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Catherine Hartley Professor of Psychology and Neural Science ([email protected]) Cate received her B.S. in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and her PhD in Psychology from New York University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, joining their faculty from 2014-2016 as an Assistant Professor before returning to NYU in July 2016. When not doing science, Cate spends most of her time chasing boys. |
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Nikita Sossounov Lab Manager ([email protected])
Nikita received his B.S. in Cognitive Science from UC Davis and his M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language from the Basque Centre on Cognition, Brain, and Language, Spain, where he worked on extending the feature and phoneme inventories of the TRACE model with Jim Magnuson. Before coming to NYU, he completed a predoctoral fellowship at the Proaction Lab in the University of Coimbra, Portugal, where he worked with high-level vision. He is interested in understanding the neural basis of perception and memory, how these processes interact and affect each other, how these interactions modulate our decisions, and how can we use this knowledge to build more human-like machines. Besides science, he enjoys drawing, playing guitar, hiking, and chatting with his vocal cat about how bored he was while Nikita was at work. |
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María Alejandra Martínez Lab Manager ([email protected]) Alejandra received her B.A. in Psychology from the National University of Colombia in Bogotá. She is interested in using computational modeling and neuroimaging techniques to study the development of episodic memory and decision-making, as well as how both are influenced by our ever-changing environments. Outside the lab, she enjoys coffee, movies, photography, short stories, museums, live music and cats. |
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Wangjing Yu Postdoctoral Fellow ([email protected])
Wangjing received her B.S. in Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Toronto and her Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. She is broadly interested in human learning and memory. Her work examines how related experiences are represented in memory and how the brain reactivates memories to support consolidation, retrieval, and new learning. Outside the lab, Wangjing likes exploring new restaurants and taking pictures of random flowers. |
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Alana Jaskir Postdoctoral Fellow ([email protected])
Alana Jaskir received her B.A. in Computer Science from Princeton University and her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University. Her research broadly examines computational models of biological reward learning (i.e. reinforcement learning) and how representations in the brain – both neural and cognitive – support flexible and adaptive learning. With the Hartley lab, she is investigating how memory consolidation processes affect learning across development. Outside of the lab, Alana is an avid biker, enjoys museums and watching plays, and is slowly perfecting her varenyky recipe. |
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Susan Benear Postdoctoral Fellow (slb671@nyu.edu) Susan earned her double B.A. in Psychology and Public Relations from Penn State and her Ph.D. in Psychology & Neuroscience from Temple University, where she studied memory development in early childhood. Her dissertation work focused on neural and behavioral event cognition and memory in children using naturalistic stimuli. Outside the lab, she likes cooking, running, playing piano, hanging out with her cat, and rating all the food and drinks around the city on a 10-point scale with her partner. |
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Nora Harhen Postdoctoral Fellow ([email protected]) Nora received her B.A. in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley and her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from UC Irvine where she worked with Aaron Bornstein. With the Hartley lab, she is exploring how dimensions of early-life experience shape learning, memory and decision making. She is also interested in understanding how early-life experiences impose vulnerability or confer resilience to mental illness. Outside of the lab, Nora enjoys knitting, cooking, and watching bad reality tv. |
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Sahithyan Sivakumaran Graduate Student ([email protected]) Sahithyan received his B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from SRM institute of Science technology, Chennai and his Master’s in Cognitive science from Centre for behavioural and cognitive science, University of Allahabad, India. Before coming to NYU, he worked with Dr. Srikanth Padmala at the Centre for Neuroscience, IISc, studying the interaction between reward and emotion. Outside the lab, he loves listening to music and watching movies. |
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Rheza Budiono Graduate Student ([email protected]) Rheza is a second year graduate student in psychology, co-advised with Todd Gureckis. He is interested in explanations. How do we explain what happens? How do our explanations influence how we learn from, remember, and feel about what happens? |
