Postdoctoral Fellow
Lila Chrysikou, Ph.D.
Dr. Chrysikou was a postdoctoral fellow in the lab from 2005 to 2006. Her research has focused on the ways people categorize objects in their environment and use various tools creatively in the light of goals they aim to achieve. She is further interested in understanding the neuropathology of neuropsychological disorders that affect object knowledge and use. After her time at Temple, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Drexel University.
Graduate Students
Rachel Mis, M.A., Ph.D
Rachel is currently completing her post-doctoral fellowship at UT Austin Dell Medical School. She completed her APA Internship year at UCLA in the clinical psychology program in 2023. Rachel also received an NIH/NIA/NRSA F31 fellowship and an APF COGDOP award to support her dissertation. Her long-term research interests involve identifying the cognitive processes that underlie everyday functioning, elucidating their role in functional decline in healthy aging and neurodegenerative disease, and developing targeted interventions to improve daily functioning using a precision medicine approach to treatment. She aims to conduct translational research that bridges cognitive neuroscience and clinical diagnosis/treatment of neurodegenerative conditions. Her dissertation project examines the utility of eye tracking during a virtual reality task as a sensitive measure of everyday cognition. Her 2020 quarantine hobbies include staring wistfully at old travel photos, upping her home bartending skills, and snuggling her cat, Minnie.
Katherine Hackett M.A., Ph.D
Katherine graduated from Temple University in August 2023, where she was funded by a Presidential Fellowship from the Graduate School and later by an NIH/NIA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31). She completed her APA clinical internship at NYU Langone Health – Rusk Rehabilitation, where her clinical training spanned health, rehabilitation, and neuropsychology. Her research focuses on developing scalable, sensitive, ecologically-valid and person-centered assessments and interventions for older adults. She leverages technology, interdisciplinary collaborations, and theoretical models to address gaps in extant methods. Her dissertation evaluated the feasibility of smartphone digital phenotyping to passively capture cognition and mood in-vivo among older adults. Katherine is currently completing an NIA-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship at Mount Sinai focused on disparities in aging and dementia. In her spare time, she enjoys mountain biking, tennis, painting, cooking, listening to music and hanging with her dog Jackson!
Giuliana Vallecorsa
Giuliana graduated from the Neuroscience Master’s program at Temple. Her research interest includes how neurodevelopmental disorders can impact cognition throughout lifetime. She is also interested in the development of psychiatric disorders and discovering ways to detect cognitive impairment early in childhood. Outside of academia, Giuliana enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time in nature.
Nicole Lloyd
Nicole obtained her Master’s degree in the Temple neuroscience program. Her research interests include concussion, personality, and everyday functioning. In her free time she enjoys spending time outside, drinking coffee, reading, and cuddling with her dog Bebe!
Emma Rhodes, Ph.D.
Dr. Rhodes is currently completing her postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry where she conducts research on late-life depression. She completed her predoctoral internship in clinical neuropsychology at the VASDHS/UCSD Psychology Internship Program, including a rotation in the UCSD Memory, Aging, and Resilience Clinic. Her research interests are in the nature and sources of executive dysfunction in older adults, including the sociocultural and health factors that influence late-life cognition, and her clinical interests are in adult psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessment. She enjoys Southern food and spending time with her dog Buster.
Ross Divers, M.S.
Email: Ross.Divers@temple.edu
Ross received his undergraduate degree from Temple in 2018 and his M.S. in 2019. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology at Louisiana State University. Broadly, his research interests involve examining how biopsychosocial factors predict cognitive and functional decline in at-risk older adults. He is also interested in how these factors effect the efficacy of cognitive interventions. In his spare time he loves to read and explore Philly’s amazing restaurant scene.
Kate Devlin, Ph.D.
Email: kathryn.devlin@temple.edu
Dr. Devlin’s research focuses on the neuropsychological correlates of cardiovascular and immune factors, such as obesity and HIV infection. After completing her predoctoral internship at the Baltimore VA and her postdoctoral fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University, she currently holds a position as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Drexel University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, dining, running, and playing kickball.
Sarah Seligman Rycroft, Ph.D.
