| Lab Director | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Dr. Lauren Emberson Assistant 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 Managers | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Jack Cloake Pronouns: She/her/hers Research Manager Jack joined the UBC Baby Learning Lab as Dr. Lauren Emberson’s Research Manager after its establishment in 2021. Prior to joining the Centre, she completed her B.Sc. in Behavioural Neuroscience here at the University of British Columbia. As a student, Jack took particular interest in cognition and brain dysfunction and recovery, specifically focusing on topics such as traumatic brain injury, memory and executive function. Her undergrad thesis in Dr. Peter Graf’s Memory and Cognition Laboratory focused on subliminal processing of visual stimuli during affective and cognitive decision-making, aiming to better understand the mechanisms and neural systems that underlie these processes. Passionate about the intersections between science and society, Jack loves getting to work with the diverse Vancouver community in such an engaging research context. If you have questions about what it’s like to participate in a study, or how to get involved in research during your undergraduate degree, don’t hesitate to send her an email! When not facilitating research, Jack can be found enthusiastically reading a book about an odd topic that has recently struck her fancy, trying to correctly name every flower in sight, and is most often spotted at one of Vancouver’s beautiful beaches with her life-partner-in-crime, Dan. Contact Jack: jack@psych.ubc.ca |
 |  | Shania Linggon Pronouns: She/her/hers Lab Coordinator Shania recently completed her B.A. in 2021 with a double major in Speech Sciences and Psychology at the University of British Columbia. During her undergraduate degree, she previously worked with the Early Development Research Group (EDRG) as a Research Assistant in the Language Development Centre under Dr. Geoff Hall where she conducted a study that was interested in how children track the identity of a particular individual (proper names) and how they identify the identities of categories (count nouns) as they are going through transformations (i.e., metamorphosis). Shania is grateful to return back to the EDRG in her new role at the Baby Learning Lab where she can continue feeding her love for research in applied developmental psychology and neuroscience. In her spare time, Shania enjoys a range of hobbies including, but certainly not limited to: powerlifting, cooking, playing video games, painting and reading. Contact Shania: shania@psych.ubc.ca |
| Postdoctoral Fellows | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Sabrina Burr Pronouns: She/her/hers Postdoctoral Research Fellow Sabrina received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science at Carleton University in 2021. Sabrina’s Ph.D. thesis examined the developmental trajectories of ADHD symptoms, academic achievement, and symptoms of internalizing disorders, with a focus on comparing adolescents with and without ADHD who did and did not eventually enrol in post-secondary education. Outside of her thesis, Sabrina’s research focused on numerical cognition, exploring the impact of the home math environment, the role of language in mathematics, and the relations among attention, anxiety and academic performance. Now, Sabrina is exploring new territory, working as a postdoctoral fellow in Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience at UBC. When she isn’t churning out manuscripts, Sabrina enjoys spending time with her husband and their three poorly behaved dogs, avoiding people, eating carbs, and watching any show or movie about forensics. Contact Sabrina: sabrina.burr@ubc.ca |
 |  | Ola Dopierala Postdoctoral Fellow Pronouns: She/her/hers Ola (short for Aleksandra, she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow, working as part of the fNIRS team in the Gates grant, analysing infant neuroimaging data to predict developmental outcomes. Ola received her PhD (with distinction) in Psychology at University of Warsaw (Poland). Her PhD research, supervised by Dr Tomalski (Warsaw University), Dr Mercure (Goldmiths, UoL), and Dr Pluta (Warsaw University), highlighted the role of the multisensory speech in the development of functional cortical specialisation in infancy. Using fNIRS, she found that infants develop cortical representations of not only auditory but also visual speech. Ola received a MSc in Psychology, Specialisation Neuropsychology and Neuroscience from University of Warsaw. In her graduate research, under the supervision of Dr Tomalski, she developed a single, short EEG/ERP task to investigate infants’ ability to discriminate both speech sounds and voices. When not working, Ola likes to spend her time on the go: travelling to other continents or exploring the city’s street-food scene. An avid skier, amateur yogi, (very) lazy runner. Contact Ola: ola@psych.ubc.ca |
| Graduate Students | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Zahra Abolghasem Graduate Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Zahra (she/her/hers) is a graduate student in Dr. Emberson’s Baby Learning Lab! She received her H.B.Sc in Psychology from the University of Toronto in 2020. Before joining the University of British Columbia, Zahra had the pleasure of working as a lab manager at the University of Toronto where her work broadly investigated factors that influence memory integration across development. Zahra’s masters work will focus on what neural mechanisms and experiences are involved in prolonging experience-induced perceptual changes. Outside of the lab, Zahra spends her time embroidering, exploring Vancouver, and cooking various dishes. |
