Naomi L. Gaggi (she/her), Chair

Postdoctoral Fellow, New York University Langone Health & The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, USA

Naomi is a postdoctoral researcher working at NYU GSOM and NKI. Her work aims to explore the cerebral hypometabolism profile in sleep disorders and diseases with sleep comorbidities using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging and neuromodulation.

Naomi has a mini Pomeranian named Fred, who loves to listen to Naomi’s practice presentations.

Twitter: @naomigaggi

Linkedin

Personal website

Caroline Ahn (She/Her), Secretary

PhD Student, Boston University, USA

Caroline is a 4th year PhD student studying abstract reasoning and problem-solving in humans. Specifically, she is interested in how humans generalize and flexibly learn rules from limited information, and how this separates us from AI.

In her free time she likes to walk everywhere around Boston, squirrel-watch at parks, host movie nights on my porch, and ponder about free will.

Twitter: @carolineahn3

Veronica Diveica (she/her), Treasurer

Postdoctoral Researcher, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Canada

Veronica is a postdoctoral researcher working with Prof Nathan Spreng in the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition. Her ongoing research projects aim to provide insights into the cognitive and brain mechanisms that support our ability to use prior knowledge to navigate our daily lives.

In her free time, Veronica enjoys board gaming, reading, hiking, and playing with cats!

Twitter: @DiveicaV

Personal website

SHINWON PARK (SHE/THEY), SOCIAL COORDINATOR

Postdoctoral fellow, Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, USA

Shinwon Park is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute, working with Dr. Adriana Di Martino. Her work focuses on investigating the association between low-level sensory and high-order cognitive functions in both typical and atypical neuropsychiatric development, using functional neuroimaging, imaging transcriptomic analyses, and computational modeling. 

Fun fact about me: My very first childhood dream was to become a dolphin. Although I eventually discovered that my feet would never turn into flukes, you’ll still find me happily splashing around and swimming like a dolphin at heart :)

Twitter: @ShinwonPark_

Personal website: https://childmind.org/bio/shinwon-park-phd/

Stuart Oldham (he/him), Social Media & Communications Manager

Research fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia

Stuart is a Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. His research focuses on examining the patterns of axonal connectivity in the human brain using MRI, modelling the developmental mechanisms of brain connectivity, and relating connectivity to cognitive function. To do this research, he uses a Frankenstein combination of network science, neuroimaging, mathematical modelling, genetic, and bioinformatic techniques.

“I am surprisingly good at driving excessively long distances in a day. Personal records include driving 1300km over 14 hours through the Australian Outback, and doing a 8000km in two weeks for a road trip in the UK.”

Twitter: @StuartJOldham

Brendan Williams (he/him), Career Development & Mentoring Manager

Research fellow, University of Reading, UK

Brendan is a research fellow at the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading. His research intersects the fields of neuroscience, psychology and physiology, where I use neuroimaging, actigraphy, ambulatory assessment, and steroid hormone analyses to investigate interactions between puberty, cognition, and mental health during adolescent development. More broadly, He is interested in understanding factors involved in the emergence of intra-individual variability in the brain and in behaviour.

“I have a rescue cat, Tommy, whose favourite hobbies include waking me up early in the morning for his breakfast, and consistently electing to play with a tatty piece of string instead of all the toys I’ve bought him.“

Twitter: @neuroBren

Personal website

Joseph Chen (he/him), Career Development & Mentoring Manager

Postdoc, University of California, San Francisco, USA

Joseph completed his PhD at the University of Auckland and is now a postdoc at Neuroscape (at the University of California, San Francisco) investigating the effects of combined noninvasive brain stimulation (tACS) and digital meditation on neural activity and cognition in healthy older adults and those with mild cognitive impairment.

Joseph began learning the violin at the waddling age of four, thinking it was the guitar. By seven, he realised the two were different instruments, and though slightly disappointed, continued learning the violin.

Twitter: @josephccchen

BlueSky: @josephccchen.bsky.social

Ayushe Sharma (She/Her), Blog Editor

PhD Candidate, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB); Epilepsy Center - Department of Neurology, USA

Ayushe is a PhD Candidate in Dr. Jerzy Szaflarski’s lab at the UAB Epilepsy Center. She uses structural, spectroscopic, and diffusion imaging to study brain temperature and microstructure abnormalities in patients with seizure disorders (epileptic and non-epileptic) and brain injuries.

Outside the lab, Ayushe is dedicated to making science more accessible to the general public. She is a Podcast Producer and Contributing Writer for Knowing Neurons (https://knowingneurons.com/), a creative neuroscience education website that publishes lay-friendly articles about how the brain works.

In her free time, Ayushe enjoys mixology, woodworking, film festivals, vegetable gardening, and traveling to see stand-up comedians.

ASHLEA SEGAL (SHE/HER), CHAIR-ELECT

Ashlea is a postdoctoral researcher working with Dr Nenad Sestan (Neuroscience, Yale University) and Dr Avram Holmes (Psychiatry, Rutgers University). Her work aims to explore the neurobiological variability and consistency across individuals with common psychiatric illnesses.

