About Us

Officers 

Sikoya Ashburn, PhD 

Chapter Founder 

Sikoya (she/her/hers) is a 2nd year postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Jessica Cohen. She graduated Duke University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Spanish. She received her PhD from Georgetown University’s (GU) Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience. Sikoya is passionate about outreach and sharing science with school-aged children and teenagers. While at GU, she organized Brain Awareness Week events, including hosting neuroanatomy labs, for the 7th graders. Presently, she studies the cerebellum’s involvement in neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Jimmy Capella

President, 2023-2024

Jimmy (he/him/his) is a fourth-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program. He received his B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior from the University of Notre Dame in 2018. Following graduation, Jimmy worked as a Technical Associate for John Gabrieli at MIT. His research examines the interactions between teenager’s social networks and their developing brains. He’s particularly interested in how these interactions impact affective processes and behavior. In his free time, Jimmy enjoys hiking, playing volleyball and frisbee, and practicing guitar and trombone.

Monica Lyons

Financial Officer, 2023-2024

Monica Lyons (she/her/hers) is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology PhD Program in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and MD/PhD candidate in the MD/PhD Program. She graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Biology, with a minor in Computer Science. Monica is interested in how applications of neuroimaging methods like graph theory can help us better understand psychopathology, particularly in pediatric populations.

Mackenzie Mitchell, MA

Executive Board Member

Mackenzie (she/her/hers) is a rising 4th year Cognitive Psychology PhD student in the Psychology & Neuroscience Department at UNC. She graduated with B.S. degrees in Neuroscience and Human Development from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017. Mackenzie studies how flexibility in brain function supports behavior during adolescence. She is queer in STEM. 

Mac Woodburn, PhD

Executive Board Member

Mac (he/him/his) is a rising 6th year Cognitive Psychology PhD student in the Psychology & Neuroscience Department at UNC. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience at Brown University in 2017. At Brown, he was co-president of the Brown Brain Bee. Mac is a first-generation student (graduate & undergraduate) from rural Southeast Ohio and queer in STEM. Mac studies how brain networks develop and support cognition during infancy and childhood.  

Members