Nelson Laboratory Meet the Team

Charles A. Nelson III, PhD 

Charles Nelson is Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, and Professor of Education in the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also holds the Richard David Scott Chair in Pediatric Developmental Medicine Research at Boston Children’s Hospital, and in 2026, he was appointed the Mary Deming Scott Professor of Pediatrics endowed professorship from Harvard Medical School. Among his many honors he has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the British Academy. He has also received the Ruane Prize for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Research from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation In 2021 he received the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize and in 2023 he received the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Child Development award. 

Wenkang (Winko) An, PhD 

Winko received his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. His dissertation focused on decoding auditory selective attention from non-invasive neuroimaging data including EEG and fMRI. After PhD, he joined Boston Children’s Hospital and started his postdoctoral research on autism and rare genetic disorders. Here, he applied signal processing and machine learning methods to extract information from large samples of developmental EEG data and studied how EEG measures are associated with chronological age and developmental outcomes. He is also interested in the development and application of novel, user-friendly EEG equipment for more inclusive neuroimaging.

Haerin Chung, PhD

Haerin received her PhD from University of Chicago in 2022, where she was a member of the Infant Learning and Development Laboratory at the Center for Early Childhood Research. At UChicago, her graduate work in Amanda Woodward’s lab focused on the link between infants' experience and perception of actions. She investigated the neural correlates that underlie infants’ perception of actions that are associated with infants' experience using an integration of EEG and behavioral methods. Here at the LCN, Haerin seeks to understand the cascading impact of early life environmental adversity on the developing brain, and how these dynamics shape emerging behavioral challenges in toddlers with and without autism. In doing so, Haerin uses multiple EEG-derived features to identify the complex developmental indices of maturation. 

Kali Woodruff Carr, PhD

Kali Woodruff Carr received her PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University, after which she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern's Infant and Child Development Center and the Institute for Developmental Sciences. Her research examines how maturation and experience shape sensory, perceptual, and cognitive systems integral to auditory processing, perceptual learning, and language development. The overarching goal of her work is to advance understanding of the neural mechanisms and experience-related factors that promote healthy brain development, to identify early markers of communication delays and disorders, and to design personalized interventions that improve developmental outcomes. She is passionate about open science, Big Team Science, and building research infrastructure that supports collaborative research practices.

Bailey Holt-Gosselin, PhD

Bailey completed her PhD in Neuroscience at Yale University in 2025, where she identified the effects of parental depression and family conflict on child and adolescent brain circuitry and mental health. Prior to Yale, she conducted research at Stanford University on neural mechanisms underlying depression and anxiety among adults. Bailey’s research program broadly aims to elucidate effects of caregiver-related early life adversity on brain development and mental health. In the Nelson lab, Bailey specifically focuses on understanding how neglect and abuse during childhood affect long-term brain development, stress sensitivity, and mental health.

Priti Gupta, PhD 

Priti Gupta is a Cognitive Neuroscientist and Fulbright Visiting Scholar from India, currently working at the Nelson Lab. She studies how vision and cognition develop and is driven by a deep curiosity to understand the mechanisms of plasticity and how they shape the brain’s malleability across the lifespan. She also serves as Director of Research at Project Prakash, an Indo–US initiative that restores sight to children with treatable blindness while advancing scientific understanding of how the brain learns to see. She earned her PhD in Computational Neuroscience from Dayalbagh University and completed postdoctoral training in Cognitive Neuroscience at IIT Delhi. Priti is passionate about translating science into meaningful real-world impact, particularly in advancing women’s and children’s welfare. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, reflecting, cooking, listening to music, and exploring Boston.

Erin Matsuba, PhD

Erin received her PhD in School Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience from Syracuse University in 2024. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. Her dissertation research examined EEG markers of autism and cognitive abilities among children born preterm, focusing on auditory processing as it relates to later neurodevelopmental outcomes. As a combined clinical/research fellow at the LCN, Erin seeks to leverage advanced EEG methodologies to characterize developmental trajectories and identify neurophysiological markers that inform and enhance clinical services for neurodiverse individuals.

Garrett Greaves 

Garrett started working at the Nelson Lab as a research assistant upon graduating from Boston University in 2022, where he studied Biomedical Engineering. Initially hired to work on EEG data processing, his work expanded to include other research data types and data collection. In 2024, he took a new role in the lab as a data manager for the Emotion Project and the Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Outside of work, Garret enjoys music, film, and skateboarding.

