Principal Investigator
Mishaela (Shae) DiNino, Ph.D.
Shae DiNino joined the University at Buffalo in the fall of 2022 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences. She is also a faculty member in the UB Neuroscience Program and the UB Center for Cognitive Science. Her research combines her background in neuroscience and her motivation to better understand auditory perceptual impairments by examining how changes in the auditory system that occur with normal aging influence the ability to hear, particularly in background noise. In her free time, Shae likes travelling to new places, attending concerts (with earplugs!), and spending time with her daughter.
Research Manager
Lizzie Bukoskey
Lizzie graduated from the University at Buffalo with her BS in Psychology and her MS in Neuroscience. For her thesis project, she looked at the relationship between lifestyle factors and Cognitive Reserve in people with Multiple Sclerosis. She plans to pursue an MD or PhD in the future. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and spending time outdoors.
Graduate Students
Victoria Critton
Victoria is a third-year AuD student at the University of Buffalo. She received her Post-Baccalaureate in Communication Disorders at SUNY New Paltz. As a future audiologist, Victoria is interested in working with a multidisciplinary medical team to assist veterans and older populations. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with loved ones, and mystery-solving activities. A fun fact about her is that she is the vice-president of the University at Buffalo’s GSA Audiology organization.
Bernadette Deremiah
Bernadette is a second-year AuD student at the University of Buffalo. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of New Mexico. Post graduation, Bernadette will be on her career path in the US Army, hopefully as an Audiologist. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, going to the gym, and shopping. A fun fact about Bernadette is that she is a competitive powerlifter.
Than Than Tway
Than Than is a second-year Audiology student at the University at Buffalo. She holds a BA in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from D’Youville University. Than Than is interested in working particularly with veterans. A fun fact about her is that she speaks three languages and has been to four continents.
Jose Martinez
Jose is a master’s student in neuroscience focusing on how anxiety and depression affect the selective attention of negatively vs. positively valenced stimuli. His broad interests include investigating how the neural mechanisms of sensation and perception differ across cultural and individual contexts, especially in people who have mood disorders.
Caitlin Keenan
Caitlin is a first-year Speech-Language Pathology graduate student at the University at Buffalo, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is passionate about working with adults and hopes to pursue a career in a hospital or rehabilitation setting after graduation. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys spending time outdoors and going to the gym.
Undergraduate Students
Lana Myszka
Lana is a senior undergraduate student in the Speech and Hearing Science department with a minor in Communications at the University of Buffalo. She hopes to get into the Audiology graduate program at UB and work with newborns/younger children in a hospital setting. In her free time, Lana likes to shop and travel with her friends and family, and especially enjoys taking naps with her dog.
Gemma Marie Barberio
Gemma is a senior at UB pursuing a Speech and Hearing Science major with a Psychology minor. In the future, she plans on going to graduate school in either Speech Language Pathology or Audiology, working in pediatrics. Currently, she works as a newborn hearing screening technician in a hospital and is the treasurer of UB’s Student Association for Speech and Hearing (SASH). In her free time, she loves singing opera, playing tennis, and making her own jewelry. A fun fact about her is that she is also a Vocal Performance minor.
Lilly DeFrees
Lilly is a sophomore at UB pursuing a Neuroscience major. In the future, she plans to get her Master’s in Neuroscience and possibly a PsyD. In her free time, Lilly enjoys playing pickleball.
Lauren O’Rourke
Lauren is a senior at UB pursuing a Speech and Hearing Science major with minors in counseling and education. She hopes to get into the Speech-Language Pathology graduate program and work in an inpatient rehabilitation setting with adults. In her free time, Lauren enjoys going to coffee shops and getting her nails done.
Emma Corbisiero
Emma is a junior at UB pursuing a Speech and Hearing Science major with a minor in Education. In the future, she plans on going to graduate school to pursue a career in Speech Language Pathology. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her friends and family.
Gloria Buckwalter
Gloria is a third-year undergraduate student dual-majoring in Psychology and Speech and Hearing Sciences. In the future, she plans on going to graduate school for Audiology. In her free time, she likes to spend time with the two dogs she has at home.
Angel Wang
Angel is a senior undergraduate student in the Psychology department at the University at Buffalo. In the future, she hopes to get into a graduate program in either clinical psychology or neuroscience. In her free time, she loves matcha, listening to classical music, and playing the organ.
Kristin
Kristin is a junior at the University at Buffalo, majoring in neuroscience with a minor in ASL. She plans to attend graduate school in Speech-Language Pathology. She is a part of Almananichi and enjoys swimming.
Zachary Jock
Zachary is a senior currently studying Applied Mathematics at UB, specializing in Python programming used for APPL experiments. He intends on going to graduate school for computational neuroscience, and enjoys cooking and hanging out with friends during his free time.
