Lab Director
Adriana Weisleder is an assistant professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University and director of the Child Language Lab. Her research investigates early language development and processing in young children from diverse linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, with a focus on children who are dual language learners. She uses multiple methodologies – including eye-tracking, naturalistic recordings and clinical trials of interventions – to investigate both the learning mechanisms and contexts that support language development in infants and toddlers. She also collaborates on the development of family and community-based approaches for reducing poverty-related disparities in children’s developmental and educational outcomes.
Dr. Weisleder is a proud Costa Rican and Spanish-English bilingual. She obtained her B.A. in Cognitive Science from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Bellevue Project for Early Language, Literacy and Education Success at New York University School of Medicine.
Lab Coordinators
Gaby España (they/them) is a Research Study Coordinator in the Child Language Lab. They have a B.A. in Education and Sociology from Smith College. Gaby spent the last two and half years at a college access program supporting young people and their families across Chicagoland navigate and succeed in education. Gaby is excited to return to academic research and continue working with multilingual families. Although originally from New York, Gaby loves Chicago. They enjoy morning walks with their dogs, Stonecold and Freddie, cooking, and Zumba!
Marcela Cruz is a research assistant in the Child Language Lab. She has a BA in Linguistics and English from the University of Florida. She is a bilingual speaker (English and Spanish), and she is interested in how language development differs from monolingual to bilingual speakers. She was a research assistant at a bilingual psycholinguistics lab at the University of Florida. She is now working at the Child Language Lab on the Bi-TODLS project. Outside of the lab Marcela enjoys going on runs, reading and trying new restaurants.
Josselin Martinez is a research study coordinator in the Child Language Lab. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Chicago, where she completed an honors thesis investigating help-seeking in toddlers. Josselin is interested in supporting school achievement outcomes for children in disadvantaged populations and now works at the Child Language Lab on the Bi-TODLS project. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to concerts, reading manga, and drinking bubble tea.
Graduate Students
Anele Villanueva is a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. As a Chicana and bilingual speaker (Spanish-English), Anele is interested in how language interactions in the home may influence language development and school readiness in bilingual children and children with communicative delays. She is particularly interested in how bilingual language environments vary across socioeconomic status, and in naturally occurring interactions in the home. Anele aims to conduct culturally responsive research and contribute to reducing poverty-related disparities in school readiness in children from diverse communities.
Murielle Standley is a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She speaks multiple languages (Swiss German, German, English, and French) and is interested in how bilingualism affects thinking and learning. In particular, Murielle is interested in what bilingual language development looks like across a wide range of language abilities such as young children with elevated likelihood of language impairments. Her goal is to conduct research that contributes to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of Developmental Language Disorder.
Alejandra Reinoso is a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders and an MPES fellow through the School of Education and Social Policy. As a Dominican Spanish-English bilingual, Alejandra is interested in investigating early language learning in the home and school environments of Latine dual language learners (DLLs), and how this may further affect DLLs’ school readiness and academic success. Alejandra’s ultimate goal is to conduct research that helps inform early childhood education policy for multilingual children, including those with language and communication disabilities.
Krystal Alvarez-Hernandez is a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. As a mother, Krystal has experienced some of the unique challenges associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. As a first-generation Mexican-American, she found that different mothers are often presented with a different set of challenges. Krystal is interested in investigating how maternal stress interacts with the perinatal period, and to the extent it influences their babies’ developmental trajectories, particularly for individuals growing-up in primarily Spanish-speaking and/or bilingual homes. At the same time, Krystal hopes to work closely with Latina/x mothers in the community.
Milton Guendica (he/him/el) is a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. As a Chicago native and Spanish-English bilingual, Milton is interested in understanding dual-language development in Latino children. In particular, he is interested in exploring what kinds of parent-child interactions promote early language learning that can be utilized for interventions targeted at reducing educational disparities in school readiness. Milton’s ultimate professional goals are to conduct research that works at the microlevel with community partnerships in Chicago and at the macro level with policymakers.
Research Assistants
McKenna Lanter is a student majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders on the pre speech-language pathology track. She is excited to be part of the Child Language Lab and is interested in learning about bilingual children’s language development as well as the effects of poverty on children’s educational outcomes. She plans to use her experiences in the lab to help her serve diverse pediatric populations in the future. Outside of lab, she enjoys writing, watching sit-coms, and exploring the Evanston and Chicago areas.
Talia Apter is a volunteer at the Child Language Lab. She graduated from University of Rochester with a B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Linguistics. Talia is originally from Highland Park, Illinois, and is excited to return to the Chicago area and work with multilingual families in her community. She also hopes to gain a deeper understanding of research related to language processing and build experience in order to apply for graduate programs in the future. She enjoys going for walks and listening to music, reading, writing, watching movies, and musical hobbies that include singing and learning piano.
Dana Zakieh is a master’s student in the MS SLL program at Northwestern University. She speaks 3 languages and hopes to be a multi-lingual speech-language pathologist. Dana is joining the CLL with interests in bilingual language development and how poverty impacts language development in children. Dana enjoys being outdoors, exploring Chicago, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Tammy Le is a Master’s student of Northwestern University’s Speech, Language, and Learning program. She earned her B.A. of Human Development from DePaul University. Tammy’s intersectional interest in human development and language as a bilingual speaker (Vietnamese and English) fuel her involvement in research at CLL. Tammy hopes to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist and provide accessible intervention for culturally and linguistically diverse families.
