Meredith Pecukonis

I graduated with my PhD Developmental Science  at Boston University in 2024. I received my B.S. in psychology with a minor in neuroscience from the University of Maryland, College Park. My current research focuses on identifying the neural, behavioral, and socioecological correlates of language skills in autism. I am particularly interested in using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study how the brains of young children with autism function during real-world social interactions, such as shared book reading. In my future work, I plan to continue using a multi-method approach to better understand which variables impact language development in autism, and how we can best leverage these variables to improve overall quality of life in autistic individuals and their family members. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing saxophone in a local brass band and working as a therapeutic horseback riding instructor.