09/30/2026
Please welcome our new PhD cohort!
(left to right)
Bhavya, Juli, Ellie, Emily, and Colton!
Here's a bit about them!
Bhavya: Bhavya earned her bachelor’s in Psychology from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, researching how early relationships relate to neurobiology and socioemotional outcomes. At DU, she is pursuing a PhD in Developmental Psychology with Drs. Elysia Davis and Jena Doom, exploring these questions from the perinatal period onward.
Juli: Juli earned her B.S. from Loyola University Chicago and recently worked as a post-bac research associate at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Her research examines how individual and neighborhood adversity contribute to sex-specific pathways underlying ADHD symptoms and broader biophysiological outcomes. She chose DU to continue working with Dr. Z and learn neuroendocrinology from Dr. Jena Doom.
Ellie: Ellie (she/her/hers) earned her BA in Psychology and MA in Clinical Trauma Psychology from UCCS. Her research spans cognitive development, childhood experiences, regulation and health, interpersonal violence, PTSD, and substance use. She chose DU for its clinical child and community-engaged focus and the opportunity to work with Dr. Anne DePrince and the Traumatic Stress Studies lab.
Emily: Emily earned her BA in Neuroscience from Bates College in 2024 and worked in the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital. She then spent two years as a research assistant on the HEALthy Brain and Child Development study. She chose DU to work with faculty passionate about perinatal mental health and receive clinical training in developmental psychopathology.
Colten: Colten studied Psychology and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Vanderbilt University, conducting research with Drs. Kathryn Humphreys and Bunmi Olatunji. He then spent two years as a lab manager at Princeton. His research focuses on understanding and reducing LGBTQ+ health disparities, and he chose DU to work with Dr. Nicholas Perry and other faculty toward that goal.
