People

Dr. Caroline G. Richter is the director of the Science of Child Development and Neurodiversity (STARS) lab. She is from Brazil and has a B.A. in Psychology from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil). She completed her master’s degree in Developmental Psychology at the same university under the supervision of Dr. Claudia Cardoso-Martins and her PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Louisville under the supervision of Dr. Carolyn Mervis. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at University of Connecticut under supervision of Dr. Fumiko Hoeft. Her previous and ongoing projects are conducted in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Connecticut, University of Louisville, UFMG (Brazil), University of Utah, and UAB. Caroline was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In her free time, she enjoys meditating, doing yoga, hiking, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends, family, and with her pets from Brazil.

See Dr. Richter’s CV here.

More information can be found here.

Alecia Mercier graduated from Florida State University with a B.A. in Psychology and Family and Child Sciences. She completed her master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program at UAB. She plans to graduate in the Spring of 2025. She is interested in working with school-aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her focus in on implementation and translational science. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her golden retriever and in nature.

Bri Stein graduated from Christopher Newport University with a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Leadership and Communication Studies. She is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program at UAB. She plans to graduate in the Spring of 2025. She is interested in mindfulness-based intervention and emotional well-being. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga and mindfulness and spending time with her Australian shepherd and cats.

Shannon Kirshy is a graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in biology and specialization in developmental disabilities and human services. She is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology PhD program at UAB. Shannon is interested in the overlap between mental health, developmental disabilities, and psychosocial factors. She is also interested in the role of emotional regulation and different interventions for individuals with learning disabilities and developmental disabilities. In her free time, Shannon likes reading with her cat and watching Boston sports teams! 

Wanqin Yu graduated from the University of New Brunswick in Canada with a B.A. in Psychology with First Class Honours. She completed her clinical internship at the Psychological Health Department of Lanzhou University Second Hospital in China. She is a graduate student in the Applied Developmental Psychology PhD program at UAB. She is interested in understanding the impact of parental and teacher factors on the academic achievement and mental well-being of students with neurodevelopmental disorders. In her free time, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, hiking, and traveling around the world.

Kaylie is a senior psychology major who also works as a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT) at an ABA clinic in Vestavia, AL. Growing up as the eldest of many siblings, she developed a passion for working with toddlers and adolescents. Her research interests center on developmental disorders and the social and behavioral growth of children. After graduation, Kaylie aims to enter a doctoral program in behavioral or clinical psychology. In her leisure time, she loves reading, pottery, and thrifting.

Khushi is a sophomore undergraduate psychology major on the pre-med track in the UAB Honors College Personalized Pathway. She is interested in how developmental psychology can impact an individual in many aspects and the outcomes that can occur. She is also collaborating in research with UAB Heersink School of Medicine regarding Early Life Stress in relation with Opioid Use/Opioid Use Disorder. She intends to apply to medical schools in the future in hopes of becoming a psychiatrist. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and traveling.

Tania is an undergraduate senior student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is majoring in psychology and minoring in medical sociology. Her research interests include infant and child development, intellectual and developmental disabilities, genetic risk factors and epigenetics, and sensory and perceptual development. She is applying to graduate school, and she intends to complete a master’s degree in developmental psychology. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, crocheting, hiking, and walking her dog.

Jadyn Moreno is a sophomore undergraduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is pursuing a degree in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. Jadyn has a twin brother who was born with a genetic disorder. Growing up beside her brother led to an interest in developmental and behavioral neuroscience. Jadyn has a particular passion for research involving intellectual disabilities. Her goal is to obtain a PhD in neuroscience at UAB. In her spare time, Jadyn is on the UAB Blazerette dance line. She also loves volunteering with Hospice and the Miracle League of Gardendale. Jadyn loves to read, play the piano, and spend time with her family.

Bailey is a junior undergraduate psychology major and forensic science minor. Their research interests involve developmental psychology, emotional well-being, color psychology, and existential isolation in the context of developmental disabilities. After undergrad, she plans to pursue a doctoral program in non-clinical developmental psychology. They prefer to use their free time in a creative space, such as drawing and writing, or spend it playing video games.

Kibryn is a senior undergraduate psychology major. Her research interests include cognitive and socio-emotional development in neurodiverse children, autism spectrum disorder, transition to adulthood for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and childhood trauma. She intends to apply for a developmental psychology doctoral program post-undergrad. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and watching true crime documentaries.

Roman graduated from the University of Oxford with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Linguistics, and is a graduate student in UAB’s Masters in Multidisciplinary Biomedical Sciences program. His interest in developmental psychology and interventions for those with developmental differences culminated in his undergraduate honors thesis, titled ‘Theory of Mind Therapeutic Approaches for Deaf Children of Hearing Parents and Autism Spectrum Individuals’. In his spare time, he enjoys camping, science-fiction audiobooks, and reading classic detective novels.