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.

Jaemin Hwang (She/Her), Lab Manager

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.

Inderpreet Gill (SHE/HER), Final 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), Final 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), Second year PHD

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.

Selina Fu (She/her)

Selina is interested in social and cognitive development, especially the emergence of fairness and sharing behaviours. She is interested in pursuing a career in developmental psychology. Outside of the lab Selina enjoys window-shopping and cafe-hopping.

Youness Robert-Tahiri (he/him)

Youness is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Psychology Research Specialist program. He is passionate about children's mental health and the many ways that youth can overcome adversity. In his spare time, he likes to perform comedic improvisation, play soccer, and volunteer.

Madison Narciso (she/her)

Madison is a third-year psychology research specialist with a neuroscience major. She is interested in how the developing brain supports the incredible amount of learning children undertake as they grow and how the brain can use alternate paths for missing or degraded functions. In her free time, she is often found putting together jigsaw puzzles and baking sweet treats!

Rachel Kingstone (she/her)

Rachel is a fourth-year psychology specialist at the University of Toronto. She is interested in early cognitive development, specifically how parental language influences persistence and motivation. Outside of the lab, Rachel spends most of her time reading, drinking coffee, and playing piano and bass.

Mariana Castrillon (she/her)

Mariana holds an Honours Bachelor of Science with a Research Specialist in Psychology from the University of Toronto. She is leading a study 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.

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.

Aaron Wang (He/Him)

Aaron is a third-year Psychology specialist at the University of Toronto. He is interested in understanding how the emotional and social processes that shape moral judgments develop during infancy. Outside of the lab, Aaron enjoys singing, cooking, and playing board games with his friends. 

Sophia Joulaei (She/Her)

Sophia is a third-year student at the University of Toronto specializing in Psychology and minoring in English. She is interested in the emergence of gender differences in children as a result of gendered socialization. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys reading and watching movies.

Sophia Park (She/Her)

Sophia is a fourth-year psychology and criminology major at U of T. She is interested in gene-environment interaction as children grow up, specifically with parental environmental influence. In her free time, you can find her working as a barista, bouldering, and going to concerts!

Pritika Vatsa

Pritika is a fourth-year student studying psychology and education at UofT. She is interested in the social development of young children with aspects relating to the education system and curriculum. In her free time, you will see her binge-watching some movies and eating a lot of chocolate!

Cynthia (Zihui) Ni (She/her)

Cynthia is a fourth-year student studying neuroscience, cell & molecular biology and physiology at UofT. She is interested in discovering infants’ persistence level and moral development, with a dream of being one of the pediatric health professionals in the future~ Outside of the lab, Cynthia enjoys watching movies and volunteering in the communities!

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 (She/her)

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.

Zeynep Sila Kurtoglu (She/Her)

Zeynep is a third-year Neuroscience and Psychology student at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on children's moral development, specifically their understanding, application, and conformity to societal expectations of morality. Outside of the lab, Zeynep enjoys exploring new cuisines (at home or outside), working with children, and staying active.

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.

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.

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. 

Elvia Ip (She/Her)

Elvia is interested in the social and cognitive aspects behind children’s moral judgments and how these aspects influence children’s beliefs. She is also interested in how closely children’s moral beliefs align with their actions. Outside the lab, Elvia can be found making art and trying out new drinks at cafes! 

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.

ARIANNA DUarte (she/her)

Arianna is a recent graduate of McMaster University in the Life Science: Sensory-Motor Systems specialization. Her interests lie in developmental psychology and its role in education. In her spare time, Arianna enjoys reading, theater, and video games!

former Research Assistants & Staff

Emily Kim, Postdoctoral Researcher

Ella van Beers, Lab Manager

Hannah Solby, Lab Manager

Tim (Wei-Ting) Chao, Lab Manager

Vera Zhang, Lab Manager

Katie Rose, Graduate Student

Jesse Whiteman, Graduate Student

Anna Michelle McPhee, Graduate Student

Rebekah Gelpi, Graduate Student

Arnav Verma, Software Developer

Linh Thai, Recruitment Coordinator

Aafiya Somani, Postbac Researcher

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

Dylan Lin, 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

Miguel Dominico Alzona, Research Assistant

Codi Lee, Research Assistant

Josie Hatfield, Research Assistant

Ellen Imamura, Research Assistant

Dharsika Mathiyalagan, Research Assistant

Andi Rosenblatt, Research Assistant

Rachel Tennenhouse, Research Assistant

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

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

Mahima Tirunelveli Santhakumar, Research Assistant

Jasmine Shirvani, Research Assistant

Anicole Tan, Research Assistant

Allison Pham, Research Assistant

Renee Wang, Research Assistant

Jeanne Polochansky, Research Assistant

Nikki Song, Research Assistant

Lydia Altun, Research Assistant

Kate Kim, Research Assistant

Mishaal Kandapath, Research Assistant

Doga Pulat, Research Assistant

Charm Lee, Research Assistant

Jaimee Yu, Research Assistant