Email: sarah.seligman@temple.edu
Dr. Seligman Rycroft’s research interests include the cognitive mechanisms underlying everyday action difficulties in dementia and MCI. Specifically, she is interested in establishing risk indicators for dementia through the examination of visual behaviors during everyday action performance. After completing her internship and fellowship at the Boston VA, she now provides neuropsychological services at LifeStance Health in Boston. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and taking advantage of Philly’s music and restaurant scenes.
Mary Iampietro, Ph.D.
Email: tub64213@temple.edu
Dr. Iampietro received her Ph.D. from Temple in 2014, completed an internship at the University of Chicago, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD. She currently is a pediatric neuropsychologist within the Minds Matters Concussion Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has studied differential neuropsychological functioning in children with cerebellar brain tumors and the relation of biomarkers and cognition in children with sickle cell disease. Her clinical work is focused on pediatric neuropsychology, working with diverse pediatric populations in the medical setting. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and their wild and crazy children, being outdoors, frequenting many of Philly’s fantastic restaurants, and being a die-hard Phillies and Eagles fan.
Gregory Seidel, Ph.D.
Email: tub64355@temple.edu
Dr. Seidel received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Temple in 2014, completed an internship at the West Haven VA Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Thomas Jefferson University. Prior to entering the clinical program at Temple, he received a B.S. in German from Georgetown University and had brief careers in ESL teaching, language translation, and clinical research. His research interests have focused on the relation between vascular pathology and cognition, and the contribution of changes in these processes to deficits in everyday action performance. His broader interests include neuropsychology, neuroanatomy, and cognitive aging.
Colette Seter Elliott, Ph.D.
Email: colette.seter@temple.edu
Dr. Elliott received her Ph.D. from Temple in 2013, completed an internship at the West Haven VA Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is currently the Director of the Neurobehavioral Program at the Hospital for Special Care. She has studied whether people plan before conducting everyday actions, and if planning impacts performance. Specifically, she has assessed planning in individuals with dementia, schizophrenia, and brain injury, with the aim of informing rehabilitation programs to enhance quality of life. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching television, and traveling.
Brianne Magouirk Bettcher, Ph.D.
Email: bettcher@temple.edu
Dr. Bettcher completed her Ph.D. at Temple in 2010, her internship in clinical neuropsychology at the Palo Alto VA Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center. She is currently an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and leads neuropsychological research at the Rocky Mountain Alzheimer’s Center. At Temple, Dr. Bettcher developed her research on error monitoring processes in individuals diagnosed with a dementia. Her research addresses how deficits in error monitoring affect an individual’s capacity to carry out activities of daily living and function autonomously. She also developed an intervention strategy to train everyday task knowledge and demonstrated its efficacy for improving error detection. In her spare time, she enjoys kickboxing and camping, though rarely at the same time.
Rachel K. Kessler, Ph.D.
Email: rkessler@temple.edu
Dr. Kessler earned her Ph.D. from Temple and completed an internship at the West Los Angeles VA Hospital. She currently has a private practice in Los Angeles, California where she provides evidence-based interventions. As a graduate student in the lab, she examined the everyday action difficulties of individuals with schizophrenia and the cognitive mechanisms that underlie problems with performing such tasks. Her dissertation focused on an environmental intervention designed to improve action performance in this population. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and watching reality TV.
Research Coordinators
Emma Pinsky
Emma is a 2020 Bryn Mawr College graduate, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Neuroscience. Her research interests include cognitive changes associated with Parkinson’s Disease, the role of executive functioning in communication, and the interpersonal effects of neurodegenerative diseases. She enjoys discovering new restaurants, listening to podcasts, and meeting other people’s pets. Emma is now enrolled as a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Yeshiva University.
Undergraduate Students
Dhruvi Mehta
Dhruvi is currently a research coordinator at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Chicago.
Lydia Hasterlo
Katya Yeager
Chris Williams, B.A.
Dylan Ottemiller
Dylan completed her master’s degree in art therapy at Drexel University.
Joel Eppig
After graduating from Temple, Joel worked as a research assistant in the Neurology Department at the Drexel School of Medicine before pursuing his Ph.D. in the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. He is currently a licensed clinical neuropsychologist in San Diego.
Molly Fanning, B.A.
