Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI) is excited to welcome Shauna Zodrow and Brandon Knight to our team of talented researchers! Both Ms. Zodrow and Mr. Knight have recently begun their new positions as Research Assistants at MRRI.

Mr. Knight is working full time in the Cognition and Action Laboratory under the direction of Laurel Buxbaum, PsyD. He will be contributing to important research examining arm non-use after stroke, and he will also be working on a study investigating phantom limb pain. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Howard University in spring of this year, and prior to starting at MRRI, Mr. Knight interned in the Motivated Cognition and Aging Brain Lab at Duke University, focusing on decision-making and motivation across the lifespan. His current research interests revolve around the cognitive science of sleep, dreaming, memory, attention, and the creative arts, as well as using knowledge of the brain to improve our wellbeing and how we interact with the material and social world.

Ms. Zodrow is splitting her time between the Cognition and Action Laboratory with Dr. Buxbaum and the Speech and Language Recovery Laboratory directed by Marja-Liisa Mailend, PhD. She will work alongside Mr. Knight on the ongoing project on arm non-use, and she will also work with Dr. Mailend on a study of speech entrainment in individuals with aphasia (an acquired communication disorder) after stroke. Before joining MRRI, Ms. Zodrow received her Bachelor of Science degree from Drexel University in 2021. She had previous research experience within the Drexel Neuroimaging Lab for approximately three years of her college career. Ms. Zodrow had the privilege of presenting former research at the International Neuroscience Society (INS) conference in Denver, CO in 2020. She received the Alumni Award from Drexel University for her Poster on Neural Activation Patterns Predictive of Emotional State and their Resting-State Connectivity in 2020. After graduating from Drexel University, for approximately nine months, Ms. Zodrow assisted individuals experiencing a wide array of neural deficits as a Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapist at Neurorestorative.

During their time at MRRI both Ms. Zodrow and Mr. Knight will be immersed in a vibrant research environment where they will learn valuable research skills and receive mentorship from the outstanding scientists at our Institute.