Dr. Julia Nikolaeva is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Word Learning Laboratory, directed by Dr. Karla McGregor. She earned her Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University. Her dissertation research characterized developmental trajectories of spoken vocabulary growth during toddlerhood and examined how these distinct pathways relate to later language abilities. Dr. Nikolaeva’s primary research interest is improving early detection of developmental language disorder (DLD). She aims to develop equitable, clinically applicable methods for identifying toddlers who may benefit from early support, informed by the lived experiences of individuals with DLD, their families, and the professionals who support them. At Boys Town, she integrates her expertise in toddler development and DLD to advance early identification practices.

Dr. Brandy Hollins, Au.D., Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow co-mentored by Dr. Kristen Janky in the Vestibular and Balance Laboratory and Dr. Andrew Wagner at Creighton University. Brandy completed her Doctorate of Audiology at the University of Pittsburgh in 2022. In 2026 she completed a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at James Madison University, where her dissertation examined the predictive role of stigma on participation outcomes in chronic vestibulopathy. At Boys Town, Brandy is involved in research examining test-retest reliability of vestibular tests in children, exploring vestibular dysfunction in cystic fibrosis, and the connection between motion perception and pediatric populations.

Dr. Emma Libersky is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Language in Motion Laboratory with Dr. Lisa Goffman. She completed her PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin—Madison; her dissertation explored the impact of speech disfluencies on language processing and word learning in children. Dr. Libersky's research centers around the question of how variability in the learning environment and the learner interact to shape language outcomes. She is particularly interested in the impacts of speech disfluencies, bilingualism, and developmental language disorder on language acquisition. You can learn more about Dr. Libersky's work here.    

Dr. Lee Evans completed postdoctoral research training in the Written Language Lab directed by Dr. Krystal Werfel. Dr. Evans completed his doctoral training in Developmental Psychology at the University of Connecticut under the primary mentorship of Dr. Letty Naigles. As a member of UConn’s Neurobiology of Language Program, his cross-disciplinary mentor was Dr. Erika Skoe from the department of Speech, Language Hearing Sciences. His work at UConn examined the impact of neural encoding integrity and phonological, semantic, and syntactic abilities in autistic and typically developing children. At Boys Town, Dr. Evans built on his prior work to examine the relationship between encoding integrity and language development in children with hearing loss and developmental dyslexia and examined the relationship between neural encoding and cortical processing of speech.

Dr. Erica Lescht completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Boys Town National Research Hospital. She received her B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences and M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from University of Maryland and her Ph.D. in Communication Science and Disorders from University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests focus on the development of language and executive function skills in children, with a focus on children who stutter.

Dr. Devon P. Major is an assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at James Madison University. Dr. Major completed her T32 postdoctoral fellowship under the co-mentorship of Drs. Kaylah Lalonde and Monita Chatterjee. Prior, Dr. Major completed her Au.D. and Ph.D. in audiology at Syracuse University. Broadly, Dr. Major's research program investigates how diverse sensory experiences early in childhood shape social and emotional communication.