Lab Manager
Irene Joy-Becker
Irene is the Lab Manager at the DOME Lab. She is from South Africa. She is a childhood cancer survivor and this lead to her interest in child development. She completed her BA and honorary degrees in clinical psychology at the North West University in South Africa, an Educational Psychology honorary degree at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and completed a research psychology Masters at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. She did her Developmental Masters degree at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She loves working with our caring research team, our amazing families, and our kiddos. Outside of the lab, she loves traveling, crafts, and hiking.
Graduate Students
Sarah Peoples
Sarah is a third-year Ph.D. student in the DOME lab studying Clinical Psychology. After receiving a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from Texas A&M, she completed her Master’s of Research in Developmental Neuroscience & Psychopathology at University College London and Yale University. Her research interests include parental brain development across the prenatal to postpartum period, its impact on child development and early attachment, and mental health within the family system. Outside the lab, I like to travel, play volleyball, and do arts and crafts.
Sejal Mistry
Sejal is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the DOME Lab. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Her research interests include maternal mental health, risk for emotional problems in early childhood, and parent-child relationships. Her favorite aspect of being in the DOME Lab is getting to work with a team of hardworking and curious undergraduate research assistants. Outside of the lab, she likes to spend time gardening and cooking.
Jenny Kling
Jenny is a fourth-year Clinical Ph.D student in the DOME Lab. She graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a B.A in Psychology and a minor in Child Studies. Her research interests include investigating the neural behavioral correlates of risk for psychopathology and the developmental trajectories of emotional development. Her favorite aspect of being in the DOME Lab is getting to work with our amazing families and engaging with the community. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling to new places, reading, and hiking with her dog.
Research Assistants
Corrigan LeValley
Corrigan is a Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant in the DOME Lab. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Her research interests include the impact of parenting styles on children’s self-image. Corrigan’s favorite aspect of being in the DOME Lab is getting to work alongside an inspiring group of researchers, and interacting with the amazing families. Outside of the lab, she likes to spend time reading, hiking, and volunteering in the community.
Reese Burkey
Reese is a part of the class of 2024 and is pursuing a Psychology major with a minor in Neuroscience. After graduation, Reese hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology with hopes to one day work with children and families as a practitioner and researcher. In her free time, Reese enjoys working out, being outside, and traveling to new places with friends and family!!
Kylie McDaniel
Kylie McDaniel is a junior Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience major with a minor in Spanish. She is pursuing her dreams of being accepted into an M.D./Ph.D. program to study the psychiatric applications of cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders, with the goal of leading her own research lab and applying her work to patients in a clinical setting. Kylie enjoys writing short stories, teaching English classes for international students through her church ministry, and choreographing hip hop routines for Fade to Black, a hip hop team run by Texas A&M students.
Abigail Varghese
Abigail is a senior psychology major. After completing her bachelors degree, she intends to continue her education by pursuing a clinical psychology degree specializing in sports psychology and performance. Abigail’s overall goal is to work as a mental health specialist/counselor for athletes. She enjoys working in the DOME Lab because it gives her the opportunity to participate in conducting research and make amazing connections with others in the lab.
Lauren Delaunay
Lauren Delaunay is a senior psychology major. Lauren desires to understand the role of early life experiences in shaping mental health outcomes, as well as explore the efficacy of different treatment approaches for a variety of mental health concerns. She looks forward to furthering her education in the clinical psychology field. Some fun facts about Lauren are she was homeschooled and her favorite sport since coming to Texas A&M is baseball.
Peter Ramirez
Peter is a senior psychology major with a minor in neuroscience. After graduating, Peter plans on pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology with the hopes of becoming a clinical neuropsychologist. His favorite part of working in the DOME Lab is getting to work alongside all of the other amazing research assistants as well as getting to see and work with all of the families that come into our lab. In his free time he enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family.
Chloe Van Noy
Chloe is a Junior psychology major. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school to gain a ph.D. In clinical psychology and specialize in developmental psychology. Her favorite part of working in the DOME Lab is getting to work with the other RAs in our lab as well as learning new things from Dr. Brooker and the families about the psychology field. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, reading, movie marathons, cooking, and photography.
Aliuna Schorn
Aliuna is currently a sophomore. She is majoring in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school for Developmental Psychology in order to pursue a career in research. She would also like to work with children one day, as a therapist. In her free time, Aliuna enjoys planning, reading, spending time with friends and family, and going to the gym.
