Project Staff

Brian Boyd, Ph. D. - SEP Co-Investigator - Dr. Brian Boyd is an investigator at the FPG Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill.  At SEP, he directs the Home Observational Study (Study 3).  He is co-principal investigator on two grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education to investigate the efficacy of behavioral interventions for preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorders.

Aysenil Belger, Ph.D. - SEP Co-Investigator - Dr. Aysenil Belger is the Director of Neuroimaging Research in Psychiatry, as well as Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Radiology Dept at Duke University and the Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center. Her research focuses on studies of the cortical circuits underlying attention and executive function in the human brain, as well as the breakdown in these functions in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopment disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. At SEP, she directs the EEG Study (Study 4)

Jeanne Lovmo Murphy, MA - SEP Project Coordinator - Jeanne coordinates all aspects of SEP, including recruiting, screening and enrolling families and conducting parent interviews. She graduated from Columbia University in 2002 with a Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education. Prior to becoming a researcher at the University of North Carolina, she was an early interventionist in Metropolitan New York. Jeanne has worked extensively with families to establish connections with their children through play and other daily routines. Jeanne enjoys spending time with her family, socializing with friends, playing soccer, and traveling (particularly to visit her family in Denmark)

Beth Schultz, MS, OTR/L - SEP Training Coordinator - Beth is an Occupational Therapist who spent 25 years in clinical practice before venturing into the research realm 3 years ago. Her clinical experience has been in various aspects of pediatrics including inpatient psychiatric settings, outpatient rehabilitation, early intervention, and multidisciplinary diagnostic teams. Prior to joining the Sensory Experiences Project, Beth worked with the Healthy Steps program in the Pediatric Clinic at UNC and helped to train pediatric residents in the behavior and development aspects of well child check ups. When not working at SEP, Beth can be found either working in her own garden or volunteering with the Horticultural Therapy groups at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens.

Amanda Lert – SEP Research Assistant (staff) – Amanda received her B.A. in Psychology from Kenyon College in 2005.  After working in pediatric autism research at UNC hospital for a few years, she took some time off to travel.  Upon returning, Amanda joined the Sensory Experiences Project as a Research Assistant.  In her free time, she enjoys riding her bike, watching college basketball and spending time with family and friends.

Nate Lucena - SEP Research Assistant (staff) - Nate schedules and administers the EEG assessment at our lab in the Neurosciences Hospital at UNC.  He received his Bachelor’s degree from Centenary College of Louisiana in Psychology and Sociology. He also holds a Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from the College of William and Mary.  When I’m not looking at brain waves, I enjoy being outdoors, especially running, and anything involving food…mainly eating, but cooking too.

John Bulluck - SEP Research Assistant (staff) -  John coordinates the process of data management and works with the various technologies used in the study to gather, record and capture data.  John received his B.A. in Psychology from East Carolina University with a special interest in research and statistics.  After graduating, John worked with children and families with autism for several years, then with HIV patients within the State Department of Public Health as well as other public health agencies.  John also worked in private sector database design and software technology and uses this experience to enhance the research activities at SEP.

Margaret DeRamus - SEP Graduate Research Asst - Margaret is the editor and video coordinator of the Infant Behavior Project (Study 3). Her previous research experience includes working for the Clinical Core of the NC STAART (Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment) center. Before working in research, Margaret worked to support children with autism in schools, homes, and in the community. Currently, Margaret is pursuing a master’s degree in speech and language pathology at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Heather Miller - SEP Graduate Research Asst - Heather does home observations (Study 3), video coding and reliability assessments for SEP. She has a BA in Psychology and is currently working towards a Masters in Occupational Science at UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to working at SEP she worked in mental health as a coordinator supervising at-risk youth placed in therapeutic foster homes. Heather enjoys being active outside such as playing tennis or mountain bike riding.

Ashley Freuler - SEP Graduate Research Asst - Ashley is a first year doctoral student in the Department of Occupational Science, studying under an interdisciplinary Autism Leadership Training Grant. She is working on revising the study measures, analyzing data and assessing participants.  She received a B.S. in Sociology from the University of Georgia, and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Mercer University. Ashley has worked with children and families in both public school and inpatient hospital settings as a mental health counselor and early intervention coordinator.

Molly Bagby - SEP Graduate Research Asst - Molly completes the qualitative sensory interview with parents. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Occupational Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Molly obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2001. Prior to becoming a graduate student and researcher at the University of North Carolina, she worked in IT audit in Washington, DC. Molly is interested in promoting health and well-being through family occupations. She is also interested in the role of routines within family life. Molly lives in Durham with her husband, Justin, and their overly excitable golden retriever, Lucky. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, shopping for antiques, and traveling.