Gabriela Davila Mejia

Gabriela Davila Mejia was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, where she earned her BS in Psychology with a minor in Mathematics from the University of the Andes. She subsequently completed her MA in Psychology at Boston University. In July 2023, Gabriela transitioned to her current role as Computational Health Informatics Data Manager II for the Nelson and Wilkinson Labs, after working as a Research Assistant for the Nelson Lab for one year. She is passionate about characterizing and understanding neurodevelopmental disorders with the goal of impacting diagnostic accuracy as well as intervention design. She is motivated by the importance of effective data management practices to ensure the integrity and reliability of research findings. In her free time, Gabriela enjoys handcrafting, baking, and spending time outdoors.

Mary Zhuo Ke, ALM

Mary completed her BSE in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to starting at the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience, she worked at the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she began developing tools to explore neuroimaging, behavioral, and clinical assessment data. She then worked at Epic Systems Corporation as an engineer to implement new EHR tools into healthcare workflows. Mary eventually pursued a Journeyman Fellowship at the DEVCOM US Army Research Laboratory where she realized her interest in clinical research. She joined the LCN to manage efforts to enhance the potential and usability of the large quantities of diverse research data across the lab. She is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts in Data Science part-time at Harvard University's Extension School to supplement her understanding to make the most out of our data in supporting the LCN's mission.

Tiffany Berry

Tiffany is a Clinical Research Coordinator with the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study. Tiffany received a BS in Biology and BA in Psychology from Providence College (’22). She is interested in the intersections of neuroimaging, processing differences, environmental influences, and bolstering daily living support for individuals and their loved ones. Outside of lab, she can most likely be found practicing yoga or making coffee for friends.

Maria Isabella Natale Castillo

Isabella is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator for the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study at Boston Children’s Hospital. She earned a BA in Economics from Suffolk University in 2021 while completing her premedical coursework. Her research interests include the effects of adversity on early brain and child development, neuroimaging, community-based participatory research methods, and quality improvement in research practices to better address the needs of diverse populations. Isabella serves as one of the chairs of the HBCD Spanish Language Committee, where she leads initiatives to ensure that study materials and protocols are responsive to the needs of Spanish-speaking families and research staff across the HBCD Consortium. She has also spearheaded initiatives to improve EEG data collection and the research experience for children with curly and coily hair, both locally at Boston Children’s Hospital and across HBCD research sites nationwide. Isabella will begin medical school at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in the summer of 2027.

Marialuisa Cummins

Marialuisa received her BS in Psychology and Health, with a concentration in Public Health, from the University of Houston, where she also minored in Sociology and Human Development and Family Studies. She previously worked as a bilingual Study Coordinator for the ECHO Study in the Biobehavioral Research Lab. Her research interests focus on supporting marginalized communities, particularly the Latinx community, and examining how cultural factors such as familism, stress, and environmental experiences influence child development and mental health outcomes. In the future, Marialuisa hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to further explore how culture shapes development across the lifespan and to improve access to culturally informed mental health care within the Latinx community.

Virginia (Ginny) Rosenberger

Ginny Rosenberger is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator working across the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience on clinical studies and clinical trials. She graduated for MIT in 2021 with a double major in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and in Writing. She is passionate about developmental neuroscience, science communication, and advancing our understand of the brain and cognition.

Litzy Flores

Litzy graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2022 with a BS in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in child development. From 2023-2025 she worked as a research assistant at the WUNDER lab at Washington University in St. Louis where she assisted for the HBCD study and CUDDEL study. Litzy is now the study navigator for the HBCD study at Boston Children's and is excited to work more closely with study participants. In the near future, she hopes to go into a PhD program in Clinical Psychology focusing on the immigrant and multilingual populations. As hobbies, she enjoys singing, reading, playing with her cat Frodo, and enjoys all that nature offers! 

Naomi Holtzman

Naomi Holtzman has joined the Nelson Lab as a Clinical Research Assistant and Research Scholar. Naomi received her BS in Psychology from Duke University this May where she also minored in Ethics & Society. She previously worked as an undergraduate thesis student in Dr. Michael Tomasello’s lab, working on her thesis project exploring young children’s understanding of excuses as a form of reputation management. She also worked for the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development as an undergraduate research assistant. Her research interests include child and social cognitive development. In the future, Naomi hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus on younger populations. Outside of the lab, Naomi can be found enjoying the outdoors and exploring the Boston food scene. 

Vicky Acuna

Vicky graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in May 2022 with a BA in Early Childhood Education, a concentration in Early Intervention, and a Psychology minor. After graduation, Vicky worked as a developmental specialist and infant toddler teacher while looking for ways to bridge the gap between her undergraduate studies and applying to PhD programs. Vicky attended the University of California, Irvine's Post-baccalaureate program in psychological sciences to explore clinical psychology and expand her experience in research. After completion of the post-baccalaureate program, Vicky moved back to Boston and started in the LCN in July 2024 as a research assistant on the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study. In her spare time, Vicky enjoys reading, getting sunlight and trying new coffee shops.

