Meet the Lab!
Lab Manager
Anwyn Gatesy-Davis
I am the lab manager for the Computational Cognitive Development (CoCoDev) Lab and the Brown Dog Lab. I graduated from Hampshire College with a B.A. in Animal Behavior and Psychology. Outside of work I enjoy reading and going for hikes with my corgi named Yoda. You can reach me at manager-buchsbaum@brown.edu |
Post-Doctoral Researchers
Pablo León-Villagrá
I am a postdoc in the Computational Cognitive Development Lab at Brown University. During my stay at Dr. Buchsbaum's lab I'd like to explore how children form representations of the world around them and how these representation allow them to perform rapid generalization and transfer. Outside of work I like to play chess, read and try out new recipes. |
Graduate Students
Caiqin Zhou
I’m a first-year Phd student in Cognitive Science. I’m broadly interested in children’s active learning and exploration and their causal reasoning. My research uses both behavioral and computational methods to explore these topics. Before coming to Brown, I studied children’s prosocial behavior in Dr. Felix Warneken’s lab and children’s Theory of Mind in Dr. Julian Jara-Ettinger’s lab. I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Economics from Wellesley College. Outside of work, I enjoy watching medical and crime TV shows and taking long walks. |
Sarah Kiefer
I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the lab. I graduated from Arizona State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. Prior to Brown, I worked as a research coordinator at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) and then as a lab Manager of the Emerging Minds Lab at Arizona State University (PI: Kelsey Lucca). My research examines children’s early learning through exploration, causal reasoning, and effort allocation. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy rock climbing, watching films, and cooking. |
Rebekah Gelpi
I am a PhD student currently studying at the University of Toronto. I am particularly interested in the differences between children’s and adults’ learning in social environments, and whether these differences reflect strategies that children and adults are uniquely suited to using. Outside of the lab, I love seeing new films at TIFF and trying out new recipes from the Great British Bake Off. |
Research Assistants

Luke Horton, Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards Student
Howdy! I'm a junior at Brown University concentrating in Psychology and Anthropology. I have a lot of experience working with and teaching kids, so researching their cognitive development is quite exciting. Outside of work and school, I enjoy playing the piano, making comics, and going on long walks.
Howdy! I'm a junior at Brown University concentrating in Psychology and Anthropology. I have a lot of experience working with and teaching kids, so researching their cognitive development is quite exciting. Outside of work and school, I enjoy playing the piano, making comics, and going on long walks.

Fiametta Boffey, Volunteer Research Assistant
Hi! I’m Fiametta, a junior at Brown University studying linguistics and linguistic anthropology. I hope to work with children as a speech pathologist one day, so working with kids in the lab has been an exciting hands-on way to learn about children’s cognitive development. When I’m not helping out with research, you can usually find me watching early 2000s serialized TV shows or practicing quidditch with the Brown quidditch team.
Hi! I’m Fiametta, a junior at Brown University studying linguistics and linguistic anthropology. I hope to work with children as a speech pathologist one day, so working with kids in the lab has been an exciting hands-on way to learn about children’s cognitive development. When I’m not helping out with research, you can usually find me watching early 2000s serialized TV shows or practicing quidditch with the Brown quidditch team.

Maria Iorini, Volunteer Research Assistant
Hi! I am Maria and I am a Junior. I am concentrating in Psychology and plan to pursue a future in Clinical Psychology. I have past experience tutoring children from ages 3 to 15 and so am extremely excited to continue working with kids in the lab and expand my knowledge on their cognitive function. I spend a lot of my free time in the pool as I am on the swim team as well as baking, reading and dancing!
Hi! I am Maria and I am a Junior. I am concentrating in Psychology and plan to pursue a future in Clinical Psychology. I have past experience tutoring children from ages 3 to 15 and so am extremely excited to continue working with kids in the lab and expand my knowledge on their cognitive function. I spend a lot of my free time in the pool as I am on the swim team as well as baking, reading and dancing!

Elze Amileviciute, Volunteer Research Assistant
I'm a second year at Brown University intending to concentrate in Neuroscience and planning to pursue my own research in the future. I've always been fascinated by children and their capacity for learning and development so volunteering here is extremely exciting for me! In my free time I enjoy exploring new places, singing, baking (although it is proving difficult in a dormitory) and cinema!
I'm a second year at Brown University intending to concentrate in Neuroscience and planning to pursue my own research in the future. I've always been fascinated by children and their capacity for learning and development so volunteering here is extremely exciting for me! In my free time I enjoy exploring new places, singing, baking (although it is proving difficult in a dormitory) and cinema!

Liana Haigis, Volunteer Research Assistant
Hello! I’m a junior at Brown University pursuing a degree in Psychology and/or Cognitive Science. All through high school, I worked with children ages 4-13 teaching music, math and science. Through this I became interested in age-related differences in cognitive and social-emotional development. I’m excited to learn more about child psychology and cognition during my time at the CoCoDev lab. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing guitar, hiking and spending time with friends.
Hello! I’m a junior at Brown University pursuing a degree in Psychology and/or Cognitive Science. All through high school, I worked with children ages 4-13 teaching music, math and science. Through this I became interested in age-related differences in cognitive and social-emotional development. I’m excited to learn more about child psychology and cognition during my time at the CoCoDev lab. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing guitar, hiking and spending time with friends.