Dr. Karen Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers, Newark and Director of the Stress Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN) Lab. Dr. Smith earned both
Mary is a Ph.D student in the Psychology department at Rutgers Newark. She earned her B.A. from Rutgers Newark majoring in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience. Afterwards she
Alex recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double-majoring in Psychology and Social Work. He is intrigued by the circumstantial factors that affect developing children’s perceptions of stress and studying
Katie holds a MA in Psychology from NYU and a BA in Psychology from Lehman College. Her research interests include the development of episodic memory, how failures of attention impact
Graduated Spring 2023 Major: Psychology Minor: Cognitive Neuroscience Arianna graduated from Rutgers Spring ’23, and has been a research assistant in the lab for a few months. Ever since she
Expected Graduation: Spring 2025 Major: Psychology Minors: Marketing, Health and Society Katherine chose the SPAN lab because she was interested to learn more about the neurological aspects of conducting psych
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026 Major: Neuroscience and Behavior A career goal of Janel’s is to become a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician. She joined the SPAN Lab because she is interested in what
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026 Major: Psychology Minor: Social Justice (HLLC) Gaby chose the SPAN Lab due to her experience working with children from diverse communities, which ignited her curiosity about factors
Expected Graduation: Spring 2025 Double-Major in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Luca is interested in how stress influences decision making and coping mechanisms, leading him to become involved with the SPAN