Brain, Mind and Consciousness Lab fan site Case Western Reserve University

Lab Alumni

Former members of the Brain, Mind and Consciousness Laboratory who have gone on to great things.

Scott Tillem

Scott Tillem

Research Assistant — August 2010 – May 2013

Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) based meta-analysis of imaging data relating social, emotional, mnemonic, and action related processes.

I graduated Case Western Reserve University in January 2013 with majors in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Sociology. I intend to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a particular focus on clinical phenomena related to anti-social behaviors and conduct problems.

Currently working at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development as a research associate for Dr. Caroline Zink.


Abigail Dawson

Abigail Dawson

Research Assistant — January 2010 – August 2012

Individual differences in social cognition and non-social reasoning, Moral Boundaries, Inspirational mentoring.

I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in January 2012 with majors in Cognitive Science and Psychology. I am interested in pursuing a career in cognitive neuroscience, with particular interest in moral reasoning.

Currently at University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ for a Masters of Science in Psychology Research.


Meral Sayir

Meral Sayir

Research Assistant — May 2010 – May 2012

Meta-analysis and functional annotation.

I graduated from Case Western Reserve University with degrees in Cognitive Science and Psychology.

Currently a Research Assistant in the Department of Neurosurgery at UCLA.


Benjamin Kubit

Benjamin Kubit

Research Assistant — June 2009 – August 2011

Individual differences in social cognition and non-social reasoning, Meta-analysis and functional annotation.

I majored in Cognitive Science and Psychology and minored in Philosophy and Music at Case Western Reserve University. I am particularly interested in attention, social cognition and neuroaesthetics.

Currently at University of California Davis for a PhD in Psychology.


Megan Norr

Megan Norr

Lab Manager — June 2009 – June 2011

Individual differences in social cognition and non-social reasoning, Moral Boundaries.

I graduated from Case Western Reserve University with BAs in cognitive science, English, and French. I worked in the BMC Lab for a year as lab manager, and then went on to pursue a lab manager position at the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL) at Georgetown University, under the supervision of Dr. Chandan Vaidya.

Currently at University of California, Berkeley for a PhD in Clinical psychology.


Rochelle Hudson

Rochelle Hudson

Research Assistant — May 2009 – May 2011

Attachment and the brain.

I am an undergraduate at Case, majoring in Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Math. I worked on two fMRI projects in the BMC Lab comparing the processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces in patients with dementia.

Currently working in management development at McMaster-Carr.


Georges Naassan, MD

Georges Naassan, MD

Research Volunteer — 2009 – 2011

Attachment and the brain.

I have an MD from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. I finished my Neurology residency at Case Western Reserve University Medical School, University Hospitals, during which I worked at BMC lab. My main interest was the visual processing of faces in undergraduate students and patients with neurodegenerative disorders.

Currently an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of California San Francisco.


Charles Fulco

Charles Fulco

Research Assistant — September 2010 – May 2011

Attachment and the brain.

I studied systems biology at Case Western concentrating in Neuroscience. In the BMC lab I worked with George and Rochelle studying face recognition in dementia patients and undergraduates.

Currently at Harvard University for a PhD in Systems Biology.


Ashleigh DeVito

Ashleigh DeVito

Research Assistant — November 2010 – August 2011

Meta-analysis and functional annotation.

I am an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University with a major in Cognitive Science and minors in Biomedical Engineering and Physics. I am interested in discovering more about the human mind.


Cody Howell

Cody Howell

Research Assistant — November 2010 – December 2010

Meta-analysis and functional annotation.

I recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University with degrees in Psychology and Sociology and minors in Philosophy and Biology. I am interested in learning, memory, intelligence, and emotion.


Kaitlin Seibert

Kaitlin Seibert

Research Assistant — March 2010 – September 2010

Individual Differences project, focusing on social processing and non-social reasoning in individuals with autism.

I am a Cognitive Science, Music Performance, and Premed major in my third year at CWRU.

Currently a Strategic Development Associate at BioEnterprise.


Kevin Barry

Kevin Barry

Student Researcher — January 2009 – August 2010

I graduated from CWRU with a BA in Cognitive Science and Mathematics in January 2011. I am interested in studying the influences of local environment, heuristics, and time pressure on human decision making.

Currently at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for my PhD in Cognitive Science.


Regina Cesaro

Regina Cesaro

Lab Manager — June 2008 – June 2010

I worked at the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research & Development Center as Lab Manager for Dr. Mark E. Wheeler. At the BMC lab, I continued my fMRI training through the exploration of decision making and memory in the aging brain.

Currently at University of Pittsburgh for my PhD in Psychology.


Katelyn Begany

Katelyn Begany

Research Assistant — May 2008 – May 2010

I am interested in investigating the plasticity of brain networks, both dynamic reorganization during cognitive processing and chronic reorganization after brain injury and stroke.

Currently at University of California, Berkeley for my PhD in Neuroscience.


Andrea Hayes

Andrea Hayes

Summer Researcher — May 2009 – August 2009

I graduated with a BA in psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I was involved in a project that studies how specific activities influence moral decision making, emotional intelligence and empathy.

Currently a Project Manager of Veterans Wellness project, in the Lab for Affective Neuroscience at University of Wisconsin – Madison.


Brooke Schepp

Brooke Schepp

Research Assistant — August 2007 – March 2008

I am a recent graduate from Case Western Reserve University. I am staying in the Cleveland area to continue research, working in two labs and TAing.

Currently an active cast member at Queerios Theatre in Austin, Texas.


Michael Barrie

Michael Barrie

Lab Manager, Research Assistant — January 2008 – July 2008

I graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in philosophy from CWRU, then obtained his medical degree from The Ohio State College of Medicine.

Currently in Residency in Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center.


Viyan Udawatta

Viyan Udawatta

Student Researcher — May 2008 – August 2008

Maps in the brain project, using Matlab to assess topographic organization through novel analysis of fMRI data.

I am an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame majoring in mathematics.