Lab Director
Natalia Vélez, Ph.D.
nvelez@princeton.edu
CV
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
Renée Creppy
renee.creppy@princeton.edu
I graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2024 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in French. Previously, I have worked with Dr. Michael Platt on an action anticipation project, and with Dr. Laura Schulz on a project that explored children’s understanding of abstract relations. I am broadly interested in young children’s understanding of leadership, risk, and meritocracy. Outside the lab, you can find me exploring new coffeeshops around town and keeping up with soccer.
Postdoctoral Researchers
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 (G2)
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, fishing, and learning languages.
Elizabeth Mieczkowski (G2)
em4240@princeton.edu
Website
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.
Broadly, I’m interested in studying children’s cognitive development. I’m particularly interested in understanding the cognitive mechanisms of children’s causal reasoning and how they use causal reasoning to guide decision-making in social contexts, e.g., collaboration. Previously, I worked with Dr. Kalanit Grill-Spector at Stanford University and Dr. Henrike Moll at USC, studying infants’ neurodevelopment and young children’s Theory of Mind development, respectively. Outside of research, I enjoy spending time in nature. I also have a soft spot for cats and enjoy exploring new coffee shops.
Chantal Valdivia-Moreno (G1 🎉)
cvaldivia@princeton.edu
Website
A central task of early childhood is learning how to regulate one's emotions in the midst of new "collaborations" with peers and caregivers. Broadly, I am interested in how children come to understand these dynamics. My interests are shaped by my experience working as a preschool teacher at Wellesley College, where I double majored in Psychology and Sociology. Outside of lab, I enjoy collecting risograph prints and spending time with my many, many cousins.
Some of the largest societal problems humans face will require collaboration and cooperation at scale to solve. I am interested in investigating the antecedents and consequences of collaboration, as well as how socially communicated information can facilitate changes in decision making. To do so, I hope to leverage computational and behavioral methods to investigate these topics, particularly in the contexts of climate change and common pool resources. In my free time I go to concerts and movies.
Kristopher Nichols (G2)
knichols@princeton.edu
Bella Fascendini (G1 🎉)
bfascendini@princeton.edu
Website
Research Assistants
Emily Yeow '26
Dominique Cormier '25
Miles Sugarman '25
Dana Ayebare '27
Meg Wheeler '26
Amy Park '27
Gracie Wood '25
Emeri Thomkins '26
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 the 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.
Jax
Jax is a fifth-year PhD student. His research interests are the study of sleep (loves to take naps) and gastronomy (trying new fruits). He is also passionate about data inspection (inspecting Amazon packages).
Fideo
Fideo is a cat-astrophe prevention technician. He specializes in the hunting of insects and small rodents, as well as botany (eating plants). Outside of lab, he enjoys being a menace to society.