Gaab Laboratory

People

Principle Investigator
Nadine Gaab, PhD Dr. Nadine Gaab is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School and a member of the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a faculty adjunct at Brandeis University. Her research within the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience focuses on the brain correlates of reading development in typical and atypical children as well as possible pre-markers of developmental dyslexia in preschoolers and infants. Dr. Gaab uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a non-invasive brain imaging tool, as well as behavioral measurement tools to study the reading brain. She is also currently working on various other research topics including: the identification of the underlying neural mechanism of comorbidity of dyslexia and ADHD; the neural correlates of reading fluency, improvement of pediatric functional imaging techniques; brain plasticity following sound and music based remediation programs for reading and language impaired children; and the influence of musical training on executive functioning, language, and reading development. In her work, Dr. Gaab collaborates with several universities in the US (e.g.; Tufts, MIT) and researchers from all over the world (e.g.; China, Brazil). She assigns major significance to the clinical translation of her research as well as community outreach. Curriculum Vitae Faculty Page

Principle Investigator

Nadine Gaab, PhD

Dr. Nadine Gaab is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School and a member of the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a faculty adjunct at Brandeis University. Her research within the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience focuses on the brain correlates of reading development in typical and atypical children as well as possible pre-markers of developmental dyslexia in preschoolers and infants. Dr. Gaab uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a non-invasive brain imaging tool, as well as behavioral measurement tools to study the reading brain. She is also currently working on various other research topics including: the identification of the underlying neural mechanism of comorbidity of dyslexia and ADHD; the neural correlates of reading fluency, improvement of pediatric functional imaging techniques; brain plasticity following sound and music based remediation programs for reading and language impaired children; and the influence of musical training on executive functioning, language, and reading development. In her work, Dr. Gaab collaborates with several universities in the US (e.g.; Tufts, MIT) and researchers from all over the world (e.g.; China, Brazil). She assigns major significance to the clinical translation of her research as well as community outreach.

Curriculum Vitae

Faculty Page

Postdoctoral Fellow
Einat Shetreet , PhD Einat received her PhD in psychology from Tel Aviv University, Israel. She studies language processing using fMRI, focusing on linguistic properties of sentence comprehension. In the Gaab Lab, she examines the cortical representation of semantic and pragmatic properties of sentences in both adults and children. This research is conducted together with Prof. Gennaro Chierchia from the Linguistic Department at Harvard University. She also studies the cortical distinction between different semantic inferences together with Prof. John Gabrieli from MIT and Prof. Gennaro Chierchia. Nora Raschle, PhD Nora Raschle received her MA in Neuropsychology from the University of Zurich (Switzerland). During her diploma work she was a research trainee at the Music and Neuroimaging Lab of Prof. Schlaug at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Her research included the investigation of the influence of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the auditory system. During her Master's Program at the University of Zurich she gained experience working with clinical and psychiatric populations. Nora joined the Gaab Lab at the beginning of 2008 as a visiting pre-doctoral student from the University of Zurich and submitted her thesis ‘Investigating Neural and Behavioral Pre-Markers of Developmental Dyslexia Prior to Reading Onset’ in 2011. Nora is currently working as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Gaab Laboratory, investigating perceptual, cognitive and brain development in typically developing children, as well as children diagnosed with or at risk for developmental dyslexia.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Einat Shetreet , PhD

Einat received her PhD in psychology from Tel Aviv University, Israel. She studies language processing using fMRI, focusing on linguistic properties of sentence comprehension. In the Gaab Lab, she examines the cortical representation of semantic and pragmatic properties of sentences in both adults and children. This research is conducted together with Prof. Gennaro Chierchia from the Linguistic Department at Harvard University. She also studies the cortical distinction between different semantic inferences together with Prof. John Gabrieli from MIT and Prof. Gennaro Chierchia.

