Find Academic Supervisors

Adriana KovashkaView profile

Associate Professor

• Computer Vision
• Machine Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• +7 more

Adriana Kovashka is an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh , affiliated with the School of Computing and Information and serving as Department Chair . Her academic journey began with BA degrees in Computer Science and Media Studies from Pomona College (2008) and a PhD in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin (2014). Joined Pitt’s faculty in January 2015 NSF CAREER awardee (2021) Google Faculty Research Award recipient Dr. Kovashka’s research spans Computer Vision , Machine Learning , and Natural Language Processing , focusing on visual rhetoric, weak multimodal supervision, and domain adaptation. She pioneered techniques for analyzing political imagery, developing robust object detection frameworks, and exploring the intersection of visual and textual persuasion through large-scale annotated datasets. Her recent work emphasizes geographic diversity in vision-language systems, audio-visual fusion for domain generalization, and shape-texture bias mitigation in CNNs. Key publications include groundbreaking studies on symbolic reasoning, multimodal dialogue systems, and ethical AI applications in education. Scientific honors include: NSF CRII Award (2016) NSF CAREER Award (2021) Pitt CRDF Award (2016, 2018) Best Paper at ECV Workshop (2021) Google Faculty Research Award (2016, 2018) Dr. Kovashka actively mentors students in multimodal learning projects and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on NSF-funded initiatives. She co-organizes workshops like the first CVPR workshop on advertisement understanding and leads research groups exploring human-AI co-learning systems.

Naseem ChoudhuryView profile

Professor

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Infant Information Processing
• +3 more

Dr. Naseem Choudhury is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Ramapo College of New Jersey, affiliated with the School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS). She holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Vermont. Her research focuses on the neural basis of infant information processing, particularly how perceptual abilities influence typical and atypical development, with an emphasis on familial and sociocultural factors. Her work spans auditory processing in infants at risk for developmental language disorders, electrophysiological studies in children with autism, and cross-cultural analyses of artistic perception. She directs the Palestroni Integrated Neuroscience Lab, exploring neural mechanisms underlying cognitive development. Dr. Choudhury has published extensively in journals like Journal of Neuroscience and Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience , with over 50 peer-reviewed articles since 2002. Her studies often involve ERP and EEG methodologies to track developmental milestones and intervention efficacy in high-risk populations. Her research demonstrates that early auditory experiences shape prelinguistic acoustic mapping and that neuroplasticity interventions improve outcomes for language-impaired children. She collaborates internationally on projects linking sensory perception to linguistic outcomes, particularly in Italian and bilingual populations. Dr. Choudhury’s contributions bridge basic neuroscience and clinical applications, emphasizing early screening and preventive strategies for developmental disorders.

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Human-AI Interaction
• Accessibility
• +6 more

Jeffrey P. Bigham is an Associate Professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute within the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University . His research spans human-computer interaction , human-AI interaction , accessibility , dialog systems , NLP , and crowdsourcing . Current PhD Students: Hamza El Alaoui, Jessica Yin Huynh, Sara Kingsley, Peya Mowar, Yi-Hao Peng, Atieh Taheri PhD Graduates: Erin Brady, Yu Zhong, Ting-Hao Huang, Anhong Guo, Cole Gleason, Prakhar Gupta, Stephanie Valencia, Kundan Krishna, Jason Wu His work is funded by Apple , Bosch , DARPA , Google , Microsoft , the National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation Research , the National Science Foundation , and Yahoo! He also holds a CMU HCII Career Development Fellowship . Selected Awards: NSF CAREER Award 2019 Best Paper at ASSETS 2021 Best Paper Nomination at CHI 2024 Best Paper Nomination at CHI 2021 Best Paper Nomination at DIS 2021

