Team LDM
Top row: Mohit Mukherji, Shannon yasuda, heloise robertson, suqi chen, shubhdip kundlas. Middle Row: Dr. Moira Dillon, Raina Cheng, Dr. Yi lin. Bottom row: Kate fourie, jocelyn chow, riya sapkal, nalinda wanikpun, joyce haddad.
principal investigator
DR. MOIRA DILLON
I study infants’ and children’s precocious knowledge about the world, from the objects and places in it to the people and animals that act on those objects and move through those places. I ask how that knowledge derives from our evolutionary inheritance and how it forms the basis of uniquely human cultural and intellectual achievements. In doing so, I use my expertise in human commonsense to improve machine commonsense, creating AI that will better understand us and that we can better understand.
moira.dillon@nyu.edu
graduate students
MOHIT MUKHERJI
I graduated from Temple University in May 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy. As an undergraduate, I worked in the Research In Spatial Cognition (RISC) lab, where I studied how people think about feedback loops. My research interests lie in the development of logical thinking. I’m also interested in learning more broadly about cognitive architecture, modularity, and the relationship between language and thought. Outside school, I enjoy running, watching soccer, and (sometimes) making music.
mohit.mukherji@nyu.edu
Shannon Yasuda
I graduated from Yale University in 2020 where I studied Computer Science and Psychology. While at Yale, I was a research assistant in the Yale Social Robotics Lab where I conducted research on perceptions of agency in social norm-violating robots. After graduating, I worked in the Yale Cognitive and Neural Computation Lab where I studied physical event perception before working in the Lab for the Developing Mind as a Lab Manager, studying agency perception in infants and machines. Now as a PhD student in the same lab, I am interested in studying infants, children, adults, and machines to better understand the “software” in the human mind that dictates our perceptions of and behaviors within the physical and social worlds. I am especially interested in how our perceptions of agency develop, and how we can use multidisciplinary approaches to study cognition.
shannon.yasuda@nyu.edu
Jacob Martin
I earned a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan in 2021. After several years working in the non-profit sector, I returned to academia with the goal of pursuing a PhD. My research interests focus on social interaction and its underlying cognitive processes, with an emphasis on systematically characterizing these processes using computational methods. Outside of research, I enjoy reading and exploring the diverse neighborhoods of New York City.
jm11706@nyu.edu
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Samantha Bespalov
I am a Junior majoring in Applied Psychology at New York University. I love working with families and collaborating in settings like a classroom, helping children accomplish their milestones and build positive mindsets. My research interests are based on studying early environments and how they later impact cognition. As a student, I have spent much of my time learning what we can do to help children build a strong foundation for learning in their future. In my spare time, I love to spend time with friends and family and try different activities around the city.
scb9399@nyu.edu
ZIyu Yu
I am a Junior majoring in Applied Psychology at New York University. I am interested in child development and how children learn to understand and interact with the world around them. At the Lab for the Developing Mind, I hope to explore how cognitive abilities emerge and develop throughout childhood while gaining hands-on experience in developmental research. Outside of the lab, I love cooking and baking and trying new recipes. If I have some free time, I’d be more than happy to bring some cookies to the lab!
zy2862@nyu.edu
Eesha Tangirala
I am a Sophomore majoring in Psychology at New York University. I love learning about how the human mind develops over the different stages of life and how this allows adolescent’s to understand the world around them. I spend much of my time studying mental health concerns in youth, exploring practical methods to support children’s emotional and educational development. At the Lab for the Developing Mind, I hope to better understand early learning mechanisms in children. In my free time, I love writing poetry and wandering around the city with family and friends.
et2894@nyu.edu
Child SCIENTISTs
SEÁN REILLY
I’m Dr. Dillon’s son, and I’m interested in math, astronomy, geology, tennis, and cooking. When I’m not participating in developmental research studies, you can find me developing! I spend my free time at the skate park, doing activities, on the subway, or at a museum. I speak English and French!
