Members

Dhatri S. Devaraju, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
devaraju2@wisc.edu

Dhatri’s research delves into understanding the intricate neural mechanisms underlying auditory and audio-visual speech perception, with a particular emphasis on its applications in individuals with communication disorders. She is interested in exploring the roles of cognitive factors such as auditory working memory and attention in shaping both auditory and audio-visual speech perception. She also aims at understanding how experiences, such as speech production errors, limited access to acoustic information and speech representations modulate the integration of perceptual and cognitive resources in individuals with communication disorders during the course of development.

Ying Wang
Ph.D. student, Mead Witter School of Music

Originally from Shanghai China, Ying began his piano studies at the very young age of four. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with degrees in Piano Performance and Psychology, with an emphasis on child development. After completing a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland, he is now back in Madison pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. Ying is deeply interested in how children’s neuropsychological development and music, especially piano, can directly affect one’s intellectual and multisensory development. Currently, he is working on a case study on musical imagery at the SPAN lab for his dissertation.

Megan Hernandez
Undergraduate Student

Megan is majoring in Neurobiology with Honors & Spanish. She is a fourth year undergraduate. She is from the Milwaukee area. She enjoys hiking and hot yoga in her free time. She is participating in this lab because it provides an introduction to research methods and clinical trials, which she plans to do in the future, as she is in a pre-med path. Megan’s research in the lab is focused on investigating the neural processing of acoustically enhanced speech.

Janani Sampath
Undergraduate Student

Janani is from Green Bay, Wisconsin who is planning to double-major in Neurobiology and Psychology. She is pre-med and hopes to become a psychiatrist. Janani’s past research credentials include working in the Tiny Earth program, in which she studied the increased presence of antibiotics in the soil of Ayurvedic plants. In the SPAN lab, Janani studies neural processing of enhanced speech. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and fangirling over Percy Jackson.

Ethan Xiong
Undergraduate Student

Ethan is majoring in Biology. He joined the SPAN lab in the summer of 2024 as a LASER scholar and is on the pre-med track with hopes to either become a Family Medicine physician or Sports Medicine physician. In his free time, Ethan enjoys playing sports, gaming, and playing DnD.

Mary Scott

Undergraduate Student

Mary is an undergraduate student from Elm Grove, Wisconsin. She is studying neurobiology on the pre-med path. She joined the SPAN lab to learn more about the neural processing of speech sounds and its implications in everyday communication. In her free time, Mary loves to read, run by the lake, and try new coffee shops.

Amelia Jayara
Undergraduate Student

Amelia is a junior pursuing a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She joined the SPAN Lab in September 2024 in hopes of learning more about audiology and speech processing. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Madison and baking.

Zaynab Iqbal

Undergraduate Student

Zaynab is a freshman at UW-Madison from Brookfield, Wisconsin. She is pursuing a double major in Neurobiology and Sociology. She joined the SPAN lab hoping to learn more about the neuroscience of auditory and speech processing with a particular interest in cochlear hearing loss. In her free time, Zaynab enjoys gardening, painting, and watching movie

Advait Krishnan

Undergraduate Student

Advait is a freshman from Boston, Massachusetts studying neuroscience and computer science. Interested in the intersection between the brain and machine learning, he joined the SPAN lab in September 2024 to learn about conducting EEG experiments and computationally modeling the brain. He also loves playing piano and listening to classical music and would love to get music recommendations.

Kayden Lamont

Undergraduate Student

Kayden is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology. She joined the SPAN lab as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars program to further her research skills. Kayden is on the pre-medicine track in hopes of becoming an ENT surgeon. She has a background in emergency medicine and American Sign Language, which drew her to the SPAN lab. In her free time, Kayden enjoys playing with her cats Gatsby and Rockefeller, watching true crime documentaries, and spending time in nature.

Oliver Carranza

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Oliver is a sophomore at UW Madison majoring in Computer Science. He joined the SPAN Lab in Fall 2024 in hopes of advancing research in neuro-plasticity and developing his skills as a software developer. When not in the lab working away, he likes to walk around Madison, explore new places and just hanging out. He also enjoys photography, hiking, talking and trying new foods.

Jessica haynes

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jessica is a Sophomore pursuing a major in Pharmacology and Toxicology with a certificate in Global Health. She joined the SPAN lab through the Undergraduate Research Scholar program to gain hands-on experience in research. Having taken American Sign Language in high school, she became especially interested in the neuroscience of speech processing and how language is perceived. Outside of academics, Jessica enjoys listening to music, reading, and baking.

Kayannah Luther

Undergraduate Student

Kayannah is a freshman undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology. She is a current URS scholar in the SPAN lab studying cognitive effects on auditory neural processing of speech sounds in adults who stutter. She has a long term goal of becoming a full-time researcher in neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, indie rock music, running, and playing the trumpet.

Ryan Noori

Undergraduate Student

Ryan is a second-year majoring in Neurobiology from Los Angeles, California. He joined the SPAN Lab in Fall 2025 as part of the Undergraduate Research Program and hopes to learn more about speech processing. In his free time, he enjoys watching the Premier League and spending time with friends.

