I am a Professor with the Clinical Division in the School of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. My students and I investigate how children learn to communicate and interact successfully with other individuals.
Charlotte is in the clinical psychology graduate program at UW. Her dissertation research looks at how individual factors about youth (e.g. their ability to consider the perspectives of others, their personality, and their cognitive skills) interact to shape their social experiences as they transition from late childhood into early adolescence.
Kowsi is in the clinical psychology graduate program at UW. She graduated with an Honours B.Sc. in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour with Mental Health Specialization from McMaster University. Broadly, her research interests focus on the influence of temperament and ADHD on socio-communicative behavior, with particular attention to how these factors shape communication and social interaction in both personal and social settings.
Sarah is a postdoctoral scholar in the Cognitive Development Lab and the Social Development Lab at the University of Waterloo. She recently completed her PhD in Developmental Psychology where she examined the multiple motivations underlying children and adolescents’ use of affiliative language during peer interactions.
Zoe is the lab coordinator for the Social Development Lab and Cognitive Development Lab at the University of Waterloo. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Queen's University in 2026.
Kristen is in the clinical psychology graduate program at UW. She completed her Honours B.Sc. in Psychology at UPEI. For her Master’s research, she is investigating the impact of contextual and individual factors on adolescent communication in online games. She is broadly interested in how online spaces affect development in childhood and adolescence, with a focus on how contextual factors can be manipulated to alter outcomes.
Nadine is in the clinical psychology graduate program at UW. She graduated with a BSc in Health Studies and MASc in Developmental and Communication Science at the University of Waterloo. Nadine’s research explores parent-child interactions and in particular, how certain parenting behaviours help or hinder children’s learning in problem-solving contexts.
Mika is in the Honour's Psychology B.Sc. program at the University of Waterloo. She is currently completing her Honour's Thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nilsen and Dr. Henderson, in collaboration with the Cognitive Development Lab and the Social Development Lab.
Brooke is in the clinical psychology graduate program at UW. She graduated with an Honour's Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Her research centres on parent-child communication, with a specific focus on how parents provide feedback in response to their children's ambiguous referential descriptions.
Rhyanna is a fourth-year Life Sciences Psychology student with a minor in Biology at the University of Waterloo. She is currently volunteering with the CDL as the community outreach and engagement coordinator.
Bianca is a fourth-year student in the Honours Psychology B.Sc. program at the University of Waterloo. She is currently completing her Honours Thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nilsen, in collaboration with the Cognitive Development Lab.