Pamela A. Morris-PerezView profile

Professor

• Developmental Psychology
• Suicidology
• Education Policy
• +6 more

Pamela A. Morris-Perez is a Professor of Applied Psychology at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and an Affiliated Professor at the NYU School of Global Public Health. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Education. Her research bridges developmental psychology, suicidology, education, and policy, with over $75M in research funding. She holds a BA from Columbia University and a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University. Her research focuses on early childhood interventions, adolescent suicide prevention (through ARCADIA), and policy impacts. Notable projects include a $5M IES-funded NYC Universal Pre-K initiative and a $10M NIH trial on parenting interventions. She has also led institutional roles as Vice Dean/Interim Dean of NYU Steinhardt, overseeing significant research growth and diversity initiatives. Research Themes: Suicidology, early childhood development, policy evaluation, pediatric health interventions. Key Projects: ARCADIA suicide prevention, NYC Pre-K expansion, pediatric primary care interventions. Her articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches to child development and policy, with recent work emphasizing adolescent mental health and pandemic impacts on early childhood programs. Awards include the National Academy of Education membership and a 2017 Best Paper Award. Leadership Achievements: 44% increase in research expenditures, tripling of faculty of color hires, pandemic response coordination. Grants & Funding: William T. Grant Foundation, NIMH, NIH, IES. Morris-Perez collaborates across academia and public agencies to translate research into scalable interventions, particularly in under-resourced communities.

Glenn RoismanView profile

Professor

• Developmental Psychology
• Attachment Theory
• Social and Emotional Development
• +12 more

Glenn Roisman is a Professor at the Institute of Child Development , University of Minnesota. He holds the Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Robert Holmes Beck Chair of Ideas in Education titles, reflecting his scholarly influence and teaching excellence. Education: PhD (2002), University of Minnesota Roisman’s research examines how early relationship experiences shape lifespan psychological, interpersonal, physical, and cognitive health . His work integrates longitudinal data from birth to adulthood, focusing on normative and atypical caregiving environments. Recent publications analyze the predictive validity of attachment assessments (Strange Situation, Adult Attachment Interview), genetic/environmental contributions to attachment styles, and pathways from early adversity to cardiometabolic health. His projects leverage data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development , Minnesota Longitudinal Study , and Minnesota Twin Registry . Scientific Awards : Distinguished McKnight University Professor Robert Holmes Beck Chair of Ideas in Education Roisman’s collaborations with institutions like Pennsylvania State University and grants from NHLBI , NICHD , and NIA underscore his leadership in developmental science. He is open to advising new PhD students in 2026, emphasizing multi-method and multi-informant research approaches.

Adriana I. KovashkaView profile

Associate Professor

• Computer Vision
• Machine Learning
• Image Retrieval
• +4 more

Adriana I. Kovashka is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information. She serves as Chair of the Department of Computer Science. Her research focuses on computer vision, machine learning, and their intersections with human-machine communication and visual rhetoric analysis. Kovashka earned her BA in Computer Science and Media Studies from Pomona College (2008) and her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin (2014). She joined Pitt in 2015. Her work emphasizes improving image retrieval systems through semantic attributes, human-in-the-loop feedback, and crowd-sourced data. Notable projects include analyzing advertisements' persuasive strategies, developing object detection models resilient to domain shifts, and exploring multimodal learning with linguistic and visual inputs. She has secured significant grants, including NSF awards for geographic diversity in object detection (2023), CAREER funding for weak supervision methods (2021), and multiple Google Faculty Research Awards. Kovashka advises PhD students on topics ranging from multimodal intent modeling to domain generalization. She has organized workshops on advertising understanding and subjective attributes in vision conferences. Her lab's datasets, such as the 64,832-image ad repository and video ad collections, are widely used in vision research. Recent efforts include quantifying perceptual diversity in multilingual systems and mitigating bias in CNNs through shape regularization. Awards and recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, Pitt's CRDF grants, and leadership roles in CVPR and WACV conferences. Her research bridges technical innovation with societal impact, addressing challenges in visual communication, ethical AI, and educational robotics.