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Avery McKay Research Assistant ([email protected]) Avery is a sophomore studying Psychology with a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She is interested in child development, psychopathologies, and the benefits of art in mental health. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, reading, and watching horror movies and rom-coms. |
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Annabelle Booker Research Assistant (arb9821@nyu.edu) Annabelle is a sophomore at NYU, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She is interested in exploring the impact of stress and trauma during critical periods of childhood development on learning, decision-making, and memory. Specifically, Annabelle is interested in understanding how individual differences in cognitive processes may increase the risk of psychopathology. Outside of her studies, she enjoys playing soccer, reading, and discovering new coffee shops. |
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Wendi Zong Research Assistant ([email protected]) Wendi is studying Applied Psychology with a concentration in quantitative analysis/data science. She is most interested in the neuro-behavioral link of human development across all age groups. Her curiosity spans from neurocognitive development to understanding the dynamics of behavioral and decision-making processes. In her spare time, Wendi loves to cuddle with her cat and clean her room to release endorphins! |
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Sarah Al Riyami Research Assistant ([email protected]) Sarah is a junior majoring in Global Public Health/Applied Psychology with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Her interests lie in understanding the impact of trauma and resilience factors during development and its overall impact on memory. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new food spots and volunteering at the Samaritans, advocating for mental health needs among diverse communities. |
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Soyini Alexander Research Assistant ([email protected]) Soyini is entering her third year at NYU Abu Dhabi, majoring in Psychology with a focus on Brain and Cognitive Science. She is double minoring in Engineering and Legal Studies. This summer, she is a Research Assistant in Hartley Lab working on a developmental learning and memory project with Dr. Susan Benear and assisting with neuroimaging projects involving MEG and MRI. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, drawing, and watching movies. |
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Caroline Ray Masters Research Assistant ([email protected]) Caroline received her B.A. in Psychology and History from Ohio State University and her M.Ed. from Xavier University. She is interested in studying creativity and imaginative learning across the lifespan and imaginative learning as a method of intervention for adolescent anxiety. Outside the lab, she loves eating good food, listening to music, and spending time with friends. |
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Amaan Mansuri Masters Research Assistant ([email protected])
Amaan received his B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from Nirma University and is currently pursuing his M.S. in Data Science at New York University. His interests lie at the intersection of machine learning, optimization, and natural language processing. He has worked on projects involving humor detection and portfolio optimization, exploring efficient computational techniques for real-world applications. Outside of academics, Amaan enjoys playing table tennis, soccer, and swimming, as well as singing at social gatherings. He is also an avid traveler, always looking for new places to explore. |
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Anjola Adesina Research Assistant ([email protected]) Anjola is a junior studying Psychology with a minor in Chemistry and Medical Humanities. She is interested in the developmental psychopathology of adolescence and how it impacts decision making and behavior. In her free time she enjoys listening to music, finding new books, and photography. |
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Julia Yi Research Assistant ([email protected]) Julia pursues a major in Psychology with minors in Data Science and Philosophy. Her academic journey is marked by an interest in cognitive and behavioral development, especially the dynamics of reward and loss learning and their variations across diverse age groups. In a previous life, she was a graphic design student who found joy in fine art pursuits. |
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Yvette Ma Undergraduate Research Assistant ([email protected]) Yvette is a junior at NYU concentrating in Psychology with a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Her interests lie in understanding how early life adversity alters cognitive processes such as memory and decision-making in ways that increase the risk of psychopathology. In her spare time, Yvette enjoys reading French literature, including works by Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, and Proust. |
