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 sixth-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. 

 

 

Ayva Rose, Graduate Research Assistant and master's thesis student

Ayva 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 and minoring in Spanish. Her master's thesis project is focusing on gathering needed information to further enhance access and participation in language learning experiences in the community. Ayva's thesis project is unique in that it involves a collaboration with the East Baton Rouge Library. 

 

 

 

 

Madison Strother, Graduate Research Assistant

Madison 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. Madison is currently serving as social chair of LSU’s graduate chapter National Speech Language Hearing Association and works as a speech therapy tech at The Emerge Center. After graduation, Madison plans to work as a speech-language-pathologist in a hospital setting.

 

Ahmari Metoyer, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Ahmari Metoyer is currently in her fourth year of studies in the Communication Sciences and Disorders undergraduate program here at LSU. She is also minoring in Linguistics. Ahmari’s interest includes early speech acquisition and language development in children with autism. Outside of lab, Ahmari works with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences College here at LSU. After graduation, Ahmari plans on attending graduate school for Speech Language Pathology so she can work in either a school, clinical or hospital setting to work with children.

 

 

 

Courtney Barrett, Undergraduate Research Assistant and Honors Student

Courtney Barrett is an undergraduate student at LSU studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her undergraduate thesis project focuses on retrieval-based word learning in a naturalistic storybook experience. 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.

 

 

Libby Welborn, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Libby Welborn is an undergraduate senior 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.

 

 

Rory Dries, Undergraduate Research Assistant and Honors Student

Rory Dries is an undergraduate student at Louisiana State University studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her undergraduate thesis project focuses on how children’s profiles change when the definition of “minimally speaking” is applied differently across research and clinical contexts. Outside of the lab, Rory is a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. She is currently deciding between pursuing graduate school in Audiology, with the goal of working with either children or adults in a clinical setting.

 

 

 

Jala Lindsey, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jala is in her fourth year of studies in the Communication Studies and Disorders undergraduate program here at LSU. She is also majoring in English and minoring in Linguistics. Jala’s interests include language development in autistic children and Alternate Assistive Communication device application. Outside of lab, Jala works as a Line Therapist at Grace Therapy Center. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for Speech Language Pathology and working in a hospital or clinic setting.

 

 

 

 

Ariana Allen, Undergraduate Research Assistant

I am a second year 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 on the autism spectrum.

 

 

 

  Chelsea Kasuli, Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Chelsea Kasuli is a second-year undergraduate majoring in Kinesiology on a pre-PA track. In 2023, she participated in the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Immersion Program, where she worked in the Department of Computational Biology on a project analyzing single-cell profiling of bone marrow in a patient with X-Chromosome Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (X-SCID). She is also part of the LSU Explorers program, which led her to match with the Department of Communication Disorders (COMD) in Dr. Haebig’s lab, where she will analyze the speech development of children on the autism spectrum. She aspires to continue undergraduate research and apply her experiences to her future career as a physician assistant, focusing on pediatric and neurological disorders.

 

Jack Delmain, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jack is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Microbiology on a pre-med track. Outside of the NeT Lab, Jack also spends time working at the Baton Rouge General Hospital. Jack is specifically interested in communication disorders and developmental challenges related to autism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab Alumni

• Brigette Beningo
• Naomi Tomiyama, MA, CF-SLP
• Blake Alley, MA, CF-SLP
• Ezra Moore, BS
• Brianna Cairney, Ph.D.
  • Brianna is now a Hilibrand Postdoctoral Fellow in Autism Research at Yale's Child Study Center
• Caprielle Priola, MA, CCC-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, CCC-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