Molly received her bachelor’s degree from Temple. As research assistant in the lab, Molly assisted with projects examining everyday action among people with schizophrenia. After graduating from Temple, she has worked as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania and then obtained her MD at Temple School of Medicine . She is currently an anesthesiology resident at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sara Fitt, B.S.
Sara received her bachelor’s degree from Temple and then obtained her PhD in Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland,
Abbie Lyon, Psy.D.
After graduating from Temple, Abbie worked as a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania examining the effect of aortic valve replacement on cognition before pursuing her Psy.D. at Widener University. Her interests include the cognitive impairments that may occur in old age, some due to normal aging, some to underlying pathology, and implications for treatment and rehabilitation.
Denene Wambach
Denene received her bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from Temple University. In the future she also hopes to obtain a doctorate degree in cognitive neuropsychology. She has examined how individuals with neuropathological disorders recognize and work with familiar objects. She is also interested in how neuropathology affects executive functioning and the ability to solve everyday problems. Her other academic interests include ethics and Constitutional theory, contemporary dynamics of race and social thought, as well as Existential political thought.
Laura MacMullen
Laura is currently a Ph.D. student in educational psychology at Temple University. While in the lab, she worked on a project examining awareness of everyday action errors in dementia. Her interests include developmental neuropsychology; etiology and treatment of developmental disorders; and perseverative behavior in dementia, schizophrenia, and autism.
Aline M. Disimone
Aline graduated from Temple with a B.A. in psychology and an M.S. in biotechnology from Thomas Jefferson University. During her time in the lab, she worked on projects examining the influence of personal experience on object knowledge in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and the effect of Donepezil (Aricept) on everyday action performance in dementia. She also has research interests in neuronal regeneration in neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries.
Tim Campellone
Tim is currently a psychology Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley. At Temple, Tim was a psychology major with a minor in cognitive neuroscience. In the lab, he co-authored a study examining hemispatial inattention in everyday action in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. In his spare time, he is an avid reader and music enthusiast, while playing lacrosse year round.
Julie Rosner, B.S.
She graduated from Dickinson College with a B.S. in psychology and neuroscience, earned a doctorate in podiatric medicine Temple University, and is currently a podiatric resident. In the lab, Julie completed a study on hemispatial inattention in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Nicole Sestito, Ph.D.
Dr. Sestito completed her Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology at Drexel University in 2010. She received her B.A. in psychology from Temple University. Her current research interests include investigating the underlying mechanisms of psychosis in dementia and facial expression of emotion in schizophrenia.
Marykate Burke, B.A.
Marykate graduated from Temple with a B.A. in psychology and neuroscience. Her research interests have included the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment, particularly in everyday action, within various populations. Marykate has worked at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as a research coordinator. She loves music, traveling, and horoscopes for entertainment.
Christy Favinger, O.T.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Temple in 2008, Christy studied occupational therapy at Temple and is now an occupational therapist.
Laura Brennan, Ph.D.
Dr. Brennan received her Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology from Drexel University in 2013, completed an internship at UCSD, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Drexel University. She is currently Assistant Professor and clinical neuropsychologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She obtained her B.A. in psychology from Temple University, where her interests in the lab included the effect of cueing procedures and environmental support in the performance of naturalistic actions in adults diagnosed with dementia. In her spare time, she loves to travel.
Katia Duey, M.P.H.
Katia graduated from Temple with a B.A. in psychology in 2008 and received her M.P.H. in health policy and gerontology from Johns Hopkins University in 2011. She held research positions at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania. There she worked on several projects examining the cognitive sequelae of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders and developed her strong interest in gerontology.
James Minger, B.A.
James graduated from Temple University in 2009. He majored in psychology and minored in philosophy. Broadly, his interests include social psychology, the psychology of advertising, and cognitive neuropsychology. Specifically, his interests have included the behavioral effects of cognitive deficits, as well as how cognition can be applied to problem solving and creativity. James has worked as a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Neurology. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, music, reading, playing hockey, and grooming his mustache.
Christine Nieves, B.S.
As a research assistant in the lab, Christine worked on characterizing everyday functioning in mild cognitive impairment. In the Department of Neurology at Drexel University College of Medicine, she has worked on projects examining cognitive profiles in Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, mild cognitive impairment, multiple sclerosis, and ALS, with an emphasis on dysexecutive functioning.