RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Grace Yee
Grace is a third-year undergraduate student studying Psychology at Boston University. She is interested in how environmental factors impact a child’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. She plans on completing a doctoral program and later working in a clinical setting focusing on developmental psychology. She is excited in gaining experience and being a part of the team in the Social Learning Lab.
Caleb Vazquez
Caleb is an undergraduate student in the Class of 2029 at Boston University, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Applied Human Development. He is interested in understanding behavior from a cognitive and developmental perspective, especially in young adults. He has experience working with children and adolescents through his roles as an assistant track coach for middle schoolers and as a Sunday school teacher. In the future, he hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career as a psychiatrist. Through the Social Learning Lab, Caleb is excited to learn more about development, social learning, and where perceptions stem from!
Hailey Mallah
Hailey is a sophomore at Boston University in the class of 2029. She majors in psychology and minors in business administration and management. Hailey is interested in child development, specifically how parents' and teachers’ interactions with children shape their social learning. In the future, she hopes to get a PsyD and become a child psychologist. She has extensive experience working with children as a one-to-one mentor, camp counselor, and cheerleading coach. Through SLL, Hailey hopes to gain research experience and work closely with graduate students and professors to learn more about the field!
Anya Puangsawas
Anya is a sophomore at Boston University studying psychology. She has experience working with kids in an educational setting leading her to become particularly passionate about cognitive science and how different experiences during childhood influence our perception of information into adulthood. Anya aspires to further her education into graduate school and continue researching topics concerning developmental and cognitive psychology.
Christine Amalraj
Christine is a freshman at Boston University pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Computer Science. She has spent lots of time working with children and is especially curious on understanding the neuropsychology of how they learn. In the future, she hopes to work on developing brain-computer-interfaces to help patients with neurological damage relearn skills. At the SLL, Christine is excited to gain experience in experimental design and data analysis!
Mary Mulligan
Mary is an undergraduate student at BU majoring in Psychology and minoring in Deaf Studies and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Her research interests focus on how children learn to process the world around them and how language shapes social and cognitive development. Mary is excited to contribute to ongoing projects in the Social Learning Lab and gain hands-on research experience!
Zehra Toplusoy
Zehra recently graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. She is especially interested in child development and how culture, language, family, and social environments shape the way children learn, form beliefs, and understand the world around them. As a bilingual Turkish-English speaker, she is especially interested in cross-cultural developmental research and how differences in communication can shape how children learn and interpret information. In the future, Zehra hopes to pursue a master’s degree in psychology and ultimately become a clinical psychologist, and she is excited to gain hands-on research experience and contribute to the Social Learning Lab!
Esther Kim
Esther is a junior studying Psychology, minoring in Applied Human Development. Her experiences working with children in educational and behavioral settings have further deepened her passion for child and developmental psychology, particularly in the interplay between parenting and a child's emotional regulation. Through SLL, Esther hopes to gain more research experience and further grow in her passion! During her free time, she enjoys checking out new cafes and going on walks.
Seyeon (Sarah) Han
Sarah is an undergraduate student from Southern California, studying Education and Human Development with Comparative Literature. She is interested in the effects of literature and media on the identity formation of children and hopes to learn more about its impact on interdisciplinary learning!
Shiying (Jessie) Zhou
Jessie is a sophomore at Boston University majoring in Education and pursuing a dual degree in Psychology. She is interested in child development and cognitive psychology, and is curious about how children’s interactions with family members, peers, and teachers shape their social, emotional, and cognitive growth. In the future, Jessie hopes to pursue a career in mental health counseling. She is excited to develop her research skills and gain a deeper understanding of children’s social learning and development.
Wanxin Chen
Wan is a Sophomore at Boston University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Applied Human Development. She plans to pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and aspires to work as a therapist in a clinical setting, supporting both children and adults affected by childhood trauma. She is excited to learn and gain new experiences through the Social Learning Lab.
