Meet the Team

Principal Investigator

John D. Medaglia, PH.D. | E-mail | C.V. | Twitter

Dr. Medaglia is an Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Drexel University. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a Co-Principal Investigator in the Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, and core faculty at the Brain Science, Translation, Innovation, and Modulation Center (BrainSTIM). He is also an Affiliated Scientist at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute.

Dr. Medaglia is a neuropsychologist by training. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience at The Pennsylvania State University in 2014 after completing a Clinical Internship at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he began working with noninvasive brain stimulation. Thereafter, he broadened his expertise in brain stimulation and network science on a NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Moss Rehabilitation and Research Institute/The University of Pennsylvania.

In 2015, Dr. Medaglia received the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award to study brain stimulation treatments for cognitive control in health and stroke. In 2019, he was named a "Rising Star" by the Association for Psychological Science and a Fellow of the Psychonomic Society, and in 2022 was honored with the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Early-Career Scholarly Achievement. Dr. Medaglia’s work has been funded by the NIH Office of the Director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Medaglia grew up in the Philadelphia area and completed his undergraduate degree at Drexel University, where he was widely involved in extracurricular activities including Residential Life, diversity education, martial arts, and ballroom dance. He enjoys disc golf, board games, and dancing with his wife.

Research Assistant Professor

Brian Erickson, PH.D. | E-mail | C.V.

Dr. Erickson received his PhD in cognitive science from Drexel University in 2017, coming from a background in bioengineering. Brian specializes in the combination of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) into high temporal-precision closed-loop systems to explore and enhance attention, motor, and other human cognitive functions. Brian has made core contributions to grantwork leading to NIH R01 funding for the development of novel EEG technology. He has expertise in machine learning, statistical parametric mapping and network neuroscience approaches. He has published in diverse cognitive domains including creativity and the connectomics of aphasia.

Research Scientist

Apoorva Kelkar, M.S. | E-mail

Apoorva’s research interests lie in understanding brain connectivity and brain plasticity in neurodegenerative disorders in order to develop new neurorehabilitation techniques. Apoorva is interested in employing the tools of network control theory, functional and diffusion MRI, non-invasive brain stimulation (TMS) and machine learning to comprehend brain connectivity. Her prior research as a Master’s student involved understanding the neural connections in the brain in Parkinson’s disease using intraoperative electrocorticography during deep brain stimulation surgery.

Research Coordinator

Ryan Rich | E-Mail

Ryan is a research staff member originally from the Thumb area of Michigan. Ryan recently graduated from the University of Michigan, where his research focused on developing EEG measures of neural distinctiveness using machine learning. He is broadly interested in combining multiple brain imaging (EEG, fMRI, etc.), brain stimulation (TMS), computational, and behavioral (cognitive/motor tasks, eye tracking) methods to learn more about how the brain works as well as how to modify it. Eventually, he hopes to use this knowledge and training to aid in educational settings. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys gardening, indoor plants, cooking, and exploring Philadelphia.

Graduate Students

Ben Deck, M.S. | E-mail

Ben is an Applied Cognitive and Brain Science doctoral student from Reading, PA. His research interests include utilizing neuroimaging techniques (fMRI) and machine learning to diagnose neuropsychiatric disorders and predict symptom severity. Prior to joining the CogNeW lab, Ben worked at the University of Pennsylvania examining predictors of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s Disease and managing clinical trials. During his free time, Ben enjoys running, reading, volunteering with Code for Philly, and spending time with his family.

Fareshte Erani, M.S. | E-mail

Fareshte is a clinical psychology doctoral student from Orange, CA. Her research interests include utilizing neuroimaging and neuromodulation to study brain injury relationships with neural function, structure, and behavior. She is interested in using these techniques to guide the development of targeted treatments for neural diseases. Fareshte is also a member of Dr. Maria Schultheis' Applied Neuro-Technologies Lab at Drexel. Prior to Drexel, she worked with an acute stroke population, utilizing EEG to study recovery and its feasibility in the emergency room.

HARRISON STOLL | E-mail

Harrison is an Applied Cognitive and Brain Science doctoral student from Rhode Island. His research interests include studying semantic networks and how they govern processes, such retrieval and encoding. Harrison is also interested further understanding semantic deficits in patient populations, with a larger goal of using this research to develop better methods of rehabilitation. Prior to joining the CogNeW lab Harrison worked at Moss Rehab Research Institute in the Cognition and Action lab studying the neural representation of action in left hemisphere stroke patients with apraxia.

Brian KIM | E-mail

Brian is a doctoral student from New York City. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Columbia University, Brian decided to pursue a career in psychology, motivated by the similarities he sees between operations of the computer and the brain. He is interested in EEG signal processing, network neuroscience and applying machine learning techniques in neuroscience. In his free time, Brian enjoys reading, playing golf and playing Tetris.

Undergraduates

JULIA DENGLER

Julia is in her fourth year of a five-year combined Bachelor’s and Master’s program at Drexel University, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Neuroengineering. Julia has completed projects on the effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) on cognitive control. Her research interests include using machine learning to study neuromodulation techniques and utilizing neuroimaging to learn more about cognitive functioning. After graduation, Julia plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. focusing on translational Neuroengineering with the goal of conducting clinical research.

Lupe Fernandez

Lupe is an undergraduate junior in Computer Science with minors in Neuroscience and Biological Sciences at Drexel University. Their interests lie at the intersection between technology and the brain, initially finding a passion for psychology in high school. Their specific interests include using various neuroimaging methods (i.e., fMRI and EEG) to personalize treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Their current projects include working with a novel data gathering approach to EEG with MXene-based nanomaterials, analyzing open-source EEG datasets to use in a novel phase-prediction algorithm, preprocessing MRI data for neuromodulation studies, as well as aiding in the management of those studies. In their downtime, Lupe loves to read, learn new cooking recipes, and play with their adorable dog, Cookie!

SKY HARPER

Sky Harper is a third-year student pursuing a BS in Chemistry with a biochemistry concentration and minors in biological sciences and interdisciplinary problem solving. He is a first-generation from Chinle, Arizona, located on the Navajo Reservation. He is currently working with the USDA-ARS as a part-time student trainee and conducts research at Drexel on polymers and is heavily involved with the CogNeW laboratory. At Drexel, he is the founder and President of Drexel Indigenous Students of the Americas, the first Native American and Indigenous student population serving organization. Sky has received nationally competitive Barry M. Goldwater and Udall fellowships. After graduation, he plans to pursue an MD/Ph.D. program and delve further into chemistry to eventually be the principal investigator of his own laboratory. His goal is to show his five younger brothers that it is possible to succeed in whatever field you want to pursue and demonstrate that anyone can succeed in STEM.

Darshan Patel

Darshan is a post-baccalaureate student from Orange County, CA. Prior to joining the lab, Darshan earned an undergraduate degree in Business Finance from Boston University and worked in finance for a few years before discovering his passion for research and clinical medicine. He is currently working on projects to better understand cognitive symptoms in individuals with neurological disease and disorders. He hopes to pursue medical school in the future. In his spare time, Darshan enjoys playing golf, traveling, and investing!