PhD Students
Kat Brown is from Clearwater, Florida and she is a graduate student who entered the Developmental, Social, and Health Psychology PhD program in Fall 2022. She has many research interests including improving mathematics education by alleviating students’ mathematics anxiety and by increasing sense of belonging in mathematics communities. Kat hopes to one day become a professor and continue her research. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her cats, going to community events, reading, and cooking.
Samuel Pearl
Senior Thesis Students
Sydney Gabhart is an undergraduate researcher double majoring in Psychology and Mathematics and is expected to graduate in May 2027. She has been a member of the CogDev Lab since January 2025, where she has worked on research examining learning, cognition, and analogy between math problems. Her research interests lie at the intersection of psychology and mathematics, particularly how people understand and learn abstract mathematical concepts and how analogies can help students make connections between familiar and unfamiliar ideas. Sydney hopes to pursue a PhD in cognitive psychology. Outside of research, she enjoys cooking, trying new coffee shops and foods, and being outdoors.
Liz Udoh is a junior undergraduate researcher from Louisville, Kentucky. She is pursuing a dual degree in Neuroscience and Psychology. She has been a member of the Cognitive and Development Lab since the spring of her freshman year and is currently leading her own project focused on developing interventions to help children conceptualize the number zero. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and continue pursuing research. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, shopping, and traveling to new places with friends and family.
Sara Clark is an undergraduate researcher, expected to graduate in December 2026. She has been in the CogDev lab since spring 2025 and has assisted project as well as leading her own research. She is interested in cognition and behavior as they relate to interpersonal relationships but also worked on research examining motivation and learning with fraction division. Sara hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical science after she graduates and pursue a career in research, academia, and counseling if possible! In her free time, she likes to read philosophy books and manga, go thrifting, and spend time with her pet bunny and cat!
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Kayla Hale is a senior undergraduate researcher who is majoring in Psychology. She has been working in the Cognitive Developmental Lab as a member of Kat Brown’s team since the Spring of 2024. Here, she assists Kat in her dissertation project researching the reduction and prevention of mathematics anxiety. After graduation, Kayla hopes to enroll in a Clinical Psychology PhD program to advance her goal of becoming a licensed clinical therapist. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, listening to music, baking, crafting with friends, and playing video games.
Spandana Mekala is an undergraduate researcher from Charleston, West Virginia. Spandana is a senior majoring in Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology with minors in Psychology and Biology. She joined the CogDev Lab in Fall of 2024 and currently leads her own project focusing on the connection between music and attention in academic settings. After graduation, Spandana hopes to attend medical school and become either a pediatrician or child psychiatrist. In her free time, she likes to sketch, dance, and explore Lexington with her friends.
Kylie Armstrong is a Senior undergraduate researcher from Brentwood TN, who is majoring in Secondary English Education. She has been a member of the Cognitive Development Lab since Spring 2025. She works on a project centering on teacher practices in math instruction and the development math anxiety. After graduation she hopes to stay at UK to obtain her masters and go on to teach high school English. In her free time she likes to draw, workout, read, and go to sporting events with her friends.
Shruti Patel is an undergraduate researcher majoring in Psychology with minors in Cognitive Science and Biology. She has been in the CogDev lab since Fall 2025 and has assisted in a project focusing on the connection between music and attention. After graduation, Shruti hopes to attend a Psy.D. Program concentrating on Neuropsychology and/or Health Psychology. She would like to become a Clinical Psychologist focused on Child and Adolescent populations. In her free time, she likes to journal/scrapbook, paint, and try new food spots in Lexington.
Addyson Miles
Sydney Robbins is an undergraduate researcher from Germantown, Wisconsin. Sydney is a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Development and Family Science. She joined the CogDev Lab in Fall 2026 with an interest in developmental psychology and enhancing students’ learning and cognitive development. She is also interning at Rosa Parks Elementary School where she will work with the Counseling Department in providing comprehensive student support across mental health and basic needs. After graduation, Sydney plans to obtain her master’s degree and LCP to become a therapist. In her free time, she loves to paint, read, and spend time with her friends.
Zoe Chapin is an undergraduate psychology major and sociology minor from Haslett, Michigan planning to graduate in Spring 2027. She joined the CogDev Lab in Fall 2026 and is interested in furthering her understanding of learning and different processes used throughout development. Zoe plans to pursue her PhD in psychology with a focus on learning and development to one day become a professor. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, spending time with friends, going to thrift stores, and listening to music.
Juliana Goshe is an undergraduate researcher from Findlay, Ohio. She is majoring in Psychology with minors in both Statistics and Italian, alongside a certificate in Structurally Responsive Mental Health Care. She joined the CogDev Lab in Fall of 2026. She is excited to join the CogDev Lab and study interpersonal relationships and the way that they interact with academics and the mindset of individuals. In the future, she hopes to be a pediatric clinical psychologist. When she is not studying, she enjoys reading, hiking, baking, and painting watercolors.
Melanie Ridley is an undergraduate researcher from Radcliff, Kentucky majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Criminology. Melanie is also a part of the Accelerated Masters Pathway Program for Education and Counseling Psychology and is expected to graduate in May of 2028. She joined the CogDev lab in the fall of 2026 and is super excited as she is interested in cognitive psychology, particularly how people think, learn, and build on what they already know. After graduation, Melanie intends to attend graduate school to work towards becoming a forensic psychologist or a researcher in the domain of forensic psychology. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, meeting new people, and hanging out with friends!
Hanna Humyak
Ian Galloway
Chelene Mbuyi Ngombo is an undergraduate majoring in psychology at the University of Kentucky. She is particularly interested in understanding how psychological processes influences behavior, relationships, and everyday experiences. After graduating, she hopes to pursue her master’s degree in counseling and eventually build a career focused on helping others through counseling work. Outside of school, she enjoys singing, listening to music, baking, watching shows and movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Preyas Patel I am from Owensboro, Kentucky. I am a junior majoring in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology with a minor in sociology. After graduation I hope to attend medical school and work towards become an Emergency Medicine Doctor or Psychiatrist. In my free time I like to play basketball, hangout with my roommates, and read.
Kurlly Mongbandi is an undergraduate researcher studying Psychology, expected to graduate in 2028 She is interested in developmental psychology, as well as cognition and behavior. Through her internship with MathCats, she has gained valuable experience and expanded her knowledge of psychology in an educational setting. Kurlly hopes to pursue a master’s degree after graduating and continue exploring her interests in psychology and research. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, thrift shopping, cooking new recipes, and spending time with friends and family.
Trinity Bolger is an undergraduate researcher from Chicago, Illinois. Trinity is currently a junior and majoring in Psychology. She joined the CogDev Lab and MathCats Fall of 2026. She is interested in Clinical and Behavioral Psychology. Trinity plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on adolescents. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, thrifting, and spending time with loved ones.
Tressy Tshiyamba