Current Lab Members

Principal Investigator:

Greg Wallace is an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at The George Washington University. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London in the UK, and he completed his postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health, NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.

Research Assistant Professor:

Goldie McQuaid is an Assistant Research Professor at George Mason University. She received her Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University. Her background includes post-doctoral training in linguistics at Georgetown University, and training in neuroimaging at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Lab Manager:

Jackie Le

Jackie (she/her) is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at George Washington University. She graduated from George Mason University with a dual degree in Clinical & Developmental Psychology and French. Her research interest pertains to generalization of therapy for underserved populations, including multicultural families of individuals with developmental disabilities. She hopes to become a practicing SLP and researcher with autistic individuals. Outside of school, Jackie enjoys baking, hiking with her dogs, and going to the beach.

Lab Members:

Jake Schwartz

Jake graduated from GWU with a major in public health. Over the past five years, Jake has worked as a mentor and tutor for children and teens with ASD. In his free time, Jake enjoys playing the piano, spending time with friends and traveling to new places.

Mohammed Almarkhan

Mohammed graduated from GWU in 2023 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minors in Biology and Psychological & Brain Sciences. He is a recipient of the Luther Rice Fellowship for a research that investigates dementia risk in individuals with ASD and intellectual disability. He is interested in exploring new ways in which we can optimize the quality of life of people with ASD. He is hoping to pursue medical school in the future and get into neurology research. In his free time, he practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, enjoys reading books, and spends time with family and friends.

Rachel Spransy

Rachel Spransy is a junior majoring in cognitive neuroscience at GW. She also works as a teaching assistant for undergraduate biology labs. Her research interests include psychopharmacology, comorbidities in ASD, and neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, Rachel enjoys playing vinyl records, exploring DC flea and farmers markets, and working for the GW Greenhouse.

Nicolette Cure

Nicolette Cure is a graduate student at GW studying Speech-Language Pathology. She graduated from Emory University in 2022 with a double major in Linguistics and Environmental Sciences. Her research interests include eating-related and compensatory behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. In her free time, Nicolette enjoys watching cooking shows, reading Greek mythology, and listening to musicals.

Alivia Bradish

Alivia is a junior at GW majoring in cognitive neuroscience and minoring in biological anthropology. Her interests include evolutionary genetics and developmental/evolutionary neuroscience. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school and specialize in the intersection of neuroscience and education. She hopes to research neurodevelopmental disorders in children, and apply it to improve special education within primary schools. In her free time, Alivia enjoys reading, writing, and watching bad reality TV.

Annissa DeSilva

Annissa is a first-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at George Washington University. She graduated from Northeastern University in 2019 with a major in Neuroscience. Her research interests revolve around understanding the unique needs of autistic students and implementing evidence-based interventions in special education, especially in underserved school districts. Outside of school she loves to go thrifting and explore the D.C. food scene.

Alyssa Alvey

Alyssa Alvey is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and micro-minoring in Disability Studies at GW. His research interests include comorbidity between autism spectrum disorders and other disorders, neurological disorders in aging populations, and the relationship between autism and premature death. Currently, Alyssa serves disabled veteran populations as a personal care aide, and is working towards their C.N.A as to provide support to patients with greater need. Eventually, Alyssa desires to work either as a psychologist or a neurologist emphasizing patient-first care. In his free time, Alyssa enjoys reading, creatively writing, drawing, and reviewing boba places within the greater-metropolitan area.

Alyssa Ranieri

Luiza Bianco

Max Gershefski

Abby Gottesman

Elena Nicholson

Lauren Meier

Jessica Liu

Sophia Cluen

Elisabetta Tapino

Kaitlyn Ahle