Team Members

Koeun Choi

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

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)

Jaehoon Pyon

Doctoral Student; Graduate Research Assistant
email: pjaehoon@vt.edu
www: https://pieon.github.io/

• Ph.D. Student in Computer Science (Advisor - Dr. Sang Won Lee)

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: seyda24@vt.edu
www: https://meryemseydaozcan.github.io/

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

Hailey Annibell

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

• Senior (Major - Computer Science)

Allison Brant

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

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

Owen Brydges

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

• Junior (Major - Psychology; Human Development)

Raaga Puvvadi

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

• Senior (Major - Computer Science)

Daniela McGhie

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2026 - Present
email: danielam35@vt.edu

• Senior (Major - Biological Sciences on PreMed Track)

Isabella Bozan

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2026 - Present
email: isabellabozan@vt.edu

• Junior (Major - Human Development, Minor - Language Science and Adaptive Brain and Behavior)

Sydney Street

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2026 - Present
email: sydneys06@vt.edu

Sai Abhishikth Nallani

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Spring 2026 - Present
email: asnallani@vt.edu

Trace Huang

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2026 - Present
email: tracehuang@vt.edu

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

Logan Henry

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2026 - Present
email: loganh05@vt.edu

• Senior

Joelle Lee

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2026 - Present
email: joellejiyun07@vt.edu

Mounika Neelisetty

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Fall 2026 - Present
email: mounikan@vt.edu

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

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)