Curriculum vitae

EDUCATION

  • Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Providence, RI 2023

    • Doctor of Philosophy, Cognitive Science

    • Dissertation Title: "The Role of Lived Experience and Contextual Demand on Working Memory Development in Early Childhood"

  • Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Providence, RI May 26, 2019

    • Master of Science, Cognitive Science

    • Thesis Title: "The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Working Memory in Computerized versus Naturalistic Contexts"

  • University of Maryland, College Park, MD 2013-2016

    • Bachelor of Arts, Psychology

    • Minor: Neuroscience; Philosophy

HONORS, AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS

  • SRCD U.S. Federal Executive Branch/AAAS Science & Tech. Policy Fellowship

    2023-2024

  • UNC-Chapel Hill, Junior BIPOC Scholar Award

    May 2022

  • Brown University, Presidential Scholars Fellowship

    2018-2020

  • Brown University, Diversity Fellowship

    2017-2020

  • National Institutes of Health, IMSD Grant Fellow

    2017- 2019

WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Policy Fellow, SRCD U.S. Federal Executive Branch & AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship

  • Sept. 2023-Sept. 2024

  • Placement in the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department for Health and Human Services (HHS). Managing federally funded research projects conducted by contractors and grantees on the topics of Head Start, early childhood care and education, and family services.

CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

  • Educational Research Lead, Katsuiku Academy

    • When: May 2019-Present

    • Where: Tokyo, Japan

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

  • IvyPlus Exchange Scholar, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab

    • When: 2020-2022

    • Where: Columbia University

    • Principal Investigator: Dima Amso, Ph.D.

      • Mechanisms and Experiences Underlying Developmental Change in Updating Rules into Working Memory from 4 to 7 Years

      • Multicultural Enrichment and Working Memory Development in Ghanaian and American 4 to 7-Year-Old Children

  • Graduate Student Researcher, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab

    • When: 2017-2020

    • Brown University

    • Principal Investigator: Dima Amso, Ph.D.

      • First Year Project: Assessing the Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Working Memory Performance in Computerized vs. Naturalistic Testing Environments

      • Mechanisms and Experiences Underlying Developmental Change in Updating Rules into Working Memory from 4 to 7 Years

  • Faculty Research Assistant, Neurobiology of Impulsive Behaviors Lab

    • When: 2016-2017

    • Where: University of Maryland, College Park

    • Principal Investigator: Kristen Hamilton, Ph.D.

      • Project: Adolescent Choice Impulsivity

      • Project: Negative Urgency and Choice Impulsivity After Mood/Stress Induction

  • Research Assistant, Developmental, Social, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab

    • When: 2015- 2017

    • Where: University of Maryland, College Park

    • Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Redcay, Ph.D.

      • Project: Effects of naturalistic viewing of various temporal receptive windows on social cognition.

      • Project: Differences in ROIs and neural networks in reward system activity between ASD and TD children ages of 6-12.

  • Research Assistant, Interpersonal Relationships Lab

    • When: 2014-2015

    • Where: University of Maryland, College Park

    • Principal Investigator: Edward Lemay, Ph.D.

      • Project: Longitudinal study of attachment styles and conflict resolution in romantic relationships.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND WORKSHOPS

  • Topic: Career Mentoring Session

    • When: October 2020

    • Where: 3D Girls Inc

  • Topic: Thinking Differently: Intersectionality and Individual Differences in Cognitive Science

    • When: September 2020

    • Where: Girl Genius

  • Topic: Conducting Research Virtually

    • When: July 2020

    • Where: Rhode Island College

  • Topic: Designing and Delivering Scientific Presentations

    • When: July 2019

    • Where: Brown University

  • Generations in the Workplace

    • When: May 2019

    • Where: Gilbane Building Company Providence, RI

  • Delivering Academic Presentations Workshop

    • When: April 2019

    •  Where: Rhode Island College

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • Instructor, Barnard College

