Dr. Tian Christina Zhao – Lab Director/Principal Investigator

Dr. Zhao is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington with affiliations in Department of Linguistics, Psychology, the Neuroscience Undergraduate Program and the eScience Institute. Her background and research program are at the intersection of many disciplines, including Psychology, Music Cognition, Speech and Hearing Sciences, Neuroscience, Linguistics and Data Science. Her expertise lies within neurophysiological measures using M/EEG in infants in response to complex auditory signals such as speech and music. She has been the PI on multiple NIH awards, investigating the neural mechanisms related to speech and music processing in infants, especially on applications in language delay and disorders. 

 

Postdoctoral Scholars

Dr. Zoe Cheng

Zoe Cheng is a postdoctoral scholar working with Dr. Christina Zhao. Her broader research interest is on auditory perception in humans, including the little ones. Using M/EEG, she is particularly curious about the temporal aspect in speech and music, specifically how humans perceive, produce, and predict time at both behavioral and neural levels. Her ongoing projects apply data-driven decoding models to investigate cortical and subcortical responses to complex sounds such as speech and music. Outside the laboratory, you can find Zoe paddling and kayaking on sunny days. Sometimes you might not find Zoe at all when she’s lost in space experimenting with some rhythms on her handpan. Check out more on her personal website!

Research Team

Gina Goble – Lab Manager & Research Assistant

Gina is the LEAP manager and research assistant. She graduated in 2024 with a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington. Prior to joining the I-LABS team, she worked under Dr. Jeansok Kim and completed an honors thesis project that examined the effects of social contexts and gender on fear responses and decision-making in rodents. Additionally, she has experience working with children and seniors and enjoys connecting with and learning about these populations. Specifically, she is interested in neural processing and development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, hiking, and skiing.

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Anna Kunz – Research Speech Language Pathologist

Anna started working at I-LABS in 2015 with Dr. Naja Ferjan Ramirez for a research project in Madrid, Spain, teaching English to Spanish speaking preschoolers. Upon returning to Seattle, Anna continued her work with I-LABS and was excited to facilitate a second iteration of the Madrid study from 2018 to 2019. She then moved to Bellingham, WA to get a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Western Washington University. There she worked with Dr. Heather Moore, exploring how parent coaching strategies can support language development in young children. Anna graduated in 2022 and is currently working at the Kindering Center in Bellevue, WA as a bilingual Early Supports service provider and acting as a consultant in Dr. Christina Zhao’s lab.

Coryn Carson – Research Speech Language Pathologist

Coryn is a Research Speech-Language Pathologist and Research Assistant in the LEAP and Kuhl Labs at the University of Washington. She received her M.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Portland State University in 2010. She has practiced in schools, private practices and home settings as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Oregon and New York City. Her clinical work has focused on early intervention in the areas of speech-language disorders and autism.  Outside of campus, Coryn can be found hiking, kayaking and cross-country skiing. 

Kali Glynn – Research Speech Language Pathologist

Kali Glynn received her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Washington University in 2005. She has an interest in speech and language development from birth to adolescence. Her areas of practice have focused on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and childhood apraxia of speech. Kali has practiced in school settings and outpatient private practice and is a licensed provider in Washington State and Texas. Outside of work, Kali is passionate about animals and involved in animal rescue and fostering.
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LEAP Graduate Students
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Ella De Falco – PhD Student

Ella is a second year PhD student in the Linguistics department. She completed her B.A. in Linguistics at the University of Rochester with a minor in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and her M.A. in Linguistics at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. In her research, she investigates the acoustic correlates of emotion production and perception in speech. She is particularly interested in the (non)-universality of emotion and the effects of culture on emotion acoustics. In the lab, she is working on a project on infant-directed music from caregivers, with a focus on the emotional content of infant directed speech and music. Outside of the lab, you can find her in the gym weightlifting, reading sci-fi, or hiking.

 

 

Lindsay Hippe – Master’s Student

Lindsay is a student in the UW Clinical Research Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Program (C/O 2026). She completed her B.A. in Linguistics and her B.S. in Speech & Hearing Sciences, both with honors, at the University of Washington. In the lab, she is working on a project analyzing infant-directed music produced by caregivers for her master’s thesis. Her research interests include anything and everything that has to do with early childhood language acquisition and development. In the future, she hopes to work as an SLP in early support for infants and toddlers and continue her involvement in language development research.

LEAP Undergraduate Students

Eloise Schell – Undergraduate Honors Student

Eloise is a senior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences and minoring in Linguistics. In the lab, she is currently working on her honors thesis project exploring the relationship between speech rhythm and neural entrainment. In the future, Eloise hopes to become a speech-language pathologist and continue researching language acquisition and development.

 

 

 

Helen Liu – Undergraduate Honors Student

Helen is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington, pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in Linguistics. Currently, she is excited to explore speech processing and child language development alongside the LEAP team in their research. In the future, she hopes to pursue research and work to innovate speech and communication technologies.

 

 

 

Britney Pham – Undergraduate Honors Student

Britney is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington working towards a degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. As part of the LEAP team, she is providing assistance on a longitudinal study revolving around children’s language development. In the future, she hopes to work with children as a speech-language pathologist.

 

 

 

 

Rebekah Varghese – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Rebekah is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience. She is assisting the LEAP team with data collection and is excited to learn more about language development—specifically language development in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine with an emphasis on care for people with disabilities.

 

 

Olivia Wurster – Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Olivia is a senior at the University of Washington, pursuing a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She is assisting the LEAP team with speech and language transcription in a longitudinal, sibling study. She aspires to be a medical Speech-Language Pathologist, working in outpatient and rehabilitation settings.

 

 

Lilian Nguyenphuoc – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Lilian is a sophomore at the University of Washington pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Philosophy. She is currently assisting the LEAP team on a project studying infant-directed music production, and is particularly interested in bilingual language development. Outside of the lab, you can find her drawing, reading, or performing in various music ensembles as a soprano or violist.

 

 

 

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Collaborators

Patricia Kuhl, Ph.D. (University of Washington)

Matthew Masapollo, Ph.D. (University of Florida)

Linda Polka, Ph.D. (McGill University)

Reyna Gordon, Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University)

Bharath Chandrasekaran, Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)

Fernando Llanos, Ph.D. (University of Texas, Austin)

Gasper Begus, Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley)

Naja Ferjan Ramírez, Ph.D. (University of Washington)

Qi Cheng, Ph.D. (University of Washington)