Post-doc
Christiana Butera, PhD, EdM
Dr. Butera is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Motor Development Lab at the University of Southern California Division of Biokinesiology. She received her PhD in Occupational Science from the University of Southern California at the Center for the Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition in the Brain and Creativity Institute. Prior to that she received her EdM in Mind, Brain, & Education from Harvard University, and graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in Psychology.
Dr. Butera is particularly interested in the connections between motor and socio-emotional networks in the brain, and how they relate to concepts of embodied cognition, empathy, identity, participation, and well-being. Her long-term goal is to bridge the gap between neuroscience discovery and evidence-based movement and exercise interventions that promote well-being in pediatric neurodevelopmental disability, and to validate, and disseminate those interventions in collaboration with practitioners.
PhD Students
Arya Salgaonkar
PhD Student 2021-present
Staff
Jessica Valle
Lab Manager
Jessica graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Education. During her time in undergrad, Jess was a research assistant in developmental psychology lab that sparked her interest in the world of research. Jess has been with us at the MDL since 2021 and has taken on the role of lab manager in 2023. As lab manager Jess wears many hats in our lab! She is our research coordinator, student supervisor and trainer, codes, manages data and much more. Jess has found an interest in managing different projects going on in the lab and has decided to enroll in her Master’s program here at USC for a degree in Project Management! Outside of lab Jess loves to spend time with her family and attend her nephew’s sporting events. She has coached a couple seasons of T-Ball and hopes to continue to do so!
Research Assistants
Claire Rhee
Claire is an undergraduate student at USC in the Class of 2022 majoring in neuroscience and minoring in dance. In the lab, Claire mostly works on behavioral coding, looking at baby posture, parent-child orientation, and problem-solving skills over a period of time for preterm infants. She is also working on a project that looks at the relationship between severity and location of brain injury and problem solving skills in very preterm infants, giving her the opportunity to study MRI images. Claire enjoys the wide range of projects in the MDL, learning about motor development in infants, and getting experience in the pediatric field. She hopes to attend medical school in the future and work in the field of pediatrics. Outside of the lab, Claire likes to dance, hike, and spend time with family and friends.