Johanna Jarcho, Ph.D, Assistant Professor
Cognition and Neuroscience Area | Social Area
Department of Psychology, Temple University
Dr. Jarcho’s research program bridges the areas of social, developmental, and cognitive neuroscience to study how social processes evolve during adolescence and change across the lifespan. She uses developmental psychopathology as a theoretical framework to examine how such processes manifest in typically developing adolescents and adults, and those with, or at risk for, psychopathology. She tests the effects of learning, attention, and affective states on pro- and anti-social behavior, and how this behavior relates to brain function during positive and negative social experiences. She is also interested in disentangling the neural mechanisms implicated in reward and threat processing during positive and negative social and non-social experiences.
Ronan Cunningham | PhD Student
Ronan is a fourth-year PhD Student in the Social Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory who is generally interested in how interpersonal influence and social networks are related to development and well-being. He is currently exploring the neural networks and the underlying relationship between neuromelanin and aggression. He graduated from Loyola University Maryland in 2014 and spent time as a research coordinator in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins, and in the Psychiatry Department at Temple University. Ronan is regularly assisted by his two dogs and 3 cats who are working on a proposal for him to feed and play with them them twice as much. In his spare time he enjoys writing, painting sloppily, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
OgheneTejiri Smith | PhD Student
Tejiri is a third-year doctoral student in the Psychology & Neuroscience program. They are broadly interested in the relationship between the development of social cognition, brain metabolism, and systemic stress. They graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A in Psychology in 2020; and went on to obtain an M.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2021. Tejiri enjoys writing creatively, experimenting with fashion, and playing video games in their free time.
Chloe Savage | PhD Student
Chloe is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program. She is interested in the neural networks associated with social dysfunction especially in clinical populations. She graduated from Swarthmore college with a BA in neuroscience in 2022. Outside of research, Chloe enjoys pottery, crocheting, and board games.
Bella Moger, MSc | Research Coordinator
Bella graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from Lafayette College and MSc in Social Psychology from the University of Exeter, UK. Bella is currently working on a collaborative project with the Adaptive Memory lab. When she is not working, Bella enjoys spending time with her dog, doing mma at Fight Club Philadelphia, and watching new films.
Lauren Ewell | Research Coordinator
Lauren is a Temple University graduate with a B.A in psychology. Broadly, she is interested in emotional regulation, the dynamics of brain function, and social-cognitive processes during adolescence, as well as exploring and implementing early childhood interventions aimed at fostering optimal social and cognitive development
Leah Harvey, B.A | Research Coordinator
Leah is a recent graduate of Temple University with a B.A in Psychology. Her research interest is how experiences of childhood emotional trauma can influence mental health outcomes. When Leah is not working, she likes to spend time with her cat Rocko and running trails.
David Kouassi | Project Manager
David is a fourth-year Psychology major at Temple University with a particular interest in Developmental Psychology, specifically childhood and adolescent trauma. Outside the lab, David is actively involved in the Temple Gospel Ministry Club. In his free time, he enjoys anything creative from making music to photography. He also loves playing basketball and going to the gym.
Abby O’Keeffe | Recruitment Coordinator
Abby is a junior pre-medical neuroscience student hoping to pursue a career in pediatric neuropsychology. She is especially interested in neurocognitive development from infancy to adolescence. Outside of brain sciences, Abby can be found reading, Irish dancing, or running on various trails around Philadelphia!
Alicia Mears | Research Assistant
Ali is an undergraduate neuroscience major and dance minor. Her research interests include the intersections of music/dance and neuroscience as well as the neurobiology of emotion. In her free time she enjoys reading, drawing, and dancing.
Devon Petrei | Research Assistant
Devon is a junior psychology and neuroscience undergraduate student. Post-grad, she plans to pursue a Ph.D in neuroscience research and is particularly interested in the neurochemistry of memory. She loves painting, swimming, silly tattoos, and cutting bangs that are just a *little* too short.
Donjee Mosley-Saunders | Research Assistant
Donjee is a senior Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis student. Her current research interests involve investigating how sensory modulation affects social behavior and cognition, with a focus on processing and peer interactions. Donjee plans to obtain a PhD in clinical psychology. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying new recipes, and crafting.
Past Team Members
Camille Parker (2019-2025), Mersania Jn Pierre (2023-2025), Bethel Aviles (2025),
Thais Costa Macedo de Arruda (2022-2024), Ziyue (Melody) Zhao (2024),
Emilie McAllister (2024), Kathryn Potts (2024),
Megan Quarmley, Ph.D. (2018-2024) Margherita Calderaro (2021-2024),
Alexis Bendl (2022-2024), Iliana Todorovski (2022-2023), Esha Nittoor (2022-2024),
Hema Clarence (2023 - 2024), Bethel Aviles (2023 - 2024), Sibilla Masieri (2021 - 2023),
Alisha Arora, B.S., (2019 - 2023), Keshali Patel (2021-2022), Jessie Drake (2021 - 2022),
Oliva Rojek (2020 - 2022), Rebecca Gitlevich (2022), Maya McCummings 2022),
Tessa Clarkson, Ph.D. (2016 - 2023), Athena Vafiadis, M.S. (2018 - 2022),
Catherine Archambault, B.S., (2020 - 2022), Megan Schaal, B.S. (2019 - 2022), Sophia Lucente
(2021 - 2022), Courtney Varallo (2021 - 2022), Riley Roque, B.S. (2021 - 2022), Caroline Kessler,
B.S. (2019 - 2022), Jimmy Wyngaarden (2020 - 2021), Madeleine Depagnier (2019-2021),
Jen Yang (2020 - 2019), Prinjasi Das (2020 - 2021), Caleb Haynes, B.S. (2019 - 2021),
Destiny Jean-Michel (2020 - 2021), Elizabeth Fulop (2019 - 2020), Jeremiah Muntazir
(2020 - 2021), Kataryna DeSanto (2020 - 2021), Priya Nigam (2020 - 2021), Anjali Sheth
(2020 - 2021), Danielle Caby (2020), Melanie Jacobson (2020), Carla Castillo (2019 -
2020), Alison Duffin (2020), Maya Rabinowitz (2020), Philip Figueroa (2020), Susanna
Casini (2019 - 2020), Tien Younger (2019 - 2020), Bernice Frempong (2019 - 2020),
Aaliyah Finnerud (2019 - 2020), Nathan Villanueva (2018 - 2020), Tiffany Duong (2019 -
2020), Rachel Carey (2018 - 2020), Alexandra Carpenter (2018-2020), Rachel Ore (2018-
2020), Ilana Liss (2019), Kelly Lee (2018-2019), Jennifer Dooher (2018 - 2019), Samantha
Fernandez (2018-2019), Nishi Patel (2019), Sarah Uddin (2019), Veronica Alday (2019),
Jared Chalfin (2019), Akshay Rajaram (2018-2019), Emily Seaman, B.S. (2018-2019),
Kenya Newsome (2018), Hayley Krieg (2018), Arron Hall (2018), Vidya Koesmahargyo
(2018), Ashley Tranquille (2018), Jillienne Mendoza, B.S. (2018), Justina Henein (2018),
Neesan Haider (2018), Aydan McCoy, B.S. (2017-2018), Alexa Demanuel (2017-2018),
Hsin (Sydney) Jaw, B.S. (2017-2018), Madison Thornton, B.S. (2017-2018), Samantha
Sommer, B.A. (2017-2018), Nicholas Leonetti, B.A. (2017-2018), Maliah West, B.S. (2017-
2018), Hung-Wei (Bernie) Chen (2016 - 2018), Sara Rosenquist (2018), Nikita Kohli
(2017-2018), Sarika Kokate, B.S. (2017-2018), Jordan Sternbach, B.S. (2017-2018),
Christine McIsaac, B.S. (2016-2018), Alison Pellecchia, B.A. (2016-2018), Brady Rainville,
M.A. (2017-2018), Lauren Hill, M.A. (2017-2018), Batool Mubashar (2017), Kate
Bartolotta, B.A. (2017-2018), Alexander Tairbekov (2017), Alex Rockwell (2017), Alexandra
Perez (2016-2017), Johnathan Mathai (2016), Dorothy McGee, B.A. (2016), Amanda
Rosati, B.A. (2015-2016), Kristy Lee, B.S. (2015-2016), Christian Hadjigeorgiou, B.S.
(2015-2017), Erin Gardner, M.A. (2016-2017), Hannah Grossman, M.A. (2016-2017),
Sara Bannon, PhD Student (2016-2017), Julia Feldman, PhD Student (2016-2017)