We are currently full for Summer and Fall 2025. Please feel free to fill out an application HERE if you are interested in becoming a member of our research lab if a spot opens up in the future!
DOCTORAL STUDENTS
Jennifer (Fall 2021-Present)
Jennifer is currently the Cognitive and Language Development Lab manager. She is a 5th-year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology program. Jennifer graduated from Seton Hall University in 2017 with her B.S. in Psychology and from Montclair State University in 2019 with her M.A. in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests include the interplay between parent stress, parent-child interactions, and infant/child development. Her clinical interests include dyadic therapy and parent-infant/child attachment. For her master’s thesis, Jennifer explored the effect of exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on child language development and how other factors like maternal mental health and socioeconomic status may be implicated.
Tali (Summer 2023-Present)
Tali is currently the Cognitive and Language Development Lab Manager. She is a 3rd-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. Tali graduated from Colgate University in 2021 with a B.A. in Neuroscience. She is interested in studying the development of social cognition, including theory of mind, communicative language processing, and emotional intelligence, and in examining the factors influencing communication between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Her clinical interests include evidence-based interventions for anxiety in adults and for youth with ASD and their families to improve quality of life and family relationships.
Diego (Summer 2025-Present)
Diego is a 1st-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. He graduated with an A.A. in Psychology from Santa Rosa Junior College and earned a B.A. in psychology, with an emphasis in Neuroscience, from San Diego State University in 2025. His research interests focus on the intersection of language and cognition, particularly how bilingual children process and manage two languages as they develop. Clinically, he is interested in assessments and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders in young children, focusing on early detection of these disorders.
MASTERS STUDENTS
Collin (Summer 2021-Present)
Collin graduated from Montclair State University with his Master’s in Child/Adolescent Clinical Psychology. He completed his B.A. in 2019 at MSU with a degree in Psychology. Collin joined this lab to study children’s cognitive abilities and acquisition of concepts. He is gaining research experience while conducting a study within the Cognitive and Language Development lab. Collin enjoys being a student and is considering doctoral programs in the future.
Natalie (Summer 2025-Present)
Natalie is a graduate student in the Speech Language Pathology master’s program. She graduated from Rutgers University- New Brunswick in 2025 with a B.A. in Linguistics. She joined this lab in summer 2025 to continue to study how language influences cognition.
Kimberly (Summer 2025-Present)
Kimberly is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology program with a concentration in child/adolescent. She graduated from Seton Hall in 2024 with a B.A. in psychology-honors. Kimberly’s research interests include the impact of cultural factors on mental health and patterns of communication. She hopes to continue to a PhD in cognitive psychology to study the relationship between memory, language, and mental disorders.
Noor (Summer 2025-Present)
Noor is a graduate student in the Master’s of Psychological
Sciences program at Montclair State University, where she also earned
her B.A. in Psychology in 2025. Her research interests span
neuroscience, children’s cognitive development, and clinical
psychology. Noor is eager to expand her involvement in psychological
research and plans on pursuing a medical degree.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Jizette (Summer 2022-Present)
Jizette is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Montclair and is currently on track for the BA/MA Psychological Research program. She joined the lab in Summer 2022 due to her interests in early childhood development and cognitive science. Jizette plans on pursuing her PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology after her Master’s. She aims to get more involved with psychological research throughout her time at the lab.
Alexia (Summer 2025-Present)
Alexia is a third-year undergraduate student at Montclair State University. She is majoring in Psychology with double minors in Child Advocacy and Policy and Family Science and Human Development. She joined the lab to study how parent-child interactions influence children’s cognitive abilities. In the future, Alexia would like to pursue either her PsyD or PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Cognitive and Language Development Lab 