Emily Mallin
Emily is a junior. She is double majoring in English and Psychology and double minoring in Professional Writing and Science Fiction & Fantasy Studies. After graduation, she hopes to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology and become a therapist for children and adolescents. She also wants to become a fiction author. In her free time, Emily enjoys writing, reading, crocheting and cross-stitching, drawing, working out, and listening to rock and roll.
Miriam Damian-Jacobo
Miriam is a junior. She is currently pursuing a bachelors of science in psychology with a minor in communication and health. After this, she hopes to work for Teach for America and get her masters in social work. Her favorite part would definitely have to be just seeing how excited the families get! Outside of the lab, she likes to write, crochet, make music and get involved in club activities.
Megan Perry
Megan is a part of the Class of 2025, Whoop! She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. She hopes to eventually pursue a Masters in School Psychology or counseling in hopes of working directly with children. After she graduates, she hopes to make a positive impact in children’s lives. Her favorite part about working in the DOME Lab is meeting and interacting with the amazing families all while learning valuable skills that will prove helpful in her future studies. Outside of the lab, she enjoys the outdoors, reading, exercising, and spending time with her loved ones.
Anna Morales-Wade
Anna is a senior at Texas A&M studying to earn a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. Once she graduates in May, she hopes to pursue a Masters in Educational Psychology in order to pursue her dream of creating innovative educational strategies to educate generations to come. In her free time, she can be found practicing her archery, leading a choir group at church, cooking for friends and family, or hunting and camping in the great outdoors.
Samantha Rodriguez
Samantha is a junior pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. She dreams of obtaining a PsyD in clinical psychology and becoming a pediatric psychologist. Her experience in the Dome Lab has been splendid so far, as she is learning many new skills while receiving positive support from her peers. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exercising, reading, and traveling whenever she gets the chance, and her job teaching 4-year olds!
Mariana Zarate
Mariana is a junior majoring in psychology. After graduating, she plans to take a gap year to travel and gain more clinical experience before applying for her PhD in clinical psychology. Her aspirations include becoming a child psychologist and eventually becoming a professor for undergraduates. Her favorite part of the DOME lab is the dedication and effort everyone in the lab shows! In her free time, she loves to attend concerts, read, and go shopping.
Kimberly Aguilar
Kimberly Aguilar is a sophomore currently majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. After graduation, she would like to attend graduate school to get a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her goal is to become a licensed psychologist and therapist; She would also like to pursue research. In her free time, she likes to read, especially psychological thrillers. She also loves puzzles of any kind, listening to music, writing, and spending time with her family.
Abbie Spaller
Abbie Spaller is a part of the 2027 graduating class. She is a psychology major and plans on adding a women and gender studies minor. After graduating, she is pursuing a Masters in Public Health and obtaining a career in Social Work. Her ultimate goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Counselor, focusing on how developmental psychology can better the systems of social work. For fun, she likes to swim, crotchet, read, spend time with family, and hang out with her cats!
Vivica Vasquez
Vivica Vasquez is a junior psychology major with a focus on healthy development. She is interested in pursuing a career in either I/O psychology or child psychology. After graduation, she plans to take a gap year with hopes of further solidifying what field of psychology she would like to specialize in by exploring different fields prior to pursuing a higher education (Master’s/PHD). In her free time, she enjoys dancing, hanging out with friends/family & watching reality T.V. shows.
Leslie Garcia Perez
Leslie Garcia is a sophomore psychology major with a neuroscience minor. She has plans to earn a PhD in clinical psychology with an emphasis in child psychology. Her dream job is working as a pediatric psychologist working with children with ASD. Outside of the lab, her hobbies include, working out, cooking, reading, and making art for my friends. What she loves most about the lab is how helpful and supportive all the RA’s have been my first semester.
Allison Xu
Allison Xu is a part of the class of 2025. She is a psychology major planning on getting her PsyD in Clinical Psychology after graduation. She would like to become a licensed psychologist and therapist. One thing she loves about DOME Lab is how the research allows connections with families from different backgrounds. Outside of academics; she likes to read, write, and draw.
Aranza Perret
Aranza is a junior psychology major with a neuroscience minor. After graduation, she wants to go to a clinical psychology PhD program to do further developmental psychology research and work her way towards becoming a licensed psychologist. Ultimately, she wants to become a neuropsychologist for children. Her hobbies include singing in the women’s chorus, reading, drinking coffee, and playing cozy video games.