Lauren Fang

I am a senior at Johns Hopkins University double majoring in Public Health Studies and Natural Sciences with a minor in Psychology. My experiences as an older sister, coach, and volunteer with underserved families sparked my passion for working with young children. This interest led me to the Baby Lab, where I can explore the mechanisms of childhood cognitive development. I am particularly interested in how children perceive the world around them and how surprise can play a key role in learning. I hope to carry the insights and experience I gain from this lab into my future career as a physician.

Yukang Han

I am a senior and transfer student at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Neuroscience. Previously, I studied Clinical Psychology at the University of California, San Diego. I have always been passionate about understanding what happens inside the human body, especially at the neuronal level. My interests focus on how the conscious system develops and how early childhood development influences individuals throughout life. I’d love to combine my backgrounds in neuroscience and psychology to explore the development of consciousness and explore my future career path here. 

Jessica He

I am a junior at Johns Hopkins University, from San Jose, California, majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. I have always loved interacting with babies and children. I worked as an after-school tutor, not only helping children with their homework, but also finding ways to have fun. I am also the older sibling, and I often reminisce about the hours spent drawing and playing with my younger sister. Babies and children are curious, expressive, and deeply intuitive, seeing and knowing more than we give them credit for. I am especially interested in core knowledge systems in children and how these systems enable infants and children to learn and how learning affects these systems. As an aspiring clinical neuropsychologist, I believe my interactions with babies and children can further my understanding of the brain and how it develops, hopefully enabling me to better assess and treat individuals with brain disorders and neurological conditions. 

Athina Ramphal

I am from New York, and I am a senior at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Psychology. I am a Research Assistant in the Child Development Lab, and my interests focus on how infants make choices and how those choices are influenced by the people around them. By examining the “why” behind early decisions, I aim to understand the mechanisms of learning and human behavior across development. I also hope to apply these insights to my current work with youth in the community and to other endeavors at the intersection of child psychology and the justice system.

Caeli Robinson

I am a senior at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Cognitive Science, with focal areas in Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology. I have had the opportunity to work with children in a variety of settings, from being a speech therapist at a school for children with diverse learning needs to volunteering in medical clinics across Asia and coaching field hockey and squash. These experiences sparked a deeper curiosity about how children think and make sense of the world around them, ultimately leading me to the Baby Lab! I am especially interested in how developing minds shape the way children interact with and learn from their environment. After graduation I hope to pursue a career as a physician, where I can continue working with children.

Yosef Schnitzer

I am a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University from Tucson, Arizona, studying Neuroscience and Critical Diaspora Studies. Understanding the science behind learning is what intrigued me about the Lab for Child Development. Much of my academic interests lie in education: the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience behind it. I’m interested in how difference affects learning—i.e., neurodivergence and systemic injustice in education systems—and the various methods—pedagogy, neuropharmacology, educational policy—to respond to these differences. My work at the LCD investigates how learning occurs in the first moments of life through language acquisition. This research will provide a foundation in learning science to examine neurological and sociological educational outcomes. 

Aliza Tharani

Hi there! I am a junior at Johns Hopkins, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Visual Arts. I call Dallas, Texas home and love my role as the oldest sister in the family. My love for working with kids stems from doing JMC Camp Mosaic as a counselor and First Aid team member over many summers. I teach workshops on fun neuroscience topics for elementary school kids. I am especially excited to explore the core knowledge base we come into the world with and where the boundary of nature vs. nurture blends in child development through upcoming research in the lab. I aspire to be a pediatric neurosurgeon in the future and hope to bridge gaps in care for underserved populations within the field. 

Sammy Vidomlanski

I am a junior at Johns Hopkins University from New York, majoring in Psychology and Near Eastern Studies. I’ve always loved working with kids, whether in academic settings through tutoring or as a camp counselor. I am particularly excited to explore cognitive development in children through the Baby Lab and learn more about how children understand and make sense of the world around them. I hope to pursue a career in clinical psychology, where I can continue working with and supporting children and adolescents.