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Sophia Nielsen Undergraduate Research Assistant ([email protected]) Sophia is pursuing a dual degree in biology and dance. She’s interested in how the brain responds to crises and the relationship between mental health and decision-making processes. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys dancing with friends, bird watching, and binge-watching romantic comedies. |
Alumni
Noam Goldway Former Postdoctoral Researcher, King's College London, Assistant Professor
Julie Lee Former Postdoctoral Researcher, ACLU of Massachusetts, Technologist
Alexandra Cohen Former Postdoctoral Researcher, Emory University, Assistant Professor
Rebecca Martin Former Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Pennsylvania, Research Director
Gail Rosenbaum Former Postdoctoral Researcher, Geisinger Health Behavioral Insights Team, Staff Scientist
Hanxiao Lu Former Ph.D. Student
Kate Nussenbaum Former Ph.D. Student, Princeton University, Post-doc
Michael Evans Former Ph.D. Student, First Place for Youth, Data Scientist
Perri Katzman Former Ph.D. Student
Hillary Raab Former Ph.D. Student, Exos, Data Scientist
J. Hugo Decker Former M.D./Ph.D. Student, Stanford Medicine, Resident
Alice Zhang Former Lab Manager, University of Oxford, Ph.D. Student
Naiti Bhatt Former Lab Manager, University of Edinburgh, Graduate Student
Greer Bizzell-Hatcher Former Lab Manager, mpathic.ai, Clinical AI Research Associate
Nessa Bryce Former Lab Manager, Harvard University, Ph.D. Student
Camille Phaneuf Former Lab Manager, Harvard University, Ph.D. Student
Natalie Saragosa-Harris Former Lab Manager, UCLA, Ph.D. Student
Maximilian Scheuplein Former Lab Manager, Leiden University, Ph.D. Student
Tracey Shi Former Lab Manager, Columbia University, M.D./Ph.D. Student
Morgan Glover Former Masters Student, Wayne State University, Ph.D. Student
Nick Matese Former Masters Student
Sean Maulhardt Former Masters Student, University of Maryland, Ph.D. Student
Kelsey McDonald Former Masters Student, Duke University, Ph.D. Student
Daphne Valencia Former Masters Student, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Research Coordinator
Yi (Jen) Yang Former Masters Student, Temple University, Ph.D. Student
Qingqing Yang Former Graduate Research Assistant, Ohio State University, Ph.D. Student
Xinxu (Karen) Shen Former Graduate Research Assistant, Temple University, Ph.D. Student
Hannah Walker Former Graduate Research Assistant
Jennifer Fielder Former Visiting Graduate Student, UCL, Ph.D. Student
Madeleine Moses-Payne Former Visiting Graduate Student, UCL, Ph.D. Student
Linda Kerbl Former Visiting Graduate Student, Free University Berlin, Masters Student
Laura Meine Former Visiting Graduate Student, University of Zurich, Postdoctoral Researcher
Erxiao Wang Former Visiting Research Assistant, Stanford University, Lab Manager
Lindsay Hunter Former Research Assistant, Princeton University, Ph.D. Student
Michael Liu Former Research Assistant, Weill Cornell, M.D. Student
Maria Kakurina Former Research Assistant
Cara Zampino Former Research Assistant
Hannah Hamling Former Undergraduate Honors Student, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Research Assistant
Kristen Avallone Former Undergraduate Honors Student
Careen Foord Former Undergraduate Honors Student, Weill Cornell, Ph.D. Student
Hannah Grassie Former Undergraduate Honors Student, University of Miami, Ph.D. Student
Allie Neeson Former Undergraduate Honors Student, Tufts University, M.D. Student
Euan Prentis Former Undergraduate Honors Student, University of Chicago, Ph.D. Student
Isha Ray Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Juan Velez Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Rosaura Cuevas Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Rachel Stollar Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Haoze Zhu Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, Donders Institute, Masters Student
Soad Albahar Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Anastasia Filimontseva Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Shivani Hiralall Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Zach Karas Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Ali Libertella Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Faya Movchan Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Shraddha Nair Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Daryl Ocampo Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, NYU, Assistant to the Chair of Psychology
Michael Parola Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Haniyyah Sardar Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Meral Abdel Shafy Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Lia Washington Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, MIT Research Scholars Program
Jamie Greer Former Summer Undergraduate Research Assistant, Harvard University, Ph.D. Student
Nora Keathley Former Summer Undergraduate Research Assistant, Imagen, Clinical Research Coordinator
Leticia Wood Former Summer Undergraduate Research Assistant, Duolingo, UX Researcher
Jimmy Wyngaarden Former Summer Research Assistant, Temple University, Ph.D. Student
