People

Professor Inge-Marie Eigsti, PhD

Department of Psychological Sciences
Co-director, T32 Cognitive Neuroscience of Communication-Connecticut Training Grant
Director, Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Dr. Eigsti is interested in finding links between social communication difficulties in autism spectrum disorder, and mechanistic processes in the brain, by examining low-level cognitive processes such as working memory and auditory processing that can be linked to genetic, neurophysiological or neuroanatomical domains. The aim is to better understand autism at multiple levels: molecular (genetic), neurofunctional (brain imaging), and behavioral (symptomatology). Dr. Eigsti received a dual Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Science from University of Rochester in 2001.

Current CV. See Publications page for downloads/pdfs. Contact: inge-marie.eigsti (AT) uconn.edu

Current (amazing!) students: Jason Crutcher, Becca Canale, Hannah O'Connor, Sarah Schillinger, Kelly Eggen, Seth Cutler

List of publications: NCBI list

Dr. Lue (Stella) Shen’s research focuses on investigating language and communication development in autistic children and teenagers. Using both naturalistic language sampling and standard language assessment, Stella is interested in characterizing expressive language abilities across the full spectrum of autistic children, from those who are nonverbal or minimally verbal to those who are verbally fluent. Currently, she is working on the Connect project to examine how different language assessments capture specific aspects of expressive language abilities and predict conversational success in autistic teenagers. In her future work, Stella aims to investigate how assessment tools can be adapted and integrated to more effectively capture language abilities in autistic children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Her goal is to ensure that these approaches align with and support the priorities and values of families and communities.

Former post-doc Kathryn Prescott's research investigates how individual child characteristics and cognitive mechanisms interact with specific features of the learning environment giving rise to structural language development in autistic children. The goal of this research is to better understand the heterogeneity in language ability across the spectrum and to provide personalized recommendations for speech-language therapy and environmental accommodations based on each child's unique profile of strengths and needs. Dr. Prescott is a certified speech-language pathologist with clinical experience in schools, early intervention, and outpatient pediatric clinical settings. Dr. Prescott is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at St. Xavier University.

Former postdoc Caroline Larson's research focuses on relationships between language and other cognitive factors in children with language disorders, including Developmental Language Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, with the long-term goal of improving differential diagnosis and treatment. She is now on the faculty at the University of Missouri.

Former postdoc Teresa Girolamo is now on the faculty of the Speech, Langua

ge, and Hearing Sciences department at San Diego State University. She directs the Brain, Environment, and Language Lab (BELL), which focuses on how individual differences in language, together with environmental influences, shape life outcomes for racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals. She uses behavioral methods and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, as well as community-based participatory approaches. The long-term objective of this work is to translate longitudinal knowledge into community-based supports.

Grad Students

Seth Cutler (2026)

Seth’s research interests include the neuroscience and assessment of language abilities in autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Previously, he worked at the NIH under Drs. Audrey Thurm and Daniel Pine supporting neuropsychological evaluations and using various imaging techniques to examine receptive language in autism.

Publications

Gu, Y., Cutler, S., Xie, X., & Kurumada, C. (2026). The accent atlas: A geolocation-based assessment of nonnative accent familiarity and linguistic diversity. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 33(3).

Kelly Eggen (2026)

Kelly’s research interests include examining the neurobiological basis of heterogeneity in social communication in autism, with a particular focus on producing inclusive neuroimaging research for autistic children with high support needs. Previously, she worked with Dr. Timothy Roberts at CHOP on a study examining auditory processing delay in profound autism utilizing MEG and MRI. Prior to that, she worked with Dr. Daniel Abrams at Stanford University on a study investigating speaker-listener brain synchronization between autistic and allistic neurotype dyads.

Sarah Schillinger (2025)

Sarah's research interests broadly include social language in autism, with a specific interest in sex differences in language in autism. Previously, Sarah worked with Julia Parish-Morris at the Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Publications

Cola, M., Schillinger, S., Lyons, M., Lee, A. L., Faulk, C., Covello, M., Fulop, E., Knox, A., Cho, S., Liberman, M. Y., Howard, N., Franke, H., Mulqueen, A., Pandey, J., Donaher, J., Schultz, R. T., Parish-Morris, J. (2026). Short Report: Sex-specific metrics for success: Gaps in social word use are bigger for autistic girls than boys. Autism, 0(0). DOI: 10.1177/13623613261417535.

Rebecca Canale (2021)

Rebecca (Becca)'s research interests include the cognitive and environmental factors underlying language and communication in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Previously, she worked with Richard Aslin at Haskins Laboratories (Yale University), coordinating behavioral and neuroimaging studies of language processing in neurotypical infants, children, and adults. Her F31-funded dissertation will examine individual differences in the temporal dynamics of spoken word recognition in autistic young adults .

Publications

Canale, R. (2022). The importance of statistical learning. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1, 68. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-00010-2

Girolamo, T., Butler, L., Canale, R., Aslin, R. N., & Eigsti, I. M. (2023). fNIRS studies of individuals with speech and language impairment underreport participant sociodemographics: A systematic review. Neuropsychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-023-09618-y (Preregistration doi: 10.31234/osf.io/akrcp)

McMurray, B., Sarrett, M. E., Chiu, S., Black, A. K., Wang, A., Canale, R., & Aslin, R. N. (2022). Decoding the temporal dynamics of spoken word and nonword processing from EEG. Neuroimage, 260, 119457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119457

Paltin, I., Sy, M., Lundy, S. M., Ayr-Volta, L. K., Canale, R., Fong, G., Kelly, J., Pfeifle, G. B., Quinton, T., Schofield, H.-L., & Warren, E. A. H. (2024). Neuropsychological late effects and quality of life outcomes in pediatric brain tumor survivors: Role of pediatric neurologists in monitoring and management. Pediatric Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2024.08.014

Sanchez-Alonso, S., Canale, R. R., Nichoson, I. F., & Aslin, R. N. (2023). Simultaneous data collection of fMRI and fNIRS measurements using a whole-head optode array and short-distance channels. Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), 200s, e65088. https://doi.org/10.3791/65088

Jason Crutcher (2018)

Before coming to UConn, Jason worked with Alex Martin at NIMH, studying how structural differences in the brain relate to abnormalities in language and social cognition for autistic individuals. His research interests include language dysfunction and the neural mechanisms underlying language abilities in autism. Jason is completing his clinical internship at IKW Health Center in Ontario, Canada.

Publications

Crutcher, J., Butler, E., Burke, J. D., Naigles, L., Fein, D. A., & Eigsti, I. M. (2023). Pragmatic language and associations with externalizing behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those who have lost the ASD diagnosis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 108, 102252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2023.102252

Eigsti, I. M., Thomas, R. P., Stabile, M., Mohan, A., Dieckhaus, M. F. S., Crutcher, J., Taverna, E., & Fein, D. A. (2022). Online administration of the ADOS for research with adolescents and adults in response to the pandemic. Autism Res, 15(10), 1909-1916. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2791

Larson, C., Thomas, H. R., Crutcher, J., Stevens, M. C., & Eigsti, I.-M. (2023). Language Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review of connectivity-based fMRI studies. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-023-00382-6

2024-2025	Chloe Kardoos Rachael Roizer Wilfred Wisdom Hannah Jacob Keerthi Uppalapati Sage Luna	2025-2026	Olivia Sztemberg Emily Messina Riley Burch Luke Berthelot Faith Chambers	2026-2027	Luke Berthelot Elijah Edwards Natalie Estrella Jessica Pesiri Lily Ruter
2021-2022	Margaux Acorda Aditi Sirsikar Karina Patel Amanda Yagan Chinedu Nwko	2022-2023	Karina Patel Marissa Birmingham Olivia Kapustka Talia Szozda Alyssa Daniels Alexis Trojahn	2023-2024	Marissa Birmingham Karina Patel Malak Nechnach Chloe Kardoos David Gyamfi Rachael Roizer Wilfred Wisdom
2020-2021	Margaux Acorda Jacey Anderson Aditi Sirsikar	2014-2015	Parah Shah Didem Ozcan Morgan Smith Ryan Morris	2009-2010	Caitlin Dombrowski (Honors) Jose Casares Danielle Loughrey Liz Tzatkin Kathryn Post Juliana Hartley (Honors)
2019-2020	Klaudia Ptaszek Harkaran Dhillon Jacey Anderson Aditi Sirsikar	Summer 2014	Molly Waterhouse Griffen Burrows	2008-2009	Justine Marsh Ashley Lepack Terry Gustafson Lauren Long
2019-2018	Anusha Mohan Ariana Caruso Roisin Healy Holly Labrecque Regina Weissenberg	2013-2014	Emily Thompson (SURF grant, Honors) Katy Piotrowski (Honors)	2007-2008	Jessica St. Pierre David Roy David Morrow Heather Washburn Kim Markoff Kim Hayhurst Stefanie Riegler
2017-2018	Ariana Caruso Holly Labrecque Regina Weissenberg Abigail Sapiro Sindhu Dokuru	2012-2013	Christopher Andrade Allison Fitch Amanda Makol Emily Thompson	2006-2007	Kayla Marot Mark Rogalski Melissa Martinez Corey Alexa Tuhina Joseph
2016-2017	Parah Shah Snigdha Wadhwa Sindhu Dokuru Tanya Rao Caitlin Emmett Meghan Robitaille	2011-2012	Christopher Andrade Allison Fitch Amanda Makol Emily Thompson Bonnie Stas	2005-2006	Lauren Czepizak Cara Orazietti Judith Shulman Stephanie Ceniccola
2015-2016	Parah Shah Morgan Smith Ryan Morris Snigdha Wadhwa Sindhu Dokuru Molly Waterman (IGERT Program Assistant) Jessa Sahl	2010-2011	Elira Fifo, 2010 Danielle Daley (Honors) Kaitlin De Yoe (Honors, SURF award) Karissa Burgess Sonia Altavilla Abby Morriso	2004-2005	Nojan Bakhtiari Lisa Cataudella Jessica Bennett Kelly Chang

Solène Jaspard (2023), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels. Supported by a Belgian-American Educational Foundation award. Her PhD project focuses on the effect of input variability on word learning in autism

Marielle Weyland (2022), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels. Marielle Weyland is speech-therapist. She is currently a PhD student at Université Libre de Bruxelles within the ACTE project. Her research focuses on analyzing early vocal production of infant with high likelihood of ASD.