Jessica Sommerville, Principal Investigator

Dr. Sommerville is a developmental psychologist whose work focuses on the origins of social, cognitive and moral development in infancy and early childhood. She is particularly interested in factors that support developmental changes in children’s learning through and about the social world. She received her PhD from the University of Chicago in 2002, and subsequently completed a post-doctoral fellowship in developmental cognitive neuroscience at the University of Washington. Dr. Sommerville is a Full Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto (St. George campus); from 2003 to the spring of 2019 Dr. Sommerville was an Assistant, Associate, and then Full Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. See Dr. Sommerville’s CV here.

Vera Zhang (She/Her), Lab Manager

Vera is interested in how children develop and display empathy, and how parental guidance aids in this process. In the future, Vera is interested in either pursuing clinical child psychology or educational developmental psychology. Outside the lab, Vera enjoys creative writing, playing badminton, and baking!

Inderpreet Gill (SHE/HER), THIRD Year PhD

Inderpreet is interested in investigating the social-cognitive mechanisms underlying moral and fairness judgments, and hopes to explore how infants and young children understand and respond to bullying behaviour. In her spare time, Inderpreet can be found exploring the city, swimming or binge-watching ‘The Office’. A fun fact about Inderpreet is that she went skydiving on a whim at 16 in New Zealand!

Mia Radovanovic (SHE/HER), THIRD Year PHD

Mia seeks to understand children’s learning from their own actions. In particular, she is interested in the reciprocal relationship between social context and children’s independent problem-solving. Outside of the lab, Mia enjoys running, raising plants, and spending time with her dog, Penny. A fun fact about Mia is that she has lived in three countries!

Norman zeng (he/him)

Norman is interested in the development of social cognition in children, especially in relation to children’s moral understanding of the world. He hopes to pursue a career in social or developmental psychology. Outside of the lab, Norman loves to read, play guitar, and hang out with friends.

Dylan Lin (they/them)

Dylan is interested in social cognition in children, specifically with regards to morality and gender. In the future, they hope to continue research in cognitive science. Outside of the lab, Dylan loves baking, playing/listening to music, reading non-fiction, and just nerd about almost everything.

Youness Robert-Tahiri (he/him)

Hi! I am a third-year undergraduate student in the Psychology Research Specialist program. I am passionate about children's mental health and the many ways that youth can overcome adversity. As such, I am particularly interested in how persistence develops in children. In my spare time, I like to perform comedic improvisation, play soccer, and volunteer.

Allison Pham (she/her)

Allison is proudly a second-year undergraduate student double majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science (Language & Cognition stream). Her research interests lie in the areas of social and cognitive development, and one area that she finds particularly intriguing is how children’s persistence and motivation is affected by the language their parents use to praise them for accomplishing a task. Outside of the lab, you may catch Allison coffee shop hopping and great eats exploring in the GTA as she adores trying new restaurants and foods in town.  

Renée Wang (She/Her)

Renée is passionate about developmental and social psychology. She is interested in finding the impact of culture on child moral development, specifically, how culture influences children’s perception of prosocial behaviours. Outside of the lab, she loves swimming, music, travelling, and video-editing. A fun fact about Renée is that she almost slept a whole day on her last birthday because she was on a long flight.

Jeanne Polochansky (she/her)

Jeanne loves to immerse herself in developmental and cognitive psychology research. She hopes to run a research lab herself someday, focused on medical applications for mental health and accessibility for young people. A fun fact about Jeanne is that she published a storybook at twelve years old!

Mariana Castrillon (she/her)

Mariana is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, where she is an Honors Bachelor of Science with a Research Specialist in Psychology. Mariana is completing her Honours Thesis investigating the impacts of child and parental depression on the developmental origins of decision making. Outside of the lab, Mariana loves playing the cello, travelling with family and friends, and spending time with her dog.

Nikki (Nayeon) Song (she/her) 

Nikki (Nayeon) is a 4th year undergraduate student interested in children’s fairness knowledge as well as individual biases. She is passionate about research with children and young adolescents and hopes to utilize research data in other fields such as education and healthcare. In her free time, Nikki enjoys drawing and listening to music.

Nila Curtosi (She/Her)

Nila is interested in moral development how parenting can affect children’s learning and behaviour. Outside of the lab, she enjoys live music, baking for friends and family, and travelling. A fun fact about Nila is that she has 6 siblings!

Emma Soler (She/Her)

Emma is interested in young children's social-cognitive development, particularly in how decision making changes with age. She enjoys listening to music, playing various instruments, reading, and traveling. A fun fact about Emma is that she has done 3 international experiences (so far) at UofT!

Riya Dama (she/her)

Riya is interested in how we can explain behaviours using interdisciplinary methods in developmental psychology and neuroscience. She is currently involved with a project investigating how infants and young children develop and act on fairness norms. Outside of the lab, she enjoys dancing and karaoke. A fun fact about Riya is that she is a published author!

