Our Lab
Current Lab Members
Lab Director
Philippe Rochat, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Philippe Rochat was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland. He was trained by Jean Piaget and his close collaborators and received his Ph.D. from the University of Geneva, Switzerland in 1984. He then began a series of Post Doctoral internships in the United States at Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University. During this time, he conducted research on action, perception, and cognitive development in human infants.
Dr. Rochat taught and did research in developmental psychology at the University of Massachusetts, and joined the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta in the 1990s, where he is currently a professor of psychology.
A 2006-2007 John Simon Guggenheim fellow, Dr. Rochat has published five books and many scholarly articles on infant and child development. The main focus of his research is the early sense of self, emerging self-concept, the development of social cognition and relatedness, and the emergence of a moral sense during the preschool years in children from all over the world. Dr. Rochat’s research emphasizes differences in populations growing up in highly contrasted cultural environments, as well as highly contrasted socio-economic circumstances.
Dr. Philippe Rochat’s comprehensive Curriculum Vitae can be viewed here.
A list of published works can be viewed here.
Phone: 404-727-4284
Fax: 404-727-0372
Graduate Students
Nikita Agarwal
Nikita is a COVID graduate student as all her decisions including enrolling in school and arriving to the United States (in 2021) was controlled by covid waves. She was born and raised in India. Before graduating with a master’s in psychology, Nikita was a school teacher and after her degree, she was a professor of psychology and teaching undergraduate students in Delhi University, India. Needless to say, she loves teaching.
In research, broadly, she is interested in the role norm-based-morality plays in children’s understanding of protest and making ‘Good Trouble’. One line of her research currently studies children’s judgments about unfair rules – when there is a dilemma between following an unfair rule or disagreeing with a rule to establish fairer rules, what will children choose? Nikita is also planning to follow this study with another one where she will try to understand why children protest and the kind of justice they wish to bring about with protests.
Apart from research, Nikita is typically found feeding other people her food. She is an avid chef and can bake a storm in the kitchen.
Previous Visiting Scholars
Maxime Ryser
Maxime is a visiting scholar from Neuchatel, Switzerland, where he is currently getting his master in cognitive science. Before inquiring the secrets and mechanisms of the mind, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, linguistics, and social anthropology in Neuchatel. He is interested in the development of social cognition, the creation and representation of social bonds, and the importance of sharing behavior in humans. During his stay at Emory Infant and Child Lab, Maxime worked with Dr. Philippe Rochat on the mechanisms regulating the reciprocation of gifts, and the development of children’s sensitivity to merit.
Lab Staff
Hannah Kreuziger
Lab Coordinator/Research Specialist
Hannah Kreuziger is from Peachtree City, Georgia and graduated in May 2023 from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and German Studies. Hannah started in the Infant and Child Lab as an undergraduate research assistant, where she developed an interest in social development in children. Following graduation from Emory, Hannah became the Lab Coordinator and has been involved in several of the projects occurring in the lab, including her own independent research project on Schadenfreude. Currently, she is in the process of applying to graduate school to obtain her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology.
In her free time she loves to go to hot yoga, read, take walks, volunteer at an infant nursery, and spend time with family and friends!
Phone: 678-818-3552
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Karina De La Torre Pinedo - Psychology, Italian Studies
2024
Karina De La Torre Pinedo is a senior studying Psychology and Italian Studies. She is currently working on her Honors Thesis studying the relationships between emotional intelligence, racial attitudes, and intervention choices when being a third-person observer in racist situations. She is greatly interested in research and plans to attend graduate school for a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on socio-emotional development and cross-cultural influences on mental health. In her free time, Karina loves to spend time with her family, friends, and pets. She loves hiking and staying active, so you can often find her sitting outside soaking in the sun.
Andrew Fuentes - NBB, Business
2025
Andrew Fuentes is a junior studying Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology (NBB) and Business. He is from Annapolis, Maryland. Andrew plays on the Club Volleyball Team and is a part of the Atlas Consulting Group at Emory. In the lab, he is working with Nikita on the development of morality in children by looking at their judgment of abstract norms and rules, as well as with Karina on her Honors Thesis project studying emotional intelligence and racism.
Julieta Ponce Lauria- Psychology, Business
2024
Annelise Ross is a senior studying Psychology. She is from North Palm Beach, Florida. Outside of academics, she loves traveling, dancing, filming, and editing videos. In the lab, she is working with Naomi on understanding gift-giving and reciprocity in children.
Lauren Brok - Psychology, English
2024
Lauren Brok is a senior studying Psychology and English. She is from Portland, Oregon. In her free time, she loves spending time with her friends and family, trying new coffee shops, traveling, and reading. In the lab, Lauren works alongside Hannah on her project observing developmental origins of Schadenfreude, as well as with Karina on her Honors Thesis project.
Kaushiki Ravi - Psychology, NBB
2025
Kaushiki Ravi is a junior studying Psychology and Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology (NBB). She is from Hyderabad, India. She enjoys visiting new coffee shops, dancing, painting, and traveling. In the lab, she is working with Hannah on a study exploring gift malaise and reciprocity norms throughout development.
Hallie Goldblatt - Psychology, Religion
2026
Hallie Goldblatt is a sophomore studying Psychology and Religion. She is from New York City, and outside of the lab, she enjoys playing tennis, traveling, trying new restaurants and cuisines, and listening to music (especially Taylor Swift). In the lab, she is working with Nikita on understanding gender rules and norms throughout development.