Barbara LandauView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• +3 more

Barbara Landau is the Dick and Lydia Todd Professor of Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins University (since 2001). She previously served as Vice Provost for Faculty (2011-2014) and Director of the Science of Learning Institute (2013-2018). Her research focuses on the interplay between language and spatial cognition, studying typical and atypical development through experimental psychology, linguistic analysis, and brain imaging. PhD in Cognitive Science, University of Pennsylvania Landau investigates the cognitive primitives underlying early development, including how children learn spatial language (e.g., prepositions), how spatial impairments affect word learning in Williams syndrome, and how language and spatial cognition interact. Her work spans typical development, congenital blindness, Williams syndrome, and post-stroke spatial representation. She leads the Language and Cognition Lab, part of the JHU Vision Sciences Group (Cognitive Science, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience). Her research has been featured in Time , New York Times , NPR, and The New Yorker, with a focus exhibit at the Walters Art Museum (2011). She received the Guggenheim Fellowship (2009), William James Fellow Award (2018), and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Cognitive Science Society Fellow American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow Landau’s lab collaborates with University of Pennsylvania researchers (John Trueswell, Lila Gleitman) on NSF-funded projects connecting symmetry to linguistic/perceptual development. She trains students like Zihan Wang (2023 Glushko Award) and Rennie Pasquinelli (Science of Learning Fellow). Her studies involve participants aged 18 months to 18 years, including Williams syndrome individuals.

John P. SpencerView profile

Professor

• cognitive development
• brain development
• computational neuroscience
• +7 more

John P. Spencer is a Professor of Psychology at the University of East Anglia , UK, and a member of its School of Psychology . He previously served as a Professor of Psychology and founding Director of the Delta Center at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on the development of executive function, working memory, attention, and word learning, with a pioneering emphasis on dynamical systems theory and dynamic neural field models of cognition and action. Sc.B. with Honors, Brown University (1991) Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, Indiana University (1998) His work utilizes fMRI , fNIRS , and eye-tracking to explore neural-cognitive dynamics in infancy and childhood, particularly in low-resource settings. Recent articles highlight cross-situational word learning, air quality impacts on cognition, and brain network myelination studies. Scientific awards include: 2003 Early Research Contributions Award (Society for Research in Child Development) 2006 Robert L. Fantz Memorial Award (American Psychological Foundation) APA Fellow since 2007 Current projects include brain imaging centers, infant cognition in India, and theoretical advancements in dynamic systems. He leads the Developmental Dynamics Lab and collaborates with institutions worldwide.

• Deep Learning
• Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)
• Spoken Language Modeling
• +3 more

Mikko Kurimo is a Full Professor at Aalto University's Department of Information and Communications Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering. He earned his M.Sc., Lic.Tech., and D.Sc.(Tech.) from Helsinki University of Technology (1992, 1994, 1997) and pioneered neural networks for automatic speech recognition (ASR) in his PhD thesis. After research roles at IDIAP (Swiss AI center) and visiting positions at University of Colorado, Edinburgh, SRI, ICSI, and Nitech, he leads Aalto's ASR group since 2000. His work focuses on unsupervised subword modeling for morphologically complex languages (Finnish, Estonian, Turkish, Arabic) and large speech foundation models. PhD in Neural ASR (Helsinki University of Technology, 1997) Research Scientist at IDIAP (Switzerland) Visiting Fellow at University of Colorado, Edinburgh, SRI, ICSI, Nitech Head of Aalto ASR Group (2000-present) His research spans deep learning for ASR, spoken language modeling , and low-resource language solutions . Recent work explores continued pre-training of self-supervised models, multimodal emotion recognition, and pronunciation assessment using LLMs. He led the winning team in the 2017 Multi-Genre Broadcast challenge and secured competitive funding in Tekes Challenge Finland and EC's H2020-ICT-2017. Key article trends include: Advancements in children's speech recognition and dysarthric speech processing Integration of generative AI for language learning feedback Specialization in low-resource Uralic languages (Finnish, Northern Sámi) Development of robust ASR systems for complex phonetic environments Scientific Awards ACM Multimedia 2023 Computational Paralinguistics Challenge Prize First place in MGB3 2017 Arabic ASR Challenge ISCA Best Student Paper Award (2011) Professeur Invité at Université de Saint-Etienne (2005-2006) Royal Society International Short Visit Fellowship (2004) Professor Kurimo leads the Speech Recognition Group at Aalto, collaborating with COIN (Centre of Excellence in Computational Inference) and AIRC (Adaptive Informatics Research Centre). His projects like CaptainA mobile app demonstrate practical applications of ASR in language education. He has supervised numerous publications with co-authors in domains spanning bandwidth extension, stuttering detection, and speech sound disorder assessment.