Julia Berube Boutin (she/her)

I am interested in normal psychological development, child psychopathology, and the development of morality. I hope to focus future research on therapeutic techniques for the prevention and intervention of mental health disorders in young children. A fun fact about me is that I share the same birthday as my two sisters. I love to run and explore new places.

Jaemin Hwang (SHE/HER)

Jaemin is interested in exploring the social and cultural factors that influence children’s moral development, and how parenting and education influence children’s response to challenges. In the future, she hopes to become a professor and researcher in developmental and/or social psychology. Outside of the lab, Jaemin loves drawing, playing music, exploring nature, and mentoring students.

Aafiya Somani (She/Her)

Aafiya is interested in learning about the Social and Cognitive aspects involved in the developmental process of children, and in particular, how it influences their behaviour.  She hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology or neuroscience. In her free time, she loves listening to kpop, doing creative projects, exploring new places, and meeting her friends.

Irem Ciraci (SHE/HER)

I am a second year psychology specialist student, and I am interested in clinical and developmental psychology. My research interests include looking at children's emotional and cognitive development! A fun fact about me is that I really enjoy art as I believe it is a great emotional outlet!

MIGUEL DOMINICO ALZONA

Miguel is interested in the clinical and pedagogical applications of developmental research in infancy and early childhood. Miguel hopes to pursue a career related to developmental-behavioral pediatrics. Outside of the lab, Miguel loves to dance, watch comfort shows, and explore new places.

Da Hee Kim

Hi! My name is Da Hee Kim but feel free to call me Kate (: My research interests include the evolution of archetypes through the influence of social media, the association between mob mentality and vulnerability to conformity, and the harmful romanticization of mental health issues as an unfavourable coping mechanism toward the younger generation. A fun fact about me is that I absolutely adore studio ghibli films and my favourite is Howl's Moving Castle.

Grace Sun

Grace is broadly interested in studying the social and cognitive development of children. In particular, how parenting and parental language influence children’s behavior. Grace is also interested in how children use information from the environment and how this informs their decision-making processes. Outside of the lab, Grace enjoys traveling, watching movies, and drinking bubble tea with friends.

Codi Lee

Codi is an undergraduate in computer science and cognitive science. They are interested in exploring language, cognition, and perception using computational tools, particularly how these develop. On their free time, Codi likes to listen to and share music, and draw.

Justin (Sehyun) Jeong

Justin is interested in the developmental, social, and abnormal fields of psychology. His research interests lie in the development of emotional regulation and prosocial behaviour, as well as the etiology and early potential markers of psychopathologies. He hopes to find ways of preventing or intervening mental health disorders in children. He intends to pursue clinical psychology in the future. Outside of the lab, he is grappled by philosophy and spends his free time reading and writing.

Sofia Westerhoff

Sofia is interested in how children develop a sense of gender and gender roles, as well as the role of environment and parenting on child mental health. In the future, she hopes to work with children and youth as a clinical psychologist and/or in an educational setting. Outside of academics, Sofia enjoys getting outside, mentoring students, crafting, and playing with her cat, named Toad.

Mishaal Kandapath

I am interested in how infants pick up language and learn to communicate their needs, wants, and emotions throughout the different stages of their development. Fun fact: I can stuff myself in a locker.

Wenyu Lu

I am interested in learning about moral development in children and how childhood experiences influence and shape prosocial behavior in adulthood. I like doing art, photography, and traveling in my free time. A fun fact about me is that although I am less scared now, I used to have an intense fear of dogs.

Josie hatfield

Josie is curious to learn more about how children of all ages react to and overcome challenges that they may encounter. Josie has a passion for helping youth reach their fullest potential, despite their starting point. In her spare time, you can find Josie dancing, reading, or outside in nature. A fun fact about Josie is that she loves spending time near the ocean when she is in her hometown. 

SKYE (LUXUE) WANG

Skye is interested in how early interactions, attachment, and sensory experiences contribute to the establishment of memory networks in the infant brain. She hopes to pursue a career in developmental or cognitive psychology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing piano and doodling on any surfaces available.

ELLEN IMAMURA

Ellen is interested in how children develop a sense of morality and learn to see themselves as a moral person. Specifically, she's interested in how cultural values and moral stories can impact a child's self-identity. Outside the lab, Ellen enjoys reading, drawing, and cafe-hunting for the best coffee!

Annabelle Persaud

I'm interested in the development of morality and decision making in children. I am also interested in how children's perceptions of fairness, inequity, and the intentions of others develop and change from infancy to adulthood. In my spare time I enjoy baking, reading, and listening to music. I also play the violin and piano!

Shenglan Shi

During my childhood, my parents often shared with me interesting knowledge about psychology. Influenced by them, I had a dream about studying psychology since I was a child. I am fascinated by helping others with what I have learned. This is meaningful to my life. My research interest is in developmental and social psychology. I am especially interested in how different parenting styles influence thinking and behaviors of children. Outside of lab, I love dancing, listening to K-pop, and playing video games. 

Doga Pulat

Doga is interested in the mechanisms underlying social development and environmental influences on psychopathology, with a focus on neurodivergent populations. She would like to apply such research to the development of early interventions for common mental health problems experienced by these populations. Outside of the lab, she loves painting and spending time outdoors. A fun fact about Doga is that she is a twin!