Interesting fact: Ashlea likes to be surrounded by trees, swimming in the ocean, or with friends enjoying good food, live sport or music.

Twitter/X/Bsky: @AshleaSegal

IOANA GRIGORAS (SHE/HER), TREASURER-ELECT

Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Ioana is a postdoctoral researcher working with Prof. Charlotte Stagg at the University of Oxford. Her research uses non-invasive brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques to study the mechanisms underpinning motor learning in both healthy people and stroke survivors.

Ioana loves gardening and taking care of her house plants – she has a lemon tree called Leonard and can’t wait to pick up the first lemon!

Twitter/x: @IoanaGrigoras4

LinkedIn

HENGDA HE (HE/HIM), SECRETARY-ELECT 

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia University, USA 

Hengda is a postdoctoral researcher working with Dr. Yaakov Stern and Dr. Paul Sajda at Columbia University. His research focuses on multimodal neuroimaging with fMRI, EEG, and pupillometry. Hengda is currently working on investigating the effects of TMS on brain network systems. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University in 2023, under the supervision of Dr. Paul Sajda. 

Hengda loves traveling, photography, real coffee, and playing with dogs and cats. 

Twitter: @HengdaHe 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hengda-he-9143a913b/ 

NATASHA TAYLOR (SHE/HER), SOCIAL COORDINATOR-ELECT

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Australia

Natasha completed her PhD under the supervision A/Prof. James Mac. Shine, at The University of Sydney in November of 2023. Her research focuses on the role of the ascending arousal system in facilitating dynamic brain state transitions in both healthy and diseased brains, and how these brain state transitions are critical for normal brain function and cognition. More specifically, she has worked on characterising role of the cholinergic and noradrenergic systems in facilitating global brain state dynamics by applying concepts from statistical physics, multi-modal neuroimaging analyses, neural mass modelling and task-based fMRI studies to interrogate how the brain functions as an interacting complex system. She has now commenced a postdoctoral fellowship under the supervision of Prof. Robert Sanders at The University of Sydney, investigating the role of the ascending arousal system in mediating consciousness, and its potential dysfunction after anaesthesia induced delirium. 

Interesting fact: Natasha cannot resist a cold ocean swim, coffee or getting lost in a moshpit at a gig. 

Twitter: @NatashaL_Taylor

Hongji Kim (she/her), Social coordinator elect

Biomedical Engineering PhD Student at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea

Hongji is a 6th-year PhD student working with Dr. Choong-Wan Woo at Cocoan Lab. Her research interests focus on developing dynamic brain models of internal cognitive and affective states (e.g., spontaneous thoughts and emotions), as well as using naturalistic stimuli such as narratives along with fMRI scanning.

Fun fact: Hongji’s favourite movie is Disney’s “The Lion King”, which she has watched more than 100 times. She also loves dogs, music and playing squash.

Twitter: @HongjiKim

Meg Sheppard (she/her), social media and communciations manager elect

Neuroscience PhD Student at the University of Manchester, UK

Meg is a first-year PhD student who works with Dr. Nils Muhlert and the MISC lab. She is currently investigating noradrenergic alterations throughout the brain associated with early life stress using an imaging transcriptomic approach.

In her free time, Meg is an avid reader and dog-lover! 🦮

Twitter: @_megsheppard

LinkedIn: Megan Sheppard

Analia Marzoratti (she/her) - Blog editor elect

Applied developmental science PhD student at the University of Virigina

Analia is a third-year PhD student working with Dr. Tanya Evans in the Educational Neuroscience lab. Her research focuses on using techniques such as MRI and EEG to investigate how various factors in a child’s early environment, particularly associated with poverty, can affect their neural functioning and specific support needs during the learning process.

Fun fact: Analia has a hairless cat named Harvey Dent who edits her manuscripts!

Twitter: @marz_analia

LinkedIn: Analia Marzoratti

Katie Moran (she/her), Career Development and Mentoring Manager Elect

Cognitive Neuroscience PhD at the University of Manchester, UK.

Katie is a 2nd year PhD student working with Dr. Nils Muhlert alongside other members of the MISC lab. Using techniques such as MRI, her work examines the relationship between poor cerebrovascular health and white matter connectivity and also aims to identify the early cognitive correlates of this relationship.

Fun fact: Katie loves hikes, books, baking, cooking & crochet (and of course dogs!)

Twitter: @98katielmoran

Patcharaporn Srisaikaew (Nok) | (She/her) | Career Development and Mentoring Manager Elect

3rd-year Postdoctoral Researcher at Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada

Nok is a Postdoctoral Researcher working with Dr.Mojgan Hodaie. Her research focuses on the impact of chronic pain on limbic subcortical structure alterations and its potential resolution after pain relief in patients with Trigeminal neuralgia.

Fun fact: Nok is a mom of 2 chubby cats. Nok enjoys drinking coffee, playing games, and cooking in her free time.

Twitter: @Srisaikaew
LinkedIn: Patcharaporn Srisakaew