 |  | Zohreh Soleimani Graduate Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Zohreh (she/her) holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering and Communications and a MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Tehran, Iran. Her thesis was on the Emerging Adulthood stage and its cultural implications in Iranian culture. She found out that one of the most important markers for emerging adults to perceive someone as an adult was social skills and being mature in relationships, which includes moral values and prosocial behavior such as being helpful or supportive for others. Since then moral development has become her passion. More specifically, she is interested in human sociomoral nature and the cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying moral functioning in infants. She is a graduate student in Developmental Psychology and working under the supervision of Profs Emberson and Hamlin at UBC. In her spare time, Zohreh enjoys hiking, swimming and sometimes embroidering! Contact Zohreh: zrsoleimani@gmail.com |
| Research Assistants | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | Vaidehi Asawa Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers I am a 4th year B.A. student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Commerce at UBC. I love working at the lab as I am eager to learn how wonderful little human brains acquire skills to navigate an increasingly complex society. My former challenging experiences have sparked a passion for understanding more about neurodivergent babies and how they can thrive in a society made for neurotypicals. I am also excited to be part of empirical research and fan my spark of curiosity to a flame of growing understanding of psychological concepts. In my free time, I am scouting for new locations to hang up my hammock and read a book or set up my easel for another painting. |
 |  | Ryan Wang Research Assistant Pronouns: He/him/his Ryan is a 4th-year B.A. student majoring in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Thrilled to be joining the Baby Learning Lab as a research assistant, Ryan is excited to learn more about developmental research and behavioural coding in children. In addition, he spends a lot of his time volunteering and giving back to the community he grew up in including at: Vancouver General Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, UBC Recreation Intramurals, Health & Home Care Society of BC, and coaching ultimate frisbee. Outside of extracurriculars, Ryan enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, basketball, hiking, and travelling with family and friends. |
 |  | Zein Hedayati Directed Studies Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Zein is a 3rd-year B.Sc. student majoring in Integrated Sciences with a focus on the disciplines of physiology and psychology. She’s had lots of experience working with younger children as a daycare assistant and through a diverse range of volunteering experiences. Being able to work with the lab and all the amazing people on the team has fostered her enthusiasm to explore baby learning, memory, and development. Additionally, she has a particular interest in how psychological dysfunction can impact physiological functionality and vice versa. On the rare occasions she has free time, she loves to sketch, paint, run, read and spend time with her cats! |
 |  | Fengting Yan Directed Studies Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Fengting is a 3rd-year B.A. Directed Studies student majoring in Psychology as well as minoring in Early Childhood Education at UBC. She enjoys working and learning from the people in this fantastic group at the Baby Learning Lab ! She also works as an educator's assistant in UBC Childcare services. She is eager to learn more on children’s development and how teachers and parents provide should positive help. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and playing tennis as well as cooking. Contact Fengting: fengting.yan@ubc.ca |
 |  | Jaimie Muller Directed Studies Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Jaimie is a 4th-year B.A. psychology major and French minor. She is eager to develop a more in-depth understanding of babies’ cognitive and neurological processes as they perceive the world. She hopes to further incorporate findings into future thesis work of her own. Jaimie has previously led camps with Pedalheads and the Richmond Olympic Oval, and she is passionate about working with parents and families. In her spare time, Jaimie enjoys reading, skiing, and playing volleyball (both indoor and beach). |
 |  | Carmynn Skalnik Directed Studies Student Pronouns: She/her/hers Carmynn is in the fifth year of her B.A. degree, majoring in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She loves to volunteer as a research assistant here at Baby Learning Lab, as well as for the Early Development Research Group! Being a big sister in her expansive blended family has shown her the importance of adaptation to provide for children’s diverse needs and the unique impacts of cultural differences within families. She loves finding ways to connect her professional interests of research and therapy with her other passions of graphic design, sculpting, painting, and even skiing! Contact Carmynn: carmynn.skalnik@ubc.ca |
 |  | Tora Chen Work-Learn Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Tora is a fourth year B.A. Work-Learn Research Assistant majoring in psychology as well as minoring in creative writing at UBC. Excited to join the research team, Tora hopes to further explore the academic aspects of research and deepen her broadening interest in psychology. During her time at UBC, Tora has taken on executive positions to bring awareness to mental health and the LBGTQ+ community. In her spare time, Tora enjoys catching up with pop culture, reading, and exploring the city. |
