Our Team

Arella is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia pursuing a BA in Psychology. She joined the Child and Teen Studies Lab in July 2024 and has contributed to the Integrity and Day in the Life (DITL) projects. Her research combines conceptual and qualitative approaches to better understand children’s imagination and the developmental significance of play in everyday contexts. After graduation, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in developmental psychology and education, with the long-term goal of conducting and translating research that helps families and educators foster children’s imagination, creativity, and learning through play. Outside of research, Arella enjoys journaling, creative writing, and playing video games with friends.

Hi! I’m Catherine Xie from Nanjing, China, and I’ve been part of Dr. Cameron’s big lab family since July 2024. I’m an honours psychology student, currently beginning my third-year thesis under Dr. Cameron’s guidance, exploring how children’s experiences of shame and guilt relate to their rule-breaking behaviour. I’m also involved in the Girls Project—specifically on the “Sisterhood” team, where I help with transcript coding. In the Integrity Project, I am doing data collection and data entry (interviews with children are always a big source of joy and energy for me!) Outside of research, I’m a huge dog person (Samoyeds are my all-time favourites!) and love trying new foods—especially desserts. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of Dr. Cameron’s lab and am excited for the journey ahead!

Claudia is a 4th year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia studying Cognitive Systems. She joined the lab in August 2025 and is currently involved in data collection for the Academic Integrity (AI5) proejct and has helped with video coding for the Day in the Life (DITL) project. She also completed her COGS 402 Capstone project under the supervision of Dr. Cameron, exploring the lasting influence of storybooks on development. Outside of the lab, you’ll find Claudia at the pottery studio or trying out different tea lattes in Vancouver.

Hi, everyone! I’m an undergraduate student studying neuroscience. I’ve been in this amazing lab since Grade 11 in June 2024, with the hopes of pursuing higher education in the mental health field afterwards. I’m primarily involved in leading the Boys’ project, where we’re looking at how East Asian and Western Canadian cultures affect boys’ friendships. I also help out with the Academic Integrity (AI5) project running sessions and planning community library discussions in the Thing 3 project. Apart from school, I really enjoy cycling long distances, whether that’s road, gravel, or mountain biking!

Emily Rener graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.Sc. in Food, Nutrition and Health and a B.Ed in 2020. She worked as an elementary school teacher from 2020-2025, teaching Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2. She is pursuing a career in Speech-Language Pathology and currently works as an SLPA. She volunteers with the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation and a speech clinic. She has been enjoying her time in the lab learning more about psychology research and contributing to various projects. In her free time she enjoys boxing, horseback riding and travelling.

Fany is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia majoring in Psychology. She is currently a volunteer research assistant in the Child Studies Lab, where she is involved in the Academic Integrity Study by assisting with data collection. Through her interactions with children in both research and everyday settings, Fany has developed a strong interest in understanding children’s unique ways of thinking. She especially enjoys observing children’s perspectives, the ways they solve problems, communicate their ideas, and respond to different social situations. These experiences have strengthened her passion for developmental psychology. Fany hopes to build a career working with children, where she can combine research and practical experience to better understand children’s cognitive and social development while supporting their learning and well-being.

Jessica Song is an incoming undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Sciences. Having joined the team in March 2020, she has been with the lab since Grade 10. She is involved with graphic design and development of the lab Facebook page, entering data for the Academic Integrity project, and being a part of the Girls’ Friendships research team. Her time in the lab has been surrounded by wonderful people, fascinating projects, and meaningful discussions! Jessica is grateful and ecstatic to be a part of the lab, and hopes to pursue higher education in clinical psychology or neuroscience in the future. In her free time, Jessica loves swimming, visiting used bookstores, and singing karaoke with friends.