Akshit Ganesh Kumar 

Undergraduate Student

I am a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where my passions for Mathematics and Machine Learning meet. For me, the beauty of math lies in its ability to model the world, and I apply that principle to building intelligent systems.

Sophia Yang

Undergraduate Student

Sophia is a first year undergraduate coming from Missouri and majoring in chemical engineering. She joined the SPAN Lab in the fall of 2025 as a URS Scholars for the experience of doing research. In her free time she likes to go out with her friends and dance.

Jiaxin Man

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jiaxin is a junior majoring in Computer Science. Originally from Gansu, China, she is interested in exploring how computing can be applied across different fields. She joined the SPAN Lab in September 2025 to learn how computer science and machine learning can be applied in the auditory domain. In her free time, she enjoys music, novels and playing games.

Jason Jia

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jason is a junior double majoring in Computer Science and Statistics at UW–Madison. He joined the SPAN Lab to apply machine learning and data analysis to questions in speech processing and auditory neuroscience. Jason primarily works in Python; his current interests include EEG data preprocessing, baseline modeling, and studying neural changes following Mandarin tone training. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Madison and tinkering with small coding projects.

Kevin Chen

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Kevin is a sophomore studying computer science and math. He joined the SPAN lab to learn how computer and data science can be applied to interesting fields. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watching action movies, and photography.

Alexis Muntean-Hapa

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alexis is a freshman pursuing a double major in psychology and neurobiology, as well as a certificate in business spanish. She joined the SPAN Lab in October 2025 in hopes of learning more about EEG usage and the testing of neural processes. Alexis loves hanging out with her cat, working out, and spending time with her loved ones.

Adeline Brzozowski

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Adeline is a sophomore studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. She joined the SPAN lab, eager to learn more about audiology and the neuroscience of auditory and speech processing. When she’s not studying, Adeline loves to explore nature, cook yummy meals, go for long runs, and play the piano.

Calleigh Forgette

Undergraduate Student

Calleigh is a freshman undergraduate student pursuing majors in psychology and neurobiology. She joined the SPAN Lab in Fall 2025 as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars program to enhance her research skills. Calleigh is on the pre-med track, hoping to one day become a psychiatrist. She is especially interested in the psychology of perception, specifically the perception of sound, which drew her to the SPAN lab. In her free time, Calleigh enjoys reading, nature, and trying new flavors of tea.

Katelyn Zhao

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Katelyn is a second-year Computer Science and Math student from the Bay Area in California. Interested in disciplines such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience, she joined SPAN to gain a deeper understanding of how different computational and data analysis methods can be used to study the brain. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys hiking and cooking with her friends.

Anuvrat Shukla

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Anu is a junior at UW Madison majoring in Computer Science, with an interest in machine learning. He joined the SPAN Lab in Fall 2025 and is interested in using technology to solve real-world problems. He is from Bay Area, California, and in his free time, he enjoys playing cricket and golf and spending time with his friends.

Kaelyn Chmiel

Undergraduate Student

Kaelyn is a second year undergraduate student from the Milwaukee area. She is studying neurobiology on the pre-med track and is planning to receive certificates in honors biology and global health. Kaelyn joined the SPAN lab September 2025 in hopes to learn more about neural auditory processing and help develop research fundamentals and experience. In her free time she enjoys going on walks with friends, trying new foods, and hearing live music!

Brianna Calderon

Undergraduate Student

Brianna is a freshman majoring in Neurobiology and considering a double major in Psychology or Spanish. She is also on the pre-med track. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she joined the SPAN Lab in the Fall of 2025 through the Undergraduate Research Program to explore her interests in neuroscience, particularly in auditory and speech processing. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with friends.

Vijay Mahimtura

Undergraduate Student

Vijay is a second year undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology and Data Science on a premed track. He is a part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars program and joined the SPAN lab to study the effects of frequency lowering on patients with high frequency hearing loss. In his free time, he enjoys trying new foods, dancing, and going out with friends.

Yana Fuhrman

Undergraduate Student

Yana is a second year undergraduate student from the Milwaukee area. She is majoring in Data Science, Statistics, and Mathematics, with a certificate in Computer Science. Yana joined the SPAN Lab in Spring 2026 because she was excited by the lab’s interdisciplinary approach to studying speech and auditory processing and its emphasis on research with meaningful real-world and clinical impact. She is interested in pursuing a career in academia, where she hopes to apply statistical models to better understand complex systems and inform real-world decision making. In her free time, she enjoys practicing ballet, reading, and spending quality time with friends.

Chiranjeevi Vasant

Graduate Student

Chiranjeevi is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Data Science. With a background in Electronics Engineering, he joined the SPAN Lab to apply advanced machine learning techniques to complex neural signals. He is currently working as an OSPO Intern to develop an open-source, user-friendly toolbox for analyzing Frequency Following Responses (FFRs). In his free time, he enjoys cinematography and video editing.