People

Principal Investigator

Dr. Laura Quiñones Camacho is an Assistant Professor in the Human Development, Culture, and Learning Sciences program in Educational Psychology. Her research explores how contextual and family factors influence neurobiological mechanisms for self-regulation and psychopathology throughout the childhood years.

She uses techniques ranging from psychophysiology (e.g., RSA, PEP) to neuroimaging (e.g., EEG, fNIRS), as well as experimental and longitudinal approaches. Her most recent work has focused on identifying dyadic neurobiological mechanisms for the intergenerational transmission of mental health problems.

Staff Team

Dr. Yelim Hong is a post-doctoral fellow in the Educational Psychology Program. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2023. She has a Bachelor of Science with honors in psychology from the University of Iowa in 2017.

Her research broadly focuses on how family context influences child socio-emotional and cognitive development. Specifically, her studies center on how child self-regulation (i.e., effortful control, executive function, respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and household regulation (i.e., household chaos) affect the bidirectional relationship between parenting behaviors and child behavior problems. In a separate line of research, she examines the mother-child behavioral and physiological similarity. Outside of her research work, she loves working out, watching musicals, going to jazz bars, and watching Korean TV shows.

Curriculum Vitae | Contact: yelimhong@utexas.edu

Megan Klinginsmith is a doctoral student in the University of Texas’s School/Clinical Child Psychology program. She has a Bachelor of Science from Creighton University and a Master of Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her graduate research included the study of protective factors for children who experience ACEs or adverse childhood experiences.

She is interested in exploring the complex interplay of caregiver transmission, child self-regulation, and environmental context that contribute to the developmental psychopathology of early childhood disorders (e.g., anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD). Her hobbies include drawing, playing pickleball, and going to parks with her dogs.

Curriculum Vitae

Nicole Jackson is currently a doctoral student in the Educational Psychology Program within HDCLS. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Texas A&M University. In addition to working in the Kids Lab, she is a collaborator in the Gonzalez-Lima Lab, working on a project investigating the impact of photobiomodulation on symptoms associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults and children.

Her research interests lie at the intersection of psychology and neuroscience, specifically the biological underpinnings of behavior, emotional regulation, as well as risk factors and preventive measures related to mental health. She is thrilled to be a part of The Kids Lab, where she can contribute to research in this field.

Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys activities such as snowboarding, running, Zumba, and pickle ball.

Curriculum Vitae

Abby Droeger is a doctoral student in the University of Texas’s School/Clinical Child Psychology program. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and a Master of Arts in Psychology from the New School for Social Research. She has previously worked as a lab coordinator at UCLA, in Dr. Tiffany Ho’s lab, researching inflammation and biomarkers for depression in adolescents.

She is currently interested in how parent-child relationships, caregiving practices, and physiological mechanisms influence the development of psychopathology during early childhood and adolescence.

Her hobbies include reading, hiking, and spending time with her friends!

Curriculum Vitae

Liani Guzman is a Research Coordinator primarily working on our BFB study. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychological and Brain Sciences from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. She has previously worked as a research coordinator in a lab at GW called Pathways to Health, researching how neighborhoods, schools, policy contexts, and families shape the health and development of U.S. Latino/a adolescents.

Her research interests include how cultural values like familialism and collectivism serve as protective factors in social inequalities and adversities faced by Latinos during early childhood and adolescence.

Her hobbies include exercising, going on walks, and reading!

Amanda Derrell is a Research Coordinator, primarily working on our CDSD study. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bard College. She previously worked as the Lab Manager of the Delgado Lab at Rutgers University- Newark, researching exposure to gun violence and its influence on decision-making and risk-taking amongst college students.

Her research interests include how factors such as early-life adversity impact development and investigating what aspects of life (i.e., home environment, academic settings, neighborhood structure, social support) can serve as protective factors to promote resilience and agency in children from marginalized backgrounds.

Her hobbies include reading, singing, and exploring different restaurants.