Lab Members

Dr. Moll began working as an Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology at USC in January 2012. Her research focus lies in children’s understanding of perspectives and their ability to engage in joint attention.

Qianhui is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology at USC. She earned her Bachelors in Psychology from East China Normal University in 2019. She is interested in children’s social cognition. Specifically, she wants to explore how children understand others’ mental states (e.g., desires, intentions, and beliefs), as well as how children learn from and learn about other people.

Alexandra is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology at USC. She earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Pepperdine University and her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from USC. She is interested in the development of childhood anxiety as well as the ability of children to inhibit and disinhibit particular behaviors. She enjoys working with children and is looking forward to continued research with the Minds in Development Lab.

Wani is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology at USC. She earned her Bachelors in Educational Studies and Psychology from Swarthmore College and her Masters in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to joining MIDLA, Wani worked as an elementary school teacher. She is interested in investigating children’s pedagogical cognition and their choices to transmit certain types of information over others.

Valentina is an undergraduate double majoring in Psychology and Creative Writing, as well as getting her Master’s in Literary Editing and Publishing through one of USC’s Progressive Degree Programs. She is interested in studying the ways that children’s identities, mindsets, and beliefs develop, especially in regard to their mental health. After graduating, she hopes to get her Ph.D. and become a clinical psychologist working with children and adolescents.

Ellie is an undergraduate majoring in Psychology with a minor in Education & Society. She is passionate about understanding how children learn to perceive the world. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in School Psychology, where she can help students understand how their unique brains work.

Lisa is an undergraduate majoring in Psychology. Her experience working with young children has made her interested in studying developmental psychology, especially regarding cognition in children.

Joanna is an undergraduate majoring in psychology and minoring in computer programming and web development. She is interested in emotional intelligence and how it develops in children, and hopes to continue researching this topic in the future.

Lisette is an undergraduate majoring in English Literature and Psychology. Following her undergraduate studies, Lisette hopes to take on a PhD in Clinical Psychology using the skills she gains in the Minds in Development Lab to become a Child Psychologist.

Hongyu is an undergraduate majoring in Psychology and Cinema & Media Studies. He is interested in the mental and cognitive development of children and adolescents, especially the factors that are associated with psychological disorders. He looks forward to entering graduate school for research related to developmental psychopathology or clinical psychology. 

Jiamin is an undergraduate majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Cinematic Arts. She is interested in children’s mental representations of language and their perception of the world. She enjoys spending time with kids and wishes to further pursue an academic career in this field.

Maddie is an undergraduate student majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Spanish. She has always loved working with children and is passionate about providing children with tools to cope with mental health struggles before they even realize they need them. 

Progress is an undergraduate majoring in Neuroscience. She is interested in the cognitive and social development of children and is passionate about finding alternative forms of medicine for treating psychological disorders. She plans to further her education and pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology in hopes of contributing to the advancement of psychological treatments and interventions.

Lily earned her Bachelors in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of Wisconsin Madison. She is interested in the impact of adverse childhood experiences on justice-involved youth. In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school to study forensic psychology.

Jeanie earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Whittier College. She is interested in children’s pedagogical cognition and the ways in which siblings impact one another’s development. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology in the future.