Principal Investigator

Dr. DeMarco is an Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, and director of the DeMarco Advanced Research in Neurorehabilitation (DARN) Lab. He is a cognitive neuroscientist and licensed and ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist. His recent NIDCD K99/R00 award focuses on a novel technique, functional anomaly mapping, which may hold promise as a reliable, individualized biomarker for stroke-related dysfunction throughout the brain.

Lab Manager

Sophie graduated from the University of Michigan in 2024 with a B.A. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Her current research interests include the social determinants of stroke-aphasia outcomes and semantic memory. She aspires to pursue a PhD in clinical neuropsychology. Outside of research, Sophie loves crafting, finding great coffee shops around DC, reading classic novels, and is an avid movie critic.

Research Associate

Zoe graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2024 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry. Zoe is currently interested in using neuroimaging and cognitive testing to understand how brain injury (or stroke) relates to aphasia. In the next few years she hopes to attend a graduate school program in a related field. Outside of the lab Zoe enjoys exploring new parts of the city, cheering on UNC basketball, being on the water, and going to yoga classes.

PhD Student

Rahul Gurram graduated with high honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021, with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minors in Chemistry and French. Rahul is currently interested in real-time mechanisms of spoken language processing, and how these mechanisms may differ in typical versus disordered populations. When not in lab, Rahul enjoys reading philosophy and science fiction, brewing specialty coffee and tea, and playing tennis and board games with his friends.

PhD Candidate

Sara is a PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown and is co-mentored by Dr. Peter Turkeltaub and Dr. Andrew DeMarco. Before joining the DARN Lab, she worked as a research assistant at the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern University, where she studied primary progressive aphasia. She holds a BA in Neuroscience from Hendrix College and an MS in Health Informatics from Jacksonville University. Her research focuses on neuroplasticity and recovery mechanisms following brain injury, particularly within the reading network after stroke. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and spending time near the water.

Clinical Research Recruiter

Meron graduated from Virginia Tech in 2024 with a B.S. in Clinical Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology. Her research interest lies in the disease mechanisms of neurological disorders and their impact on cognitive function. She hopes to gain substantial experience in stroke research and attend graduate school down the line. Outside of research, Meron loves playing chess, painting, watching food content and trying new recipes. 

Research Assistant

Wongel is a sophomore at Georgetown University majoring in Biology of Global Health and minoring in Economics. Her interests are particularly at the intersection of neuroscience and data science particularly in combining behavioral, imaging, and graph theory approaches to analyze language processing and executive function in post-stroke aphasia subjects. Outside of lab, Wongel enjoys tinkering with tools and projects, reading historical texts, and practicing her latte art.

Research Assistant

I am a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Neurobiology and minoring in French. I am interested in how continuous cognitive testing and activity can accelerate and improve patient recovery following brain injuries. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, cooking, baking, music, and exploring DC with my friends.

Research Assistant

Emilio is a junior at Georgetown University double majoring in Computer Science and Neurobiology. His primary interest revolve around data and database management for research purposes, especially in creating efficient systems to maintain, analyze, and share large datasets. Outside of lab, Emilio enjoys teaching young people a wide range of subjects from theology to biology and C++, fostering an early interest in interdisciplinary learning. 

Research Assistant

Nina is a freshman at Georgetown University with academic interests in Neurobiology and Disability Studies. She is interested in exploring the intersection of neuroscience and behavioral studies through the lens of communication. Outside of lab, Nina likes to go on runs, read, play the piano and spend time with her friends.

Research Assistant

Savannah is a sophomore at Georgetown University majoring in Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She has a particular interest in neuroplasticity and the mechanisms that sustain all biological functions, especially those that involve neural networks. She also fosters a deep interest in computer science and enjoys locating the intersection between programming and scientific theory to study patterns and systems more efficiently. When outside of the lab, Savannah enjoys sketching, drawing, listening to music, and frequenting the monuments.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Sarah Phillips completed her Ph.D. in Linguistics at New York University before coming to GUMC in 2022. Her research is primarily focused on the principled mechanisms, and their neural bases, that support our ability to de-/compose linguistic expressions. She is currently working with Dr. DeMarco on a project investigating differences in linguistic and emotion prosody processing among right hemisphere stroke survivors. Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys film photography and live jazz.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Ryan is a cognitive neuroscientist. He received his PhD in psychology from Rutgers University - Newark, and his research leverages modeling and neuroimaging to understand the computational mechanisms and neural substrates that support healthy language processing and language recovery following stroke. His time outside the lab is spent reading, playing guitar, and lifting weights.