People

Dr. Naja Ferjan Ramírez (Principal Investigator)

naja@uw.edu

Naja (pronounced Naya) Ferjan Ramírez is an Associate Professor in Linguistics at the University of Washington and holds the Distinguished Professorship in Language Acquisition and Multilingualism Endowment. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Brown University and her Ph.D. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego. She completed her post-doctoral training at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington. Naja’s research focuses on understanding the extent and origins of variability in brain growth and linguistic development among young children of diverse backgrounds. She uses multiple methodologies, including naturalistic recordings in children’s homes and early education centers, magnetoencephalography (MEG), and behavioral language measures in the laboratory. Naja is a proud mother of three young children who listen to and speak three languages at home: Slovene, Spanish, and English. Find her full CV here.

Dr. Akira Omaki  –  In memoriam

The Language Development and Processing Lab would like to remember and celebrate its founder, Akira, who passed away on August 6th, 2018, following complications from lymphoma. We invite you to read this longer tribute to our inspiring colleague and friend.

Naomi Tachikawa Shapiro (Graduate Student)

tsnaomi@uw.edu

Naomi is a sixth-year Ph.D. student in Computational Linguistics at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on natural and artificial linguistic intelligence: how humans and machines understand and produce language. Prior to coming to UW for her Ph.D., she earned her master’s in Symbolic Systems at Stanford University.

Kaveri Sheth                 (Graduate Student)

ksheth2@uw.edu

Katie Lindekugel                                 (Graduate Student)

kl17@uw.edu

Katie is a third-year Ph.D. student in Linguistics at the University of Washington. She earned her MA in Linguistics and her BA degrees in Linguistics and Japanese at California State University, Fullerton. Some of her research interests are language acquisition, applied linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Katie also enjoys reading for fun, rock climbing, and hanging out with her dog and fiancé. She is currently working with Naja on the effects of electronic media on language input and output in Latinx infants.

Adeline Braverman     (Graduate Student)

abrave@uw.edu

Adeline is a second-year Ph.D. student in Linguistics at the University of Washington. Prior to coming to UW for her Ph.D., she earned her BA in Linguistics at Dartmouth College. Her research interests are sign language acquisition, bilingualism, and variation in parental input to first language learners. In her free time, Adeline enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors.

Paulina Varela                         (Undergraduate Student)

paulinavarela711@gmail.com

Paulina is a senior undergraduate student studying Linguistics at the University of Washington. Her research interests include second language acquisition in educational settings and early bilingualism. She is currently a research assistant at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences working under Ph.D. student Kaveri Sheth and Dr. Naja Ferjan Ramirez. In her spare time, Paulina enjoys spending time with her friends, visiting her family in Mexico, watching movies, and language learning.

Helen Liu                   (Undergraduate Student)

helenl12@uw.edu

Helen is a senior at the University of Washington, pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in Spanish. Her research focuses on language acquisition and speech development. She is currently working at the Institute of Learning & Brain Sciences alongside the Lab for Early Auditory Perception with Dr. Christina Zhao. In her free time, Helen enjoys music, reading, and the outdoors.

Maya Huck                         (Undergraduate Student)

huckmay@uw.edu

Maya Huck is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Washington. She is pursuing a B.A. in Linguistics, and is primarily interested in language acquisition, speech development and disorders, and speech language pathology. She currently works at the Institute of Learning & Brain Sciences as a research assistant under Kaveri Sheth and Dr. Naja Ferjan Ramirez. Outside of school, Maya works as a nanny and enjoys playing instruments and spending time outdoors.

Daisy Abiad                         (Undergraduate Student)

dabiad@uw.edu

Daisy Abiad is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Washington, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology. Her interests include cognitive and developmental psychology. Her current research focuses on the auditory environment of infants. Along with the LDP Lab, she also works at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. In her free time, Daisy enjoys spending time outdoors and playing music.

Emily Kim                        (Undergraduate Student)

emkm@uw.edu

Emily is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Early Childhood & Family Studies (B.A.) and Psychology (B.S.). She is currently working under Ph.D. student Jessa Jeter and Dr. Naja Ferjan-Ramirez for her Honors Project on child vocalizations in the Panãra Community. Her research interests include early childhood development, cognitive psychology, and language acquisition. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, being active, and baking.

Alejandra Cuevas                        (Undergraduate Student)

acuevas2@uw.edu

Alejandra Cuevas is a junior undergraduate student studying psychology at the University of Washington. Her research interests focus on developmental and cognitive psychology, particularly exploring how children learn and develop cognitively over time. She is currently working as a research assistant under Ph.D. student Kaveri Sheth and Dr. Naja Ferjan Ramirez at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. In her free time, Alejandra enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching movies, and crocheting.

Aeddan Claflin                        (Undergraduate Student)

aedclaf@uw.edu

Aeddan is a junior pursuing a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in Spanish. She is especially interested in language acquisition, multilingualism, and speech pathology, and her current research project is focused on language development and parent intervention. Outside of school, Aeddan enjoys playing sports, reading, and playing trumpet in the Husky Marching Band.