The MiSo Lab Team
Principal Investigator (PI)
Dr. Isobel A. Heck (she/her)
isobel.a.heck@rochester.edu
Dr. Heck is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester and the PI of the MiSo Lab. Her research focuses on how young children come to think about the structure of the social world and how they themselves fit into it. Much of her research focuses on children’s reasoning social group hierarchies along lines of power and status, as well as early-life thinking about formalized notions of power and status (e.g., political leadership, occupational hierarchies). In asking these questions, she pays particular attention to how variation in lived experience shapes differences in social thinking across individuals and contexts. See more about her research here.
She is an alum of Brown University, where she concentrated in Cognitive Science with a focus in developmental science and education. After receiving her Bachelor’s, she completed her PhD at Cornell and the University of Chicago working with Dr. Katherine Kinzler.
Isobel’s Seasonal Treat: gardening
Lab Manager
Nicole Park (she/her)
nicole.park@rochester.edu
Nicole received her B.A. in Psychology from Yale University in December 2022 and was a research assistant at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence before moving to Rochester. She is interested in how children develop an awareness of their own social identities and how that influences their navigation of the social world.
Nicole’s Seasonal Treat: matcha lemonade
Graduate Students
Ellen Kneeskern (she/her)
ellen.kneeskern@rochester.edu
Ellen is a fourth year PhD student at the University of Rochester. Her research focuses on how children learn and think about social inequalities, with a specific focus on how different sources of information (like parents, teachers, peers, and media) influence the development of their thoughts.
She holds a B.A. in Psychological Science with Honors and a B.A. in English from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, and a M.A. in Psychology from the University of Rochester. Ellen also worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for two years prior to beginning graduate school.
Ellen’s Seasonal Treat: going on picnics in Rochester parks
Meet our Summer RAs!
Kiley Appleby (she/her)
kappleby@ur.rochester.edu
Kiley is a 4th year psychology major. Her hometown is San Luis Obispo, California and she is interested in child social development. Specifically how children come to explore social contexts such as gender, queerness, and disabilities. Orion is her service dog (in picture), and he also is a 4th year psychology major. They hope to gain PhD’s in Developmental Psychology.
Kiley’s Seasonal Treat: poké bowls
Manny Eribo (he/him)
eeribo@u.rochester.edu
Manny is a Junior majoring in Psychology and Brain and Cognitive Sciences. His hometown is Columbus Ohio, and he is interested in the development of children and adolescents as well as different aspects in psychopathology.
Manny’s Seasonal Treat: amusement parks + slushies
Kristen Lipp (she/her)
klipp2@u.rochester.edu
Kristen is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and Dance/Movement. Her hometown is Buffalo, NY (go bills), and she is interested in child and adolescents development as well as human movement psychology.
Kristen’s Seasonal Treat: tulips + going for a swim
Yuliahnna Mendiola (she/her)
ymendiol@u.rochester.edu
Yuliahnna is a Junior double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She is from San Antonio, Texas, and her interest surrounds how children from minority groups develop socially when faced with learning disabilities or being academically accelerated.
Yuliahnna’s Seasonal Treat: fresh fruit cups + time in the sun!
Jaydee Ortez (she/her)
jortez@u.rochester.edu
Jaydee is a rising Senior majoring in Psychology and American Sign Language. Her hometown is Chicago, IL, and she is interested in understanding adolescents in underrepresented minority groups and their acceptance into their communities based on their identities.
Jaydee’s Seasonal Treat: beach days + fruit salads
Semester RAs
Princess Aniagboso (she/her)
paniagbo@u.rochester.edu
Princess is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience on a pre-medical track. Her hometown is Lagos, Nigeria, and she is interested in how children of varying backgrounds are influenced by their social environment. She is also keen on exploring the early onset of psychological disorders in children.
Princess’ Seasonal Treat: beach days + good books
Emily Aron (she/her)
earon@u.rochester.edu
Emily is a Sophomore majoring in Psychology and American Sign Language at the University of Rochester. She is from Massachusetts, and is interested in researching how children come to understand inequality and incarceration.
Emily’s Seasonal Treat: daffodils + fresh watermelon