Rachel Romeo, Post-Doc

What is one project you’re excited about that you are working on in the lab right now?

I am working on a video-coding sub-project from the Deprivation-Threat study. Along with an incredible RA team, we're looking back at parent-child interaction videos from when the children were 3 years old (they're now 14+!) to try to understand how various dimensions of verbal interaction relate to cognitive and socioemotional development. It's super fun to watch children be the hilarious little humans that they are, and also to hear all the 2008 pop culture references!

What is something that you enjoy doing outside of work?

I really enjoy distance running, especially half and full marathons. I’m pretty slow and not competitive, but I enjoy the endurance and pushing yourself a little farther than you feel comfortable. I also enjoy baking, puzzles of all kinds, traveling to new places, and trying to make my cats into internet superstars.

What do you want to be when you “grow up”?

I very much want to be "that crazy old professor lady" regarded by students as kooky but wise.

What is something that you are personally working on improving (about yourself, about the world, about your community etc)?

I am notoriously bad at keeping up with old friends. It's often too easy for me to get so caught up in my current to-do lists that I lose track of really important people from previous eras of my life. I have been making a concerted effort over recent months/years to get better at reaching out and keeping in touch with people who mean a lot to me.

Give us a snapshot of a moment of joy in your life.

I met my partner at a cast party for a theatre show we were working on. We were the only two southerners in a sea of northerners/east & west coasters, the vast majority of whom were vegetarians or vegans. It was a potluck, and my partner showed up with a literal bucket of fried chicken, and I knew we were destined for each other.

Do you have any hidden talents? If so, what?

For many years I have been on various puzzle-hunt teams (i.e., multi-day competitions to solve a series of hierarchical puzzles with no rules). On my current team I am known as someone who is very good at pattern recognition and cracking the hidden layers of puns.

What brought you to work here?

I have admired Kate's and the SDLab's work for many years. I wanted to be a part of a research environment that was equally interested in uncovering mechanisms linking early adversity to life outcomes as well as meaningful translations to serve and support those who have experienced adversity. Also, I wanted to learn from a badass female leader :)

If you could be anything (outside from your current field) what would it be?

Growing up I wanted to be a cryptologist (i.e., the perfect combination of linguistics, math, and puzzles). I still think I'd be pretty good at it.

What 's important to know about you?

I will literally cross the street to pet any dog.