Dr. Momany is a Clinical Child Psychologist at the University of Iowa. Allison’s research examines biologic (genetic and epigenetic) and physiologic variation in preterm infants, and the extent to which these factors confer risk for neurodevelopmental impairment. Allison’s clinical work focuses on neurodevelopmental assessment of infants born preterm in early childhood (2-6 years old). 

Fun Fact: Dr. Momany is a huge Taylor Swift fan and has been since her debut album. She once got to go backstage and meet Taylor at one of her concerts even!

Ms. Weathers supports all aspects of the Neonatal Biorepository, including overseeing subject recruitment and sample collection, IRB communications, data use agreements, research agreements, clinical data extraction, and management. 

Fun Fact: Nancy is an avid bicyclist and has ridden across Missouri, Vermont, and from Pittsburgh to D.C. She also enjoys other outdoor activities like cross-country skiing and kayaking!

Paige is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Departments of Pediatrics/Neonatology and Radiology. Her research focuses on using clinical neuroimaging techniques, including neurosonography and magnetic resonance imaging, to investigate brain plasticity in extremely preterm infants born as early as 22 weeks of gestation. She also investigates how neonatal morbidities, such as chronic lung disease, and various intervention strategies influence brain growth and maturation, with the broader goal of identifying neuroprotective strategies to reduce adverse effects on the developing brain.

Fun Fact: Paige loves to travel and even studied abroad in France. She also enjoys taking daily walks with her goldendoodle, Auggie!

Fulden is a pediatric resident in the Physician-Scientist Training Pathway at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Her research focuses on understanding how early-life stress in the NICU influences neurodevelopment through genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. She is currently working with the NEST Lab to study how neonatal physiological stressors impact DNA methylation patterns and long-term developmental outcomes in preterm infants.

Prior to Iowa, Fulden completed a research fellowship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where she worked on projects related to neonatal brain injury, pharmacologic therapies, and clinical outcomes in high-risk infants. She also completed pediatric residency training in Turkey and worked as a pediatrician in a resource-limited setting, experiences that continue to shape her commitment to health equity and advocacy. She is passionate about integrating multi-omics approaches, including genomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics—to better understand variability in child development and to advance precision medicine in pediatrics. She hopes to pursue a career as a physician-scientist in medical genetics and genomics.

Outside of medicine, Fulden is a competitive swimmer and enjoys speed puzzling and children’s literature.

Fun fact: Fulden has swum across Bosphorus, crossing from Asia to Europe.

Maria is a graduate student in the speech-language pathology program. She is very interested in studying the speech and developmental outcomes of children. She is specifically interested in learning how other factors like disabilities or preterm birth can affect the trajectory of children. 

Fun Fact: Maria is very lucky when it comes to winning raffles. She has won everything from a parking spot to a TV!