Lab Members
My research focuses on the early development of the social, cognitive and brain processes that underpin adaptive social cognition and behavior. I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology from the Max Planck Institutes for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
Website | tg3ny@virginia.edu| Publications
Tobias Grossmann
Principal Investigator
Lab Manager
Camile Bernard
Lab Manager
Camile is the lab coordinator for the Early Social Development Lab and Baby Lab and serves as the project coordinator for the Development of Gratitude Project. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and History from Pomona College. Her research interests include the impact of media on children’s education and how growing up in a digital age shapes the learning experiences of the new generation. During her undergraduate studies, Camile’s research focused on social psychology and the psychology of climate change, with her senior thesis examining children’s perceptions of environmentalists.
Contact Camile: vnp4hd@virginia.edu
Graduate Students
Kenn Dela Cruz
Graduate Student
I am interested in questions around how children come to understand their own emotions and those of others. I am interested in studying emotion through multiple levels of analyses, such as within the child and the surrounding contextual factors. I received my B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and M.A. in Developmental Psychology from San Francisco State University.
Contact: kld2db@virginia.edu
Olivia Allison
Graduate Student
My broader research interests include identifying biological and environmental factors that are associated with early social development, and understanding how brain function is linked to social information processing and behaviors. I am particularly interested in studying facial and emotional processing throughout infancy to understand how underlying mechanisms give rise to individual differences in social cognition and behaviors. I received my B.A. in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience from Temple University where I completed a thesis project that investigated anticipatory motor behavior towards tactile stimulation in infant development. Additionally, I worked as a full-time research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where I completed a project that investigated face-encoding neural activity in preschool children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Contact Olivia: yjg9uy@virginia.edu
Halle Miller
Graduate Student
My research explores how contextual and environmental factors shape social and cognitive development in early life, from infancy through early childhood. I am particularly interested in how social factors including early adverse childhood experiences or a child’s social network may influence a child’s brain function and behavior, both within an individual and intergenerationally. I received my B.S. in psychology from Harding University in 2023.
Contact Halle: yqg7ay@virginia.edu.
Sophie Clayton
Graduate Student
Sophie is a fourth-year graduate student in the Early Social Development Lab and Baby Lab. Her research interests are focused on reputation and impression management in children, specifically working to understand age of development and which environments may impact reputation management behaviors. She received her B.A. in Cognitive Sciences and Psychology from Rice University.
Contact Sophie: slc6ep@virginia.edu
Research Assistants
Lucy Nguyen
Research Assistant
Lucy Nguyen is a second year at UVA and is planning on majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Spanish. She plans to specialize in oncology pediatrics in the future. Her future goal is to be able to help immigrant children find a healthy life in America since she comes from an immigrant family that have worked extremely hard to get where they are. Lucy is a part of the VR study team in baby lab. Outside of research she enjoys weightlifting, finding new sweet cravings, and meeting new people.
Meron Zebro
Research Assistant
I’m a fourth year undergraduate student from Alexandria, Virginia, double majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science, with a neuroscience concentration. I love working with children, as I have done by working as a Camp Counselor, and am very interested to examine how their brains work and how they process different situations. I hope to be a child neuropsychologist. Some of my other hobbies include playing clarinet in the marching band, playing piano and reading.
Lisa de Groot
Research Assistant
I’m a third-year from Manassas, Virginia, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biology on the Pre-Med track. I am passionate about working closely and engaging with children and I’m enthusiastic about gaining new insights into children’s development while working with Babylab! Outside of the lab I love running, rowing, hiking, and reading.
Caroline Ivey
Research Assistant
I am a third year from Atlanta, GA majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience on the Pre-Med track. Working with children has always been a passion of mine, so I hope to work in pediatrics one day. Participating in Babylab propels me toward this goal while allowing me to combine my love of children with my interest in psychology! I also volunteer at Martha Jefferson Hospital and walk children to and from school with Madison House. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, baking, and going on walks.
Lauren Jochims
Research Assistant
Anila Noushin
Research Assistant
Anvi Kompalli
Research Assistant
Lab Alumni
Dr. Jessica Stern
Assistant Professor at Pomona College
Dr. Caroline Kelsey
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital
Dr. Kathleen M. Krol
Senior Product Researcher at WillowTree
Dr. Johanna Chajes
Associate and Lecturer at UVA