Research Interests

My research interests are focused on early cognitive development. I currently serve as director of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at the University of Tennessee. Research in the DCN lab is focused on the development of attention in infancy, and the impact of developmental change in attention on perception, learning, and memory. Behavioral, psychophysiological, and neural measures are utilized in studies run in the lab to gain greater insight into early development. This approach is being used to examine three areas of research: brain-behavior relations and the development of attention, intersensory processing in infancy, and the effects of attention on categorization, face processing, and memory in infancy. ​Research in the DCN lab is currently funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

• 2021 – Outstanding Faculty Undergraduate Instructor Award, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee
• 2014 – Mid-Career Convocation Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Achievement, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Tennessee
• 2014 – Chancellor’s Award for Success in Multidisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee
• 2008 – Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech

Member of Editorial Boards:

• Scientific Reports (2019 – present)
• Infancy (2009 – 2019)
• Child Development (2010 – 2015)
• Frontiers in Developmental Psychology (2010 – 2013)

Mentored Students’ Honors and Awards:

• 2021      Kelly Roth – Volunteer of Distinction, University of Tennessee.
• 2021      Kelly Roth – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Graduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Kelly Roth – Penley-Thomas-Allen Dissertation Fellowship, University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Emily Grimes – EUReCA Award of Excellence in the College of Arts & Sciences, University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Caitlin Berosh – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Undergraduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Evan Green – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Undergraduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Emily Grimes – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Undergraduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Jennifer Shearon – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Undergraduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2019      Kelly Roth – Best Graduate Student Poster Award, 5th Annual Women in STEM Symposium, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
• 2018      William Chollman – Best Poster Award, Early Graduate Division, 2018 NeuroNET Retreat, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
• 2016      Erin Nance – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Undergraduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2016      Michael Stephanides – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Undergraduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2014      Margaret W. Guy – Chancellor’s Citation for Professional Promise (Graduate), University of Tennessee.
• 2014      Mathew F. Singh – EUReCA Bronze Award (Arts & Sciences), University of Tennessee.
• 2014      Matthew F. Singh – EUReCA Best in Division Award (Psychology), University of Tennessee.
• 2014      Matthew F. Singh – Outstanding Graduate in Psychology, University of Tennessee.
• 2013      Margaret W. Guy – Department of Psychology’s Science Alliance Research Award, University of Tennessee.

Extramural Grants

Funded:

2022 Selective Attention and Intersensory Processing in Infancy
Agency: National Science Foundation, Developmental Sciences
Type of Grant: Research Grant
Role: PI (Co-PIs: Dr. Lorraine Bahrick and Dr. Robert Lickliter)
Funding Period: 9/2022 – 8/2025
Total Amount: $700,000

2019 Covert Orienting and Infant Visual Cognition
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Type of Grant: R03
Role: PI
Funding Period: 4/2019 – 3/2023
Total Amount: $151,000

2019 Multisensory Development: New Measures and a Collaborative Database
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Type of Grant: R01
Role: Sub-Contract PI (Prime PI: Lorraine Bahrick)
Funding Period: 4/2019 – 3/2024
Amount to Reynolds: $15,100

2019 Intersensory Processing, Developmental Trajectories, and Longitudinal Outcomes
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Type of Grant: R01
Role: Consultant (PI: Lorraine Bahrick)
Funding Period: 4/2019 – 3/2024
Amount to Reynolds: $10,000

2018 Visual Attention and Categorization in Infancy
Agency: National Science Foundation, Developmental Sciences
Type of Grant: Research Grant
Role: PI
Funding Period: 2/2018 – 1/2023
Total Amount: $536,139

2017 Many Babies 1
Agency: Association for Psychological Science
Type of Grant: Sub-Award on Multi-Institutional Collaborative Project
Role: Sub-Award PI (Prime PI: Michael Frank)
Funding Period: 9/2017 – 8/2018
Total Amount: $2,000

2013 Neural Correlates of Infant Attention and Action
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Type of Grant: R21
Role: PI with Daniela Corbetta (MPI grant)
Funding Period: 6/2013 – 5/2017
Total Amount: $389,508

2012 Infant Visual Attention: Neural Mechanisms and Individual Differences
Agency: National Science Foundation, Developmental & Learning Sciences
Type of Grant: Research grant
Role: PI
Funding Period: 9/2012 – 8/2016
Total Amount: $259,240

2012 Acquisition of Infant/Robot Grasp Learning Instrumentation
Agency: National Science Foundation
Type of Grant: MRI
Role: Co-PI (PI: Daniela Corbetta; Co-PIs:, Itamar Arel, Bruce McLennan, Lynne Parker)
Funding Period: 9/2012 – 8/2017
Total Amount: $312,844

2012 Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute
Role: PI
Funding Period: 9/2012 – 8/2013

2011 Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute
Role: PI
Funding Period: 9/2011 – 8/2012

2009 Development of Intermodal Perception of Social Events: Infancy to Childhood
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Type of Grant: R01
Role: Consultant (PI: Lorraine Bahrick)
Funding Period: 8/1/2009 – 7/31/2012
Amount to Reynolds: $5,000/year

2005 Infant Attention and Recognition Memory
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Type of Grant: R03
Role: PI
Funding Period: 9/2005 – 8/2008
Total Amount: $127,000

2003 Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program
Agency: National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute
Role: PI
Funding Period: 9/2003 – 8/2007

Intramural Grants:
2016 UTK Office of Research Summer Graduate Research Assistant Award to support Kelly Roth, Amount: $3,600

2013 NeuroNET Seed Grant, Collaborative project with Dr. Douglas Birdwell (EECS),
Amount: $23,570

2012 UTK Office of Research Summer Graduate Research Assistant Award to support Maggie Guy, Amount: $3,600

2010 UTK Professional Development Award for Faculty Research, Amount: $5,000

2010 UTK Office of the Chancellor Undergraduate Summer Internship Award

2009 UTK Chancellor’s Award for Research, Amount: $6,000