People | SCL | University of Miami

Meet the Team

Dr. Elizabeth A. Simpson

Laboratory Director,
Email: simpsone@miami.edu
Google Scholar
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
Google Scholar
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
Google Scholar
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.

Caterina Berardo

Visiting Graduate Student
Email: caterina.berardo2024@my.ntu.ac.uk
Cat is visiting our lab for 6 months, starting fall 2025. She has a BA in natural sciences and an MA in ethology from the University of Parma in Italy. She's currently in the PhD psychology program at the University of Nottingham Trent, in England, studying the effects of interpersonal synchrony on social interactions in infants and great apes. Her dream is to continue researching in comparative psychology. In her free time, she likes to read crime books, go for long walks while listening to music, and travel.

Nashmia Khan

Research Assistant
Email: nashmiakhanlmft@gmail.com 
Nashmia is a licensed family therapist & registered play therapist. She earned a B.A. in psychology from Florida Atlantic University & an M.S. in family therapy from Nova Southeastern University. She joined the lab in May 2025. Her research interests include the factors that contribute to parent-child attachment, the role of play in strengthening the parent-child bond, & how infants think, feel, & make sense of the world. She aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in developmental psychology to research these topics. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading, & being in nature.

 Georgia Anne Apazidis

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: gaa176@miami.edu
Georgia is a psychology major who joined the lab in the summer of 2024. Georgia plans to go law school after graduating. She is specifically interested in child and adolescent development. In her free time, Georgia loves playing volleyball and going to the beach.

Isa Romanov

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: afr117@miami.edu
Isa joined our lab in the spring of 2025 as a sophomore majoring in psychology and minoring in business law and English. She plans to pursue a career as a lawyer in the future. Isa enjoys reading, spending time with her three cats, and baking.

Anastassia Somerville

Undergraduate Researcher
Email: axs8990@miami.edu
Anastassia joined our lab in fall 2025 as a junior studying psychology. Originally from Santiago, Chile, she moved to Miami when she was 10 years old and loves everything about the city and what it has to offer. She is passionate about understanding human behavior. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, staying active through sports and outdoor activities, and exploring new matcha spots with family and friends.

Graduate Student Alumni

Undergraduate Lab Alumni