Dr. Dario Cvencek – Lab Director
Dr. Cvencek is a Research Scientist at the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences. He earned his PhD at the University of Washington. Dr. Cvencek’s research focuses on the developmental origins of social cognition and its links to education. Dr. Cvencek investigates the role of social learning in the development of children’s gender stereotypes about math, in-group attitudes, and self-esteem using implicit and explicit measures. He also considers how this social-cognitive development in children may be facilitated by a tendency of the human mind to keep one’s cognitions consistent with one another.
Dr. Andrew Meltzoff – I-LABS Co-Director
Dr. Andrew N. Meltzoff holds the Job and Gertrud Tamaki Endowed Chair and is the Co-Director of the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. A graduate of Harvard University, with a PhD from Oxford University, he is an internationally renowned expert on infant and child development. His discoveries about infant imitation have revolutionized our understanding of early cognition, personality, and brain development. His research on social-emotional development and children’s understanding of other people has helped shape policy and practice.
Craig Maddox – Lab Manager
Craig received his BA in secondary education and mathematics from Western Michigan University in 2010 and has been working in the CHILLAB since 2011. As Lab Manager, Craig is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the lab, as well as coordinating research with local staff, community partners, and international collaborators. Craig also supports the lab’s mission by developing new research procedures, analyzing study data, and mentoring undergraduate research assistants.
Mackenzie Tennison – Research Coordinator
Mackenzie joined I-LABS in 2019 as a Research Coordinator for the CHILLAB. In her position, she is involved in school recruitment, subject testing, and data processing for a number of studies investigating the nature and development of stereotypes in school-age kids. She graduated with a B.A. in Neuroscience from Colorado College in 2016, and worked in a neurobiology lab at the National Institutes of Health before coming to I-LABS.
Makeda Mayes – Research Assistant
Makeda Mayes is a research assistant in Dr. Cvencek’s lab at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. She received her BA in Psychology from University of San Francisco. Before joining I-LABS in late 2019, she spent time working in the children’s program of a family housing organization. As an RA she will be involved in the recruitment and testing of children in studies concerning implicit biases.