People

	Dr. Bijoyaa Mohapatra is an Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Louisiana State University. Her research interests include psychophysiological measurement of cognitive behavior, biofeedback training, and complementary-alternative practices in rehabilitation of adults with communication disorders following acquired brain injury. She has disseminated research findings through journal publications and conference presentations.
	Biraj Bhattarai joined the lab as a doctoral student in Fall 2022. He completed his Bachelor of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University, Nepal (2018), and a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology (2021) from All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), University of Mysore, India. He was part of many research projects during his master's program and has authored scientific publications. His research interest lies in understanding the cognitive and language processing in neuro-communication disorder, specifically aphasia. His research focuses on utilizing neuroimaging technology (fNIRS) to assess neural correlates of cognition, language, and related functions in persons with aphasia. He likes playing cricket and soccer during leisure time.
	Jacelyn Hastings is an undergraduate student in pursuit of her degree in Communication Disorders. Her goal is to become a Speech Language Pathologist and possibly begin her own practice. She currently works as a Behavioral Technician at CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders). She loves reading and being an active member of the church.
	Kiara Patrick is a first-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences and is a member of the Ogden Honors College. Prior to joining the lab, she gained research experience at Tulane University, where she contributed to research examining coral calcification rates and presented her work at the 2025 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Her academic experiences at Tulane also strengthened her interest in neuroscience through the study of human neuroanatomy and neurological disorders. Her research interests include neuroscience, cognition, and the relationship between brain function and behavior. Kiara plans to pursue a career in medicine while remaining actively involved in research, with particular interests in neurosurgery. In her free time, she enjoys playing the saxophone, working out, and volunteering at local shelters.
	London Aguillard is a third-year undergraduate student at Louisiana State University pursuing a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She currently serves as Vice President of LSU’s chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSHLA). Her experience working with older adults in a rehabilitation setting strengthened her interest in medical speech-language pathology and the relationship between neurological conditions, communication, and cognition. She plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career as a medical speech-language pathologist. In her free time, she enjoys going to the movies, spending time with friends and family, and trying new restaurants.
	Kelsie M. Dejan
	Allison M. Hedrick is a second year Masters student and is pursuing her Master's thesis.
Past Lab members
	Cassie Lormand completed her undergrad degree in psychology and will start a master's degree soon.
	Yu Yang completed her Master of Music Performance degree and is starting med school in the next academic year.
	Allee Andry is currently a master's student in the COMD program at LSU.
	Kayla Williams is currently pursing her Doctorate in Audiology at UT Dallas.