Kathy Ayala

Kathy earned her B.S. in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2019, where she conducted her senior thesis under Dr. Aaron Ettenberg, studying the behavioral effects of lithium isotopes in a model of mania. She joined the Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program in 2022 and works in Dr. Helena Rutherford’s The Before and After Baby Lab at the Yale Child Study Center. Her research focuses on how fetal signals, particularly movement, may shape maternal brain development and attachment during pregnancy. Outside of the lab, Kathy is passionate about mentorship and outreach. She serves as Lead Coordinator for Yale Brain Education Day, Co-Director of the Yale Developmental Science Undergraduate Summer Internship, and Coordinator for the INP Peer Mentoring Program.