NEUROCOGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT LAB
Current Lab Members
Our lab members are at the core of what makes Neurocognitive and Behavioral Development Lab run smoothly. We take pride in the diversity of our staff, with each member contributing their unique skills to the projects we are working on.
Desirae Shirley, M.S.
Research Coordinator
Desirae Shirley graduated from the University of Florida in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. She is a double gator, who also received her M.S in Pharmacology and Physiology from the University of Florida in August 2022. As Research Coordinator for the NBDL, she coordinates multiple studies working with autistic adults. After her time working with Dr. Wang, Desirae plans on attending medical school and pursuing a career in developmental pediatrics. In addition to ASD, her research interests include other neurodevelopmental disabilities/disorders such as Epilepsy, Down Syndrome, and various learning disabilities
Hanna Gemmell, B.S.
Research Coordinator
Hanna Gemmell graduated in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychology. As a research coordinator for the NBDL, she coordinates multiple studies working with autistic adults. She gained an interest is ASD research after completing a Capstone project on how law enforcement officers are trained on ASD. After her time working with Dr. Wang, Hanna plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology. Following her completion of a Ph.D., she hopes to work within criminal justice systems and continue to advocate for proper ASD training within the legal system.
Jingying Wang, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Jingying Wang received her Ph.D. in Applied Psychology at the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her research interests broadly focus on improving the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with mental disorders. Jingying’s current research examines the developmental changes in brain structure and function in autistic individuals across the life span.
Joelle Simpson, B.S.
Graduate Student
Joelle Simpson received her BS in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology from the University of Florida. Her research explores sensorimotor impairments in autistic individuals across the lifespan. Joelle's current study analyzes gait patterns using 3D motion capture.
Reem Javed Malik, DPT
Graduate Student
Reem Javed Malik serves as a PhD candidate and teaching assistant in the Department of APK at the University of Florida. She is a gold medalist Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate from Shifa Tameer-e-millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan. She holds a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from NUST, Islamabad, Pakistan, where she focused on EMG and Biomechanics of gait for her thesis. Her research interests include Electromyography, proprioception, and Rehabilitation robotics. After completing her PhD, Reem envisions a future filled with exciting opportunities in both research and academia.
Dani Christensen, B.S.
Volunteer
Dani (Danielle) Christensen graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2022 with a B.S. in Psychology. As a lab member in Dr. Wang's lab, she aids in various research tasks such as data analysis and post-processing, literature reviews, and publications for large scale studies regarding aging processes in autism. Dani's goals are to complete a PhD in Biobehavioral Science and help contribute to furthering the study of ASD.
Kaitlyn Picallo
Undergraduate Student
Kaitlyn Picallo is currently pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Disabilities in Society. After completing her undergraduate studies, she intends to attend a master’s program in Counseling Psychology. She is presently volunteering as an undergraduate research assistant in order to obtain experience working in a lab/research environment and further her understanding of ASD. Her research interests broadly include neurocognitive disorders, health behavior, and the utilization of adaptive equipment/technology.
