​Graduate Students

Dr. Shibo Cao

​Shibo received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Boston University in 2019. During his undergraduate studies, he took part in research examining individuals’ ability to adapt to change of visual information dynamically using both eye-tracking and psychophysical method.Upon graduation, he worked as a research assistant in McLean Hospital where he studied non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease in animal models using behavioral and immunohistochemical techniques. Having exposure to both human & animal research, he is interested in studying various  cognitive processes from a developmental perspective. He is working with Dr.Ciaramitaro by examining attention and  multisensory processing from different levels using techniques including psychophysics and EEG. ​

​Jamie Donenfeld (nee Beshore)

During  Jamie's undergraduate studies in engineering, she took part in several research projects, ranging in discipline from physical science to psychology. After these research experiences and several elective courses in psychology, she decided that the questions she is most interested in asking are best explored using research methods in psychology. Jamie obtained a master’s degree in psychology and is currently investigating cognitive development using eye tracking and pupillometry. Jamie has been working with Dr. Kaldy and Dr. Blaser.

​Quinn Pham

Quinn received her bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science and International Relations from Tufts University in 2021. As part of her senior thesis, she studied user interaction with visualizers of large-scale data. In 2022, she graduated from Boston University with a master's degree in Psychology. During this time, she worked on an eye tracking experiment examining spontaneous eye gaze in a spatial prediction task. Quinn is interested in developmental processes such as Theory of Mind and planning or problem solving. She is working with Dr. Blankenship studying episodic future thinking in tandem with executive functions such as working memory and inhibitory control.

Candice Koolhaas

​Candice received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience at Eastern Connecticut State University in 2023. As an undergraduate, she worked in a visual cognition lab studying visual search and attention as well as an evolutionary psychology lab. Candice’s background as an early childhood educator combines with her interest in cognitive development in her current position working with Dr. Kaldy, where she studies the role of cognitive effort in working memory in early childhood using pupillometry.​ Candice is a recipient of the prestigious NSDEG Fellowship that supports her doctoral research for three years.​​ 

Jade Zack

Jade received her B.A. in psychology with a concentration in cognitive science at Rutgers University in 2024. She was a research assistant in multiple groups, including the Cognitive Development Lab, where she studied the development of Theory of Mind and inhibitory control in preschool-aged children, and Douglas Discoveries, where she studied music's effect on stress in people who have musical training. Jade is working with Dr. Blankenship and Dr. Kaldy studying episodic future thinking using behavioral and EEG techniques.

Mahan Abdollahinarenjbon

Mahan received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the Khazar Institute of Higher Education and then earned his master’s degree in Cognitive Science from the National University of Iran (also known as Shahid Beheshti University). During his master's he worked on the neural basis of conceptual processing, he used noninvasive brain stimulation methods to investigate brain regions that mediate cross-modal interactions of modality-specific information and how we represent concepts in our mind and brain. Currently, he is working with Dr. Ciaramitaro and studying cross-modal correspondence and sound symbolism using behavioral and EEG techniques.

Trevor Bissert

​Trevor is originally from Boulder, Colorado. He attended the University of Oregon for his BS in psychology and physics and completed his MS in Clinical Psychology at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where he focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on socioemotional functioning in adults using ERP. He then worked in the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital for three years as a study coordinator and psychometrist. He is interested in studying individual differences in the cognitive mechanisms of visual memory and attention, and their relationship to academic achievement and early environmental adversity. Trevor is working with Dr. Kaldy focusing on the development of visual working memory using eye tracking and behavioral methodology. For fun, he enjoys trying new food and going to concerts with his partner.