Dr. Richardson is a Lecturer in the School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, where she uses child-friendly neuroimaging studies to learn about how the developing brain supports cognitive development (and in particular, social cognitive development) in childhood. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Edinburgh, she worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital and earned her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. 

Unofficial Biography
Despite growing up just outside of Michigan State University’s campus, I did not consider a career in academia until I myself went to college. As a college sophomore, I decided to no longer pursue a career as a medical doctor. I did not know what I wanted to do instead, so I threw myself into various activities that interested me. I re-started Spanish courses, organized events for a student mentorship program, and took up a position as a research assistant in a brain and cognitive development lab. Over time, I found myself devoting more and more time to the lab. I loved the (however optimistic) possibility of learning something genuinely new. I loved how seemingly simple experiments could speak to deep debates about the human mind. There is a lot of room for improvement in academia, but I have never seriously looked back.

That first research position was in Dr. Henry Wellman’s brain and development lab, working with Dr. Lindsay Bowman. It led to a full-time position with Dr. Rebecca Saxe, which led to completing my PhD under Rebecca’s supervision, and eventually (after spending a year living in Barcelona [this is the unofficial bio after all]) moving across the Charles river to work with Dr. Charles Nelson. I am so grateful for the guidance of these, and other, extraordinary mentors.

In addition to aspiring to conduct rigorous, transparent research, I strive to be a supportive mentor and an inspiring teacher. Outside of my life as an academic, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter, and son, being outside, and reading (mostly fiction).

Melissa is a post doc in the lab with a background in developmental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Her research investigates the ways children and adults think and reason about the stories they listen to, read, and watch, with a focus on the cognitive systems – particularly semantic, social, and narrative cognition – that interact to support comprehension. To investigate these topics, she uses behavioural and neuroimaging methods, most consistently functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Where possible, she uses naturalistic stimuli, such as narratives and movies, to better approximate cognition as it occurs in everyday life.

She moved to Edinburgh from Alabama (though she’s originally from sunny Florida) to complete her PhD. When she’s not in the lab, you’ll likely find her exploring Holyrood Park, going for hikes and runs and smiling at the dogs she meets along the way, and trying to find a turtle in Scotland (no luck yet!).

Selina is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Richardson Lab and has always been fascinated by early social cognitive development and the impact of innate differences and environmental influences on it. Now, she conducts interdisciplinary research exploring young children’s (social) cognitive development with the intention for her research to have practical applications as well as to contribute to our current understanding of the developing mind and brain.

After receiving her BSc in Psychology from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, she went on to earn an MSc in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of York, UK, and subsequently became a PhD student in the Richardson Lab (funded by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)) and received a PhD in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh. Outside of the lab, she likes to explore new places and find the best spots for a cup of coffee and piece of cake.

Naiti is an ESRC-funded PhD student in the Richardson Lab. She’s broadly interested in using computational modelling to characterize learning phenomena, like the development of theory of mind reasoning. After receiving her BA in Computer Science and Neuroscience at Scripps College, she worked as a lab manager at New York University, further exploring her interests in computational modelling and developmental psychology. Her current research explores the structural and functional neural mechanisms of theory of mind reasoning development by using data from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to represent changes in the brain that correlate with the development of theory of mind reasoning. She is excited about continuing to learn how to incorporate open science practices into her work and encourage underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in STEM. Outside of the lab, she likes to chase sunrises and sunsets, experiment with coffee, and knit in the round.

Jean is a PhD student at the Richardson Lab, funded by the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology before undertaking an MSc in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to her PhD, Jean worked as a research assistant with the University of Edinburgh in the areas of cognitive, developmental, and health psychology.

Jean’s research interests include developmental psychology, social cognitive neuroscience, and using multidisciplinary approaches to improve health outcomes for children. Her current PhD research focuses on exploring the neural and behavioural correlates of cognitive and affective Theory of Mind in children. Jean also supports the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort project, a longitudinal, multidisciplinary study that examines the development of preterm infants across the lifespan. Outside the lab, she enjoys travelling, playing music, and trying to bake perfect sourdough bread (with mixed success).

Rebekah is a PhD student on the Wellcome Trust Translational Neuroscience programme. She researches the role of systemic inflammation in brain and cognitive development, alongside the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort research study. Having worked in primary education prior to PhD, Rebekah’s research is motivated by the goal of improving outcomes for children and her keen interest in childhood as one of the formative periods of life. Prior to joining the Richardson Lab, Rebekah completed BSc Neuroscience at University College London (UCL) and MSc Neuroscience in Neurodegeneration at King’s College London. Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring the city, cooking all sorts and doodling. 

Chase is a PhD student at The University of Edinburgh, where he works on the intersection of language, executive functions and Theory of Mind. He has been particularly focusing on how bi/multilingualism and executive functions interact with children’s Theory of Mind development. Holding a Master’s degree in Linguistics from UCL, Chase has a passion for understanding language acquisition and cognitive development. Outside the lab, Chase finds joy in life through cooking and watching soccer matches.

Lucy is a final-year undergraduate student in Psychology (BSc) at the University of Edinburgh. She is currently completing her dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Hilary Richardson, examining emotion conceptual organization during middle childhood using a novel behavioral task with minimal linguistic demands.

Through her volunteer experience at an autism clinic, Lucy developed a strong interest in understanding the neural mechanisms that support social-cognitive development in both neurotypical and neurodiverse children. She is also interested in how social experiences, such as caregiver and peer relationships, shape these developmental trajectories. Ultimately, she hopes to translate basic research findings to inform familial, educational, and clinical practices.

Outside the lab, Lucy enjoys playing the Guzheng, paper-cutting, video editing, photography, watching TV dramas and films, and discovering new places to eat.

Rachael is an undergraduate studying Psychology, with an interest in child & adolescent development. Her current research involvement is in the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort study, and developing support systems for young autistic people. She hopes to pursue child & adolescent psychotherapy in the future. Outside of the lab, Rachael loves sunny walks with a sweet treat! 

Robina completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at University of Edinburgh. After having worked with organisations which were directed at immigrant and care-experienced children, she became interested in research exploring how resilience can be fostered in children facing systematic adversity. Robina enjoys making and listening to music, and is slowly but surely discovering her love for powerlifting!