Lab Members

I am a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo.  I completed my B.Sc. in Psychology at McMaster University and my Ph.D. in Human Development at the University of Maryland-College Park. I joined the faculty at UW in July 2014.

Serena McDiarmid

PhD Candidate

Serena McDiarmid is a fourth-year doctoral candidate and Vanier Scholar with the Social Development Lab. Serena graduated with a BSc. Hons. in Health Studies & Gerontology from UW, a BEd. from Wilfrid Laurier University's Faculty of Education, and a MASc in Developmental & Communication Science from the UW.

Elaria Ebeid

MASc Candidate

Elaria holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies from the University of Waterloo. She conducted her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Uzma Rehman. Currently, she is completing her MASc in Developmental Psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Heather Henderson. Her research focuses on the role of temperament in shaping how children perceive one another.

Isabelle Boucher

Lab Coordinator

Isabelle holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo. She conducted her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Mike Dixon and has experience working for several Psychology labs on campus. Isabelle now serves as the Research Coordinator for the Cognitive Development Lab and the Social Development Lab and wishes to pursue a degree in Clinical Psychology in the future.

Sarah English

PhD Candidate

Sarah is a PhD candidate in the Social Development Lab at the University of Waterloo. She completed a Master of Applied Science in Development and Communication Science at UW in 2021 and earned a Bachelor of Arts (2019) and Honours Certificate in Psychology (2020) from Mount Allison University. Sarah’s research explores the multiple motivations underlying children and adolescents’ use of affiliative behaviours during peer interactions.

Ana Ljujic

MASc Candidate

Ana holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo. She conducted her thesis under the guidance of Dr. Katherine White and is now a Developmental Psychology graduate student in pursuit of her Master of Applied Sciences. Ana’s future aspirations include pursuing further graduate studies in developmental psychology with a focus on researching the different factors that go into how children make and build friendships.   

Anna Savic

MASc Candidate

Anna is currently a MASc student supervised by Heather Henderson at the University of Waterloo. She holds a Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience, minoring in Immunology from the University of Toronto. She has also completed a post graduate certification in Brain Disorders Management at Mohawk College. Anna’s main research interests are surrounding emotion regulation in children, in different environments and within different connections including peer relationships. Anna also has interest in community engagement and applying child and youth research within community initiatives.