Team Members

We are looking for new graduate and undergraduate students to join the team !

Jump to principal investigator, graduate students, lab affiliates, undergraduate students, alumni

Principal Investigator

Koeun Choi

Associate Professor
email: koeun@vt.edu
www: https://koeunchoi.github.io/
CV: http://kchoi.org/files/ChoiCV.pdf

Graduate Students, Postdocs, and Visiting Scholars

Mahmut Sami Gürdal, M.S.

Graduate Student; Graduate Research Assistant
email: msgurdal@vt.edu
www: https://mahmutgurdal.github.io/

  • Ph.D. Student in HDFS (Advisors - Dr. Koeun Choi, Dr. Cynthia Smith)

Jing Chen, M.S.

Doctoral Student; Graduate Research Assistant
email: cjing98@vt.edu
www: <>

  • Ph.D. Student in HDFS (Advisor - Dr. Koeun Choi)

Carla Macias, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
email: cm1172@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
www: <>

  • National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow (Faculty Primary Sponsor - Dr. Kimele Persaud, Faculty Co-Sponsor - Dr. Koeun Choi)

Meryem Şeyda Özcan, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
email: mzayim17@ku.edu.tr
www: https://meryemseydaozcan.github.io/

  • Virginia Tech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow (Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Koeun Choi)

Undergraduate Students

Hailey Annibell

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2024 - Present
email: hrannibell23@vt.edu

  • Junior (Major - Computer Science)

Maya Thomas

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2024 - Present
email: mayat22@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Human Development)

Kathryn Seiple

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2024 - Present
email: kseiple26@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Psychology, Minor - Adaptive Brain and Behavior)

Allison Brant

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2025 - Present
email: abrant@vt.edu

  • Junior (Major - Biochemistry, Minor - Adaptive Brain and Behavior; Science, Technology, and Law)

Izabella Faza

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2025 - Present
email: ifaza@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Psychology; Human Development)

Grace Ambrosio

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2025 - Present
email: graceambrosio1@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Human Development)

Leanne Bell

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2025 - Present
email: leannekbell14@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Exercise and Health Sciences, Minor - Psychology)

Josie Vernon

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2025 - Present
email: josiev22@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Biological Sciences, Minor - Psychology)

Jack Quan

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2025 - Present
email: quanjack00@vt.edu

  • Senior (Major - Clinical Neuroscience)

Owen Brydges

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2025 - Present
email: brydgesowen@vt.edu

  • Sophomore (Major - Psychology; Human Development)

Raaga Puvvadi

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2025 - Present
email: rpuvvadi@vt.edu

  • Junior (Major - Computer Science)

Lab Alumni - Graduate Students, Postdocs, and Visiting Scholars

Jisun Kim, Ph.D.

Ph.D. Student in Human Development, Fall 2020 - Summer 2024
email: jisunk@purdue.edu
www: https://hhs.purdue.edu/directory/jisun-kim/

  • Ph.D. (Advisor - Dr. Koeun Choi)
  • Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, USA

Sulakna Karunaratna, M.S.

M.S. Student in Computer Science, Spring - Fall 2024
email: sulaknak@vt.edu
www: <>

  • M.S. (Advisors - Dr. Sang Won Lee, Dr. Koeun Choi)
  • Software Developer at Lexis Nexis

Shuqi Yu, Ph.D.

Ph.D. Student in Human Development, Fall 2022 - Summer 2025
email: shuqi@vt.edu
www: https://liberalarts.vt.edu/departments-and-schools/department-of-human-development-and-family-science/academic-programs/hdfs-graduate-students/Shuqi-Yu.html

  • Ph.D. (Advisor - Dr. Koeun Choi)
  • Postdoctoral Researcher in Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University, Canada

Meryem Şeyda Özcan, Ph.D.

Visiting Graduate Student Scholar, Spring 2024 - Summer 2025
email: mzayim17@ku.edu.tr
www: <>

  • Visiting Graduate Student Scholar in Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech, USA (Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Koeun Choi)
  • Ph.D. Candidate in Developmental Psychology at Koç University, Türkiye

Lab Alumni - Lab Affiliates

Eunkyung Lucy Shin

Graduate Research Assistant - Fall 2018; Spring, Summer, Fall 2019; Spring 2020
email: shinek@vt.edu
www: https://fbri.vtc.vt.edu/people-directory/postdoctoral-associates/shin.html

  • Ph.D. (Advisor - Dr. Cindy Smith)
  • Postdoctoral Associate at the Fralin Biomedical Research Center at VTC

Jessica Resor

Graduate Research Assistant - Fall 2019; Spring, Summer, 2020
email: jmresor@vt.edu
www: https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/hdgradstudents/meet-our-graduate-students/2018-cohort/

  • Ph.D. (Advisor - Dr. Erika Grafsky)

Maddie Toman

Graduate Research Assistant - Fall 2022; Spring 2023
email: maddie99@vt.edu
www: <>

  • Ph.D. Student (Advisor - Dr. Rose Wesche)

Lab Alumni - Undergraduate Students

Click here for the full list of our undergraduate alumni *

Ashleigh Bedwell, Sara Belay, Rhea Bhatia, Eva Grumbine, Valerie Salmon, Ally Copeland, Caroline Kammer, Molly Simek, Bethany Grocock, Katie Johnson, Eman Ayaz, Anvitha Metpally, Ally Copeland, Taylor Covington, Ava Bir, Michelle Tran, Martha Drapac, Naheda Nassan, Julia Ricci, Breanne De Vera, Ava Morris, Julia Place, Ursilia Beckles, Luke Janoschka, Sraavya Gudavalli, Richard Martinez, Jordan Teel, Yullie Kwak, Laura Zhang Zhang, Sebastian Ballesteros, Angel Appiadu-Manu, Alina Tseng, Maggie Ashley, Zainab Shamim, Yilin Liu, Lauren Meier, Christine Lolavar, Ahmed (Belal) Qazizada