Lisa Wang
Lisa Wang is a master’s student in Human Development and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her interests center on how children and adolescents learn and develop through their social and educational environments, with particular interests in motivation, social learning, and educational equity. She is also interested in how developmental research can inform educational practice and policy. Prior to Harvard, she graduated early from Emory University with a B.S. in psychology and has experience in research, teaching, and working with students across different learning settings.
Emily Yang
Emily is a BU undergraduate student from the class of 2027, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Applied Human Development. She is passionate about guiding and supporting children in the educational field. Through the Social Learning Lab, she hopes to learn more about how children gain knowledge from their surroundings. Outside the lab, Emily enjoys going on walks to the park and playing mahjong with friends!
Emma Retan
Emma is a senior at Boston University majoring in Psychology with minors in Applied Human Development and Religion. She is interested in how children and adolescents assess AI’s credibility and how educators can integrate innovation and learning. In the future, she hopes to pursue clinical social work with youth and their families. On a typical day, you can find her on a stroll listening to music and popping into a cafe or three!
Christina Yang
Christina is a sophomore at Boston University studying Education and Human Development. Through her experiences working with children in educational and developmental settings, she has become especially interested in the small moments that shape how children learn and see the world. She is curious about how relationships, environments, and the ways adults respond to children can influence their learning and well being. As a Research Assistant with the Social Learning Lab, Christina hopes to explore these questions through hands-on research and better understand how research can translate into more responsive and supportive experiences for children and families.
Gabriella Karp
Gabriella is a sophomore at Boston University majoring in Psychology and Sociology. After graduation, she plans on pursuing a PsyD with the goal of becoming a clinical or forensic psychologist. She is especially interested in adolescent mental health and the effects of adverse childhood experiences on psychopathology. During her free time, she enjoys petting dogs and crocheting projects for her friends.
Igho Akporokah
Igho is a class of 2028 at BU pursuing a major in Neuroscience and Philosophy with a minor in Data Science. She has years of experience working with kids of all ages and is deeply interested in the factors that contribute to childhood development and the formation of individual identities. In addition to development, she is fascinated by a wide array of neuroscience and psychology topics, including cognition, behavioral neuroscience, and consciousness. After graduation, Igho plans to pursue a doctorate in cognitive or developmental neuroscience. She is excited to join the Social Learning Lab to gain new research experience!
Emilia Liu
Emilia is a senior at Boston University majoring in Psychology. Her academic interests focus on social, developmental, and clinical psychology. She aspires to pursue masters in clinical or counseling psychology and is especially fascinated by the psychology of criminal behavior and forensics. She has great enthusiasm and excitement to learn from the Social Learning Lab and is eager to translate research insights to real world settings.
June Lim
Hi, my name is June Lim, I am a senior attending Boston University, majoring in psychology. I plan to pursue a PH.D. in Clinical Psychology, focusing on adolescent behavioral disorders. I am in love with psychology stats and general nerdy readings.
Meredith Rizzi
Meredith is a junior studying psychology and neuroscience. She is originally from just outside of Philadelphia and loves living in Boston! She is interested in the social factors that influence how children understand the world around them, as well as how they form beliefs and identities. In the future, she hopes to have a career in which she can integrate psychology and neuroscience in a clinical setting.
Emma Hart
Emma is a Junior studying health sciences with a minor in visual arts. She enjoys working with children and is interested in the role childhood experiences can have in shaping lifelong cognitive, developmental, and well-being outcomes. Her goal is to work in pediatrics, and she believes having a thorough understanding of adolescents' psychological health will help her better care for her patients. She is excited to gain more experience working with children in research settings. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, playing guitar, and taking walks!
Brenda Chan
Brenda is a freshman at Boston University majoring in Neuroscience. She is interested in exploring how children learn from the people and environments around them, as well as how these experiences shape their social and cognitive development. At SLL, she hopes to deepen her understanding of how decision-making processes unfold in young minds while simultaneously gaining hands-on research experience. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at a local hospital, painting, and trying out new cuisines!