Yingying Wang (Ph.D.)
Panda

Yingying Wang, Ph.D

Associate Professor | Director, NL3

Yingying Wang, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders (SECD) at the University of Nebraska-LIncoln (UNL). She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, specializing in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI), and Magnetoencephalography (MEG). Her research content areas include brain development during literacy and language acquisition, and neural plasticity due to hearing rehabilitation from the Cochlear Implant device, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and learning. Her passion is to become an outstanding neuroscientist and devoted educator. In her spare time, she enjoys running. In May of 2016, she finished her first full marathon in Lincoln within 4 hours and 25 minutes. In Oct of 2016 and May 2017, she finished two half marathons. Besides running, she also likes hiking, fishing, and traveling.

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The NL3 Lab introduction video was made by Kelcey Buck and the CB3 introduction video was adapted from the original CB3 Video.

Current Lab Members

Fatima Sibaii
Horse

Fatima Sibaii, B.S.

M.S. Student
Fall 2017 – Current

Fatima is pursuing her M.S. in Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Dr. Wang is her M.S. thesis advisor. Before coming to the NL3 Wang Lab, she earned her engineering degree from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. Currently, she is working on using both fNIRS and Ultrasound Doppler techniques to study sensory inputs on human hands.

Julia Laing
Cat

Julia Laing

Department of Psychology – Doctoral Student – Volunteer Worker
Fall 2023 – Current

Julia is a fifth year Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student at UNL. Her research interests are primarily in investigating modifiable lifestyle factors (i.e., exercise and nutrition) that influence cognitive function. Additionally, she is interested in the biological underpinnings of eating behavior and its impacts on brain health. In her free time, Julia enjoys spending time with her husband and their three cats, traveling, and baking.

Luke Kortus
Giraffe

Luke Kortus

FYRE and UCARE Student
Fall 2023 – Current

Luke is a freshman undergraduate student majoring in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science with a minor in Psychology on the Pre-Medicine Track. He is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and has lived here for most of his life. He came to UNL to embark on an academic and professional career in the medical field. He works as a Certified Nursing Assistant for a senior care center. In his free time, he likes to run, hang out with friends, and be outdoors.

Joanne Vuong
Elephant

Joanne Vuong

FYRE and UCARE Student
Fall 2023 – Current

Joanne is a freshman studying chemical engineering on the pre-med track and minoring in biochemistry, and She is from Hastings, NE. She wants to attend med school and become a neurosurgeon in the future! As of right now, she is involved in Engineers Without Borders, Society of Women Engineers, NU Meds, and VSA, but she is excited to explore other opportunities throughout her time at UNL.

Caden Anderjaska
Capybara

Caden Anderjaska

Undergraduate Student – Volunteer Worker – UCARE Student
Fall 2023 – Current

Caden is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Child, Youth, and Family Studies (CYAF), hoping to eventually become a neonatologist. He is from Hastings, Nebraska, but recently helped his mother move to Lincoln over the Summer of 2023. He is also involved in the Pre-Medicine Undergraduate Mentoring Program (PUMP) at UNL. When he is not working, he enjoys playing video games, playing with his dog Oakley, and spending time with his family. He is excited to gain new insight into the brain, specifically into neuroplasticity and resting state networks (RSNs) in children.

Lauren Winn
Pug

Lauren Winn

Department of Psychology – FYRE student
Fall 2024 – Current

Lauren is a freshmen undergraduate student majoring in Psychological Neuroscience on the Pre-Health track. She is originally from Pella, IA and graduated from a class of 57 people. Lauren chose to attend UNL for all the different research opportunities and is extremely excited to embark on Dr. Wang’s research this year! Her future plans include attending graduate school in Psychology and using her own research to earn a PhD. In her free time, Lauren enjoys running, playing piano, and getting coffee with friends. She is super excited about possible community outreach opportunities through volunteer work.

KayLei Svendsen
Osprey

KayLei Svendsen

Department of Psychology – FYRE student
August 2024 – Current

KayLei is a first-year student majoring in (Clinical) Psychology, with a minor in English. She is a military brat and only child and has lived in 6 different states in the last 18 years. She came to Nebraska to live in my dad’s hometown and chose UNL because of the research opportunities and many adventures she could be a part of. In her free time, she likes to read, listen to music, call out-of-state friends, and be outdoors.

