Two New Research Assistants Join the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Lab
Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute is a vibrant and welcoming environment for trainees and early-career researchers interested in neuroscience and neurorehabilitation. The Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory, directed by Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD, has recruited two new research assistants, Mackenzie Kapples and Devon Lawson, to work on exciting ongoing studies in the lab.
Mackenzie Kapples earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience, with a concentration on Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, from Colorado State University in May of 2024. During her senior year, Mackenzie conducted research on the neurobiology of hallucinations in schizophrenia for her comprehensive Senior Neuroscience Thesis. She also worked as a Research Assistant at Colorado State University in an electroencephalography (EEG) laboratory where she contributed to research that aimed to better understand post-movement beta rebound patterns in individuals with autism. In her new role at our Institute, Mackenzie will be working with Dr. Rabinowitz on the GetUp&Go study which is examining a novel program developed in the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory that is designed to boost physical activity among individuals living with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Devon Lawson graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biology. During her senior year, Devon worked in two laboratories in Penn State’s Department of Psychology that focused on child development. In one lab, she contributed to an intervention study that aimed to support young children from low socioeconomic backgrounds in their transition to kindergarten by promoting social-emotional learning activities. In a second lab, Devon investigated the effects of child maltreatment and resilience processes. Devon also gained research experience through a summer internship at Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center where she studied the white matter connectivity between brain networks in frontotemporal dementia. In a separate internship in an adolescent behavioral health lab at Penn State Health, Devon assisted with treatment interventions for adolescents with eating disorders. In her new position, Devlon will engage in research activities for multiple TBI Model Systems projects and manage recruitment for all TBI patients at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation entering the Research Registry. In addition, she will contribute to a new study called MyBrain 2.0, which evaluates a mobile health app that promotes self-management of symptoms that individuals with mild TBI experience.
We are excited to welcome these two new research assistants to the Institute!