MEET OUR TEAM
Dr. Ashley Sanders
Prinicpal Investigator
Dr. Ashley Sanders is the director of the Stress, Environment, and Neurodevelopment Lab and is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. She received her PhD in Applied Biopsychology from the University of New Orleans and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Developmental Neuroscience & Child Psychopathology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She joined UGA in Fall 2024.
Dr. Sanders’ research takes a multimodal approach to investigating the neural and immune mechanisms by which childhood socioeconomic disadvantage impacts developmental and cognitive trajectories. She uses a variety of neuroimaging techniques, including diffusion MRI and resting-state functional connectivity, alongside inflammatory biomarkers to understand the role of a child’s environment in their development. In her free time, she enjoys listening to live music and reading science fiction.
Graduate Research Assistants
Kylee Jenkins
I am a first-year PhD student in the Psychology department (Behavioral and Brain Sciences) at the University of Georgia.
My current research interests lie at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, and neurodevelopmental processes related to inflammation and cognition. I aim to understand how socioeconomic stress (SES), environmental unpredictability, and chronic stress biology shape brain and behavioral outcomes in children. I am particularly interested in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in youth, with a focus on predictive coding mechanisms and cerebellar–cortical circuits that may underlie risk or resilience in disadvantaged environments. I integrate neuroimaging approaches such as fMRI and resting - state connectivity with inflammatory biomarkers to examine immune signaling such as cytokines that influence white matter development and interact with cognitive functioning and stress exposure across childhood development.
I am also passionate about open science practices, community engagement, and ensuring that psychological and neuroscience research findings are accessible to the broader public. My goal is to contribute research that not only advances scientific understanding but also translates directly into meaningful, equitable support for children and families.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Melyssa Munn
I'm a third year majoring in Psychology (with an emphasis in Neuroscience) and Women's Studies, and I'm from Tucker, GA. I'm particularly interested in grief and trauma in adolescent development, cultural psychology, adolescent psychopathology, as well as women's health and sexuality. I plan to get my masters in clinical neuropsychology and then go to medical school where, once completed, I hope to work with Doctors Without Borders. A fun fact about me is I've been to Cuba on a Cultural Psychology program with UGA!
Anna Kotkin
I am a third-year psychology major on the pre-medical track, and I am from Sandy Springs, GA. I am interested in anything psychology related, but I specifically enjoy Brain and Behavioral Science. I was obsessed with psychology all throughout high school, but despite this, I started out as a Finance major. It did not take long at all before I switched over to psychology! Now as a psychology major, I am a research assistant in multiple labs, and I am the founder and president of Undergraduates in Psychology here at UGA!
Gabby Malerba
My name is Gabriella Malerba and I am a current third year undergraduate student. I grew up not too far away from Athens in Decatur, Georgia. I am majoring in Psychology and Biology with a particular interest in pediatric neurology. Outside of academics, I enjoy traveling to new places around the world and long distance running
Camille Attaway
My name is Camille Attaway, and I am from Athens, Georgia. I am a first year student at the University of Georgia, although this is my second year working in the SEND lab! I am majoring in psychology with a focus on development and minoring in social work. A fun fact is that I love kids and dogs!