Kyla is a 4th year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia working towards her BA in Psychology Honors. She joined the Child and Teen Studies Lab in the summer of 2023 and is currently a coordinator for the Integrity Pilot Study (AI5) and the Girls Project Sisterhood study. She was a previous honors student in the lab who did her thesis on the Academic Integrity Study. The valuable experiences she has gained from her time in the lab will be used in her pursuit of graduate studies in Psychology in the future.  In her free time she enjoys exploring different restaurants in Vancouver with friends, baking, reading, and when the weather is nice, hiking. 

Lara is an undergraduate psychology student at the University of British Columbia. She joined the lab in 2024 and is currently involved in the Integrity project with children as well as a research initiative on humor and coping in Latin America. Alongside her research interests, she also helps with lab managing, supporting organization and communication within the team. Lara is especially interested in developmental psychology and hopes to pursue graduate studies exploring how to make environments more accessible and understandable for neurodivergent children. She values being part of such a collaborative lab community and the opportunity to grow as both a researcher and team member. Outside of school, Lara enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time by the ocean.

Lily is a fourth-year Honours Psychology student at the University of British Columbia, whose research journey spans developmental psychology, knowledge mobilization, and clinical therapeutic outcomes. Her work supervised by Dr. Ann Cameron includes a third-year thesis exploring predictors of rule-breaking by examining the moral-judgement behaviour gap in children. Building on this developmental focus, she currently leads a project on childhood personal characteristics and self-efficacy, while contributing to both the Academic Integrity Project and the Girls’ Friendships Project. Lily is also committed to knowledge translation, leading a collaborative initiative with the University of Toronto that utilizes NotebookLM to convert academic papers into accessible podcasts. Currently, her research focus has expanded into direct clinical applications; for her fourth-year honours thesis, she is investigating the role of integration practices in maintaining therapeutic gains following ketamine-assisted therapy. Lily is passionate about research and committed to advancing innovative, evidence-based mental health interventions. She will be pursuing graduate studies in clinical psychology and is thoroughly enjoying her academic journey.

Maria graduated from UBC with her BA in psychology in spring 2025. She joined the lab in spring 2022 and is involved in the lab’s ongoing Integrity and Girls’ Friendships projects as a senior lab member. She has also contributed to several conference presentations and publications related to the Integrity project. Maria’s previous research experience includes conducting research with the Community-Based Research Centre as part of the Investigators group looking at the relationship between LGBTQ+ patients and their healthcare providers, with the end goal of creating an app resource for practitioners to refer to when working with LGBTQ+ patients. She has also volunteered at a student-run mental health organization facilitating workshops for grade 7 students and as an Equity and Inclusion Officer for the UBC Arts Undergraduate Society. In her spare time, you can find Maria biking, beachcombing, and trying bubble tea around Vancouver.

Having joined the Child Study Lab in the summer of 2025, Noelle has had the opportunity to contribute to several research projects. She is currently involved in the Boys’ Asian Masculinity Project and assists with data collection and coding for the Academic Integrity Project. Outside of the lab, Noelle works professionally with children and volunteers her time at the lab to enhance her understanding in her work. She has a particular interest in developmental psychology and hopes to further her contributions to scientific research. In her free time, Noelle likes to be on the water, hangout with her cat, and meet new people.

Olivia is a third-year Psychology Honours student at the University of British Columbia with a passion for behavioural psychology. Her research interests in child development, mental health, and creating interventions that support children’s well-being led her to join the Child Study Lab. She has previous research experience in various psychology labs examining topics such as the physiological effects of stress, neuroplasticity, and mental health, and hopes to continue pursuing research through graduate studies. Outside of the lab, Olivia enjoys reading, hiking, trying new coffee shops, and experimenting with creative hobbies.

Saba is a third-year Psychology Honours student at the University of British Columbia who joined the lab in 2025. She is currently completing her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Cameron. Her research in the lab includes the Academic Integrity project (AI5) and the Day in the Life project. She is particularly interested in developmental psychology, with a focus on child development and mental health, and hopes to pursue a career in pediatric psychiatry. In her free time, she enjoys painting, reading, and camping!