Minh (Quyen) Cao

Quyen joined the LCN in October 2024 as a research assistant (RA) for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study. He was previously involved in HBCD as a 2022 NIDA funded summer intern at Northwestern University and as an undergraduate RA at Emory University. After graduating from Emory in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience, he spent a summer at Yale University as an RA in the epilepsy division and affirmed his desire to pursue an MD-PhD. In his free time, Quyen likes to play tennis and watch anime. 

Noah Crane

Noah Crane is a Clinical Research Assistant working on the SPIN! Study. He earned his undergraduate degree in 2021 from Clark University, magna cum laude. He loves children and worked at summer camps throughout high school and college. His interest in how the brain works was sparked by a high school class on the biological basis of behavior. He is passionate about advancing our understanding of Autism spectrum disorders through his work at Children’s Hospital. Outside of work, he enjoys making video games, ceramics, glass-making, filming short movies, and writing stories; he is also an amateur inventor and holds a patent related to ceramics. 

Madalon (Maddy) Hamell

Maddy Hamell is a Clinical Research Assistant on the Emotion Project. She received her BS in Behavioral Neuroscience and minor in Art from Northeastern University in 2025. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in the Learning and Brain Development Lab, studying the developmental trajectories of decision making and learning processes across adolescence. Her honors thesis focused on the association between internalizing symptoms and emotional face processing. Maddy is excited to extend her understanding of neurodevelopment and contribute to work with exciting applications in the field of pediatric mental health.

Ryan Magnacca

Ryan is a clinical research assistant with the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study. He graduated from Boston College in 2025 with a BA in Psychology (clinical concentration) and a minor in Studio Art. In his free time, he enjoys making music, photography, illustrations, and short films. Ryan hopes to enroll in a clinical psychology PhD program in the near future.

Sloane Savitt

Sloane is a new Clinical Research Assistant in the LCN with the Nelson Lab, working on both the SPIN and ELEVATE studies. She graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.S in Psychology and a minor in Data Science. Previously, she has worked with children in naturalistic and research settings, as well as with the UCLA Semel Institute and Center of Human Neuroscience at UW. Sloane is interested in the connection between brain and behavior and plans on pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the LCN, Sloane enjoys reading and going on hikes. She is looking forward to exploring Boston and getting to know everyone in the lab!

Luke Shimizu

Luke Shimizu recently joined the Nelson Lab as a research assistant on the SPIN and ELEVATE studies. After two years interning as a student in the Wilkinson Lab, Luke is excited to continue working with kiddos and their families within the LCN.

Molly Lazarus

Molly Lazarus is a first-year PhD student advised by Dr. Nelson. Her research examines how early caregiving experiences shape brain and socioemotional development, with a focus on parent–infant interaction, touch, and resilience in the context of adversity. At LCN, she is excited to work with longitudinal developmental datasets and multimodal neuroimaging to investigate how early environments become biologically embedded across infancy and early childhood. Her work aims to inform interventions that strengthen caregiving relationships and promote healthy developmental trajectories.

Milan Morrow

Milan Morrow is an undergraduate at Harvard College studying Biomedical Engineering with a secondary in Mind, Brain, and Behavior (expected ‘28). She joined the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience in her first year and works on the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, where she conducts data analysis examining stress physiology, caregiving environments, and biological aging. Milan is broadly interested in the biological embedding of early adversity and the neurogenetic mechanisms through which early experiences shape long-term mental and physical health. She plans to pursue an MD-PhD and hopes to build a career integrating clinical care with translational research in pediatric neurodevelopment.

Emeline (Emmie) Palfrey

Emmie is an undergraduate intern in both the Arnett and Nelson Labs. She is a student at Harvard College studying Neurobiology with a passion for cognitive neuroscience and research interests in both the etiology of ADHD and how early adversity shapes the developing brain. She is currently working on the Bucharest Early Intervention Project in the Nelson Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Ellen Jopling.

April Levin, MD

Assistant, Department of Neurology

Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

POLO, PMS MIT

Carol Wilkinson, MD, PhD

Attending Physician, Division of Developmental Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Fragile X, Baby Steps, Rare Genetic Disorders

Michelle Bosquet Enlow, PhD

Attending Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry; Post-Doctoral

Psychology Training Director, Department of Psychiatry; Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

HBCD, Emotion Project

Patricia Ellen Grant, MD

Director, Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center

Professor of Radiology and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

HBCD