OUR TEAM
DR. JULIE M. SCHNEIDER
Director
Dr. Schneider is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at LSU. Her PhD is in Psychological Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas and she completed a Post-Doc under the supervision of Drs. Zhenghan Qi and Roberta Golinkoff at The University of Delaware. Her research has been funded by NIH, NSF, and the Society for Research in Child Development.
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Dr. Schneider established the LEND lab based on her passion for LEND-ing a hand in the community, and has worked with local non-profit programs serving children and families. Her other passions include hiking, traveling, doing Crossfit, and drinking craft beer.
LAB MEMBERS
TENGWEN FAN
PhD Student
Tengwen, class 2026, is a Communication Disorders PhD student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Tengwen has conducted research on language development in young Chinese children using EEG during her Masters. Her research has been focused on the phonological development. Tengwen is now conducting research on phonological processing and statistical learning by analyzing neuroimaging data under the instruction of Dr. Schneider.
STEPHANIE LOPEZ
PhD Student
Stephanie, class of 2025, is a Cognitive and Brain Sciences PhD student in the Department of Psychology. Her research focus is in the area of Psycholinguistics, under the instruction of Dr. Janet McDonald. Stephanie is specifically interested in adult second language acquisition and how native language affects perception and cognition. Outside of school, she enjoys Pilates, playing saxophone, and spending time with her friends, family, and pets.
MARIA MALDONADO
LIDS Project Coordinator
Maria, class of 2024, is pursuing an MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She works in Dr. Julie Schneider's lab as the LIDS project coordinator and is completing her graduate thesis. She wants to work as an SLP in a medical setting. She is interested in aphasia, cognition, voice, and swallowing. In her free time, Maria loves to take workout classes, hike, and spend time outdoors with friends.
WILL DECKER
EEG Project Coordinator
Will, class of 2024 is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a BS in Psychology and a minor in German. Will's current interests: language, how the human language network parallels that of a machine, how humans use language to learn and understand the world around them and how mechanisms of language change over the course of development. Will is also severely interested in neuroimaging and using sophisticated neuroimaging techniques and computational tools to understand language in the brain. In his free time, Will enjoys eating food, learning to code, and watching The Simpsons. If you are interested in learning more about Will, please check out his website: jwilldecker.com
LAUREN BETZER
Lab Coordinator
Lauren, Class of 2025, is pursuing an MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She plans to work in a clinical setting after graduation. Lauren’s interests include feeding and swallowing, developmental disabilities, and aphasia.
MARCUS FOREST
Research Assistant
Marcus, class of 2024, is pursuing a BS in Psychology and a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders. He plans to attend medical school to begin a career in otolaryngology. Marcus’ interests include learning about motor speech disabilities and cooking.
RILEY WHITE
Research Assistant
Riley, class of 2026, is pursuing a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She plans to attend graduate school to earn a MA in Speech Language Pathology and work in an early intervention setting or as a private practitioner. Riley's interests include reading, painting, and listening to music.
LAILA GRUBBS
Research Assistant
Laila, class of 2026, is pursuing a BS in Biological Sciences with a Pre-Med focus in pediatrics. She plans to minor in Spanish along with Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is interested in helping deaf children and increasing the awareness of American Sign Language. Laila's interests include doing nails, reading, and skating.
AMANDA SMITH
Research Assistant
Amanda, class of 2024, is pursuing a BA in Communication Disorders. She plans to earn her MA in Speech Language Pathology and hopes to work in early intervention. Amanda's interests include cooking, spending time outdoors, reading, and spending time with loved ones.
KAMYRA LAMOTTE
Research Assistant
Kamyra, class of 2024, is pursuing a BA in COMD and hopes to be an SLP sometime in the future. She enjoys working with pediatrics and geriatrics and is very interested in autism, aphasia, and dementia. She wants to learn a second language, and is currently learning Spanish and enjoys speaking with her Spanish speaking friends. Kamyra loves listening to music, spending time with friends and family, and reading.
MIA DESOMMES
Research Assistant
Mia is an LSU 2023 graduate with a BA in Communication Disorders and French with a minor in Linguistics. She is applying to LSU Health New Orleans for the Fall of 2024 with plans to pursue a Doctorate in Audiology. She loves to learn about all things language, and in her free time enjoys reading, cooking, and climbing!
MIKAYLA BUENAFE
Research Assistant
Mikayla, class of 2026, is pursuing a BA in Psychology. She plans to attend medical school and earn her doctor of medicine to begin her career in pediatric neurology. Mikayla’s interests include learning different causes and influences of disorders within the nervous system of young children.
TAYLOR HOWARD
Research Assistant
Taylor, class of 2026, is majoring in Kinesiology Human Movement Science with a minor in Biology on the Pre-Medical track. She intends to attend medical school and obtain both her MD and MPH degrees and eventually hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon! Taylor is is passionate about healthcare equity and social justice, and her hobbies include playing sports and reading.
MACIE SMITH
Research Assistant
Macie, class of 2025, is pursuing a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She plans to attend graduate school and earn a degree in either speech pathology or audiology. She hopes to work in a clinic or as a private practitioner. Her interests include linguistics, aphasia, and hearing loss and cognition. Outside of school, Macie enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time at local coffee shops.
LILI MOON
Research Assistant
Liliane, class of 2025, is pursuing a BA in Communication Disorders with a minor in Psychology. She plans to attend graduate school to pursue a MA in Speech Language Pathology. She enjoys working with pediatrics and geriatrics and is highly interested in feeding and swallowing disorders, aphasia and cognition. In her free time Liliane enjoys spending time with family and friends, painting, and listening to music.
MADELINE CRAWFORD
Research Assistant
Madeline, class of 2024, is pursuing a BS in Psychology with minors in health sciences & English. She plans to attend graduate school to earn her PhD with hopes to practice clinical research in pediatric neuropsychology. She is passionate about cognition & brain development in children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, music, painting, & photography.
JA’MESYA BROWHOW
Research Assistant
Ja’Mesya, class of 2024, is pursuing a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Communication Studies. She intends to go to graduate school and earn a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Ja’Mesya is eager to advance her knowledge in communication disorders and she would like to work primarily with pediatrics. Ja’Mesya’s hobbies include baking and reading books with her daughter.
LAB ALUMNI
