Lab Staff

Eric Nelson, PhD Principal Investigator Eric Nelson is Principal investigator and Director of Neuroimaging research at the center for Biobehavioral Health of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Eric received a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience in 1995 at Bowling Green State University under the guidance of Jaak Panksepp and did postdoctoral training at Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin before joining the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health in 2001. In 2016, Dr. Nelson joined the faculty of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and was appointed Professor of Pediatrics at the Ohio State University. Dr. Nelson has published widely in the field of developmental and affective neuroscience and is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and Flux Congress of Developmental Neuroscience.

Whitney Mattson, PhD Research Scientist Whitney Mattson is a Research Scientist in the Brain Development an Social Cognition Lab, supervising data collection and analysis, as well as participating in the reporting of scientific findings. Before joining the Research Institute, Whitney received a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Miami and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan. Whitney’s research examines the impact of early experiences and psychopathology on later affective and neural development, and how these experiences result in resilient or risky trajectories. His work employs techniques from multiple disciplines, including machine learning, eye-tracking/computer vision, and multi-level modeling.

Scout Crowell Research Assistant Scout.Crowell@NationwideChildrens.org Scout Crowell graduated from Kenyon College in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish language and literature. Her main research interests include social cognition in children with ASD, social cognitive outcomes in pediatric traumatic brain injuries, neurodevelopment, and theory of mind. As a member of the Nelson lab, Scout has a wide breadth of responsibilities including participant recruitment, administration of neuropsychological assessments, facilitation of MRI imaging, and data analysis. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, with a focus in pediatrics.

Roberto French Research Assistant Roberto French is a Research Assistant in the lab and participates in all aspects of study implementation including subject recruitment, acquisition and analysis of data. French received a B.S. in Public Health with a minor in Studio Art from Ohio State University in 2017.

Connor Grannis Project Coordinator Connor Grannis is a Project Coordinator in the lab and participates in all aspects of study implementation including subject recruitment, acquisition and analysis of data. Grannis received a B.A. in Psychology from Miami University in 2014.

Andy Hung Research Assistant Andy Hung is a Research Assistant in the lab and participates in all aspects of study implementation including subject recruitment, acquisition and analysis of data. Hung received a B.S. in Neurobiology and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018.

Peyton Thomas Research Assistant Peyton.Thomas@NationwideChildrens.org Peyton Thomas graduated from Kenyon College in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience, and a minor in Chemistry. During her time at Kenyon she also worked in research in an EEG lab, focusing on facial perception and processing. After graduating, she became a Registered Behavioral Technician, working one on one with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although she loved working with this population, this experience made her want to get back into research to examine a multitude of other neurological and psychological conditions and treatments, while continuing to work with children. As a Research Assistant in the Nelson Lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Peyton hopes to learn more about the developmental, social, and cognitive impacts of different treatments and therapies on both children and their families. In the future she hopes to pursue a PhD in some division of Neuroscience or Neuroengineering.

Lab Alumni

Michele Morningstar: Assistant Professor, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON Xiaoxue Fu: Investigator, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC Meika Travis: Research Assistant, The Ohio State University. Meika received a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, and a Masters degree in Pharmacology from Ohio State University. Joseph Venticinque: Joseph Venticinque received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from State University of New York at Geneseo and is currently pursuing a PhD at UC Davis. Stanley Singer II: Stanley received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from William Jewell College and is currently running an academic consulting business.

Eric Nelson, PhD Principal Investigator

Eric Nelson is Principal investigator and Director of Neuroimaging research at the center for Biobehavioral Health of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Eric received a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience in 1995 at Bowling Green State University under the guidance of Jaak Panksepp and did postdoctoral training at Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin before joining the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health in 2001. In 2016, Dr. Nelson joined the faculty of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and was appointed Professor of Pediatrics at the Ohio State University. Dr. Nelson has published widely in the field of developmental and affective neuroscience and is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and Flux Congress of Developmental Neuroscience.

Lab Alumni

Whitney Mattson, PhD Research Scientist

Whitney Mattson is a Research Scientist in the Brain Development an Social Cognition Lab, supervising data collection and analysis, as well as participating in the reporting of scientific findings. Before joining the Research Institute, Whitney received a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Miami and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan. Whitney’s research examines the impact of early experiences and psychopathology on later affective and neural development, and how these experiences result in resilient or risky trajectories. His work employs techniques from multiple disciplines, including machine learning, eye-tracking/computer vision, and multi-level modeling.

Scout Crowell Research Assistant Scout.Crowell@NationwideChildrens.org

Scout Crowell graduated from Kenyon College in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish language and literature. Her main research interests include social cognition in children with ASD, social cognitive outcomes in pediatric traumatic brain injuries, neurodevelopment, and theory of mind. As a member of the Nelson lab, Scout has a wide breadth of responsibilities including participant recruitment, administration of neuropsychological assessments, facilitation of MRI imaging, and data analysis. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, with a focus in pediatrics.

Roberto French Research Assistant

Roberto French is a Research Assistant in the lab and participates in all aspects of study implementation including subject recruitment, acquisition and analysis of data. French received a B.S. in Public Health with a minor in Studio Art from Ohio State University in 2017.

Connor Grannis Project Coordinator

Connor Grannis is a Project Coordinator in the lab and participates in all aspects of study implementation including subject recruitment, acquisition and analysis of data. Grannis received a B.A. in Psychology from Miami University in 2014.

Andy Hung Research Assistant

Andy Hung is a Research Assistant in the lab and participates in all aspects of study implementation including subject recruitment, acquisition and analysis of data. Hung received a B.S. in Neurobiology and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018.

Peyton Thomas Research Assistant Peyton.Thomas@NationwideChildrens.org

Peyton Thomas graduated from Kenyon College in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience, and a minor in Chemistry. During her time at Kenyon she also worked in research in an EEG lab, focusing on facial perception and processing. After graduating, she became a Registered Behavioral Technician, working one on one with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although she loved working with this population, this experience made her want to get back into research to examine a multitude of other neurological and psychological conditions and treatments, while continuing to work with children. As a Research Assistant in the Nelson Lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Peyton hopes to learn more about the developmental, social, and cognitive impacts of different treatments and therapies on both children and their families. In the future she hopes to pursue a PhD in some division of Neuroscience or Neuroengineering.

Lab Alumni

Michele Morningstar: Assistant Professor, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
Xiaoxue Fu: Investigator, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Meika Travis: Research Assistant, The Ohio State University. Meika received a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, and a Masters degree in Pharmacology from Ohio State University.
Joseph Venticinque: Joseph Venticinque received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from State University of New York at Geneseo and is currently pursuing a PhD at UC Davis.
Stanley Singer II: Stanley received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from William Jewell College and is currently running an academic consulting business.