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Director of Research

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann’s work focuses on researching the impact of emotion on learning and developing technology that supports the affective component of Universal Design for Learning. In particular, Dr. Rappolt-Schlichtmann brings expertise in the developmental neuroscience of at-risk children, especially the impact of children’s experiences of stress on emotion and cognitive performance in the context of school.

Before joining CAST Dr. Rappolt-Schlichtmann worked for several years at the Kessler Institute and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey studying post-traumatic stress disorder and its impact on attention, learning and memory. In addition she served as the solicitations editor of the Harvard Educational Review, and as a research associate on several national research projects, including the national evaluation of Early Head Start.

Dr. Rappolt-Schlichtmann's dissertation research focused on studying the physiologic stress response of young children living in poverty. Her research showed how early adverse experiences associated with poverty can organize children's behavior, cognition and biology in the context of school; she demonstrated experimentally that teachers can directly impact children’s physiologic stress responses. This work was funded by a National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award.