OUR TEAM
DR. JULIE M. SCHNEIDER
Lab 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.
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.
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LAUREN BETZER
LEND 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.
MIKAYLA BUENAFE
Research Assistant
Mikayla, class of 2026, is pursuing a BS 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MADELYN LITTLE
Research Assistant
Maddie, class of 2027, is majoring in Communication Disorders. She intends to attend graduate school to get a degree in Speech Language Pathology. She aspires to work with children as an SLP in a clinic or in a hospital setting. Her interests include all types of speech disorders and swallowing studies. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, painting, hanging out with friends and family, and spending time with her cat.
MADISON FRENCH
Research Assistant
Madison, class of 2026, is currently pursuing a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her goal is to further her education by earning an MA in either Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Ultimately, she aspires to work in either a school setting or a private practice, focusing primarily on early intervention. Her professional interests lie in articulatory and phonological disorders, as well as cognition. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, spending quality time with friends and family, and playing pickleball.
KARISSA GARRETT
Research Assistant
Karissa, class of 2026, is pursuing a BS in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. She plans to attend graduate school and obtain her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. She is passionate about aphasia research and aiding historically underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, and playing many instruments!
LAB ALUMNI
