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I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at UC Irvine and the director of the WILD Lab. My research examines how the experiences children have in the first years of life — the caregiving they receive, the environments they grow up in, the biological changes happening around birth — set the foundations for cognitive and emotional health across the lifespan. I am passionate about grounding basic science research with a focus on social responsibility and community advocacy. The ultimate goal of my work is to inform translational intervention-science and policy to help improve the lives of children and their families.
Before starting at UC Irvine, I was a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Langone Health in New York, and I completed my doctorate in Cognitive Science at Brown University in Providence, RI. When I'm not in the lab, I enjoy hiking and spending time outdoors and at the beach with my three year old daughter.
The WILD Lab officially launched at UC Irvine in 2025 and is actively growing. We are in the early stages of building a collaborative, intellectually vibrant community — and the people who join now will have a rare opportunity to help shape the lab's culture, questions, and direction from the ground up.
Research assistants are the heart of the lab. You will work directly with infants and families, assist with data collection and coding, and have the opportunity to learn first-hand what developmental science looks like in practice.
No prior research experience is required — just genuine curiosity about children's development and a commitment to showing up with care and reliability. RAs are eligible to receive course credit and may pursue independent research projects after their first semester.
I anticipate interviewing Ph.D. students applying for the Fall 2026 admission cycle through the UC Irvine Department of Psychology. I am looking for students who are intellectually curious, motivated by questions about how early environments shape development, and committed to rigorous and inclusive science.
Students in the lab will receive mentorship in experimental design, neuroimaging and physiological methods, advanced statistical modeling, and science communication. You will be supported in developing your own research program and in pursuing funding and career goals.
We care more about the questions you ask than the experiences you already have. If you are genuinely curious about how children develop and how science can serve them, you belong here.
Everyone in the lab is learning. We celebrate effort, normalize mistakes, and support each other through both the glamorous and the unglamorous parts of research.
Our research is guided by rigorous methods, transparent reporting, and a commitment to honesty and accuracy. Above all, we keep families at the center of everything we do.