    • Program: Young Women's Leadership Institute, Barnard College

    • Course: Research and Professional Skills in STEM

    • June-August 2023

  • Instructor, Research Methods, Rhode Island College

    • Course: Research Methods

    • March-June 2021

  • Teaching Assistant, Brown University

    • Instructor: Dr. David Yokum

    • Course: Making Decisions

    • Sprin 2020

  • Teaching Assistant Brown University Course: Laboratory in Psycholinguistics

    • Instructor: Dr. Jim Morgan

    • Fall 2019

  • Teaching Assistant, Brown University

    • Course: Children's Thinking: The Nature of Cognitive Development Instructor: Dr. David Sobel

    • Fall 2018

  • Tutor/Mentor, America Reads*America Counts, University of Maryland, College Park

    • 2013-2014

SPECIAL TRAINING AND SKILLS

Training:

  • Operator Training for Siemens 3T Scanner

MENTORSHIP, SERVICE, AND OUTREACH

  • Graduate Student Coordinator, CLPS Developmental Brown Bag

    • When: April 2019-May 2020

    • Where: Brown University

  • Graduate McNair Academic Advisor, McNair Scholars Program

    • When: May 2019- Nov. 2019

    • Where: Rhode Island College

  • Marketing and Communication Committee, WiSTEM Symposium

    • When: April 2019-October 2019

    • Where: Brown University

  • Graduate Volunteer Assistant, McNair Scholars Program

    • When: 2018-Present

    • Where: Rhode Island College

  • STEM Graduate Fellow, Presidential Scholars Program

    • When: 2018-Present

    • Where: Brown University

  • Recruitment Assistant, Infant and Child Studies Consortium

    • When: 2015-2017

    • Where: University of Maryland, College Park

  • Mentor/Tutor, America Reads*America Counts

    • When: 2013-2014

    • Where: University of Maryland, College Park

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • SRCD Congressional Black Caucus SECC

    • When: 2024

  • Communicating and Expanding Research on Adversity (CERA ) Network

    • When: 2022-2027

  • International Society for Developmental Psychobiology

    • When: 2021-2023

  • FLUX: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

    • When: 2018-Present

  • Association for Psychological Science

    • When: 2016-Present

  • Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program

    • When: 2016-Present

  • Psi Chi International Honor Society for Psychology

    • When: 2015-Present

  • University of Maryland College Park Scholars: Life Sciences

    • When: 2013-2015

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & TALKS ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Conference/Panel Organization

  • Frankenhuis, W., Nketia, J., Brookman-Byrne, A., Wirz, G. (2025) Communicating the science of adversity. Hosted at the Lorentz Center. Leiden, NL, 2025.

Keynote Talks

  • Nketia, J. (2023) Your relationship with yourself. Presented at Rhode Island College Research Expo. Providence, RI, 2023.

Invited Symposia

  • Nketia, J., Amso, D., Brito, H. N. (2022) Towards a more inclusive and equitable developmental cognitive neuroscience. Presented at Flux: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris, FR, 2022.

  • Nketia, J. (2022) Junior BIPOC Scholar Speaker Series. Presented at UNC-Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, NC, 2022.

  • Nketia, J., Amso, D., Brito, H. N. (2022) Towards a more inclusive and equitable developmental cognitive neuroscience. Presented at Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY, 2022.

Oral Presentations

  • Nketia, J. The Effects of Short and Long Temporal Receptive Windows on Free Viewing Comprehension. Presented at the annual McNair Post-Baccalaureate Summer Research Institute Oral Presentation, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2016.

Panel Discussions

• Nketia, J. Navigating Graduate Student Life at Brown. Brown University, Providence, RI, 2020.

• Nketia, J. Getting the Most Out of Advisors and Mentors. Brown University, Providence, RI, 2019.

• Nketia, J. McNair First Generation and Underrepresented Minority Experiences Conference Panel. Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, 2019

• Nketia, J. McNair Undergraduate Research Panel. Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, 2019.

• Nketia, J. Post-Baccalaureate Research Experiences in Behavioral Sciences Panel. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2017.

