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.

Ali is a junior psychology major working with Dr. Richter as an honor thesis student in STARS lab. She is interested in learning how we can diagnose and improve outcomes in Neurodevelopmental and learning disabilities. For her honors thesis, she will be examining the relationship between mastery motivation measures such as persistence on academic outcomes in children with Williams syndrome and Down syndrome. In the lab, she does a variety of tasks involving work on a few projects such as the GraphoLearn study, and Emotional Well-Being studies as well as assist in data collection and data organization for those and other projects.

Alexis is a senior at UAB, graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and music. Her research interests include sex and puberty education, autism spectrum disorder, and play skills. Her career goal is to become a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst. She enjoys baking, hiking, crocheting, and playing her flute in her free time. 

Morgan is a senior undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in chemistry. Her research interests include different developmental disorders, personality disorders, and emotional regulation. After graduation, Morgan hopes to attend medical school with the intention of becoming a psychiatrist. She enjoys playing volleyball, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.

Peyton is a senior undergraduate student majoring in psychology. Her current research primarily focuses on social, emotional, and cognitive development in children with neurodevelopmental differences. She is also interested in conducting research related to mindfulness and yoga, trauma in early childhood, and emotional well-being across the lifespan. Following graduation, Peyton plans to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology. In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, traveling, and spending time with her family, her friends, and her dog.

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.

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.

Dr. Chitra Pandya (MBBS, MD Community Medicine) is a medical doctor trained in India. After completing her medical school, she pursued a residency in Community Medicine/Preventive and Social Medicine. As a part of her MD thesis, she developed digital storytelling as a training and support tool to impart life skills education to underserved adolescents. Her research interests involve the development of community-based interventions for promotive and preventive mental health of underserved adolescents and young adults. She has recently joined the lab and is working with the team on the Social Emotional Competencies project. In her free time, she enjoys non-fiction audiobooks, cooking and traveling with her family, and playing tennis. 

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! 

Jaylon is a resident of the state of Alabama. He is striving to obtain a masters in Multidisciplinary Biomedical Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He obtained his B.S. in Psychology with a minor in both Biology and Chemistry. Recent research revealed that his current research interests involve children with autism, ADHD, and Williams Syndrome. He is interested in learning about how these disorders and other intellectual disabilities affect the well-being, grit, personality, and experiences of young children to adolescents. He likes to watch anime, play videogames, cycle, hike, and enjoys watching fantasy works like Star Wars and Marvel in his free time.