Selected publications |
Summaries of our research |
We are interested in how attentional and motor skills in young children affect learning in everyday settings, such as play between parent and child. This is important to understand, because children with various genetic syndromes often present with attentional and motor difficulties early in development. We believe our research could greatly inform future interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and help us to advise parents and teachers on how to best support children’s learning.
We are looking for young children with Down syndrome or Williams syndrome, as well as typically developing children.
If you are interested in learning more about our research, find us on Facebook or get in touch over email (embodiedlab@psychol.cam.ac.uk).
Would you like to help with our research? Sign-up here!
- Little scientists with Down syndrome under 5 years of age: http://bit.ly/cambridge-babylab-form-down-syndrome
- Little scientists with Williams syndrome under 5 years of age: http://bit.ly/cambridge-babylab-form-williams-syndrome
Lab Members Bio:
Principal Investigator
I currently hold the Beatrice Mary Dale Research Fellowship in Psychology at Newnham College, and I am an Affiliated Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge. I am also an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London.
I completed a Master’s degree with a focus on Clinical Psychology at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. During these studies I spent a year at the University of Toronto. I then obtained an MSc in Psychological Research from the University of Oxford. Subsequently, I undertook a PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Following my PhD, I became a Postdoctoral Researcher at UCL and at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London. As part of the London Down Syndrome (LonDownS) Consortium, I have been investigating individual differences and interactions between various domains and levels of description across development in infants and toddlers with Down syndrome. The LonDownS Consortium is a multidisciplinary team of human geneticists, cellular biologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists, and mouse geneticists, whose aim is to understand the link between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, and to identify protective and risk factors that could inform interventions.
Research Interests: I am interested in the development of attention and motor abilities, and how these interact over developmental time and constrain other domains in typically and atypically developing children. My research focuses on infants and toddlers with neurodevelopmental disorders of known genetic origin, such as Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and Williams syndrome.
Research Staff
Kate Mee
I am a staff research assistant on the Embodied Attention and Learning project. I am interested in early cognitive development, and research which works towards the optimisation of developmental potential in populations who are vulnerable to developmental delay.
Whilst undertaking my BSc in Psychology at the University of Bath, I took a placement year in the Families, Effective Leaning and Literacy research group at the University of Oxford. Here I had the opportunity to conduct novel analyses into the relationship between early measures of self-regulation and cognitive outcomes. After graduating, I worked for two years as a research assistant in the Developmental Dynamics lab at the University of East Anglia, working within the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience. Within this project I undertook several research visits to a significantly disadvantaged community in North India, investigating the effects of adversity on early cognitive and neural development, with a view to designing targeted interventions.
I am motivated by the potential to use science to inform the real-world lived experiences of individuals, and as such am excited to join the Cambridge Babylab, and to learn more about the developmental experiences of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Graduate Students
Sofia Hryniv
I am an MPhil student in Biological Sciences, specialising in developmental psychopathology and cognitive development. I completed my undergraduate degree as a natural scientist here at the university, and had the opportunity to work in the Embodied Attention and Learning lab as part of my third year project. The research caught my interest, so I applied to continue my studies in the lab, and I am now very excited to be part of the Babylab team! I am particularly interested in the intersection that this lab offers between the theoretical research and the clinical applications, especially for exploring the mechanisms behind cognitive development.
I am looking forward to working with the rest of the team to further the current study, develop my research skills, and gain a deeper understanding of the field of developmental psychopathology and the ways in which it extends beyond theoretical research. I am confident that the work in the Babylab will broaden my understanding of the field, and help me develop my interests in cognition and development for both research and clinical opportunities.
Undergraduate Students
Ivett Mihalicz
I am a third year student studying Medicine at the University of Cambridge, and I am joining the Embodied Attention and Learning lab as part of my third year research project. My curiosity for psychological research arose when last year I had the chance to conduct experiments on rat models of depression.
In the Babylab, I will be working on a project which aims to understand the sensorimotor properties of parent-child interaction in young children with Down syndrome using head-mounted eye-tracking. I am particularly interested in learning more about Down syndrome and how it affects the learning of young children. In the future, I hope to combine my research experience with my clinical work as a paediatrician to provide the best support and intervention to vulnerable children with different neurodevelopmental disorders.
Wenxi Wang
I am a third year student studying Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Cambridge. I will be working with the Embodied Attention and Learning Lab for my final year research dissertation, which involves collection and analysis of behavioural data coding parent-child interaction. My research interest is on the use of head-mounted eye tracking devices to study detailed aspects of infant behaviours which are reflective of infants’ sensorimotor and cognitive functions. I am also intrigued by the role of parents and the environment in moderating the symptoms of children with developmental disorders. I believe this information can support effective interventions for children with atypical development.
Placement Students
Eryl Jones
I am a third-year Psychology student at the University of Bath, and I am joining the Embodied Attention and Learning Lab as a placement student. I find Psychology fascinating, but I am particularly fascinated in the language acquisition of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This fascination arose from volunteer work with Action For Children in which I supported children with disabilities during their play. Within the Babylab, I hope to develop my understanding of psychological research, and its clinical applications. I am looking forward to working with the team, and cultivating my understanding of developmental psychology.
Caitlin Joyce
I am a third year Psychology student at the University of Bath currently on placement at the Embodied Attention and Learning Lab. I have a passion for helping others, thus the opportunity to be involved in research which can inform and improve interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders is particularly exciting. I look forward to being able to apply theoretical knowledge to practical settings within the Babylab to develop my interests in developmental and clinical psychology. I know that this year will offer a multitude of invaluable opportunities to gain a better insight into how attentional and motor development differs between typically and atypically developing children. I am eager to be a part of such a hardworking team, make a positive contribution and I look forward to this rewarding experience.
Riya Yadav
I am a third-year Psychology student at the University of Bath and I am spending my placement year at Cambridge BabyLab working as part of the Embodied Attention and Learning project. I have always had a keen interest in developmental psychology and was particularly drawn to this study because of its real world implications - but I also looked forward to becoming a part of an active research community and using new methodological techniques to interact with participants. In the future, I hope to contribute to the development of future interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders to help support their learning.
Alumni
Graduate Students
2019/2020
Rhys Proud (MPhil, Cambridge)
Lauryna Filatovaite (MSc, Utrecht)
Undergraduate Students
2020/2021
Harry Armstrong
Candice Lau
2019/2020
Sofia Hryniv
Sophie Truesdale
Amy Williams
2018/2019
Rosanna Hurst
Adelaide Mettrick
Erasmus+ Trainees
2018/2019
Veronica Capaldo
Placement Students
2020/2021
Anna Maria Manti
Anna Rudge
2019/2020
Fay Petratou
Summer/Winter Internship Students
Winter 2020
Maisha Hossain
Summer 2020
Leoni Boyle
Summer 2019
Rhys Proud
