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.
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: chaider
Lab Manager
Bryanna Boone (she/her)
Bryanna received a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S.I. in Informatics from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2025 and was a research assistant in the Social Cognition Lab before joining the MiSo lab. Broadly, she is interested in the dichotomy of automatic vs. controlled processes in the development of moral decision making and social categorization.
Bryanna’s Seasonal Treat: capri sun! (fruit punch flavor)
Graduate Students
Nicole Park (she/her)
nicole.park@rochester.edu
Nicole is a first-year Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology at the University of Rochester. Her research explores how children think about societal leadership and change, as well as how they use emotional cues to learn about the social world.
She completed her B.A. in Psychology with Honors from Yale University, where she first became involved in research as an assistant at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Her work on early childhood socioemotional and cultural research inspired a curiosity in children’s underlying cognitive representations of the social world. Following this interest, she moved to Rochester to serve as the Lab Manager for the MiSo Lab for two years prior to her graduate studies.
Nicole’s Seasonal Treat: London fogs & crochet
Candelas Distefano (she/her)
cdistef2@ur.rochester.edu
Candelas is a first year PhD student in Developmental Psychology at the University of Rochester. Her research explores the early emergence of sociopolitical ideas and preferences, particularly how children think about the relationship between individuals and systems of power/governance.
She completed her B.A. in Psychology with Honors from the University of Chicago, where she was a research assistant at the Development of Social Cognition Lab prior to starting her graduate studies.
Candy’s Seasonal Treat: hot chocolate (with a dash of cinnamon, because why not)
Meet our RAs!
Daniela Sanchez (she/her)
dsanche8@u.rochester.edu
Daniela is a junior at the University of Rochester majoring in Psychology and Brain and cognitive sciences. She is from Brooklyn, New York and she is interested in how children of immigrant parents develop an understanding of their social identity and intersectionality and how they navigate multiple cultural influences.
Daniela’s Seasonal Treat: apple crisp macchiato
Amaris Asiedu
aasiedu@u.rochester.edu
Amaris is a Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics major with a minor in Creative writing. Her hometown is the Bronx in NYC and she is interested in studying political polarization amongst youth and how that impact their perceptions on government institutions
Amaris’ Seasonal Trea: Cinnamon Rolls
Lucas Eidson
leidson@u.rochester.edu
Lucas is a Junior pursuing degrees in Data Science and Political Science at University of Rochester. He is from Boise, Idaho and is interested in the use of data science techniques for research and inference in the social sciences.
Seasonal Treat: Hazelnut, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg Mocha
Sara Singhal
ssingh82@u.rochester.edu
Sara is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences. She is from Chesterfield, New Jersey, and she is interested in how peer relationships, parental involvement, and overall social environment impact children’s development!
Seasonal Treat: Cheesecake!
Sophia Chung
schung26@u.rochester.edu
Sophia is a freshman double majoring in Brain and Cognitive Sciences(BA) and Psychology. She was born in LA California, and now lives in South Korea. Her research interests include how different social environments give effect to children’s personalities.
Sophia’s Seasonal Treat: Tangerines in warm blanket
Azul Garcia
agarc36@u.rochester.edu
Azul is a Sophomore majoring in Psychology and minoring in Legal Studies. She is from Houston, Texas. She is particularly in how adverse childhood experiences, family contexts, and environmental risk factors contribute to the development of mental health disorders, as well as how this knowledge can be used to improve policy and intervention within the criminal justice system.
Azul’s Seasonal Treat: Pan Dulce
Gianna Miceli
gmiceli@u.rochester.edu
Gianna is a junior majoring in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She is from Queens, New York and is fascinated by how children interpret social situations and how these perceptions inform their internal dialogue throughout development. She is also interested in child mental health and child advocacy
Gianna’s Seasonal Treat: Apple Cider Donuts
Joyce Li
jli259@u.rochester.edu
Joyce is a junior majoring in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Music (playing flute and piano) and minoring in Psychology. She is from Connecticut, though she mostly grew up in Hong Kong. She is interested in how cognitive and psychological processes develop throughout childhood, particularly how music perception and engagement shape learning, social development, and emotional well-being.
Joyce’s Seasonal Treat: Tangyuan (Chinese glutinous rice balls :P)
Lab Affiliates
Maddy Ephraim (she/her)
mephraim@psych.rochester.edu
Maddy graduated from the University of Iowa in 2025 with her B.S. in psychology and a minor in statistics. While in Iowa, she was a lab manager for the Hank Virtual Environments Lab and a research assistant in the Developmental Psychopathology Lab. Maddy plans to pursue a PhD in Developmental Psychology. Her previous research has focused on the role the home environment plays in the development of children’s executive functioning and parenting.
Maddy’s Seasonal Treat: peppermint lattes
Lab Alumni
Past Graduate Students
Ellen Kneeskern (she/her)
ellen.kneeskern@rochester.edu
Ellen was a PhD student in the MiSo lab from 2023–2025. Ellen is a fifth 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. Ellen is now a postdoctoral scholar at University College Dublin.
Past RAs
Stacy Matute
smatute@u.rochester.edu
Stacy was a RA in the MiSo lab from Fall 2025- Spring 2026.
Liany Bran Fortunato
lfortun3@u.rochester.edu
Liany was a RA in the MiSo lab from Summer 2025 to Spring 2026.
Liliya Bogdanova (she/her)
lbogdano@u.rochester.edu
Liliya was a RA in the MiSo lab from Spring 2024 to Spring 2026.
Yuliahnna Mendiola (she/her)
ymendiol@u.rochester.edu
Yuliahnna was a RA in the MiSo Lab from Winter 2024 to Spring 2026.
Princess Aniagboso (she/her)
paniagbo@u.rochester.edu
Princess was a RA in the MiSo lab from Winter 2024 to Spring 2026.
Emily Aron (she/her)
earon@u.rochester.edu
Emily was a RA in the MiSo lab from Winter 2024 to Spring 2026.
Kate Kim
nkim32@u.rochester.edu
Kate was a RA in the MiSo lab from Fall 2025 to Spring 2026.
Kristen Lipp (she/her)
Kristen was a RA in the MiSo Lab from Spring 2024 to Summer 2025.
Kiley Appleby (she/her)
Kiley was a RA in the MiSo Lab in summer 2025, when she visited as a UROC scholar from California State University in Monterey Bay.
Manny Eribo (he/him)
Manny was an inaugural RA in the MiSo Lab, working in the lab from Winter 2024 through Spring 2025. Manny is currently a lab manager for the NICE and interACT labs at the University of Indiana.
Jezreel Krupka (she/her)
Jessie was a RA in the MiSo Lab from Fall 2024 to Spring 2025.
Jaydee Ortez (she/her)
Jaydee was a RA in the MiSo Lab from Summer 2024 to Spring 2025.
Connie Yeo (she/her)
Connie was a RA in the MiSo Lab in Spring 2025.