Réalta Reilly
I’m Dr. Dillon’s daughter, and I’m interested in talking, singing, and playing. When I’m not participating in developmental research studies, you can find me developing! I spend my free time at the skate park (with my brother and his friends), at the play gym, at the playground, or at the library. I speak English and French!
LAB ALUMNI
Postdoctoral Research Fellows: Dr. Yi Lin (2020-2025); Dr. Gala Stojnic (2020-2021); Dr. Agata Bochynska (2019-2021)
Lab Managers: Kate Fourie (2024-2025); Gillian Broome (2022-2024); Eli Mitnick (2021-2024); Deisy Martinez (2022-2023); Shannon Yasuda (2021-2022); Petrina Chan (2019-2021), Ana Bachrach (2019-2021), Azar Tuerxuntuoheti (2019-2020); Holly Huey, (2017-2019); Nicole Loncar (2017-2019); Ofelia Garcia (2018-2019)
Research Programmer: Théo Morfoisse (2019-2020)
Graduate Students: Katelin Maguire (2018-2019)
Visiting Graduate Students: Matthew Jordan (2017-2019)
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Students: Riya Sapkal (2023-2025); Nalinda Wanikpun (2024-2025); Savannah Prager (2023-2024); Kirsten Mark (2022-2024); Rida Sophie Saad (2021-2024); Albina Zlenko (2019-2020); Olivia Miller (2017-2019); Simran Suresh (2018-2019); Divya Dayal (2017-2018)
Research Assistants: Heloise Robertson (2024-2026); Charlotte Chanezon (2024-2026); Keyin Liang (2025); Raina Cheng (2024-2025); Suqi Chen (2024-2025); Kaylee Chen (2024-2025); Shubhdip Kundlas (2023-2025); Riya Sapkal (2023-2025); Jocelyn Chow (2024-2025); Nalinda Wanikpun (2024-2025); Joyce Haddad (2024-2025); Anabel Almonte (2024-2025); Tanvi Patel (2024); Anuj Jain (2024); Weiwei Tan (2023-2024); Lauren Bass (2023-2024); Khadijah Ceesay (2023-2024); Sarah Seo (2023); Neela Rao (2023); Diya Basu (2022-2023); Tracy Zhang (2023); Jiia Liu (2023); Ruiting Shen (2023); Nahid Manzur (2022-2023); Ice Lou (2020-2022); Valeria Hernandez (2020-2022); Isaac Wert (2021-2022); Kiran Kottapalli (2019-2022); Pamela Picon (2021); Elizabeth Im (2021); Virginia Morley (2021); Sabana Gonzalez (2020-2021); Zhuoran Huang (2020-2021); Simran Mahajan (2020-2021); Avi Madsen (2020); Fernanda Ahumada (2019-2020); Sherry Bai (2019-2020); Ira Cekici (2019-2020); Brooke Diviak (2019-2020); Jarett Lee (2019-2020); Jocelyn Lee (2019-2020); Nithya Reddy (2019-2020); Vivi Vemula (2018-2020); Sara Okun (2017-2019); Aravind Kumar (2019); Alisa Kizilbash (2017-2019); Emily Schwartz (2017-2019); Kimberly Kissoon (2018-2019); Emilie Geesey (2018-2019); Anaïs Kessler (2017-2018); Maggie McAlister (2018); Gia Squitieri (2018); Ashley Zhang (2018)
Interested in joining US As A Student oR Volunteer? Fill out the form below!
Research Assistant positions are initially extended on a volunteer basis. Following the first semester, our lab offers opportunities for NYU undergraduates to receive course credit for working in the lab during the academic year and stipends for working in the lab over the summer.
The lab will not be taking on new research assistants for Fall 2026. Applications for Spring 2027 will open mid-December 2026.
Please only express your interest in joining the lab using the form below. Requests sent by email to Dr. Dillon or to the lab email address will not be monitored. We are not considering high-school students for research assistant positions at this time.