Lab Director
I am interested in how humans collaborate. I approach this question at two levels of analysis. Zooming in, I investigate the individual cognitive capacities that enable us to navigate the challenges of collaboration. Zooming out, I study how communities create conditions that support collaboration. As the PI of the CoLab, I’m excited to explore these questions with the amazing people below! You can view a working draft of my mentoring philosophy here.
Lab Manager
Bella Fascendini, M.A.
bfascendini@princeton.edu
Website
I’m interested in studying the cognitive mechanisms of social cognition, including social learning and causal reasoning. Previously, I worked with Dr. Kalanit Grill-Spector at Stanford, studying infants’ neurodevelopment using MRI & EEG. Going forward, I plan to use a multidisciplinary approach, integrating computational and neuroimaging methods, to better understand how children learn and reason about the world. Outside of research, I enjoy spending time in nature. I also have a soft spot for cats and enjoy exploring new coffee shops.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Lauren Oey, Ph.D.
loey@princeton.edu
Website
People can strategically adapt their behavior to their social environment. They can communicate select information to influence other people’s beliefs. They can both distinguish themselves from others and blend into the crowd. Lauren’s goal is to understand how and under what contexts people make these strategic decisions, and what collective behaviors emerge when everyone tries to adapt to others around them. Outside of the lab, Lauren prefers to climb up mountains (or rock walls), or launch down mountains (on skis).
Bonan Zhao, Ph.D.
bnz@princeton.edu
Website
I’m interested in the cognitive mechanisms that drive conceptual discoveries. How do we synthesize rules from data? How to update our mental representations from old ones? When facing the unknowns, how do we make use of existing knowledge to plan efficient explorations? When working together, how do our different mental models affect the way we communicate and collaborate? I gather insights from behavioral experiments, computational modeling, and more.
Graduate Students
Ham Huang, B.A.
hamhuang@princeton.edu
Website
Broadly, I am interested in the computational cognitive science of human aggregate minds. How do the cognitive properties of each individual human mind and brain create emergent properties of human interactions and group behaviors and how does information from group and interactive settings shape individual cognitive mechanisms? Outside of research, you may find me hanging out with friends, watching YouTube, playing tennis, playing piano, and learning languages.
Elizabeth Mieczkowski, B.A.
em4240@princeton.edu
Website
In a noisy and uncertain world, humans excel at effectively learning from each other. I am trying to better understand how we do it, particularly in cases when imitation is not the best choice. Throughout my PhD, I have been investigating computational mechanisms of observational learning using online experiments. During my stay at the CoLab, I will expand those insights into the neural domain, trying to find correlates of our proposed social learning mechanisms. When I am not working, I am probably either reading, hiking, gaming, or travelling.
Although humans can solve extraordinarily complex problems, there are many tasks that individuals alone cannot accomplish. I am interested in using computational and behavioral methods to study how we overcome individual limitations by parallelizing tasks amongst groups of people. I completed my BA in Computer Science at Cornell University, followed by two years as a lab tech with Dr. Nancy Kanwisher at MIT. In my free time, I like to run, read fiction, and bake.
Alexandra Witt, M.Sc.
Visiting Ph.D. Student
aw5105@princeton.edu
Website
Research Assistants
Emily Yeow
emily.yeow@princeton.edu
I am interested in researching how young children shape their development by exploring their own abilities. By looking at the varying responses of children towards confounding toys, we can begin to investigate whether this sense of curiosity in oneself is an innate characteristic or whether certain individuals are more eager to learn about themselves based on their personal experiences.
Jake Lim
jsglim@princeton.edu
I am a senior at Princeton University concentrating in Psychology and working towards a Cognitive Science certificate. My interests center around developmental and social psychology, particularly how children develop an understanding of and relationships with the people around them. Mental health is also incredibly important to me. My thesis work will study how preschoolers reason about social groups. Outside of the lab, I like to play tennis, watch football, and am part of the Manna Christian Fellowship!
I am a psychology student interested in behavioral neuroscience and social psychology. I am curious about how individuals make sense of the world around them, and how environmental forces influence cognitive development and behavior. I also have internship experience at a neuropsychiatric lab that examines the relationship between substance-use disorders and neural dysregulation. Beyond my psychological interests, I enjoy cooking, arts and crafts, and traveling.
Jiwon Jun
jiwonj@princeton.edu
I’m a curious psych student who wants to use developmental research and theory to apply to parenting and the classroom! I have been very involved in learning about socio-emotional development and how both verbal and non-verbal language can impact a child's understanding of her own competence, self-esteem, and the subsequent behaviors that relate to attachment and validation. I also have a lot of experience in marketing, doing internships that relate to social media and content creation. Outside of the lab, I enjoy traveling, learning about new cultures, and eating good local food.
Dominique Cormier
dc3899@princeton.edu
I am interested in exploring the dynamics of team sports and their connection to teamwork. My research interest lies in investigating how individual rituals and personal ideologies can influence team collaboration and overall performance. Through my research, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how these elements shape and enhance the collective success of a team.
coming soon!
Lidet Moges
lm8354@princeton.edu
Miles Sugarman
ms6863@princeton.edu
For as long as I can remember, I've always been curious about the motives behind people's actions. I'm particularly drawn to harnessing psychological insights to optimize performance, believing in the power of psychological skills for personal growth. Alongside my interest in psychology, I am deeply immersed in the world of music, aspiring to integrate my passion for both fields by working in the music industry post-graduation.
Celestine Kim
celkim@princeton.edu
coming soon!
Clara Liang
Summer Intern
clara.liang@princeton.edu
Friends of the Lab
Augie
Augie is a tenth-year postdog. His research interests include foraging (finding stray bits of cheese on the sidewalk), vocal mimicry (howling at ambulances), and mental imagery (chasing foxes in his sleep).
Cat
As an assistant purrfessor, he is passionate about studying spatial reasoning using cardboard boxes (how to fit in boxes that are 1/3 of his size). He also serves as the apartment's general supervisor and ensures that all household tasks get done properly.
Woody
Woody is an assistant to assistant purrfessor, who specializes in rolling over on his back and meowing for belly rubs. He is also an advocate against food waste. He has been practicing the 0-waste policy for years now by finishing food in others’ bowls.