COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE
NEURODEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH
(CANDY) LABORATORY
Giorgia Picci, PhD
Director, CANDY Laboratory, Boys Town National Research Hospital
Assistant Clinical Professor, Creighton UniversityPostdoctoral Fellow – Boys Town National Research Hospital (2023)
Postdoctoral Fellow – Pennsylvania State University (2021)
PhD – Developmental Psychology, Pennsylvania State University (2018)
BA – Psychology, George Mason University (2012)
Giorgia Picci, PhD, is the Director of the Cognitive Affective Neurodevelopment in Youth (CANDY) Laboratory in the Institute for Human Neuroscience. Dr. Picci is a developmental neuroscientist interested in how early life experiences (e.g., child abuse, neglect, discrimination) shape neurodevelopment and mental health outcomes. She has authored over 28 peer-reviewed publications, featured in premier outlets such as PNAS, Psychological Science, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, and Neuroimage. Her work emphasizes examining multiple levels of biology to answer her research questions, including hormones, s/fMRI, and MEG.
During her PhD at Penn State University, Dr. Picci’s work was among the first to demonstrate that puberty impacts the human visuoperceptual system; in her NSF-funded work, she showed that pubertal development induces a shift toward enhanced processing of peer faces. As a post-doc, Dr. Picci’s research focused on 1) normative patterns of neurodevelopment, including effects of pubertal hormones and 2) how early life stress may modify neurodevelopmental trajectories and risk for psychopathology. Her research lab is currently focused on integrating these questions to understand how the confluence of childhood trauma and pubertal development impacts adolescents’ neural structure and function as well as adaptation to life. In her downtime, she enjoys embroidery, reading a good book, and cooking with her husband.
Publications: 28+
Amelia Holt, BA
Research Assistant I
CANDY LabBA – Psychology & Graphic Design, Northwestern College
Amelia Holt is in the CANDY Lab. Her role entails participant recruitment, data acquisition, and data analysis for a study examining the effects of early life adversity on puberty, neurodevelopment, and mental health symptoms. Her research interests include cognitive neurodevelopment related to emotional regulation and caretaker methods in response to early childhood adversity. Amelia is considering a long-term pursuit of neuropsychological research to develop empirically based art therapy methods. Outside of the lab, she enjoys attending concerts, traveling, and creating art.
Inhee Kwak, MSEd
Research Assistant I
CANDY LabMSEd – Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
BSE – Computer Science and Engineering, Handong Global University
As a research assistant in the CANDY Lab, Inhee's roles involve participant recruitment, acquiring data, analyzing data for adolescents with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her current research interests include how traumatic experiences impact children's neurodevelopment, particularly regarding mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as their assessment and treatment. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and discovering new coffee shops.
Zachary Shike, BS
Research Assistant I
CANDY LabBS – Psychology, Mississippi State University
Zach Shike is a research assistant in the CANDY Lab. His role involves participant recruitment, acquiring data, and analyzing data for study examining the effects of early life adversity on puberty, neurodevelopment, and mental health symptoms. His research interests are focused on brain development in youth who have experienced traumatic events and finding new pathways to achieving better outcomes. He is excited by the opportunity to gain a stronger understanding of neuroimaging and to analyze data in the CANDY lab. He plans on continuing his education by attending a graduate program in neuropsychology.