Nora Raschle, PhD

Nora Raschle received her MA in Neuropsychology from the University of Zurich (Switzerland). During her diploma work she was a research trainee at the Music and Neuroimaging Lab of Prof. Schlaug at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Her research included the investigation of the influence of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the auditory system. During her Master's Program at the University of Zurich she gained experience working with clinical and psychiatric populations. Nora joined the Gaab Lab at the beginning of 2008 as a visiting pre-doctoral student from the University of Zurich and submitted her thesis ‘Investigating Neural and Behavioral Pre-Markers of Developmental Dyslexia Prior to Reading Onset’ in 2011. Nora is currently working as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Gaab Laboratory, investigating perceptual, cognitive and brain development in typically developing children, as well as children diagnosed with or at risk for developmental dyslexia.

Research Coordinators
Jennifer Zuk Jennifer Zuk joined the Gaab laboratory in 2008. She received her Master’s degree in Mind, Brain and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her B.S. in music education and B.A. in cognitive science from Case Western Reserve University. In the Gaab lab, Jennifer works on a variety of projects exploring the relationship between musical ability and language development, in addition to our infant MRI study investigating early neural markers of dyslexia. Jennifer has also explored the influence of singing-based therapy for nonverbal children in the Music & Neuroimaging Lab with Dr. Schlaug at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Her research interests include child development and neuropsychology, specifically the influence of music on language development and learning. Ola Ozernov-Palchik Ola received her BS degree in psychology with minor in philosophy and MS in counseling from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. She recently completed a year-and-a-half long internship providing therapy to families, couples, adolescents, and groups. Before joining the Gaab lab, Ola worked for six years at the Institute for Evidence-Based Education at SMU and she has extensive experience in research coordination, data management, and educational assessment. Ola coordinates research activities on two projects READ and BOLD, both exploring the neural and behavioral pre-markers of dyslexia. She is especially excited about translating the research conducted in the lab into tools for helping children, families, and educators foster intellectual growth and development of our children. Research Assistants Michelle Lee Michelle Lee received her B.A. in Integrative Biology from University of California, Berkeley. During her last year at UC Berkeley, she studied the behavioral and neurological development of fluid reasoning ability in typically developing children, as well as the neural correlates of cognitive control mechanism in children with Tourette Syndrome. After joining the Gaab lab in October, 2008, Michelle is currently working on several projects involving rapid auditory and phonological processing in children with and without family history of dyslexia or reading disabilities. Using behavioral assessment and neuroimaging techniques, she will be studying the relationship between auditory processing and reading development in children. Furthermore, Michelle is also interested in learning about neurodevelopment of children with other developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder. Jennifer Minas Jennifer Minas recieved her B.S from the University of Oregon in Communication Disorders and Sciences and Special Education. Since then, she was pursuing research at Northwestern University in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Specificially, she is interested in studying children’s brain development, with a particular focus on children with learning disabilities, and the changes that happen as they learn to read. Jennifer joined the Gaab Lab in 2011, and is currently working on trying to find predictors of dyslexia by investigating brain activity during language processing in pre-reading children, who have family histories of dyslexia. Jennifer is also working on a project that examines how school-aged children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, or children who have both (comorbid), process language differently.

Research Coordinators

Jennifer Zuk

Jennifer Zuk joined the Gaab laboratory in 2008. She received her Master’s degree in Mind, Brain and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her B.S. in music education and B.A. in cognitive science from Case Western Reserve University. In the Gaab lab, Jennifer works on a variety of projects exploring the relationship between musical ability and language development, in addition to our infant MRI study investigating early neural markers of dyslexia. Jennifer has also explored the influence of singing-based therapy for nonverbal children in the Music & Neuroimaging Lab with Dr. Schlaug at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Her research interests include child development and neuropsychology, specifically the influence of music on language development and learning.

Ola Ozernov-Palchik

Ola received her BS degree in psychology with minor in philosophy and MS in counseling from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. She recently completed a year-and-a-half long internship providing therapy to families, couples, adolescents, and groups. Before joining the Gaab lab, Ola worked for six years at the Institute for Evidence-Based Education at SMU and she has extensive experience in research coordination, data management, and educational assessment. Ola coordinates research activities on two projects READ and BOLD, both exploring the neural and behavioral pre-markers of dyslexia. She is especially excited about translating the research conducted in the lab into tools for helping children, families, and educators foster intellectual growth and development of our children.

Research Assistants

Michelle Lee

Michelle Lee received her B.A. in Integrative Biology from University of California, Berkeley. During her last year at UC Berkeley, she studied the behavioral and neurological development of fluid reasoning ability in typically developing children, as well as the neural correlates of cognitive control mechanism in children with Tourette Syndrome. After joining the Gaab lab in October, 2008, Michelle is currently working on several projects involving rapid auditory and phonological processing in children with and without family history of dyslexia or reading disabilities. Using behavioral assessment and neuroimaging techniques, she will be studying the relationship between auditory processing and reading development in children. Furthermore, Michelle is also interested in learning about neurodevelopment of children with other developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder.

Jennifer Minas

Jennifer Minas recieved her B.S from the University of Oregon in Communication Disorders and Sciences and Special Education. Since then, she was pursuing research at Northwestern University in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Specificially, she is interested in studying children’s brain development, with a particular focus on children with learning disabilities, and the changes that happen as they learn to read. Jennifer joined the Gaab Lab in 2011, and is currently working on trying to find predictors of dyslexia by investigating brain activity during language processing in pre-reading children, who have family histories of dyslexia. Jennifer is also working on a project that examines how school-aged children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, or children who have both (comorbid), process language differently.

Lab Interns
Michael Figuccio Mike is currently a graduate student in Psychology at Boston University. He received his B.A. in Psychology with distinction and his B.S in Human Physiology from Boston University. Mike joined the Gaab lab in September 2010. Mike works on a number of projects exploring the neural correlates of reading. Mike's research interests include developmental neuropsychology and cognitive development.

Lab Interns

Michael Figuccio

Mike is currently a graduate student in Psychology at Boston University. He received his B.A. in Psychology with distinction and his B.S in Human Physiology from Boston University. Mike joined the Gaab lab in September 2010. Mike works on a number of projects exploring the neural correlates of reading. Mike's research interests include developmental neuropsychology and cognitive development.