 |  | Tara Treagus Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Tara is a 2nd year B.Sc. student majoring in Neuroscience. She is eager to learn more about the neurological and developmental processes of babies, as well as all the fascinating different ways that they learn to perceive the world! Tara is excited to be a part of the research team in Dr. Emberson’s Baby Learning Lab and is thrilled to have the opportunity to explore and contribute to early developmental research. With a keen interest for health sciences and healthcare, Tara hopes to gain exposure to the fields of research and child psychology, which will provide invaluable experience to support her later goals of working in a clinical setting. In her spare time, Tara enjoys playing field hockey, hiking, skiing, running, and spending time with her two dogs, or anything else that allows her to explore the outdoors! |
 |  | Ira Sharma Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Ira is a 4th year student completing her B.A. in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. With her interest being focused in early childhood development, she is excited to join the Baby Learning Lab as a Research Assistant. Her previous experiences in working with children between the ages of 0-5 years at Family Places across Vancouver sparked her interest in how children learn and develop. Working in the lab has helped her to integrate her theoretical and practical knowledge and apply it to research. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, dancing, and exploring Vancouver cafes! |
 |  | Catalina Shen Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Catalina is a 2nd-year B.A. student majoring in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is excited to join the Baby Learning Lab as a research assistant. In the lab, she is looking forward to exploring research in infant cognition and development. She has lots of prior experience working with young children through multiple coaching and volunteer opportunities. In her spare time, Catalina enjoys reading, listening to music, and skating! |
 |  | Kira Burke Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Kira is a 3rd year B.Sc student majoring in Neuroscience at UBC. She has a passion for learning about the brain and hopes to someday have a career in research. She is especially interested in the nature vs. nurture debate and is fascinated by brain development and learning! Kira hopes to gain exposure to research in her field of interest, as well as participate in ongoing studies. Having volunteered with the Vancouver Public Library and the Kitsilano Community Centre, Kira has lots of previous experience working with families and children. She is very excited to be a part of Dr. Emberson's Baby Learning Lab and is delighted she has the opportunity to help out with all of the amazing work being done! In her free time, Kira enjoys playing guitar, painting, bouldering, and playing video games. |
 |  | Zainab Zeyan Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Zainab is a 2nd year completing her B.Sc in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. With her research interests being focused on early childhood intervention and the ways in which early experiences in infancy may shape the development of the brain and its neurological processes, Zainab is thrilled to be joining Dr. Emberson’s Baby Learning Lab as a Research Assistant to further explore those parallels. Her future career goals are aimed to involve infants and children therefore, Zainab is eager to link her early intuitions to later complex ideas and overall foster her contribution to early developmental research. Outside of those pursuits, Zainab enjoys reading, doing various textile-related projects and spending too much of her remaining free time watching really bad reality TV. |
 |  | Maddy Antecol Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Maddy is a 3rd-year B.A. student majoring in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her interest in child development was first sparked by her experience as a dance teacher assistant, which made her want to learn about why some children have a difficult time engaging and participating in class. Maddy is very excited to be a part of the Baby Learning Lab directed by Dr. Lauren Emberson and to have the opportunity to learn more about different aspects of child development and the research world. She hopes to gain research training, and methodological and critical thinking skills that will support her development as a researcher and her goal of pursuing a PhD in Psychology. During her free time, Maddy enjoys working out, dancing, being outside, and spending time with friends and family. |
 |  | Timothy Cheng Research Assistant Pronouns: He/him/his Timothy is a 2nd year B.S. student majoring in Neuroscience at UBC and hoping to minor in either Psychology or Creative Writing. He is very passionate about the brain and behavior and is very grateful for the opportunity to apply his knowledge in a practical setting (and learn new things too!), where he will be studying brain development in babies. Outside of school, he loves helping out wherever he can, and this includes past work with young children for the Learning Buddies Network (LBN) and Building Bridges with Music (BBM) volunteer organizations. He also has an ongoing commitment as a volunteer at the nursing home, Crofton Revera Manor. In his spare time, he loves reading and watching movies in the genre of romance, working out, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family. |
 |  | Rozina Khoja Research Assistant Pronouns: She/her/hers Rozina is in the third year of her B.S. degree, majoring in Integrated Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She is studying how chronic disease impacts mental health which drives her passion for research and medicine. Rozina is so excited to be a research assistant at the UBC Baby Learning Lab. Her previous experiences working as an assistant dance teacher sparked her interest in how children develop. Rozina is also the UBC Student Ambassador and enjoys volunteering at the BC Children's Hospital as a child-life volunteer. During her free time, Rozina enjoys going to the beach, weight-lifting, and exploring new places in Vancouver. |