People: Lab Members
Jamie Edgin, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Psychology
Director, Memory Development and Policy Lab, Blacksburg Neuroimaging Center
Jamie Edgin is a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscientist (Developmental Psychology PhD, 2003) specializing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Edgin’s recent work centers on the intersection of disability advocacy, policy, and memory science. Her expertise lies in cognitive development in typical and atypical development, with over 20 years of experience in designing and validating assessment strategies for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her work has led to the publication of two assessments: the Arizona Test Battery for Down Syndrome and the Arizona Memory Assessment for Preschoolers and Special Populations (A-MAP). Dr. Edgin currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech.
In recognition of her community outreach, she received the University of Arizona’s Koffler Prize for Outreach in 2018. Dr. Edgin’s policy interests have also earned her a Policy Fellowship from the Morris Udall Foundation, through which she studied nationwide policy regarding children’s eyewitness reports. In Arizona, she has been involved in various working groups to support policies on abuse prevention in schools and health systems. In 2020, she received the Distinguished Contribution to Science Award from the Arizona Psychological Association. Since 2016, she has been continuously funded by federal agencies through both PI-led and collaborative grants. Dr. Edgin is a first-generation college student, born in the upper Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania.
Research in the Memory Development and Policy Lab is made possible by the generous support of the Virginia Tech Whole Health Consortium, PCORI, the National Institutes of Health, and donors, including a gift made in memory of Brenda DeSliva.
Chelsea Armour, M.A.
Research Associate and Co-Director, Memory Development and Policy Lab
Chelsea Armour is on the research faculty of the Virginia Tech Department of Psychology, working in the MaP Lab. She is interested in working with individuals with developmental disabilities and working with data to decrease healthcare and resource inequity. Prior to coming to Virginia Tech, Chelsea was part of the research team at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children’s National Hospital, working on construction of research databases comprising common measures collected from different groups, including longitudinal data, online surveys, and entry from clinical reports and research battery measures. She oversaw the operation of the ECHO Autism Clinic series, a Project ECHO program for primary care, diagnosing, and educational professionals who work with autistic individuals. She attended Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a B.A. in Liberal Arts in 2000 and earned an M.A. in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University in 2010.
Sabrina Deuchert, M.Sc.
Research Associate , Memory Development and Policy Lab
S. Deuchert is an experienced licensed Clinical Psychotherapist and Certified Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years of expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry, family law assessments, and clinical research in Germany. In recent years, she has focused on providing expert testimony in courts, leading multidisciplinary teams, and developing evidence-based therapeutic interventions. During her time at the University Hospital of Tübingen, she taught medical students and supervised psychologists in training, further developing her teaching and mentoring experience.While contributing to several research projects, her primary emphasis has been on forensic assessments and supporting the resolution of complex child welfare cases. S. Deuchert has conducted and authored approximately 200 forensic psychological expert evaluations for various courts in Germany, addressing cases of acute risk to child welfare, custody and visitation determinations, child reunification proceedings, and allegations of sexual abuse. Her research in the Memory, Development, and Policy (MaP) Lab focuses on child forensic interviewing, with a particular emphasis on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Her research includes collaborations with the University Hospital of Tübingen and the DGPsB in Germany to advance evidence-based forensic interviewing methods and psychological assessments.
Hailey Van Vorce, B.S.
Doctoral Student, Clinical Science, Ph.D. expected 2028
Hailey Van Vorce is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Science PhD program here at Virginia Tech. She works as a graduate clinician at the Child Assessment Clinic (CAC) and the Psychological Services Clinic (PSC) alongside working as a graduate research assistant in the MaP Lab. Hailey is a first-generation college student from a disadvantaged background who values mentoring students and being involved in the community.
Brooke Bingenheimer
Undergraduate Student, degree expected 2027
Brooke Bingenheimer majors in Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech and expects to graduate in Spring 2027. She plans to pursue her master’s and Ph.D. in reproductive science and medicine, following her passions in reproductive health research and advocacy. In her research carrier, she wants to examine sex-specific disease patterns, tailor new treatments, and work to close the medicinal gender gap. Furthermore, she intends to raise cultural awareness of sexual abuse and health disparities that disproportionately affect women’s reproductive health. At Virginia Tech, she researches sexual abuse education and policy in the MaP Lab and serves as a Certified Peer Educator for the Sexual Violence and Prevention Education (SVPE) Department.