Sanvi is an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia. She joined the Child & Teen Studies Lab in August 2025 after developing a strong interest in developmental psychology and hearing about the lab from one of her colleagues. Over the past year, she has been involved in data collection and coding for the Academic Integrity Study, while learning alongside more experienced members of the lab and gaining valuable insight into the research process. She believes the lab has played a significant role in deepening her interest in developmental and behavioural psychology, while also giving her practical insight into how research is conducted beyond the classroom. Sanvi looks forward to continuing her work with the lab and contributing to future research projects. Outside of academics, she loves crocheting and tennis!

Shawn graduated from UBC with an Honours B.Sc. in Behavioural Neuroscience in 2023. He joined the lab in the summer of 2021 and has worked on a variety of topics in the lab; as part of the honours program at UBC, he has also written two undergraduate theses, focusing on Truth and Trust and the Integrity Project. He has continued to help out on a variety of projects within the lab, mainly for consulting regarding complex statistical analyses. He is currently co-supervised as a social psychology graduate student at the University of Waterloo, studying how to best provide social support to people-of-colour, as well as person perception through the lens of dress (i.e., how we make judgements of others based on their clothing). 

Tanisha is an undergraduate at the University of British Columbia working toward her degree in Psychology. She is an aspiring therapist with a strong passion for dynamic fields that revolve around meaningful interactions– counseling, event planning, and human resources. She loves working with children, which inspired her to apply to be a part of this motivated team back in 2022. In the lab, Tanisha has been involved with the Academic Integrity project, and data transcription for the Girls’ Friendships study. She is extremely grateful to be a part of the Child and Teen Studies lab and learn through the experiences of Dr. Cameron and other team members!

Tegan is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia majoring in psychology. She joined the lab in the summer of 2024 and is currently involved in the Academic Integrity project and is exploring topics related to Asian masculinity. Tegan is an aspiring therapist with a strong interest in interpersonal development and mental health. She is grateful to be part of the lab and to collaborate with an amazing group of people while exploring a variety of curious topics. Outside of school, Tegan enjoys pilates, volunteering with children, and going to concerts.

Thorn is an undergraduate Psychology student at UBC, and a multidisciplinary artist with a background in theatre. Thorn joined the lab in the summer of 2026, and is just beginning to get involved with various projects, including the Academic Integrity (AI5) project and Thing 3, bringing a gender-diverse lens to research on predominantly cisgender children. Thorn aims to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology, with an interest in collaborative and embodied forms of storytelling that promote resilience and belonging in marginalized youth. They are absolutely thrilled to be a part of such a warm and welcoming lab community!

Wentao completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia with a major in Psychology and a minor in Education. He joined the Child Study Lab in 2025 and has contributed to multiple projects on adolescent relationships, gender, and social development. Working with Dr. Cameron and other lab members has helped Wentao connect his long-standing interest in cultural differences with the everyday experiences of young people. He has especially appreciated being able to draw on his own cross-cultural experiences when considering different perspectives and interpreting the meanings behind their stories. This work has deepened his interest in how development is shaped by culture, relationships, and social environments. Wentao has especially valued the lab’s supportive and collaborative environment and the close and warm connections he has formed with everyone. He hopes to pursue graduate studies in developmental and cultural psychology. Outside research, he enjoys travelling, exploring restaurants and cafés, and experiencing different cultures.

Yu-Hsuan Yuan is an undergraduate psychology student at the University of British Columbia. He joined the Child and Teen Psychology Lab in 2026 and is currently involved in the Academic Integrity Project and the Boys’ Asian Masculinity Project. Having lived in Japan, Taiwan, and Canada, Yu-Hsuan is interested in how East Asian immigrants to Canada adapt to new cultural norms surrounding aggression and masculinity, and whether these patterns differ from those observed in East Asian countries. After completing his undergraduate degree, Yu-Hsuan plans to pursue graduate studies in psychology with the goal of becoming a sport psychologist. Outside of school, he enjoys playing soccer, spending time at the beach, and participating in a variety of outdoor activities.