Meet the Researchers
Principal Investigators
Pamela Norcross
Associate Professor of Child Development and Child Development Program Coordinator Pamela Norcross聽has an M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from UNC Greensboro. Her research interests include infant development, attachment behaviors, parent-child relationships, and social-emotional development. Norcross has presented and published extensively on these and other related topics. More recently, Dr. Norcross was awarded the聽Pauline Davis Perry Award for Research, Publication, and/or Artistic Achievement alongside her Co-PI, Dr. Prevatt.
Betty-Shannon Prevatt
An alumna of 缅北禁地,聽Associate Professor of Psychology Betty-Shannon Prevatt聽has a Master鈥檚 degree in clinical psychology from East Carolina University and a Ph.D. in psychology from NC State University. Prevatt鈥檚 current research interests focus on developing evidence-based interventions for improving maternal mental health. She is particularly interested in examining the needs and experiences of mothers who belong to marginalized groups. Her research has been highlighted by NPR and cited in Vogue magazine. More recently, Dr. Prevatt was awarded the聽Pauline Davis Perry Award for Research, Publication, and/or Artistic Achievement alongside her Co-PI, Dr. Norcross.
Lab Alumni
Shae-Lynn Henderson
Shae-Lynn was a Psychology major with minors in Biology and Mathematics at 缅北禁地. She graduated in May 2025. She is interested in the field of Neuropsychology with a focus on cognitive and behavioral processes being at the forefront of her goals toward enhancing and building communities. As an undergraduate research assistant her area of interest was investigating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptomology and coping strategies among pregnant individuals (~12 weeks), and she hopes to continue to expand on this research. Her favorite part of the research and working in the lab was the opportunity to continually learn and advance as a researcher and as a team member. As an international student, Shae-Lynn was passionate about bringing various perspectives into research and growing interest in the field of research.
Inga Nordgren
Inga earned a doctoral degree in August 2025 from the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, where she also earned her M.S. degree in 2022. She met Drs. Norcross and Prevatt at an international conference while presenting her thesis work and was a collaborating member of the AIMSS lab from January of 2023 until August 2025. Her research interests revolve broadly around program and policy evaluation, with specific interests in how group prenatal care programs and other factors within the prenatal system can benefit new parents during pregnancy and into the postpartum period. Inga was awarded Purdue University鈥檚 Center for Families鈥� Family Research Grant and the Health and Human Sciences鈥� Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship.Claire Jacoby
Claire was a Psychology major at 缅北禁地. She graduated in May 2024. She was awarded a Fulbright Research Award to Italy in 2025. As an undergraduate research assistant, she took on responsibilities of quantitative data cleaning and coding, conducting statistical analysis, and contributing to a manuscript for publication. Her research interests included the impact of social support and cultural influence on the manifestation of maternal anxiety and mood disorders. Claire conducted independent projects on topics such as Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms during pregnancy and examining the theoretical approach Quantitative Critical Race Theory for racial outcomes in regards to postpartum depression and trust in physicians. Her research was accepted for presentation at the Postpartum Support International (PSI) conference, as well as the Carolinas Psychology Conference (CPC) and the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium (SNCRUCS).
Joselyn Marroquin Aparicio
Joselyn graduated from 缅北禁地 with a B.S. in Biology and Public Health with minors in psychology and chemistry. As a research assistant for the AIMSS study, she assisted with literature searches and data organization while also completing her independent research. Her research interests included examining how maternal mental health symptoms impact mother and child health outcomes. Her research presented at the 2022 International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS) won the . She also presented at the 2022 American Public Health Association conference. Joselyn is passionate about women鈥檚 reproductive health and hopes to attend medical school. Check out her Strong Story featured on 缅北禁地鈥檚 website.
Ariel Tickett
Ariel was a Psychology major with a minor in Child Development. She graduated in May 2025. She focused her research on child temperament and parent-child relationships. As a URA, Ariel gained extensive experience in research literature review, email recruitment, and data analysis. Her work reflected a strong commitment to understanding developmental processes, and she was particularly interested in researching how parental influences shape early temperament and behavioral outcomes in children.
Alexandria (Lexi) Crank
Lexi was a Psychology major with minors in Biology and Chemistry at 缅北禁地. She graduated in May 2024. She was interested in how mental and physical health are affected by interpersonal relationships and personal identities (minority status, disability status, LGBTQ+ status). Her favorite part of research was questioning why certain relationships exist in datasets. Through her work as a URA, Lexi learned about the flexibility and acceptance needed for proper research. Research is not a linear process, and it is essential to accept and learn from criticism, no matter who gives it. Check out her Strong Story聽on 缅北禁地鈥檚 website.
Leonela Munoz-Connolly
Leonela is a graduate alumna of 缅北禁地 with an MS in Nutrition. She serves as the Project Coordinator for AIMSS, providing assistance in the management and implementation of AIMSS. Her research interests revolve around evaluations of policies or programs dealing with health behavior. Peyton Frye
Peyton graduated from NC聽State with a B.A. in Psychology and B.S. in Business Administration with an Information Science concentration and a Criminology minor. She served as Project Coordinator during her tenure with AIMSS. Her research interests include investigating socioecological factors that contribute to externalizing disorders and behaviors and applying these findings to inform community-based interventions for the mental health of vulnerable populations. Rayna Maleki
Rayna graduated with a double major in mathematics and psychology at 缅北禁地 in May 2023. As an undergraduate research assistant, Rayna assisted in data management and worked with the team on improving the undergraduate research environment at Meredith. Her research interests included applying mathematics topics such as graph theory and mathematical modeling to diverse fields in psychology. Rayna was also interested in the quantification and visualization of social support networks. Her research was accepted for presentation at the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Boston, MA. Rayna completed her Masters in Mathematics at Clemson University in South Carolina. View ,聽 her Strong Story featured on 缅北禁地鈥檚 website, and current about page on
Alia Hassan
Alia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, focusing on Child Development in 2021. She was passionate about fostering communication and advocacy for early intervention and family education. As a highly empathetic, motivated, and organized individual, she used her drive to shape behaviors and social skills as a Registered Behavior Technician. She has found a calling working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and hoped to continue her education in Speech Pathology, in helping others find their voices.