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Vanessa Rainey

Vanessa Rainey

Biography

Dr. Vanessa Rainey, associate professor, teaches courses in developmental psychology and human development.

Dr. Rainey’s current research is investigating sensory processing differences in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using EEG to analyze brain activity, she is studying the underlying mechanisms of sensory processing deficits. Through surveys and behavioral measures, she also examines their impact in college classrooms and workplace settings. Additional projects explore the rise in self-diagnosed ASD and ADHD among college students and how home environment factors, such as chaos and parenting anxiety, influence adaptive functioning in children and adolescents. By integrating cognitive, socioemotional, and developmental neuroscience perspectives, Dr. Rainey’s research offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how the brain adapts and rewires in response to everyday challenges.

Before coming to UWF in 2014, she taught several psychology courses at Loyola University Chicago. She received a bachelor’s in psychology, and a master’s and doctorate in developmental psychology and statistics from Loyola University Chicago. She also conducted post-doctoral research on executive function development using neuroscience methodologies at Loyola University Chicago’s Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab.