Research Staff
Rachelle Swan, Ph.D.
Project Manager
Rachelle received her doctorate in Human Development from her native county at the University of California, Irvine, where she studied father involvement and its impact on the child, marriage, and school community. She left academia to pursue a career in evaluation research but has recently returned to manage the iCAN Lab for Dr. Karalunas.
Rachelle's email: rachelle@purdue.edu
McKenzie Figuracion, B.S.
Graduate Student
McKenzie graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in Psychology. They are currently pursuing their Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Karalunas at Purdue University. McKenzie's research interests include how EEG biomarkers can be used to understand heterogeneity within ADHD and how these may be used to enhance access to clinical diagnosis.
McKenzie's email: mfigurac@purdue.edu
Gideon Miller, B.S.
Research Technician
Gideon graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a B.S. in Biostatistics in 2022 and is currently pursuing a joint master's degree in Statistics and Computer Science at Purdue. He enjoys applying statistical methodology to diverse fields and joined the iCAN Lab for a chance to help with research that can improve people's lives.
Gideon's email: mill3167@purdue.edu
Sarah Karalunas, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology
Licensed Psychologist (Oregon, #2414)
Sarah was born and raised in upstate NY. She completed her B.A. in Neuroscience at Hamilton College and received her Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from Pennsylvania State University with a Specialization in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. She is passionate about ensuring that all children and families have access to high-quality, evidence-based mental health care that addresses their unique needs and hopes her research can contribute to that goal.
Sarah's email: skaralunas@purdue.edu
Sydney Aller, B.S.
Research Technician
Sydney graduated from Saint Louis University with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She is working as a research technician in the iCAN Lab before applying to graduate school for Clinical Child Psychology. Sydney's research interests include academic outcome research with ADHD diagnoses as well as the development of accessible classroom and home interventions to best support students and their families.
Sydney's email: saller@purdue.edu
Josh Becerra, B.S.
Research Technician
Josh graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Psychology, minoring in Sociology. His studies focused on Criminology and Drug Use & Abuse. Josh has experience working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a licensed Applied Behavior Analyst, and he is currently building his resume for graduate school with his clinical interviewing experience from the iCAN Lab. Josh is still deciding between careers—will he pursue an M.S. in Counseling or Forensic Psychology?!
Josh's email: jibecerr@purdue.edu
Student Research Assistants
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Chandni "Maggie" Garg
Maggie is a sophomore majoring in Genetics with a minor in Biotechnology at Purdue University. At the iCAN Lab, she works on data analysis and modeling along with our Research Technician, Jason. Her passion for research combined with a zeal to apply theory to solve real-world problems makes her super excited to work hands-on in the biotechnology industry post-graduation.
Ethan Miyake
Ethan is a junior at Purdue University majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a pre-medicine concentration. He is very excited to join the iCAN team and looks forward to working with the children!
Jack Naumovich
Jack is a sophomore at Purdue University studying Health Science Pre-professional with a pre-medicine concentration. He is very excited to join the lab and gain experience working with children in preparation for a career in pediatrics.
Javier Camarillo
Javier Camarillo is a Junior at Purdue University studying Psychology along with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. He is excited to work in the iCAN lab to gain experience and pursue his ambition of becoming a clinical psychologist focused on children and adolescents.
Katelyn Macknyk
Katelyn is a senior at Purdue University studying Biochemistry and Brain & Behavioral Science. In addition to the iCAN lab, she works in a genetics research lab focused on the H2A.Z histone modification pathway in Arabidopsis plants, working to understand the CHD5 tumor suppression pathway in humans.
Madalyn Owen
Madalyn is a sophomore at Purdue University studying Brain and Behavioral Sciences. She joined the iCAN lab to gain experience with researching, as she hopes to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist.
Mia Griffin
Mia is a junior double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. She's looking forward to learning more about psychological research as that is what she plans to do for the future.
Olivia Hay
Olivia is a junior at Purdue University studying Brain and Behavioral Sciences. She joined the iCan lab to gain research experience in preparation for a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
Raiyana Alam
Raiyana is a freshman at Purdue University pursuing a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Psychology and a focus in pre-medicine. Her ultimate goal is to work in the field of pediatric medicine, so she joined the iCAN lab to gain more experience working with children .
Sarah Ramsey
Sarah is currently pursuing her B.S in Psychology and Human Development Family Sciences. After graduation she plans on attending graduate school for clinical psychology so she may reach her goal of becoming a clinical psychologist for teens and young adults. She chose the iCAN lab for the chance to work in a more interpersonal clinical setting to become more prepared for her future career.
William Heagerty
Will is a fun person that is getting his B.S. in Brain and Behavioral Sciences. He loves making the best of any situation and getting to know who he’s around. In the future Will plans on teaching abroad and eventually get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology.