Meet the Team

Angela Paxton, BS, utilizes her experience as a quality engineer and parent of a young adult with autism in her role as project manager and clinical research coordinator. She ensures all clinical studies are maintained in accordance with the protocol, applicable regulations, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements. Angela is an advocate for not only her own daughter with exceptionalities, but other children and their families as well. She promotes early intervention for all children that are uniquely abled and shares her experiences navigating special education, health care financing and accessing family support organizations.

Emma Lear is a recent graduate of psychological science from Ball State University. She joined Dr. McNally's HEART Lab in March 2025 as a clinical research technician. Her personal research interests include, but are not limited to, examining the mental health, health mindset, symptom management, comorbidities, and doctor-patient communication of people with polycystic ovary syndrome as well as other women's health and neuroendocrine disorders. Emma received the Psi Chi Regional Research Award for her undergraduate study titled, "Relationships Among Weight Management, PCOS Symptoms, Femininity Contingency, and Mental Health." She aspires to expand her knowledge of and advocacy for marginalized communities in the medical field through the conduction of meaningful research and is elated to be a member of the HEART Lab.

Paulina Medina Lopez joined the IU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics in July of 2024. She graduated from IU Indianapolis in 2022 with a BS in health and human sciences. Paulina serves as a clinical research coordinator within the division of Children's Health Services Research (CHSR). Outside of office duties, Paulina enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and puppy.

Deepika is a clinical research specialist in Dr. McNally's HEART Lab. She graduated from IUPUI in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in Women's studies and sociology. Deepika aspires to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, with the aim of exploring psychosomatic conditions through research and providing trauma-informed care. In her free time, Deepika enjoys reading fiction novels, playing the guitar, and watching K-dramas. 

Malak Belkacemi joined the lab as a sophomore in the fall semester of 2024. She works as an intern on projects focused on advancing early diagnosis and intervention strategies for autism. She is currently pursuing a pre-med track with a major in neuroscience and biology and a strong interest in pediatrics. After earning her bachelor's degree, Malak plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician specializing in early diagnosis and intervention for developmental disorders, particularly autism. Her ultimate goal is to improve health care access and outcomes for underserved communities.

Anna Maddux is a junior at Indiana University Indianapolis pursuing a BS in neuroscience and a minor in art. She is interested in the early diagnosis, neurological differences and lifespan development of neurodevelopmental disorders. Anna has worked with the HEART Lab since 2024 and plans to study developmental medicine in the future.

Stephanie Pozuelos is an undergraduate research assistant through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and works with Dr. Ann Marie Martin on the Spanish hub. Currently, she is a fourth-year student studying biomedical informatics with minors in biology, chemistry and public health. Following graduation, she hopes to pursue a PhD in public health or biomedical sciences to study infectious diseases. Stephanie enjoys watching soccer, visiting museums and trying new food in her free time.

I attend IU Indianapolis, where I'm majoring in biology with a minor in philanthropy. I came to the U.S. in 2014 from Mizoram, India, and became interested in Dr. McNally's early autism evaluation research after noticing a rise in autism diagnoses among Indian American children in my community. During my time in the lab, I gained a deeper understanding of early detection and the importance of reducing stigma around neurodevelopmental conditions in underrepresented populations. 

Manasa Swaminathan, MA, is a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Indianapolis. Her research and clinical work focus on understanding neurodevelopmental disabilities and addressing health inequities. Manasa has experience working with individuals across the lifespan as she has completed externships at diverse settings, including the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center and IU School of Medicine. Under the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca McNally Keehn, she is leading a global research initiative on autism screening and care within Indian communities in India and Indiana. Ultimately, she aspires to become a health services researcher and clinician skilled in understanding early detection of autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities from a global lens.

Cristina James joined the lab half time as a data engineer, where she supports data management and analytics for the NIMH Impact-MH project. With a personal connection to the neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) field as the mother of two young adults with NDDs, Cristy is deeply committed to ensuring that research in this area is both accurate and representative. Outside of her work, Cristy enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering at a local animal rescue and mentoring a high school robotics team.

Ann Marie Martin, PhD, HSPP, is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of clinical pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her work is focused on improving equitable access to services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) particularly children from minoritized communities and monolingual Spanish-speaking households.

Gisela Perez joined the lab in the summer of 2022 and served as a bilingual research assistant until the fall of 2024. She graduated from IU Indianapolis with a bachelor's degree in health sciences and is currently pursuing a master's in public affairs at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. During her time in the lab, she enjoyed connecting with the parents involved in the research and helping bridge the disparity gaps between Latino, Spanish-speaking parents and health care providers.

Sarah Langdon joined our research team the summer after her freshman year in 2022 as a research assistant. She is graduating this winter with a bachelor's degree in psychology and minoring in medical humanities and health science. Currently, she is enrolled to attend Indiana University Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program this summer.

Victoria joined the research team in the summer of 2021. During her time with the team, she completed data entry and analysis for the pediatric autism hub project and shadowed site visits. She recently completed her undergraduate degree in medical humanities and health studies. She plans to attend law school in hopes of becoming a medical malpractice attorney. In her free time, she likes to run, sing and listen to podcasts.