Poster Presentations

• Nketia, J., Sagar, A. & Amso, D. (2022) Plans to Study Multicultural Enrichment and Working Memory Development in Ghanaian 4 to 7-Year-Old Children. Presented at Presented at the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2022, San Diego.

• Nketia, J., Amso, D., Brito, H. N. (2021) Towards a more inclusive and equitable developmental cognitive neuroscience. Presented at the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2021, Chicago (Virtual).

• Eboigbe, L., Nketia, J., Amso, D. (2021) The Impact of Parent Report of Child Stress and Child Perceived Parental Responsivity on Working Memory in Early Childhood. Presented at the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2021, Chicago (Virtual).

• Eboigbe, L., Nketia, J., Amso, D. (May 2021). The relationship between parent and child report of stressful life events. Presented at Association for Psychological Science, 2021.

• Nketia, J., Amso, D. Can We Make Analogous Executive Functions Tasks Across Computerized and Naturalistic Testing Environments? Presented at the Cognitive Development Society, Louisville, KY, 2019.

• Nketia, J., Burns, C., Amso, D. Does Socioeconomic Status Impact Executive Functions Similarly in Computerized vs. Naturalistic Testing Environments? Presented at Flux: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Berlin, DE, 2018.

• Placido, D., Nketia, J., Amso, D. Exploring the Effects of Emotional Support and Cognitive Stimulation on Executive Functions in Children Across Socioeconomic Status. Presented at Flux: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Berlin, DE, 2018.

• Moraczewski, D., Nketia, J. & Redcay, E. Cortical Temporal Hierarchy and Social-Cognitive Comprehension in Middle Childhood. Presented at Flux: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Portland, OR, 2017.

• Moraczewski, D., Nketia, J. & Redcay, E. The Influence of Timescale on Brain Synchrony and Social-Cognitive Comprehension During Naturalistic Viewing in Middle Childhood. Presented at Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, TX, 2017.

• Nketia, J., Moraczewski, D., Redcay, E. The Effects of Short and Long Temporal Receptive Windows on Free Viewing Comprehension. Presented at the annual Bioscience Day: Ecology & Evolution/Neuroscience Poster Presentation, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2016.

• Nketia, J., Moraczewski, D., Redcay, E. The Effects of Short and Long Temporal Receptive Windows on Free Viewing Comprehension. Presented at the annual McNair Post-Baccalaureate Summer Research Institute Poster Presentation, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2016.

• Nketia, J. Relationship Management and Insecure Attachment Styles. Presented at the 19th annual College Park Scholars Academic Showcase, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2015.

PUBLICATIONS

  • Nketia, J. and Amso, D. The unique adaptability of working memory to both positive and negative environmental experiences. In preparation.

  • Nketia, J., Sagar, A. & Amso, D. Multicultural enrichment and working memory development in Ghanaian 4-to 7-Year-Old Children. In Preparation.

  • Nketia, J., Sagar, A. & Amso, D. Contextual influences on cognition: Life experiences and working memory development in Ghanaian children. In Preparation.

  • Nketia, J. and Amso, D. Mechanisms and experiences underlying developmental change in updating rules into working memory from 4-to-7 years. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. In preparation.

  • Nketia, J., Sager, A., Dajani, R., Placido, D., & Amso, D. (2023). Executive Functions in Jordanian children: What can the hearts and flowers task tell us about development in a non-WEIRD context. Developmental Science.

  • Nketia, J., Amso, D., & Brito, N. H. (2021). Towards a more inclusive and equitable developmental cognitive neuroscience. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 52, 101014.

  • Kristen R. Hamilton, Ph.D.; Jason F Smith, Ph.D.; Stefanie F Goncalves; Jazlyn A Nketia; Olivia N Tasheuras; Mark Yoon; Katya Rubia, Ph.D.; Theresa J Chirles, Ph.D.; Alexander J Shackman, Ph.D.; Carl W Lejuez, Ph.D. Striatal bases of temporal discounting in early adolescents. Neuropsychologia. Accepted on May 7, 2020.