People of COLAB
Lab Director
Dr. Sarah Edmunds |
Dr. Sarah Edmunds is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington and completed her predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center and postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is glad to be back in the south, where she grew up. At USC, Dr. Edmunds is a member of the CAN autism excellence initiative. She is also a member of the RISE research network’s implementation science team. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, theatre, and cooking for her friends. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Graduate Students
Alayna BorowyAlayna graduated from Ohio State University with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in May of 2017. Before starting at USC, Alayna worked at Ohio State University Nisonger Center for the Families and Early Intervention Research Lab. She is currently pursuing her PhD in School Psychology at USC and is interested in understanding early social-emotional communication in young autistic children and implementation of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions within community settings. In her free time, Alayna loves to explore coffee shops and play with her dog!
Maya RenaudMaya received her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and ABA from Nova Southeastern University. At that time, she also served as an ESE teacher at a preschool for Autistic children. Most recently, Maya was a research coordinator with the Summer Treatment Program working with children with ADHD. Maya is interested in Autism and co-occurring conditions and how mental/emotional health services are integrated into community settings. In her free time Maya enjoys reading, crafting, and live music.
Kim TenaKim earned her BA in Psychology and Sociology from Stony Brook University. She is a former teacher and has collaborated with investigators and autistic community members on a variety of projects as an alum of the Miller Lab (UC Davis) and SoAL Lab (CHOP). Kim is interested in the ways perceived sociocultural norms interact and erect barriers to clinical diagnoses and eligibility to receive school-based support services under IDEA. You can find Kim listening to NPR Tiny Desk concerts and befriending the neighborhood cats!
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Quentin WedderburnQuentin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a psychology major and a history minor. He is interested in studying barriers and facilitators to inclusive classroom settings for autistic youth. In his free time, he enjoys learning how to play the bass and running long distance!
Dylan WongDylan is an international student from Singapore. He received his BA in Psychology from Reed College. Before coming to USC in Fall 2022, he worked at the Oregon Social Learning Center in Dr. Lisa Saldana’s team, focusing on implementation science research. He is now a PhD student in Clinical-Community Psychology, co-advised by Prof. Bret Kloos and Prof. Sarah Edmunds. His research spans broadly across the spectrum of program development, implementation/scale-up, and evaluation, involving programs in content areas such as homelessness, global mental health, and health promotion. He is especially interested in developing methodology bridging the intersection between community psychology and implementation science. In his free time, you might find him at the USC Chess Club or learning to play his guitar.
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Undergraduate Research Assistants
Gracie CornsGracie is currently a Junior in the Honors College at the University of South Carolina. She is majoring in Psychology (BA) and minoring in Criminal Justice and Spanish. In the future, she hopes to obtain her Ph.D. or Psy.D. and become a clinical psychologist and work with children.
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Sarai DeeseSarai is a senior in the Honors college working toward a dual degree in Psychology (B.S.) and Public Health (B.A.). She has a passion for rural and family health. In the future, she wants to get her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and wants to be a children's therapist with a family focus.
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Zoe RogersZoe is a junior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Psychology (BA) with a minor in Counseling. With passions for understanding dissociative disorders, ASD, and ADHD, they hope to achieve a Ph.D. in clinical psychology so they can conduct further research in these areas and bring awareness to the misconceptions about these disorders!
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Rani SheltonRani is currently a sophomore at the University of South Carolina. She is double majoring in Psychology and English with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. In the future, she hopes to obtain her Ph.D. or Psy.D. and become a clinical psychologist.
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Alumni: Research Staff
Katie Rowland was a Research Coordinator with COLAB from 2022-2024. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in December 2021 with a double major in Psychology and English. Her research interests include studying the etiology of emotion regulation and increasing the accessibility of intervention and supports for autistic children and teens. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, working with Dr. Laura Klinger.
Alumni: Undergraduate Students
Laney Hankins
Kendall Dinkins
Kynslea Philcox
Tatum
Emily Thomas
Kendall Dinkins
Kynslea Philcox
Tatum
Emily Thomas