Olivia Biehl is a doctoral student in the Audiology program at UConn. She graduated in 2021 from UConn with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. She will be completing her capstone research project in the Auditory Brain Research Lab. She is most looking forward to learning more about the research process and contributing to meaningful work in the lab.

Rachel Corsetti, AuD, is a recent graduate of the audiology doctoral program at UConn. She is currently working as a Research Audiologist in the lab and studying blood-based biomarkers of hearing loss and its associated conditions. Before joining the team at UConn, she worked as a Research Technician within the Antimicrobial Discovery Center at Northeastern University, developing high-throughput droplet microfluidics screening platforms to discover novel natural products. Rachel earned her bachelor’s in Biology: Health Science and Chemistry from Emmanuel College.

Janet Desmarais is the current lab manager for the ABR Lab and studies the effects of bilingualism and musicianship on the auditory system. Janet formerly taught physics and Spanish in the US and English in Peru. She also previously worked as a program coordinator and office manager in a Hartford-based non-profit and in higher education settings including Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Medicine. Janet holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Rochester and completed a master’s degree in speech language pathology at UConn in 2023. Her personal and clinical interests include singing, cultural and linguistic diversity, speech science, and gender-affirming voice and communication.

Emma Forbes is currently working as a Graduate Assistant in the lab. She spends most of her time in the lab analyzing the vestibulocochlear and facial nerves through MRI images to identify changes with aging. Emma graduated from Luther College in northeastern Iowa in December of 2022 with a neuroscience degree and is now pursuing her Doctorate of Audiology at UConn. She is currently a fourth-year completing her clinical externship at Connecticut Children’s.

Lauren Gallisá-Rosado is currently a third-year AuD student completing her capstone project in the Auditory Brain Research Lab. Lauren graduated from UConn in the spring of 2021 with a BA in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. After working for the University of South Florida’s Hearing and Balance Center as well as the Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials Lab, she returned to UConn to pursue her Doctorate of Audiology in the fall of 2024. Through her time in the ABR lab, Lauren hopes to expand on her knowledge and passions in the field of audiology through research endeavors.

Misha Izydorczak is a doctoral student in the Audiology program at UConn, where they also completed their undergraduate degree in Psychology. During their undergraduate studies, they joined Dr. Whitney Tabor’s Solab and continued working as a research assistant for ten years at both the John B. Pierce Laboratory and UConn Health, where they are still currently employed. They are now completing their capstone research project at the Auditory Brain Research Lab, contributing to projects exploring the impacts of musical training on audition.

Annalise Kieley is the Communications and Logistics Manager for the ABR Lab, supporting projects that examine the effects of aging and musicianship on cognitive and auditory functioning. She is a graduate student at Emerson College’s Speech@Emerson online program, working towards her master’s degree in Communication Disorders with plans to practice as a licensed speech-language pathologist.

Alexa Kolias received her AuD from Northwestern University in 2020 and is an ASHA-certified clinical audiologist (CCC-A). Prior to pursuing her PhD, she worked as a research assistant with the Regional Hearing Conservation team at the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory in Groton, CT. Her research interests include hearing conservation, hearing protection device (HPD) fit testing, impact of HPDs on localization and speech intelligibility, auditory training under HPDs, and the use of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) as early indicators of cochlear changes in college music students. In her current lab rotation in the ABR Lab, she is conducting data analyses examining whether music exposure profiles, hearing health knowledge, and HPD use predict DPOAE signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in musicians.

Tony Thomas is a Doctor of Audiology student working as a Graduate Assistant in the ABR lab. He graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 2025 with a double major in Linguistics and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and a certificate in Cognitive Science. Tony is most looking forward to contributing to a diverse array of projects and further exploring the various contributing environmental and individual factors of hearing loss. 

Franky Zhang is a PhD candidate in Statistics at the UConn and a Graduate Assistant in the Auditory Brain Research Lab. He earned his MS in Statistics from Boston University in January 2023. In the lab, Franky focuses on statistical analysis, using data-driven methods to uncover patterns, quantify variability, and support research on hearing and auditory function. He is especially interested in learning more about auditory science while exploring how statistical modeling and modern data analysis can be applied to complex, real-world research questions.

Nicolas Burke is a senior at UConn studying biomedical engineering with a pre-med track. This is his first research experience where he will be joining the team as a volunteer research assistant and is hoping to gain skills that will be helpful in medical school. He is interested in learning about auditory science as well as how research relating to this field is conducted. He is excited to help out in any and all studies in the ABR lab.

Alexa Calegari is a senior at UConn and an undergrad research assistant in the lab. She is studying speech, language, and hearing sciences, with a minor in music. Alexa is excited to learn about the cognitive mechanisms involved in the aging process, music perception, and bilingualism.

Daisey Delgado recently graduated from UConn with a bachelor’s in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She plans to go to graduate school for speech language pathology. Daisey hopes to better understand how bilingualism affects an individual’s perception of sound and language while also improving her skills as a researcher.

Christopher Smith is a junior at UConn with a physiology and neurobiology major. In addition to being accepted in the Honors Program at the University, he is pursuing the pre-med track. Joining the lab in an independent study, Christopher hopes to further refine his STEM skills and knowledge in neuroscience. The interactions between music and the brain fascinate him, spurring his desire to delve more deeply into the topic.

Téa recently graduated from UConn with a bachelor’s in Physiology and Neurobiology, along with Psychological Sciences. Téa was a McNair Scholar under the CAPS McNair Research program, where she is conducted research on hearing health amongst first responders in emergency healthcare settings and barriers to care as a result. Téa is also fascinated with bilingualism and the processing of languages following her study-abroad experience in Thailand and speaking Albanian at home. Outside of research, Téa has worked in a level-one trauma center and is an EMT in her hometown. She is working to pursue a career in research and medicine as a physician.

Chrystel Valcin is a junior majoring in psychological sciences at the University of Connecticut. She will be joining the lab as an apprentice through the CAPS Program and is excited to build strong research skills while contributing to helping the lab run smoothly by actively supporting the team with strong organization and administrative skills. Chrystel is especially interested in learning more about the relationship between music and the brain and hopes to explore how auditory experiences shape thinking and behavior. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Chrystel plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to continue her research training and deepen her understanding of human behavior.

Maya Vallejo is a sophomore at UConn pursuing a Math and Chemistry dual degree with a music minor. Maya is a Stamps Scholar and Holsters Scholar in the Honors Program. She is most interested in the connections between musical training and auditory function, and is excited to be exploring these topics through an independent study with the Skoe Lab.

Caleb Buestan is a senior at East Hampton High School, in East Hampton, NY. He is enrolled in a Science Research program affiliated with the University at Albany. He is interested in the differences in cerebral structure between musicians and non-musicians, as well as bilinguals and monolinguals. He is now focusing specifically on the Corpus Callosum and, with the help of Dr. Skoe, has begun to segment it using an anatomical segmentation software. He is very excited to continue to work with Dr. Skoe.

Nina Mori is a senior at Ossining High School in Ossining, NY, and is enrolled in the Science Research program. She is studying noise exposure levels in adolescent musicians and non-musicians within her high school. She will focus on discovering if students are at risk for developing noise induced hearing losses. She plans to administer hearing tests and track noise exposure levels with equipment that her mentor, Dr. Skoe, has provided for her. Nina is excited to be working with Dr. Skoe and learning more about audiology.