Magda Slowakiewicz is a student at Northwestern University majoring in Biological Sciences and Slavic Languages and Literatures while minoring in Psychology. She is fluent in Polish and is excited that she can combine her interests in language and psychology at the Child Language Lab. Magda is interested in learning about the multitude of benefits of bilingualism, from children’s language development to the role it plays in society. In her free time, Magda enjoys going on long walks with her dog and biking with her friends.
Anika Velasco is a student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Portuguese. Considering that Anika grew up bilingual and is now learning a third language, she is especially excited to better understand how a multilingual environment impacts children’s overall language development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys painting with watercolor, playing with her cats, and spending time with her friends and family.
Kristian Nenchev is a student at Northwestern University studying Biology and Psychology on the premed track. He is a bilingual, second generation immigrant which is why he is interested in learning about child language development through a variety of different contexts and methods. Outside of the lab, Kristian enjoys playing basketball, tennis, and spending time with his friends/family.
Maria Mendoza is an intern at the Child Language Lab. She is an Honors Carolina student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill double majoring in Psychology and Linguistics with a minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She has a special interest in early childhood speech and language development, developmental disabilities, and bilingualism and hopes to learn more about the effect of early literacy activities in early language interactions of Latino families. In the future, Maria aspires to be a speech-language pathologist and serve bilingual clients. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, spending time outdoors, and playing with her English bulldog.
Abigail Holthaus (she/her/hers) is a student studying Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Cognitive Science. Her post-graduate plans are to attend graduate school and pursue a career in Speech and Language Pathology. Grateful to be part of such a wonderful lab, she hopes to use this opportunity to learn more about bilingual language learning, language development in late versus ‘typical’ talkers, and to take new CSD research findings and apply them to her clinical practices through an anti-racist, equitable lens. Her interests revolve mostly around pediatric language development in late talkers, children with ASD, and bilingual children- but she hopes to work with a diverse range of clients in her career. Outside of the lab Abby loves to cuddle with her cat, cook, and explore new places in Chicago.
Emma Finkelstein is a student at Northwestern University majoring in Linguistics and minoring in Spanish. She grew up speaking English and Spanish and is excited to use both languages in the CLL. Emma is fascinated by bilingualism in children, from how children learn two languages to how they benefit them in the future. Outside of the lab, Emma loves volunteering with her therapy dog and traveling to foreign countries.
Marissa Esparza is a master’s student in the MS SLL program at Northwestern University. Her interest is in bilingual language development and the impact of early literacy efforts. Marissa aims to become a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist and provide accessible intervention for culturally and linguistically diverse individuals and their loved ones. Outside of the lab, Marissa enjoys being outdoors with her pups, reading, and trying new foods.
Jill Rawls (she/her/hers) is a student at Northwestern University majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Linguistics. She has always had a passion for working with children in a variety of settings—from coaching to tutoring to being a camp counselor. She plans to pursue a career as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and is particularly interested in the impact of bilingualism on language acquisition. In her free time, Jill enjoys reading, listening to music, hiking, and spending time outdoors in general.
Eli Oesterheld (he/they) is a student at Northwestern University pursuing degrees in Linguistics and Music Cognition. Originally from southern California, Eli is passionate about language and education, and is especially interested in work studying and supporting language development in neurodivergent populations. In his free time, Eli enjoys reading, skateboarding, playing classical guitar, and spending time with their dog, Monty.
Samantha Calderon is a student at Northwestern University majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minoring in Psychology. She is a Mexican-American, first generation student and is passionate about helping her community. Samantha is bilingual and speaks both Spanish and English. She is interested in learning about different aspects of child language development and bilingualism. Outside of the lab, Samantha enjoys reading, learning about nature/the ocean, playing with her dogs, swimming, and spending time with friends and family.
Child Language Lab Alum
Lauren Miller Formerly an undergraduate volunteer in the lab, Lauren now works at the Cornerstone Counseling Center of Chicago. |
Bella Vavra Formerly an undergraduate volunteer in the lab, Bella is now a student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s program at the University of Oregon. |
Rahma Almajid Formerly an honors undergraduate in the lab, Rahma now works as a therapeutic assistant at Blue Bird Day in Chicago while applying to medical school. |
Philip Robert Curtis Formerly a PhD student in the lab, Phil is now completing his Clinical Fellowship year as a Speech-Language Pathologist with Chicago Public Schools. |
Emma Smyles Formerly an undergraduate volunteer in the lab, Emma now works as a teacher with Teach for America. |
Arely Solis Formerly an undergraduate volunteer in the lab, Arely is now a student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master program at Rush University. |
Michelle Lee Formerly a Speech, Language, and Learning master’s student volunteer in the lab, Michelle now works as a Speech-Language Pathologist in California. |
Lupe Olivares Formerly a CLL collaborator via Northwestern Settlement’s Project Y.E.S., Lupe now works as a Student Enrollment Coordinator at Chicago Bulls College Prep. |
Kaveri Sheth Formerly an intern in the lab, Kaveri is now a PhD student in linguistics at the University of Washington. |
Lauren Engelhart
Formerly an intern in the lab, Lauren is now a student in Northwestern’s Master in Counseling program. |
Alaina Arthurs Formerly an undergraduate volunteer in the lab, Alaina is now a student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
Anna Stone Formerly a master’s student volunteer in the lab, Anna is now a Speech-Language Pathologist with Chicago Public Schools. |
Juan Vicente Nuño Hermosillo Formerly the CLL’s first lab manager, Juan now works as a Student Affairs Administrator at the University of Chicago Law School. |