Alumni
Chris Benjamin Christopher received his BA in Arts with honours in Psychology at The University of Melbourne, Australia, and his Phd thesis has focussed on spatial and temporal binding for episodic memory using event-related fMRI methodology. He has recently joined the group to help with a number of projects, including an examination of comorbidity in development dyslexia. Elisa Kramer Elisa Kramer received her B.A. in Psychology from Clark University, focusing on cognitive psychology and neuroscience. She then embarked on a career in special education, working with children with a wide range of disabilities. After earning an M.S. in speech-language pathology she began working as a speech-language pathologist in public schools. Elisa recently completed an Ed.M. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studied Mind, Brain, and Education. Her interests include cognitive neuroscience, educational technology, social and emotional learning, and intervention design. Praneetha Malipeddu Praneetha is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University studying Behavioral Neuroscience. She joined the Gaab Lab in July of 2011 as part of her co-op experience. She hopes to gain more hands on experience with children in fMRI and is interested in learning more about the development of reading and language abilities in children. She hopes to pursue a master's program in clinical psychology. Beau Kenyon Beau Kenyon has earned degrees in music composition from Berklee College of Music [B.Mus., magna cum laude] and Tufts University [M.A.] and is an active composer, pianist, and music educator in the Boston area. In addition to his music background, Beau is a trained Upper Elementary Montessori teacher and currently works at Kingsley Montessori School in Back Bay. Beau first joined the Gaab Lab in March of 2009 as a consulting composer and musician. He has since received an internship and is currently examining the relationship between music and executive function in adults. Meyha Swaroop Meyha is junior at Boston College majoring in Biology with a minor in International Studies. She has worked with children who have developmental disabilities such as autism, as well as in child-life departments with patients in the oncology and diabetes divisions. Her interest in pediatric medicine and research led her to joining the Gaab Lab in the summer of 2011. Here, she is currently helping with a couple of studies: one that aims to find early predictors of dyslexia by investigating brain activity during language processing in children, and another one exploring the comorbidity of ADHD and developmental dyslexia in school-age children. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school with the hopes of becoming a pediatrician. Ashley Taplin Ashley is a undergraduate student at Northeastern University working towards a BS in psychology. She joined the Gaab lab in January 2011 as a part of Northeastern's co-op program. Her research interests include topics in child development and emotion/affect disorders. She is currently researching childhood language processing for the implications in may have toward language development in children with SLI and autism. Ashley hopes to attend graduate school in the Fall of 2012 in pursuit of a PhD in clinical psychology. Krystal Tung Krystal is a junior at Harvard College concentrating in Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. She has previously worked with infants and toddlers in the Harvard Lab for Developmental Studies, and her interest in developmental neuroscience led her to join the Gaab Lab in the summer of 2011. She is currently helping with a study that aims to find early indicators of dyslexia in children, as well as one that examines the correlation between music training and executive function in the brain. Patrice Stering Patrice L. Stering received her M.Ed. from Lesley University in elementary education and her B.S. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in biology and psychology. Her research interests include the cognitive development of executive function and mathematical reasoning abilities. Patrice has extensive research experience in child development, pediatric neurology, and education. Joining the lab in November 2008, Patrice is investigating the influence of MRI scanner background noise on auditory selective attention in children. She is also involved in projects examining predictors of developmental dyslexia and the influence of musical training on reading development. Patrice hopes to begin graduate studies in developmental cognitive neuroscience in the fall of 2010. Maria Chang Maria Chang received her BA in Cognitive Science from the University of California Berkeley. She is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate auditory processing and reading in children. She is also working on projects aimed at understanding the relationship between musical training and reading abilities using behavioral assessments. Monica Lee Vakil Monica Vakil received her M.A. in The Psychology of Music from The University of Sheffield, UK with a focus on dual fMRI, examining vocal performance at the level of duet performa nce synchrony in singers. She received her B.A in Psychology, Music Psychology (performance anxiety & emotions) and Voice from New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Monica's research training includes: cognitive restructuring, behavioral rehearsal and relaxation techniques to alleviate performance anxiety, auditory and movement interaction in infants and adults and biofeedback methods for teaching music articulation to children. Monica's research interests include psychology of performance, such as performance anxiety and emotion regulation in singers as explored by neuroimaging and cognitive/behavioral techniques. Monica joined the Gaab Lab in September of 2007. Roman Boechler Roman Buechler has joined the gaab lab for a three-month internship in summer 2008. He is on the Master's Program in Neuropsychology at University of Zurich in Switzerland. There he has gained research experience in the field of cognitive neuroscience. At the department of Neuropsychology he is doing diagnostic investigations and traffic psychology assessments. Furthermore he is working as a secondary school class teacher in Switzerland.

Alumni

Chris Benjamin
Christopher received his BA in Arts with honours in Psychology at The University of Melbourne, Australia, and his Phd thesis has focussed on spatial and temporal binding for episodic memory using event-related fMRI methodology. He has recently joined the group to help with a number of projects, including an examination of comorbidity in development dyslexia.

Elisa Kramer

Elisa Kramer received her B.A. in Psychology from Clark University, focusing on cognitive psychology and neuroscience. She then embarked on a career in special education, working with children with a wide range of disabilities. After earning an M.S. in speech-language pathology she began working as a speech-language pathologist in public schools. Elisa recently completed an Ed.M. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studied Mind, Brain, and Education. Her interests include cognitive neuroscience, educational technology, social and emotional learning, and intervention design.

Praneetha Malipeddu

Praneetha is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University studying Behavioral Neuroscience. She joined the Gaab Lab in July of 2011 as part of her co-op experience. She hopes to gain more hands on experience with children in fMRI and is interested in learning more about the development of reading and language abilities in children. She hopes to pursue a master's program in clinical psychology.

