ABOUT US
OUR TEAM
Committed. Methodical. Empathetic.
Our team is comprised of talented inter-disciplinary scientist-practitioners at every level of training. Both undergraduate and graduate research assistants collaborate and work closely with Dr. Will to contribute to this research. Reach out to Dr. Will if you are interested in joining our team. (Dr. Will is not accepting graduate students for the 2023 – 2024 academic year)

Primary Investigator

Dr. Elizabeth Will, PhD, BCBA

Dr. Will is a Developmental Scientist and Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Will received her PhD in Developmental Science from Colorado State University. She followed her doctoral training with an NIH-funded (NICHD) postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Her postdoctoral training consisted of characterizing early risk features related to comorbid conditions in neurodevelopmental genetic conditions, including Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Dr. Will also holds a M.Ed. in Psychology and Human Development from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Her training from Vanderbilt University provides a lens through which she contextualizes developmental needs of specific populations such as Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome within a targeted intervention framework. Dr. Will is also a board-certified behavioral interventionist which further helps her identify syndrome-specific areas of need and translate them into optimized developmental outcomes for the populations she serves.

Collaborator

Dr. Kimberly Harris

Bio coming soon.

Program Coordinator

Lauren Turner

Lauren is an alumni of the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health. She hopes to pursue a Master's in Speech Language Pathology at UofSC. Lauren is passionate about research and has ample experience assisting on research projects within the Arnold School of Public Health. Upon finishing graduate school, Lauren hopes to help children who are developmentally delayed with their communication skills.

Graduate Assistant

Chandler Knott

Chandler is currently a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of South Carolina. Chandler received her B.S. in Experimental Psychology and her M.A. in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina. Chandler has extensive experience working with children and their families in educational and therapeutic settings. Her graduate training has focused on characterizing early developmental trajectories and related outcomes in fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome. Chandler’s primary research and clinical interests include early detection and intervention of autism and other common co-occurring conditions in genetic syndromes using evidence-based practices.

Graduate Assistant

Mary Blakeney

Mary is a Master of Science graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of South Carolina. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Clemson University in May of 2022. Much of Mary's professional experience has come from working with children in the educational setting. Mary plans to expand this experience to the clinical setting as well where she hopes to focus her graduate training on pediatric care, specifically regarding communication and early childhood development. Her clinical interests also extend into intervention strategies for co-occurring conditions affecting children with Down Syndrome.

Graduate Assistant

Megan Padgett

Megan is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of South Carolina. She received a Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Speech Communication Disorders from the University of Virginia. While working in a local preschool during her undergraduate studies, Megan gained experience working with children, and discovered her affinity for working with young minds. Megan plans to become a pediatric speech language pathologist, where she hopes to work closely with families to provide the best support and care to her clients and their families.

Undergraduate Assistant

Emma Whitener

Emma is a senior at the University of South Carolina, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience. She plans to attend an occupational therapy graduate program in the hopes of becoming a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in neurodevelopmental and sensory processing disorders. Emma's current research focuses on how postural control (independent versus non-independent sitting) impacts object exploration in infants and toddlers with Down syndrome. Her work in Dr. Will's lab is supported by the Magellan Mini grant from UofSC's Office of Undergraduate Research.

Undergraduate Assistant

Andrew Gart

Andrew is a junior at the University of South Carolina, studying Public Health with minors in Biology and Spanish. He plans to attend medical school and work as a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician in the future. His current research project with Dr. Will focuses on differences in attentional regulation between infants with Down syndrome who have Congenital Heart Defects and infants with Down syndrome who do not have Congenital Heart Defects.

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Undergraduate Assistant

Annamarie Holden

Annamarie is a junior at the University of South Carolina. She is a Biological Sciences major with a minor in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. She joined the Developmental Dynamics Lab in the spring of 2022, and she is super excited to continue working on new projects throughout the fall.

Undergraduate Assistant

Faith Albertson

Faith Albertson is a senior in the Honors College at the University of South Carolina, majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in both Neuroscience and Healthcare Promotion, Education, and Behavior. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and healthcare policy following graduation. Faith has received competitive funding awards through the Honors College as well as the Magellan Scholar Grant to support her work with Dr. Will. Her current research focus is on the impact of co occurring medical conditions, such as the affect of congenital heart defects on the development of infants with Down Syndrome.

Undergraduate Assistant

Amaya Bailey

Amaya is a junior at the University of South Carolina. She is majoring in Public Health and minoring in Psychology. She is planning to continue her education through attending an Occupational Therapy program to earn a doctorate degree in OT. She currently assists with data entry and behavior coding in the DD Lab.

Undergraduate Assistant

Connor Rudisill

Connor is a sophomore in the Honors College at the University of South Carolina majoring in biological sciences with a minor in medical humanities and culture. Connor has plans to pursue medical school after graduation with aspirations of becoming a pediatrician. This is his second semester assisting Dr. Will in the lab. His primary research focus is in the field of heart rate variability data found in infants with Down syndrome.

Undergraduate Assistant

Reese Mohesky

Undergraduate Assistant

Fallon Limberg

Fallon is a sophomore at The University of South Carolina, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minoring in Psychology. She recently joined our team and is excited to keep learning about Heart Rate Data processing. Fallon has plans to attend medical school and aspires to be an OB/GYN. Fallon hopes to observe mother-child relationships and how the research at the DD lab can influence this.