| Lab Director | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Dr. Lauren Emberson Associate Professor, Psychology Director, Baby Learning Lab Dr. Emberson’s research is in the areas of learning, perception (audition, vision, crossmodal or multisensory), language development, face/object perception, and attention. Emberson investigates these capacities in young infants using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques (e.g., fNIRS: functional near infrared spectroscopy). Dr. Emberson works primarily with very young infants (starting at birth through 1 year) and also investigates preterm/premature infants who are at-risk for developmental delays. The overarching goal of Dr. Emberson’s research is to understand the incredible learning capacities of the infant brain, and how these learning abilities contribute to an infant’s rapid development of perception (vision, audition, crossmodal perception). Dr. Emberson is driven to understand perception in its ecological context (i.e., what infants sees and hears all day long), so her work is often conducted in the contexts of language and face or object perception. Her work bears on the question of how early life learning and development contribute to later life outcomes and investigates this with premature infants and infants being raised in adverse early life conditions (e.g., lower socioeconomic status in the developing world). Dr. Emberson’s research has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the James S. McDonnell Foundation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH in the US). Dr. Emberson’s secondary research area is Cognitive. In addition to the lab's anti-racism pledge, find Dr. Emberson's personal anti-racism and sustainability pledge here. Contact Dr. Emberson: emberson@psych.ubc.ca |
| Lab Coordinator | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Hayley Yau Pronouns: she/her/hers Lab Coordinator Hayley received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2024. Before joining the Baby Learning Lab in 2026, she was the Recruitment Coordinator at the EDRG main office and a research assistant in multiple labs under the EDRG. With a strong foundation in child development and psychiatry research, Hayley’s work at the Baby Learning Lab focuses on supporting and coordinating research projects that explore early brain development and its impact on cognitive functions. Her role involves overseeing the smooth operation of various studies, managing research protocols, and ensuring that the lab’s research activities align with its mission to advance our understanding of early cognitive processes. Hayley is passionate about applying developmental research findings to neurodiverse children and is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and productive research environment. Enthusiastic about engaging with parents and families, Hayley is always happy to answer any questions about participating in studies at the lab. In her free time, Hayley enjoys baking, watching TV shows and going on walks! For inquiries related to lab operations or research, you can contact Hayley at hayley.yau@ubc.ca. |
| Graduate Students | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Jingyun Zhu Graduate Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Jingyun received her BSc in Psychology from Peking University in 2023. Her thesis focused on how experience and learning can influence the neural processing of faces of different races. Jingyun now works under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Emberson and currently focuses on the development of infants’ fronto-parietal networks during learning and rest. In her spare time, Jingyun enjoys doing grocery shopping and idling about around the city. Contact Jing: jyzhuu@mail.ubc.ca |
| Research Assistants | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Elizabeth Marsh Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Elizabeth is 4th year B.A. student majoring in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests focus on childhood development and its influences on formulating our identities and perceptions of the world. Elizabeth is especially interested in gaining hands-on experience in a lab setting to deepen her knowledge of psychological methodologies and analyzing strategies in the field. Her passion and interest in working with infants and youth stems from her experiences in teaching and volunteering with kids. When not being involved on campus, she enjoys baking, finding fun places to venture with friends all over Vancouver, and working on her cooking skills. |
 |  | Maddie Tse Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Maddie is a 2nd year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at UBC. She is interested in developmental psychology and how early experiences shape learning and cognition. Maddie enjoys being part of a team that explores the fascinating ways babies learn about the world around them, and she values the opportunity to contribute to research that can improve our understanding of early learning and development. In her spare time, Maddie enjoys learning new languages and listening to music. |
 |  | Olivia Guasco Research Assistant Pronouns: she/her/hers Olivia is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in GRSJ at the University of British Columbia. Her interest in early childhood development and learning was sparked in part by her experience working with young children of varying ages at a welcome centre for refugees, as well as by her own early experiences as a neurodiverse learner in elementary school. Olivia is particularly passionate about exploring the cognitive and emotional development of infants with developmental disabilities, with the goal of ultimately informing more effective ways to support the learning and growth of neurodiverse children. As a Research Assistant in the Baby Learning Lab, she is excited to contribute to the team and hopes to gain valuable experience conducting research in the field of developmental psychology. In her free time, she enjoys singing and playing guitar, spending time with her dog, sewing, drawing, and baking. |
 |  | Indra Odbayar Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Indra is a third year B.A. student majoring in Psychology at UBC. She is interested in clinical and developmental neuropsychology, especially in how early experiences in life can influence brain development. Her interest was driven by her experience working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders at a rehabilitation center, where she was able to observe how differences in development can shape learning and behaviour through play, sparking her curiosity about the underlying neural mechanisms. As an undergraduate research assistant at the Baby Learning lab, Indra is looking forward to contributing to their research and deepening her knowledge on early brain development processes, while learning more about neuroimaging techniques used to study brain activity in early development, specifically fNIRS imaging. Outside the lab, she loves watching movies, baking, and everything related to music. |
 |  | Esohe Odemwingie Research Assistant Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Esohe is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience at UBC. She has a deep love of biology and psychology, with a specific interest in how childhood learning experiences shape one’s personality, habits, and future actions. Combining this passion with her affinity for tiny kids with round faces, Esohe steps up to the plate as a research assistant at the Baby Learning Lab. She is so excited for the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a lab setting and be part of this team. She plans to apply her newfound knowledge to medical diagnostics later in her career to ensure that each child gets the care they need. Outside of schoolwork, Esohe enjoys drawing, writing, listening to music, exploring the city with friends, and watching video essays. |
 |  | Andrew Creek Research Assistant Andrew is a fourth-year transfer student at the University of British Columbia majoring in Psychology. Prior to attending UBC, Andrew completed his first two years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he double-majored in Psychology and Graphic Design. While his research interests are still developing, he is excited to explore developmental psychology as a General RA in the UBC Baby Learning Lab. Other research interests include social and cultural psychology and exploring how early childhood experiences impact development in adolescence into adulthood. In his free time, Andrew likes photography, listening to music, and spending time with his cat Archie. |
 |  | Sofia Close-Santos Research Assistant Sofia is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience. Her passion and curiosity for the brain began when she was fortunate enough to work in Switzerland as a children’s ski instructor. Here she was given the opportunity not just to practise dodgy French and impart whatever alpine wisdom she had but also see the unique ways in which children observe, interact with, and contextualise their experiences. Here, she is excited to work in a lab environment, gain experience, and practise research in the part of life which she is most fascinated by: the way in which our brains, at their most malleable, discover the world around them. Outside of school, Sofia likes to travel, swim, and pass too many hours with a good book. |