People

Email: grayanna@tamu.edu
Degree level: Undergraduate student
Year you joined NLD: 2026
Department / Program: College of Education – Human Development and Family Sciences
About: Anna Gray is a sophomore at Texas A&M University majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. She plans to pursue a doctorate in Occupational Therapy. She is excited to contribute to the NLD Lab, where she hopes to strengthen her understanding of brain function and gain valuable experience for her future career.

Email: [Insert email]
Degree level: Ph.D. student
Year you joined NLD: [Insert year]
Department / Program: School Psychology
About: Lida is a PhD student in the School Psychology program at Texas A&M University. Her research interests focus on improving the conceptualization and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders through dimensional approaches and ecologically valid assessment practices, with a focus on underserved populations. She has experience in pediatric assessment and intervention as well as EEG and eye-tracking methods.

Email: kaszonk@tamu.edu
Degree level: Undergraduate student
Year you joined NLD: 2026
Department / Program: General Engineering
About: Kaszon Kelemen is an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University studying General Engineering, with plans to pursue Biomedical Engineering. His interests include chemistry, cognitive function, and brain communication. He is involved in the Biomedical Engineering Society and a Freshman Leadership Organization. Outside academics, he enjoys soccer and performing with the Philharmonic Orchestra.

Email: ahmadachkar@tamu.edu
Degree level: Undergraduate student
Year you joined NLD: 2025
Department / Program: Biomedical Sciences
About: Ahmad Achkar is a Biomedical Sciences student with a strong interest in biometrics, particularly EEG and eye-tracking. He is proficient in MATLAB, Python, R, and SQL and enjoys managing datasets, developing data analysis pipelines, and designing experiments. His interests focus on combining human research with technology to streamline processes and advance experimental methods.

Email: jtbrooks@tamu.edu
Degree level: Ph.D. student
Year you joined NLD: 2025
Department / Program: EPSY – School Psychology
About: Jacob is a Ph.D. student in School Psychology at Texas A&M University with a background in clinical psychology and EEG research. His interests focus on integrating biometric assessments into psychological evaluations, particularly to improve diagnostic accuracy for neurodevelopmental disorders. He aims to pursue a career in pediatric neuropsychology serving children with disabilities.

Email: pat.grant@tamu.edu
Degree level: Ph.D. student
Year you joined NLD: 2025
Department / Program: EPSY, Learning Design & Technology
About: Patricia Grant is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University, specializing in Learning Design and Technology. Her research focuses on educational technology, AI in education, online learning, instructional design, and critical thinking. She studies how AI-supported interventions can promote meaningful learning, critical thinking, and knowledge transfer across contexts.

Email: valeriagl791@tamu.edu
Degree level: Master student
Year you joined NLD: 2025
Department / Program: M.Ed. Educational Psychology – Developmental Sciences
About: Valeria Guerra Leal earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from Texas A&M University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Her research interests include Autism Spectrum Disorder, behavioral neuroscience, and play behavior, particularly video games, with a focus on developmental, social, emotional, and cognitive processes.

Email: minchao@tamu.edu
Degree level: Ph.D. student
Year you joined NLD: 2020
Department / Program: Educational Psychology
About: Minchao is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Sciences at Texas A&M University. She joined NLD in 2020 and currently serves as project manager of the Transfer Project. Her research focuses on positive learning transfer, using cognitive-behavioral and physiological measures to understand how learning transfers across contexts and how emotions, motivation, and sleep influence transfer.

Email: rmv@tamu.edu
Degree level: Undergraduate student
Year you joined NLD: 2026
Department / Program: Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH)
About: Rhea Varughese is a sophomore at Texas A&M University majoring in Public Health on the pre-med track. She plans to attend medical school and is excited to gain research experience by learning about knowledge transfer and cognitive processes. She is involved in AED, a pre-health honor society, and is eager to contribute to the NLD Lab.