Elvia Ip

Elvia is interested in the development of social cognition and perception. In particular, she hopes to learn more about how social factors influence development in how people make judgments about the world around them. She is also curious about how these judgments change throughout childhood and later life. In her spare time, Elvia enjoys making art and trying out new drinks at cafes with friends!

Selina Fu

Selina is interested in social and developmental psychology, and exploring how a child's environment influeces and affects their learning and behaviour. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and just spending time with her friends. A fun fact about Selina is that she is a Formula 1 fan!

Charm Lee

Charm is interested in exploring the impact of parental language and behavior on children‚ development and long-term outcomes. She is also seeking to explore how the cultural context and parenting approach influence children‚ persistence and socio-emotional development. In her spare time, she is mostly making Korean food, drinking coffee and matcha, and working out at the gym. A fun fact about Charm is that she has been to 29 countries.

Elaine (Shiyi) Xu

Elaine is interested in the associations between the neurodevelopmental processes in children and their cognitive/social behaviours. She hopes to investigate the effect of social interactions on children's behaviour through cognitive neuroscience approaches. Outside the lab, Elaine enjoys reading, baking, and watching anime. 

Xin (Vivian) Shu 

Hi everyone! My name is Vivian. I am a third-year student specializing in psychology specialist and education minor. I have a keen interest in understanding children‚ innate and learned capacities to reason about morality, equality, and rules. I am also passionate about children's education. Aside from my academic life, I love taking photographs, skateboarding, and reading! 

Alex helmY (SHE/THEY)

Alex is a third year student studying neuroscience and psychology at UofT. She is curious about moral and social development! In her free time, you’ll find Alex drinking coffee and listening to their favourite albums for the 1000th time!

Dora Shi (She/her)

Dora is a third year student studying neuroscience and psychology at the U of T. She is interested in the development of mental and social cognition in young children. In her free time, you'll find Dora playing piano or trying new cafes around the city! 

Casey Zhang (she/her)

Casey is a third-year student studying psychology and criminology. She is interested in moral psychology and the role of psychology in the criminal justice system. In her free time, you’ll find her diving into a deep hole of true crime podcasts or shopping for random unnecessary household items.

former Research Assistants & Staff

Emily Kim, Postdoctoral Researcher

Hannah Solby, Lab Manager

Katie Rose, Graduate Student

Anna Michelle McPhee, Graduate Student

Rebekah Gelpi, Graduate Student

Linh Thai, Recruitment Coordinator

Victoria Cusumano, Research Assistant

Jasmine Gish, Research Assistant

Victoria Herbert, Research Assistant

Juliana Koury, Research Assistant

Zoe Lazaris, Research Assistant

Bianca Yuen, Research Assistant

Clare Zhang, Research Assistant

Britney Jeyanayagam, Research Assistant

Vanshika Drolia, Research Assistant

David Huynh, Research Assistant

Grace Zheng, Research Assistant

Elisabetta Canaletti, Research Assistant

Idiris Kabel, Research Assistant

Leona Liu, Research Assistant

Neeti Sharma, Research Assistant

Mary Su, Research Assistant

Denise Arefhaghi, Research Assistant

Shraddha Bhatt, Research Assistant

Rosalind Cho, Research Assistant

Anita Ding, Research Assistant

Julia Friedman, Research Assistant

Farah Gharib, Research Assistant

Rohina Kumar, Research Assistant

Catherine Marinos, Research Assistant

Mahima Tirunelveli Santhakumar, Research Assistant

Jasmine Shirvani, Research Assistant

Anicole Tan, Research Assistant

Dharsika Mathiyalagan, Research Assistant

Andi Rosenblatt, Research Assistant

Rachel Tennenhouse, Research Assistant

Ella van Beers, Lab Manager

Julia Xu, Research Assistant

Stella Yu, Research Assistant

Eric Zhang, Research Assistant

Heather Chong, Research Assistant

Josanne Buchanan, Research Assistant

Aisling Curtin, Research Assistant

Rohit Nair, Research Assistant

Emily Onyshko, Research Assistant

William Ai, Research Assistant

Simran Badalera, Research Assistant

Sinamys Bagh, Research Assistant

Sabrina Chan, Research Assistant

Christie Lai, Research Assistant

Antonia Soldovieri, Research Assistant

Ece Yucer, Research Assistant

Tim (Wei-Ting) Chao, Lab Manager

Jesse Whiteman, Graduate Student

Arnav Verma, Software Developer

Tiffany Tse, Research Assistant

Adarsh Vallurupalli, Research Assistant

Justine Vorvis, Research Assistant

Kalyani Vyas, Research Assistant

Elaine Wang, Research Assistant

Olivia Mastracci, Research Assistant

Rochelle Ofori, Research Assistant

Emilie Ng, Research Assistant

Natalie Cheung, Research Assistant

Forrest Currie, Research Assistant

Thasha Thirukumaran, Research Assistant