Meet the Stress Pregnancy and Health Kids Team!

Matthew Pellerite is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Co-Principal Investigator for the SPAH Kids study, examining the connections of perinatal and postnatal environments on childhood language and cognitive outcomes.  Dr. Pellerite is a clinical neonatologist and joined NorthShore University HealthSystem in 2016 after completing residency and fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Pellerite is the medical director of the Infant Special Care Unit (ISCU) as well as the director of the Developmental Follow Up Clinic at NorthShore.  He has a clinical and research interest in developmental trajectories of vulnerable children.

Adriana Weisleder is an assistant professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University and director of the Child Language Lab. Her research investigates early language development and processing in young children from diverse linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, with a focus on children who are dual language learners. She uses multiple methodologies – including eye-tracking, naturalistic recordings and clinical trials of interventions – to investigate both the learning mechanisms and contexts that support language development in infants and toddlers. She also collaborates on the development of family and community-based approaches for reducing poverty-related disparities in children’s developmental and educational outcomes.

Dr. Weisleder is a proud Costa Rican and Spanish-English bilingual. She obtained her B.A. in Cognitive Science from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Bellevue Project for Early Language, Literacy and Education Success at New York University School of Medicine.

Janedelie is the Research Manager for the Stress Pregnancy and Health Study at NorthShore University Health System. Her research interests include understanding the effects of socioeconomic disparities in health care, as well as how cultural and psychological stress affect health outcomes in both perinatal and pediatric settings.

Prior to joining SPAH Kids, Janedelie worked for as a research assistant and research coordinator for the predecessor study to SPAH Kids: The Stress, Pregnancy, and Health Study (SPAH). Janedelie’s previous work has centered itself in cultural stress and social support. Janedelie earned her BA in Biology in 2018 from Lawrence University.

Claire is the Northwestern University coordinator of the Stress, Pregnancy and Health (SPAH) Study. She graduated from DePaul University in 2018 with a BA in Psychology and has since worked in research across the lifespan grounded in psychology, public health and health services. She joined the SPAH Kids team mid-2022 because of her interest in how stress can have detrimental effects on maternal health and child development. Claire has a passion for music, exploring new restaurants around Chicago, and spending time by the lakefront. Claire received her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Northwestern in 2023 and is interested in the population health implications of health disparities in stress and wellbeing.

Gabe is a study coordinator at Endeavor for the Stress Pregnancy and Health Kids study. He graduated with his M.P.H from the University of Chicago in 2023. Prior to joining SPAH Kids, Gabe served as a Program Coordinator for the Center for Radical Innovation for Social Change (RISC), on their Project Donor initiative. Gabe’s other interests include theater, rec sports, and cicada emergences.

Jasmin is a research assistant for the Stress, Pregnancy and Health Kids study at Northshore University Health System. Jasmin received a B.S. in Public Health from the University of Southern Illinois in Edwardsville. Jasmin intends on returning to school and obtaining a Master’s in Public Health and hopes to pursue a career in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion along with patient advocacy.

Megan is a research assistant for the Stress, Pregnancy, and Health Kids study at Northwestern University. Prior to joining SPAH Kids, Megan researched the profitability of wheat varieties in different environmental growing conditions. Megan earned her B.S. in Integrative Biology in 2021 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Krystal is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University and a 2023 Predoctoral Ford Fellow. Krystal plans to investigate the intergenerational transmission of stress on young children’s cognitive development among Latinx families enrolled in the SPAH Kids study.

In addition, Krystal is a first-generation Mexican-American mother herself and a native Spanish speaker. Throughout her studies, Krystal plans to work closely with Latinx students and Spanish-speaking families.

Courtney is a student at Northwestern University studying Cognitive Science and Communication Sciences & Disorders. She joined the SPAH Kids team in April 2022 as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Weisleder’s Child Language Lab. Courtney plans to pursue a Master’s in Speech, Language, and Learning to become a pediatric speech-language therapist

Jada is a student at Northwestern University majoring in Environmental Science and Global Health. The public health crisis from the COVID-19 epidemic sparked her interest in the effects of social identities on health. Specifically, she is interested in how socioeconomic status and race can be ethically considered to create a more equitable healthcare system. Ultimately, Jada hopes to apply this knowledge as a physician. In her freetime, she likes to spend time outdoors on hikes or runs, try new restaurants in Chicago, sing, and play piano.

Kiran is a student at Northwestern studying Cognitive Science and Social Policy. She is interested in how people’s environmental contexts shape their cognitive development and is passionate about leveraging this to drive better policy. In her free time she enjoys taking film photography, eating spicy food, and spending time in the sun with her family.

Annika is a first-year student at Northwestern University studying Human Communication Sciences. Growing up in Chicago, she saw firsthand the impacts of stress in its many forms on her family and friends, and is now passionate about working with children, minimizing healthcare inequity, and developing more effective social support systems.

Tammy Huang is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University studying Biological Sciences and minoring in Psychology, excited to apply her passions of psychology and working with children. Tammy is originally from Las Vegas and is a first-generation college student. In Tammy’s free time, she enjoys going to the gym, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.

Adrian Williams is a student at Villanova University majoring in Biology. She is passionate about life sciences and is excited to gain experience in the clinical research setting. In her free time she enjoys running by the lakefront, competing on her club soccer team, and spending time with her pet Schnauzer, Opal.

Yadira Lopez is a student at Northwestern University studying Psychology, Global Health Studies, and Legal Studies. As a bilingual student with an interest in maternal health and child development, she is excited to be working with the SPAH Kids team to explore these topics further. Outside of the lab, Yadira is also a part of a social psychology lab, enjoys watching TV shows and scrolling through TikTok, and loves spending time with her family and friends.