DEREK HOUSTON, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator | CV

Dr. Houston received his doctorate in cognitive psychology from Johns Hopkins University in 2000, focusing on how typically developing infants segment words from fluent speech and recognize words across different talkers. After graduating, he constructed the world’s first laboratory to investigate the speech perception and language skills of deaf infants who receive cochlear implants at Indiana University. Since then, his work (supported by NIDCD) has investigated the role of early auditory experience and parent-child interactions on cognitive, linguistic, and social building blocks of language development. He also engages in community-based participatory research aimed at addressing barriers families face in obtaining high-quality early intervention services for their children.

TORRI ANN WOODRUFF-GAUTHERIN, Ph.D.

Research Scientist | CV

Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin received her PhD in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Connecticut in 2022. She has conducted research implementing both qualitative and quantitative methods to look at drivers behind access to early intervention for children who are D/deaf and Hard of hearing. She is passionate about language access across all modalities. In her free time, Torri Ann enjoys hiking with her family and trying allergy safe baked goods!

NARINDRA ANDRISOAMAMPIANINA

Lab Manager

Narindra received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Lafayette College in 2023. She oversees the lab's major projects, including the HELLO Lab's Parent Infant Eye tracking (PIE) Project and community engagement and outreach events. In her role at the HELLO Lab, she is particularly interested in understanding how children who are D/deaf and hard of hearing acquire language. Her goal is to come back to her home country in Madagascar and utilize her knowledge and skills to help children with special needs have better access to education. Narindra loves to read, go out, and travel when she is not working.

KAITLYN TESTA, Ph.D.

CV

Kaitlyn received her PhD in Psychology from Florida International University in 2025. She has conducted research on maternal responsiveness and infant distractibility and how they relate to child language development. Her research interests include how parent behaviors during interactions with their children and child attention skills differ based on child hearing status as well as how parent behaviors and child attention skills may facilitate language learning in children with cochlear implants. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys reading, playing video games, and working out.

Office Location: HDC 104

JULIETTE RANELLI

Au.D. Student

Juliette is a graduate student from New Haven. She graduated from UConn in 2024 with a major in Speech Language & Hearing Sciences. She works as a graduate research assistant in the HELLO Lab. She is interested in learning more about the language experiences of kids with cochlear implants. In her free time, Juliette enjoys going on walks, playing ball with her dog and going down Zillow rabbit holes.

PRECIOUS-JANAE ROMAIN

Ph.D. / MA SLP Student

Precious-Janae received her B.A. from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2023, with a major in Linguistics, minor in Psychology and certification in Speech & Hearing Sciences. Precious-Janae entered the doctoral program in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences at University of Connecticut in the fall of 2023. Her research interests include spoken language development and acquisition in children with hearing loss, bilingualism, auditory and speech perception in language learning, and American Sign Language (ASL). In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, playing video games, and dancing.

GRISHMA SUDHARSHANAN

Grishma is a rising Sophomore Honors student at the University of Connecticut majoring in Nutritional Sciences. She is passionate about healthcare, nutrition education, and improving access to health information for underserved communities. As a 2026 Summer SHARE Research Apprentice, Grishma is excited to contribute to the Parent-Infant Eye-Tracking (PIE) Project. She hopes to pursue a career in healthcare where she can combine patient care, research, and community outreach. Outside of school, Grishma works as an EMT and enjoys teaching CPR and Stop the Bleed courses to members of her community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on long hikes and runs, and exploring new opportunities.

COOPER ARMOGIDA

Cooper is dedicated to helping others through education. His teachers have had a significant impact on him throughout his life, so his goal is to become a professor of psychology to have that same impact on other students. Cooper is a McNair scholar working full-time in the lab during the summer of 2026 and is a rising senior at the University of Connecticut majoring in Psychology and minoring in Philosophy. In addition to volunteering at the HELLO Lab, Cooper is also the head RA of UConn KIDS, and serves as a teaching assistant for Intro to Psychology and Psychology of Women. In his free time, Cooper can often be found playing basketball, lifting weights at the UConn Rec, or spending time in nature. 

MUSKAN SAHOO

Muskan is a rising sophomore double majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB) and Sociology, and minoring in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS). She is a SHARE Program apprentice for Summer 2026 and an honors student on the premed track. She hopes to enter a medical profession to work with children. She is also EMT certified and DV certified and is a camp counselor for adolescents who have survived DV. One of her hobbies is dance, both American (jazz, ballet, hip hop) and Indian (odissi, bollywood). In her free time, Muskan loves to bake and make various types of lattes with her Keurig machine. Her biggest goal is to continue to grow and become a pediatric doctor!

CARMELA CARBONE

Carmela is a senior at Wesleyan University, majoring in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and Education Studies. She is a McNair scholar working full-time in the lab during the summer of 2026 and will be completing her honors thesis on identity development of college students who are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) through literacy practices. Carmela’s plans after graduation are to enter an Audiology (AuD) program! Outside the classroom, Carmela leads the Black Undergraduate Medical Association at her school and loves dancing, baking, and spending time at the beach!

HANSIKA SUBRAMANIAN

Hansika is a rising Junior double majoring in Speech Language Hearing Sciences (SLHS) and American Sign Language (ASL). She applied to work in the HELLO Lab because she was curious about the PIE project and wanted to learn more about the research side of this field. Her ultimate 'dream job' would be to work at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in the Level IV Nicu as a speech language pathologist (SLP) in her home state of New Jersey and continue to use ASL in her daily life. Outside of her passion for SLHS and ASL, she loves to travel and spend time with her friends. She is excited to continue to learn about the amazing world of SLHS and ASL and is ready to work hard to be the best SLP that she can be!

MIYA KINNEY

Miya is a rising Senior at the University of Connecticut, double majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science and Interpreting Between American Sign Language and English. She hopes to become a Speech Language pathologist, working with children who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing to provide them with resources to reach their goals. She also hopes to become an ASL interpreter. In her free time,  Miya loves to run, bake, spend time with friends/family and go on hikes. 

BIANCA (B.) HRISCU

CECELIA NIGRI

Cecelia is a rising Senior student at the University of Connecticut, Majoring in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Psychological Sciences. She is passionate about a person's ability to communicate and portray themselves authentically.  Cecelia aspires to work as a Speech Language pathologist with patients who have fluency and neurological disorders. Cecelia has experience in leadership and early childhood education and uses those experiences to take a creative perspective towards research. Outside of school, Cecelia enjoys spending time in nature, going for hikes, doing yoga, and cooking and baking, all in good company.