Rachel Romeo

Rachel Romeo, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland College Park, in the departments of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, Hearing & Speech Sciences, and the program in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science. She is also a licensed Speech Language Pathologist specializing in pediatric language, literacy, and learning differences. Dr. Romeo is interested in how children's early experiences (both favorable and adverse) interact to influence their brain and cognitive development, as well as their future learning. At UMD, she directs the Language, Experience, and Development (LEAD), which integrates methods from psychology, neuroscience, education, and clinical sciences to investigate how developing brains adapt to their varying environments and lead to unique developmental paths, using rigorous, inclusive, and community-engaged methods. A primary focus is to translate this work into the "real world" to inform educational, clinical, and social policy, and to ultimately reduce inequities in child development. Dr. Romeo's research is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health, Institute of Museum & Library Services, and the UMD Brain Behavior Institute.