Professor Rebecca Saxe is fascinated by human brain development: how our brains start as a tiny lump of cells, and grow into the organ of thought. She was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. In addition to studying brain development in the lab, she also watches it happen at home: she has two sons, born in 2013 and 2015.
After serving in the Marine Corps, Heather Kosakowski became fascinated with the brain and mind. While raising her daughter, she earned a BA in neuroscience at Wellesley College. These days she can often be found trying to unravel the mysteries of the infant brain and how it gives rise to the human mind.
Michelle Hung is an undergraduate at MIT ('22) studying Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She is interested in how infants view social situations and how their brains develop throughout childhood.
Halie Olson is a graduate student at MIT who loves hanging out with kids and babies - and learning about their brains! She thinks it's really cool that a child's experiences and environment can affect how their brain develops, especially when they're acquiring language. Outside the lab, Halie enjoys running and cuddling with her dog, Winston.
Ashley Thomas is fascinated by why humans are so good at forming social relationships. She is also interested in the social relationship between her two Boston Terriers, Birdie and Pablo.
Freddy Kamps wants to know what infants know, how much their brains already look like adults, and how much their brains change throughout life. He is especially interested in how babies recognize complex objects in their visual world, like faces and places. When he is not working on becoming a better scientist, he is working on becoming a better musician and cook.
Gal Raz is a graduate student at MIT interested in how infants learn so much, so quickly! Given that there is a lot going on around them all the time, he is particularly fascinated by how infants decide which information to focus on. In his free time, Gal tries to spend as much time in nature as possible.
Shari Liu wants to understand what makes babies so smart by studying their minds and brains. She also wants scientists to share their tools and materials so that everyone can learn from each other. Outside of the lab she loves jogging, reading, and playing with her dog.