Meet the Team

Dr. Elizabeth A. Simpson

Laboratory Director,
Email: simpsone@miami.edu
Dr. Simpson joined the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami in 2015. She loves research and hopes to inspire future generations of scientists. Outside of the lab she enjoys dog parks, the beach, running, and reality TV. 

Tiffany Leung

Graduate Student
Email: tsl51@miami.edu
Google Scholar
Tiffany joined the lab in 2020 after graduating from Stony Brook University with a B.A. in psychology. Her primary research interests focus on how infants process social interactions to categorize and learn about the people around them. She hopes to one day become involved in teaching and continue research in developmental psychology. During her spare time, she loves ice skating, reading about philosophy, watching Disney movies, and visiting the beach.

Arushi Malik

Graduate Student
Email: arushim@miami.edu
Arushi earned her B.A. in psychology with honors from the University of Delhi and her M.S. in psychology from Christ University in India. She joined our developmental psychology Ph.D. program in 2022. She is interested in studying the development of socio-cognitive skills such as social recognition. After graduating, she plans to become a professor to continue her research and teaching in developmental psychology. In her free time, she likes to read, explore new places, cook, and watch movies.

Shuo Zhang

Graduate Student
Email: sxz659@miami.edu
Shuo earned her B.A. in psychology and social behavior from the University of California, Irvine, and her M.A. in psychology from New York University. She joined our lab in 2023. Shuo is interested in infants' social and emotional development, including facial recognition and emotion regulation. She is studying how caregiver-infant relationships shape infants' social development. After graduation, she plans to be a professor of developmental psychology. Shuo likes watching movies, exploring restaurants, and hanging out with her cat.

Shirsika Reddy Kummeta

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: srk431029@miami.edu
Shirsika is a neuroscience and anthropology double major who joined the lab in the fall of 2021. Shirsika plans to attend medical school after graduating and wants to become a neonatologist. She enjoys reading books, swimming, and watching Netflix.

Elijah Detrick

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: emd216@miami.edu
Elijah is a psychology major who joined our lab in the summer of 2023. He plans on going to medical school to become a psychiatrist. In his free time, he loves going on adventures with his dog, Finnegan, hanging out with friends, cooking, and watching TV shows.

Karla Diane Magallanes

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: kdm119@miami.edu
Karla joined our lab in the spring of 2024 as a senior. She is a psychology major minoring in public health. She's interested in studying child and adolescent development. She plans to attend medical school to be a pediatrician. She likes painting, spending time with family, and exploring new places.

Lauren Rose Penna

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: lrp108@miami.edu
Lauren joined our lab in the spring of 2024 as a sophomore majoring in neuroscience on the premed track pursuing minors in sociology and chemistry. She plans to attend medical school to become a pediatric oncologist. She enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with family and friends, and attending concerts

Graduate Student Alumni

Undergraduate Lab Alumni