Heather Kirkorian

Heather Kirkorian is the Laura M. Secord Chair in Early Childhood Development, a Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, and Department Chair at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She directs the Cognitive Development and Media Lab, focusing on how children interact with digital media, particularly regarding attention, learning, and play. Her research spans cognitive development, media effects, and family studies, employing behavioral, observational, and psychophysiological methods. She holds affiliate appointments in Psychology and Educational Psychology.

Education: PhD and MS in Developmental Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst; BA in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire.

Research Interests: Impact of screen media on young children’s cognitive development, design of educational media, and family media ecology. Key projects include the Comprehensive Assessment of the Family Ecology (CAFE) Consortium, exploring media exposure and family well-being.

Media Contributions: Featured in The Atlantic, Bloomberg, PBS Wisconsin, and The New York Times. Active in science communication, including podcasts and public talks on children’s media use.

Labs & Teams: Directs the Cognitive Development and Media Lab, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams. Supervises graduate and undergraduate students researching topics like touchscreen interactivity, background TV effects, and visual attention.