koç University)
- Aylin C. Kuntay (Koç University)
- Susan C. Levine (University of Chicago)
- Susan Goldin-Meadow (University of Chicago)
- Steve Raudenbush (University of Chicago)
- Steve Small (University of California - Irvine)
- James R. Booth (Vanderbilt University)