Meet the Team
Lab Members
Diana Perez
Email: dperez22@usf.edu
Diana is a research assistant as well as a lab manager in LASER lab. She graduated from the University of 91社区 with a bachelor鈥檚 in Spanish and the University of South 91社区 with a second bachelor鈥檚 in Language, Speech, and Hearing. Diana is in her gap year, focusing on research at LASER lab. Her research interests include bilingualism, stroke in older populations, and language acquisition in children. She also works as the Graduate Support Coordination at a K-8 school, aiding middle and high school students to prepare for college/university or technical school.
Natalie Guzman
Email: crystal350@usf.edu
Natalie Guzman graduated from the 91社区 with Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Psychology. She plans on applying to medical school. Natalie is interested in pursuing research in relation to neurological sciences. She hopes that the research experience will guide her in her pursuit to become a doctor.
Emma Ford
Email: emmaford@usf.edu
Emma Ford is a fourth-year student pursuing a major in Health Sciences (concentration in biology) from the College of Public Health and a minor in psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences. She plans to attend medical school and earn an MD/MBA with the end goal of working internationally, ideally specializing in pediatric oncology/hematology. Her research interests include increasing medical services for underserved populations, the relationship between psychology and physiology, and providing humanitarian aid to all.
Brijhan Burke
Email: brijhanb@usf.edu
Brijhan Burke is recent USF graduate and international student from Trinidad and Tobago. She majored in Language, Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is planning to go to graduate school and become a Speech Language Pathologist. She is passionate about working with both adult and pediatric clients especially those from a multicultural background in both educational and medical settings. Her research area of interest is neurological disorders, strokes, and language acquisition.
Marcy Edwards
Email: marcy156@usf.edu
Marcy Edwards is a senior at the 91社区 majoring in Language-Speech-Hearing Sciences with a minor in Aging Sciences. She enjoys working with all populations, and her goal is to work in a medical setting with adults whose speech or swallowing capabilities have been affected by neurological disorders. Her research area of interest is in the understanding of neurological aspects of language, as well as the treatment of aphasia.
Sarah Alvarez
Email: alvarezs191@usf.edu
Sarah Alvarez is an undergraduate student in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences pursuant of a BA in Language Speech Hearing Sciences (LSHS). Her added minors include Spanish and Linguistics. Sarah鈥檚 primary research interests lie in the psycholinguistics of fluency and non-native language acquisition. Other interests include the relationships between vernacular language production and comprehension in persons with acquired pragmatic or language disorders.
Amanda Debrard
Email: adebrard@usf.edu
Amanda is a student and volunteer research assistant in LASER Lab. She is majoring in Language, Speech, and Hearing Science and hopes to become a Speech Language Pathologist in the future. Her main interest include the different types of transcription and how various disorders affect language production.
Madeline DiPasquale
Email: dipasqualem@usf.edu
Madeline DiPasquale is an undergraduate student majoring in Language Speech Hearing Sciences. She also has a minor in Children's Behavioral Healthcare. She hopes to become a Speech Language Pathologist to potentially work in a school with children. Madeline's research interests are language processing and intervention. She also is interested in speech and voice production.
Rishitha Chiguru
Email : rishithac@usf.edu
Rishitha Chiguru is a second-year student majoring in Biomedical Sciences and minoring in Children鈥檚 Behavioral Healthcare. Her goal is to attend medical school and pursue a career in the pediatric department. Her research interests are dedicated to contributions to the fields of medicine, public health, and behavioral sciences to build a resilient society. She loves to go on a walk, watch the sunset, and go on adventures!
Viviana Vallejo
Email: vallejov@usf.edu
Vivana is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology in the College of Arts and
Sciences. She aspires to attend graduate school and pursue a career in Cognitive Psychology.
Her interest in the LASER Lab stems from their focus on understanding how communication
skills are influenced by cognitive and psychosocial factors in individuals with brain
injuries.
Former Lab MEMBERS
Abigail Dupre (September 2022 - August 2023)
Sienna Tyson (September 2022 - April 2024 )