Dr. Julia Marshall (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences. Her research focuses on the foundations of human moral and social cognition, with a particular emphasis on how these processes develop in childhood. Her work explores questions such as: Do children have an early-emerging sense of morality, fairness, and justice? How do these moral concepts develop and evolve across different cultures and social contexts? In her free-time, Julia enjoys hot yoga, hanging out with her cat, and watching football.
Vivian is a postdoctoral researcher in the Mind & Morality Lab. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from New York University. During her previous postdoc at University College Dublin, she studied youth peacebuilding across different post-conflict societies. More generally, her research examines how children and adolescents develop intergroup attitudes in contexts of inequality, with a particular focus on understanding and reducing stereotyping and bias.
Samantha (she/her) is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Mind and Morality Lab. She graduated with a B.A. in Neuroscience from Skidmore College. Prior to graduate school, she did RA-ships studying threat-related memory with Dr. Deepu Murty and relationships between recidivism and clinical disorders in incarcerated populations with Dr. Michael Koenigs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her current work focuses on how children learn to use emotional information for social inference, learning, and prosocial decision-making.
Amy (she/her) is a second year Ph.D. student in the Mind & Morality Lab. She graduated from Boston College, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and communication. Amy’s research interests are broadly focused on understanding how cooperation manifests and is maintained in different communities and cultures. She is also interested in the motives that underlie cooperative mechanisms such as punishment.
Rui (she/her) is a first-year graduate student in the Mind and Morality Lab. In general, she studies children’s social and moral cognition. She is interested in understanding the underlying social-cognitive mechanisms that explain how and why humans cooperate.
Fia Boffey (she/her) is a manager of the Mind & Morality Lab. She received her Bachelor of Science in linguistics and linguistic anthropology from Brown University in May 2024. During her time as an undergrad at Brown, she worked as a senior research assistant in the Computational Cognitive Development Lab with Dr. Daphna Buchsbaum. She is broadly interested in questions related to the intersection of language, culture, and cognitive development. When she is not in the lab, Fia can be found playing quadball (AKA quidditch) and beginning elaborate crochet projects that she very rarely finishes.
Virginia (she/her) is a manager of the Mind & Morality Lab. She received her Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in Quantitative sciences from Emory University in May 2025. During her time as an undergrad, she studied how people’s backgrounds influence their trajectories in the education system. She is interested in understanding how exposure to justice-involved people can change perceptions of justice, fairness, responsibility, and mobility. In her free time, Virginia enjoys watching college gymnastics, old movies, grabbing matcha, and exploring local spots.
Teaching and Research Awardee
Jirelys (she/her) is a rising junior at Brown studying psychology and education. She is specifically interested in how cultural variation and early childhood socialization influence moral development. In her free time, she enjoys baking desserts, reading, and playing video games.
Research Assistant
Gabi (she/her) is a rising junior at Brown studying psychology and philosophy. She’s excited to further explore the intersections between these fields through a developmental lens with the Mind and Morality lab. Outside of work, she enjoys playing video games, drawing with oil pastels, and singing badly at karaoke.
Research Assistant
Trinity (they/she/he) is a rising senior at Brown University concentrating in Cognitive Neuroscience and Hispanic Studies. They are interested in learning how children conceptualize social hierarchies and how it influences their attitudes toward punishment. Outside of the lab, Trinity loves making her own iced lattes, dancing salsa, and ranting about trivial things with friends.
Research Assistant
Sophia (she/her) is a rising junior at Brown University pursuing a double concen-tration in Psychology and either English or Literary Arts. She is interested in the formation and development of biases in children and how changing attitudes and behaviors reflect this over time. In her free time, Sophia enjoys reading, rock climbing, and learning a variety of random new skills.
Research Assistant
Summer (she/her) is a rising junior at Brown University studying psychology. Among other things, she is intrigued by how social categorization influences perceptions of justice and fairness during middle childhood. In her free time, Summer enjoys crafting, learning to play guitar, and walking deep into the wood.
Research Assistant
Tatsuya (he/him) is a rising senior at Brown University pursuing a double concen-tration in Modern Culture and Media and Cognitive Neuroscience. He is interested in the role of culture and media in children’s development of morality and behavior. Outside of the lab, Tatsuya enjoys drawing, decorating cookies with his family, and digging holes at the beach.
Research Assistant
Matan Lerner (he/him) is a rising sophomore at Brown University studying Psychology and English. He is interested in exploring children’s capacity for empathy and the age at which it emerges. Outside the classroom, he enjoys hiking and running in the woods, playing folk music on the guitar, and writing fiction.
Teaching and Research Awardee
Sophia (she/her) is a rising sophomore at Brown University studying Cognitive Neuroscience and Education. She is particularly interested in how factors such as parenting styles, educational environments, and socioeconomic status intersect to shape a child’s judgments about who deserves moral consideration. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys playing the violin, asking her friends oddly specific “Would You Rather” questions, and listening to true crime podcasts.
Teaching and Research Awardee
Tony (he/him) is a rising junior at Brown studying French and Cognitive Science. In the field, he is really interested in child development and understanding how children are shaped by their social contexts. Outside of the lab, Tony enjoys singing, getting involved in theatre on campus, and solving the Minute Cryptic.
Research Assistant
Talinn (he/him) is a rising sophomore at Brown University studying Cognitive Neuroscience and French. He is particularly interested in how children develop perceptions of truth and how linguistic and cultural contexts shape understandings of bias. Outside of the lab, Talinn enjoys thrifting, reading, baking, and producing music.