People - Aging Well Lab | The University of Texas at Dallas

Lab Director

Kendra Seaman
she/her

Dr. Seaman completed her BA in psychology and biology at the University of Kansas before joining Teach For America. After teaching in Oakland, CA and Washington, DC, she completed a Master’s and PhD at The Catholic University of America. She completed a postdoc in the Motivated Cognition and Aging Brain Lab with Gregory Samanez-Larkin (at Yale and Duke Universities) before joining the faculty at UT Dallas.

Dr. Seaman’s CV

Lab Manager

Israel Smitherman
he/him

Israel graduated with a BS in Psychology from Fort Hays State University. Following a move to Texas, he went on to complete his MS in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience from UT Dallas. He worked as a graduate research assistant under Dr. Kendra Seaman while completing his MS. He is interested in heuristics and biases, emotions, and moral decision-making.

PostDocToral Researcher

Colleen Frank
she/her

Colleen received her BA in Psychology from Butler University. She then went on to obtain her MS and PhD in Psychology (Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience) at the University of Michigan working with Dr. Patricia Reuter-Lorenz. She is thrilled to join the AWL and is excited to continue conducting research on how emotion influences decision making across the lifespan.

Dr. Frank’s CV

Post-Bacc RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sera Gonzalez
she/her

Sera graduated from UT Dallas with a BS in biology, adding to her BA in journalism from Stephen F. Austin State University. She is extending her time at the Aging Well Lab after being an undergraduate research assistant and working with Dr. Seaman on the Scientific Research Network on Decision Neuroscience and Aging (SRNDNA) initiative. Sera is excited to branch further into science communication and gain experience in the research process.

PhD Students

Galston Wong
he/him

Galston graduated from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore with a BA in Psychology and second major in Linguistics. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Cognition and Neuroscience at UT Dallas. Galston is interested in the cognitive and structural changes that occur during healthy aging, and the adaptive processes that follow with it. He is also interested in the study of cognitive engagement and preservation in older adults.

Lauren Hsien Lilly
she/her

Lauren has a BA in Physics from RPI and a MS in Computer Science from NJIT as well as a MA in Psychology from NYU. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology with a focus on Social Decision Making and Cognitive Aging. Lauren is interested in understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms through which social judgment and decision-making are formed and potentially preserved for older adults.

Jared Isaac Cortez
he/him

Jared is a current graduate student working on his Ph.D. in Cognition & Neuroscience. Jared graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor of science in psychology and a minor in addiction studies. His current research interests are aging, differences in races in aging & cognitive development, and differences in aging & health in the Latinx population. He loves playing video games, watching movies, and an online content group called Rooster Teeth.

Undergraduate Students

Research Assistant

Leora Hagi
she/her

Leora is a junior at UTD studying neuroscience. She plans to attend an M.D/Ph.D. program after her undergraduate studies and is very excited to be part of the Aging Well Lab.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Cameron Boyd
he/him

Cameron is a senior at UT Dallas majoring in psychology. He is planning to pursue grad school after his undergraduate studies and is interested in researching the relationship between chronic stress, trauma, and autoimmune diseases.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

De’Jiah Edwards
she/her

De’Jiah is currently a senior at the University of Texas at Dallas studying psychology and criminology. She is excited to be part of the Aging Well Lab and hopes to one day apply her knowledge of cognitive research to explore the minds of the future Dahmer, Bundy, and Gacy’s of the world.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Junaid Rasool
he/him

Junaid is a junior neuroscience student at UTD on the pre-med track. He plans on attending medical school to become a surgeon. He is interested in researching cognition and how it evolves over time to influence human perception and decision making. He is excited to be working with the team at the Aging Well Lab.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Ishraj Bhandari
he/him

Ishraj is a junior majoring in psychology at UTD and hoping to pursue medical school after graduating. He is super excited and passionate about working at the Aging Well Lab.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Natalie L. Laguer Torres
she/her

Natalie is a University of Texas at Dallas student majoring in Cognitive Science, looking to continue to graduate school and beyond. She is very interested in general research, focusing on understanding development and cognition, and looks forward to expanding her knowledge in related fields through her peers, colleagues, and all her experiences at the Aging Well Lab.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sumana Karnala
she/her

Sumana is a sophomore at UTD majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Spanish. She hopes to attend medical school after graduation and pursue a career in health care. She is very excited to be a part of the Aging Well Lab.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Hasan Sheikh
he/him

Hasan is a sophomore majoring in Finance while on the pre-medical pathway. He looks forward to furthering his education by attending medical school following undergrad. He is excited to be part of the Aging Well Lab to expand his knowledge of the science of aging!

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Laiba Khan
she/her

Laiba is a junior at UTD studying Healthcare Studies on the pre-medical track. She plans on pursuing medical school to become an interventional cardiologist. She is curious to learn about how people’s minds and brains evolve as they age. She is thrilled to join the Aging Well Lab and offer my input on innovative ideas and notions.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Udaya Gyawali
he/him

Udaya is a senior psychology major. He plans to continue his education by pursuing medical school after graduation. He is excited about being part of the Aging Well Lab!

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Harini Chenchalavahi
her/she

Harini is a junior majoring in healthcare studies on the pre-med track. She hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career in the field of neurology or oncology. She is excited to learn more about scientific discovery and deepen her understanding of aging!

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Baqi Syed Abdul
he/him

Baqi is a sophomore psychology student at UTD on the pre-med track. He plans on attending medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon. Currently, he works as a medical scribe, PLTL leader for CHEM 1311 and 1312, and is EMT certified. He is thrilled to join the Aging Well Lab and deepen his understanding of aging!

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Chinmay Maroju
he/him

Chimney is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Dallas majoring in Cognitive Science with concentrations in AI and Neuroscience. After his time at UTD, he hopes to pursue a career in medicine by attending medical school in hopes to become a podiatrist or an orthopedic surgeon. He is excited about being a part of the Aging Well Lab as he is eager to learn more about how emotions are perceived across differences ages and ethnicities.