Danya Alderoubi
Tiger

Danya Alderoubi

Department of Psychology – FYRE Student
Fall 2024 – Current

Danya is a first-year psychology major on the pre pa pathway.

Chen Liang
Dog

Chen Liang

Psychology – Undergraduate Student Volunteer
March 2024 – Current

Chen is currently a sophomore student majoring in neuroscience. She is from China, Shan Xi Province, Xi’an City. She was transferred to UNL two years ago to start her new adventure. She used to work in the Objectification of Women (OWL) Lab in Lincoln, Nebraska as a voluntary RA. In her spare time, she likes to play badminton. Chen is definitely a dog person but unfortunately she is allergic to dog fur. Her current plan for the future is to go to graduate school to continue her interest in the research field of brain image.

Nick Kleinsasser
Sloth

Nick Kleinsasser

Software Engineering & Biochemistry – Undergraduate Student Worker
December 2023 – Current

Nick Kleinsasser is a junior at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, where he is pursuing degrees in Software Engineering and Biochemistry. With a keen interest in the intersection of technology and medicine, Nick is dedicated to exploring how software innovation can transform healthcare and medical research. Outside of his academic pursuits, Nick is an avid sports enthusiast, with a particular passion for soccer and football. His love for sports is matched by his curiosity for trying new activities, making his leisure time diverse and exciting. From traveling to different places to engaging in activities like hiking, rock climbing, and broomball, Nick loves to embrace a wide array of experiences.

Alec Kleinsasser
Lion

Alec Kleinsasser

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering – Undergraduate Student Worker
Fall 2024 – Current

Alec is a Sophomore at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, majoring in Chemical engineering, from Omaha, Nebraska.

Collaborators

Dr. Barlow The NL3 lab collaborates with the Communication Neuroscience Laboratories led by Dr. Steven Barlow on two projects:

— Exploratory clinical trials on motor rehabilitation in patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic stroke using saltatory pneumotactile stimulations.

— Establish an atomic Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Lab.

Dr. Hughes The NL3 Lab collaborates with Cochlear Implant Lab led by Dr. Michelle Hughes on one project:

— Identify neural predictors of speech perception outcomes in adults with cochlear implants

The NL3 lab collaborates with the Cochlear Implant Lab led by Dr. Shuman He on one projects:

— Identify neural predictors of speech perception outcomes in adults with cochlear implants.

Dr. Maxwell The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Anne K Maxwell on one project after Dr. Hatch left UNMC:

— Identify neural predictors of speech perception outcomes in adults with cochlear implants

Dr. Casazza The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Geoffrey C. Casazza on one project after Dr. Hatch left UNMC:

— Identify neural predictors of speech perception outcomes in adults with cochlear implants

Dr. Hatch The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Jonathan Hatch on one project (Note: due to family reasons, he moved away and left UNMC):

— Identify neural predictors of speech perception outcomes in adults with cochlear implants

Dr. Dai The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Hongying (Daisy) Dai on a project:

— Identify neural predictors of speech perception outcomes in adults with cochlear implants

Dr. Philip Lai The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Philip Lai on one project:

— Evaluating and Assessing Social Interaction between Parents and their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the Current Pandemic

Dr. Jorge Zuniga The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Jorge Zuniga on one project:

— Assessment of neural and motor performance in upper limb deficient subjects using discrete and continuous tasks and identification of anatomical differences of brain gray and white matter resulting from unilateral congenital upper-limb loss

Dr. Mukul Mukherjee The NL3 Lab collaborates with Dr. Mukul Mukherjee on one project:

— Enhancing gait rehabilitation in stroke survivors through tactile stimulation

Dr. Kevin Pitt The NL3 Lab provides consulting services to Dr. Kevin Pitt for his project:

— Exploring P300 event related potentials in relation to visual scene displays

CB3 The NL3 Lab is involved in a traumatic brain injury project at CB3:

— Assessment of white matter structure changes related to mild traumatic brain injury

Future Collaborator Potential Collaborators

If your research area is relevant to the NL3 lab or if you are interested in using brain imaging techniques in your research, please call Dr. Wang at 402-472-0106 or email her at yingying.wang@unl.edu.