Beau Kenyon
Beau Kenyon has earned degrees in music composition from Berklee College of Music [B.Mus., magna cum laude] and Tufts University [M.A.] and is an active composer, pianist, and music educator in the Boston area. In addition to his music background, Beau is a trained Upper Elementary Montessori teacher and currently works at Kingsley Montessori School in Back Bay. Beau first joined the Gaab Lab in March of 2009 as a consulting composer and musician. He has since received an internship and is currently examining the relationship between music and executive function in adults.

Meyha Swaroop

Meyha is junior at Boston College majoring in Biology with a minor in International Studies. She has worked with children who have developmental disabilities such as autism, as well as in child-life departments with patients in the oncology and diabetes divisions. Her interest in pediatric medicine and research led her to joining the Gaab Lab in the summer of 2011. Here, she is currently helping with a couple of studies: one that aims to find early predictors of dyslexia by investigating brain activity during language processing in children, and another one exploring the comorbidity of ADHD and developmental dyslexia in school-age children. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school with the hopes of becoming a pediatrician.

Ashley Taplin

Ashley is a undergraduate student at Northeastern University working towards a BS in psychology. She joined the Gaab lab in January 2011 as a part of Northeastern's co-op program. Her research interests include topics in child development and emotion/affect disorders. She is currently researching childhood language processing for the implications in may have toward language development in children with SLI and autism. Ashley hopes to attend graduate school in the Fall of 2012 in pursuit of a PhD in clinical psychology.

Krystal Tung

Krystal is a junior at Harvard College concentrating in Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. She has previously worked with infants and toddlers in the Harvard Lab for Developmental Studies, and her interest in developmental neuroscience led her to join the Gaab Lab in the summer of 2011. She is currently helping with a study that aims to find early indicators of dyslexia in children, as well as one that examines the correlation between music training and executive function in the brain.

Patrice Stering
Patrice L. Stering received her M.Ed. from Lesley University in elementary education and her B.S. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in biology and psychology. Her research interests include the cognitive development of executive function and mathematical reasoning abilities. Patrice has extensive research experience in child development, pediatric neurology, and education. Joining the lab in November 2008, Patrice is investigating the influence of MRI scanner background noise on auditory selective attention in children. She is also involved in projects examining predictors of developmental dyslexia and the influence of musical training on reading development. Patrice hopes to begin graduate studies in developmental cognitive neuroscience in the fall of 2010.

Maria Chang

Maria Chang received her BA in Cognitive Science from the University of California Berkeley. She is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate auditory processing and reading in children. She is also working on projects aimed at understanding the relationship between musical training and reading abilities using behavioral assessments.

Monica Lee Vakil

Monica Vakil received her M.A. in The Psychology of Music from The University of Sheffield, UK with a focus on dual fMRI, examining vocal performance at the level of duet performa nce synchrony in singers. She received her B.A in Psychology, Music Psychology (performance anxiety & emotions) and Voice from New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Monica's research training includes: cognitive restructuring, behavioral rehearsal and relaxation techniques to alleviate performance anxiety, auditory and movement interaction in infants and adults and biofeedback methods for teaching music articulation to children. Monica's research interests include psychology of performance, such as performance anxiety and emotion regulation in singers as explored by neuroimaging and cognitive/behavioral techniques. Monica joined the Gaab Lab in September of 2007.

Roman Boechler

Roman Buechler has joined the gaab lab for a three-month internship in summer 2008. He is on the Master's Program in Neuropsychology at University of Zurich in Switzerland. There he has gained research experience in the field of cognitive neuroscience. At the department of Neuropsychology he is doing diagnostic investigations and traffic psychology assessments. Furthermore he is working as a secondary school class teacher in Switzerland.

Students
If you're potentially interested in joining the Gaablab as a graduate student, research assistant or intern, please contact Nadine Gaab