Neuroscience of Risk and Development (NeRD) | Meet Our Team

Principal Investigator

Maria Jalbrzikowski, PhD

Maria started the NeRD laboratory in May 2017. She obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Los Angeles, CA and completed postdoctoral training in neurobehavioral genetics and developmental cognitive neuroscience. Broadly, her research focuses on ways to improve early detection and intervention in youth at high risk for severe psychiatric disorders. She loves to think about new ways to push the boundaries of science and adores data, data, and data. In her free time, Maria likes wandering through the woods, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Postdoctoral researchers

Rebecca Cooper, PhD

Rebecca (Bec) joined the NeRD lab as a postdoctoral fellow in October 2023, after obtaining her PhD at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her doctoral thesis examined relationships between adolescent sleep behavior, structural brain development, and emerging psychopathology symptoms. Bec is currently analyzing data collected through the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network (PPSN) and Making Neuroimaging Accessible to All projects, and she is also a member of the ENIGMA Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Working Group. In her free time, Bec does puzzles.

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Sanna Lokhandwala, PhD

Sanna joined the lab as a T32 postdoctoral fellow in December 2023. She obtained her PhD in psychological and brain sciences (developmental science) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2023. Her research interests include sleep and cognitive development across the lifespan and how the mechanisms of sleep and the brain relate to psychopathology risk early in development. In her free time, Sanna enjoys exploring the vibrant Boston food scene, spending time with friends and family, and trying out new recipes.

Sunah Choi, PhD

Sunah joined the lab as a postdoctoral fellow in March 2025. She obtained her PhD in brain and cognitive sciences from Seoul National University in 2024. Her dissertation examined reactive astrocytes and network functional connectivity underlying cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. She is currently working on multiple projects, including predicting psychosis risk in youth using a novel structural neuroimaging score, the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network, and the ENIGMA Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis Working Group. Her primary roles include data analysis and contributing to scientific presentations and manuscripts. In her free time, Sunah enjoys swimming, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Managers

Monica Granucci, BS

Monica Granucci joined the lab as a clinical research manager in January 2026. She graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Science in biopsychology. She is a certified clinical research professional with the Society of Clinical Research Associates. Monica currently supervises the lab’s clinical trials, ensuring they are conducted ethically, empathetically, efficiently, and in strict compliance with all relevant standards. In her free time Monica enjoys cooking and garment sewing.

Rashmi Sahasrabudhe, MPH

Rashmi joined the lab in June 2023 as a research data manager after earning her Master of Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis. She leads sleep EEG data processing for two studies: the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network and Developing Accessible Sleep EEG Growth Charts for Young People (SleepChart). In addition, Rashmi analyzes Electronic Health Record (EHR) data and structural MRI data to identify early markers of psychosis risk. In her free time, Rashmi enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants and cafes, and spending time on creative crafts.

Clinical research coordinators

Mary Corcoran, BA

Mary joined the lab in January 2022 as a Clinical Research Assistant and is now a clinical research coordinator. She is a 2020 graduate of Georgetown University, where she majored in psychology. Mary mainly works with both the data management and data collection teams on two of our studies, the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network and SleepChart. Mary is working on an individual neuroimaging project investigating developmental changes in brainstem structure and disruptions associated with psychosis spectrum symptoms in youth.

Isabelle Elder, BA

Isabelle joined the lab as a clinical research assistant in July 2024 and is now a clinical research coordinator. She graduated from Smith College in May 2024, where she majored in psychology and culture, health, and science, with a concentration in health equity. She works primarily with the data collection team, focusing on the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network study. Isabelle is also working on an individual project investigating the potential relationships between sleep environment and sleep architecture. In her free time, she coaches middle school girls' lacrosse and enjoys exploring new coffee shops. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Clinical research associates

Soumya Sathe, BA

Soumya joined the lab as a clinical research assistant in July 2024 after graduating in May 2024 with a BA in psychology and neurobiology from Boston University. Soumya leads data collection for one of the lab’s sleep studies, Developing Accessible Sleep EEG Growth Charts (SleepChart), and collects data for the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network. She is also working on an independent project using low-field MRI to study the relationship between body-mass index and brain structure. In her free time, Soumya loves to sing, and competes in the national South Asian a cappella circuit. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Julia Shaw, BA

Julia joined the lab as a clinical research assistant in June 2025 after graduating with a BA with honors in psychology from Stanford University. She leads data collection for our MRI Study, A Novel Neuroimaging Score to Predict Psychosis Risk in Youth, and collects data for one of our sleep studies, the Pediatric Precision Sleep Network. She is also working on an individual research project looking at myelin content and psychotic-like experiences in youth and young adults. In her free time, she likes to go for walks, spend time with friends and family, and volunteer. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Clara Pineda, BA

Clara joined the lab as a clinical research assistant in December 2025 after graduating from Indiana University Indianapolis with a BS with honors in Applied Statistics. She is responsible for the recruitment and data collection for our SleepLife study (Pediatric Precision Sleep Network). She is our recruitment pipeline specialist and works with our Spanish-speaking families. In her free time, she enjoys sports, spending time with friends and family, and watching shows. She hopes to grow a career in clinical research and pursue an advanced degree.

Neuroscience of Risk and Development (NeRD) Meet Our Team