Lab Members
Dr. Eileen Haebig
Eileen Haebig is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Louisiana State University and the director of the Language and Neurodevelopmental Trajectories Lab (Language NeT Lab). Prior to coming to LSU, she attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she competed her clinical degree in speech-language pathology and her Ph.D. in child language disorders in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Dr. Haebig then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Purdue University. Dr. Haebig’s research focuses on language learning in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research has highlighted areas of overlap and distinction in language phenotypes across populations with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Tengwen Fan, Graduate Research Assistant
Tengwen Fan, class 2026, is a Communication Disorders PhD student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Tengwen completed her Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology (2022) and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (2019) at Shaanxi Normal University, China. Tengwen is interested in exploring the language development of young children with behavioral, electrophysiological and neuroimaging approaches. Tengwen conducted research on phonological development among young Chinese children using EEG during her Master. Now Tengwen is interested in and is conducting research on the neural basis of statistical learning and word learning.
Fatema Akhter Mitu, Graduate Research Assistant
Fatema Akhter Mitu is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at LSU. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech & Language Therapy from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before starting her Masters’ she has been working as a clinical Speech & Language Therapist for four and half years in a spinal cord rehabilitation hospital in her country. Additionally, she has worked as a trainer for the parents, special school teachers’ and caregivers dealing with children and adults with communication and swallowing difficulties. Fatema later traveled to the US and completed her Masters’ degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences majoring in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Now she is under the mentorship of Dr. Eileen Haebig. Fatema is interested in language development, word learning process of children on the autism spectrum.
Stan West, Graduate Research Assistant
Stan is a fifth-year graduate student in the Cognitive and Brain Sciences program at LSU. He completed his undergraduate degree at LSU and worked in an EEG lab working on projects related to non-verbal communication (gestuers). He is currently working with Dr. Haebig and Dr. Cox from the ReLearn Lab to investigate the semantic organization of words in children on the autism spectrum. Stan wishes to continue his training in language processing and analysis in future projects.
Blake Alley, Graduate Research Assistant
Blake is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at LSU. She completed her undergraduate degree at LSU majoring in COMD. Blake is working on a master's thesis addressing the importance of administering assessments to bilingual students in both languages to provide differential diagnosis between the silent period and selective mutism.
Naomi Tomiyama, Graduate Research Assistant
Naomi is a first-year graduate student who is in the Accelerated Master's program in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at LSU. In her Bachelor's program, Naomi majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minored in Social Work. Her research interests include speech acquisition and language learning in children with autism. After graduation, Naomi plans to attend graduate school for speech pathology and work in a hospital setting.
Ayva Rose, Graduate Research Assistant
Ayva is a first-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at LSU. She completed her undergraduate degree at LSU, majoring in COMD and minoring in Spanish. Her research interests include Gestalt Language Processing in children with autism, as well as the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems.
Brigette Beningo, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Brigette Benigno is currently in her third year of studies in the Communication Sciences and Disorders undergraduate program at LSU. Her research interests include speech acquisition for those with neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically in children on the autism spectrum. She is also largely interested in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). After graduation, Brigette plans to further pursue her education through graduate school in speech pathology and to work with the pediatric population.
Courtney Barrett, Undergraduate Research Assistant and Honors Student
Courtney Barrett is an undergraduate sophomore at LSU studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is interested in researching early language acquisition in children with autism spectrum disorder. Outside of the lab, Courtney is a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and a speech technician at a local center for children with autism. After graduating from LSU, she plans to attend graduate school for Speech and Language Pathology and work with children in a clinic setting.
Ezra Moore, Undergraduate Research Assistant and Honors Student
Ezra Moore is a fourth-year undergraduate at LSU pursuing a degree in Psychology with a Cognitive Neuroscience concentration and a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders. His research interests lie broadly within the brain-behavior relationships present in neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically autism. Under the guidance of Dr. Haebig, Ezra is doing his honors thesis project on the association between word imageability and vocabulary acquisition by word class in autistic children. After graduating, he plans to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology, with a focus on Clinical Neuropsychology.
Libby Welborn, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Libby Welborn is an undergraduate junior studying Communication Sciences and Disorders at LSU. Libby's interests include early language acquisition in autistic children. Libby also is a part of the National Speech Language Hearing Association and also works as a Speech Tech at The Emerge Center. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for Speech Language Pathology and working with young children in a children's hospital or clinic setting.
Ariana Allen, Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a freshman undergraduate student majoring in Biology and minoring in psychology, after graduating I plan to attend medical school with a focus on genetics to become a clinical geneticist .I am interested in studying the language development in children with autism.
Lab Alumni
- Brianna Cairney, Ph.D.
- Brianna is now a Hilibrand Postdoctoral Fellow in Autism Research at Yale's Child Study Center
- Caprielle Priola, MA, CF-SLP
- Graduate thesis conducted in the lab (scheduled to be presented at the ASHA 2024 Convention)
- Alyssa Schell
- Jesica Sykes, MS, CCC-SLP
- Alex Hill, MA, CF-SLP
- Taylor Hale, MA, CF-SLP
- graduate thesis conducted in the lab
- Caitlyn Karns, MA, CCC-SLP
- graduate thesis conducted in the lab
- Claire Bourgeois, MA, CCC-SLP
- graduate thesis conducted in the lab
- Nana Ama Agyeman, BS
- Bailey Parent- Bordere, BS
- Camille Daigle, MA
- Lexi Wirth, MA, CCC-SLP
- Emily Ruli, MA, CCC-SLP
- Angelle Plauche', MA, CCC-SLP
- Katelyn Honore, MA, CCC-SLP
- Jena Vizzini, MA, CCC-SLP
- undergraduate research project conducted in the lab
- Allison (Herring) Blackwell, MA, CCC-SLP
- graduate thesis conducted in the lab
- Allison Menting, MA, CCC-SLP
- graduate thesis conducted in the lab