Emma AxelssonView profile

Lecturer

• Cognitive Development
• Social Development
• Sleep-Related Learning
• +4 more

Dr. Emma Axelsson is a Lecturer at the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Newcastle, Australia. Her research focuses on cognitive and social development in typically and atypically developing children, with specific interests in early word learning, sleep-related memory consolidation, screen time effects on development, and infants' social category representations using eye-tracking technology. Doctor of Philosophy, University of East London Bachelor of Arts (Honours in Psychology), University of Queensland Dr. Axelsson's research spans multiple disciplines including cognitive neuroscience, memory and attention, and child development. She explores how sleep patterns interact with learning outcomes, investigates screen time's impact on preschoolers' cognition, and examines visual processing of bodies and faces in developmental contexts. Her recent publications highlight trends in screen time research, with 2025 studies analyzing executive function and sleep interactions, and 2024 work examining cross-species social evaluation mechanisms. Earlier articles (2022-2013) cover temperament effects on word learning, body perception mechanisms, and longitudinal developmental studies. Dr. Axelsson supervises multiple PhD and Masters projects related to screen time, sleep, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Her research team collaborates internationally through networks like ManyBabies and Healthy Minds (Hunter Medical Research Institute).

Eirini SanoudakiView profile

Professor

• Bilingualism
• Developmental Disorders
• Child Language Acquisition
• +3 more

Dr. Eirini Sanoudaki is a Professor in Linguistics (Bilingualism) at Bangor University's School of Arts, Culture and Language. She specializes in language development in monolingual and bilingual children, particularly those with developmental conditions such as Down syndrome, Rett syndrome, and neurodiverse populations. Her research focuses on bilingualism's impact on cognitive and linguistic skills in atypical development. She leads the Child Bilingualism Lab and has secured UKRI funding for projects like 'Language Development in Welsh-English bilingual children with Down syndrome and autism.' She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Director of Postgraduate Research and Welsh Language Matters in her school. Education: BA in Philology (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), PhD in Linguistics (University College London), MA in Linguistics (University of Reading). Research Interests: Bilingualism, neurodiversity, child language acquisition, developmental disorders, and the intersection of language and cognitive skills. She collaborates with organizations like the Down's Syndrome Association and explores innovative methods like creative techniques in language learning. Her work has been recognized with the 2021 National Work Welsh Award for promoting Welsh in the workplace. Grants & Projects: Includes ESRC Wales DTP grants, Impact Acceleration Awards, and Welsh Crucible grants. She supervises numerous PhD students studying bilingualism in neurodiverse populations. Recent publications address bilingualism in Rett syndrome, executive function in bilingual children, and Welsh-English language profiles in Down syndrome. Labs/Teams: Heads the Bangor University Child Bilingualism Lab, which investigates bilingualism's role in neurodiverse contexts. Engages in outreach through public lectures and workshops for families and educators.

Usha GoswamiView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Neuroscience
• +7 more

Professor Usha Goswami is a leading academic in Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, serving as Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience and Director of the Centre for Neuroscience in Education. She is also a Fellow at St John's College, Cambridge. Her work focuses on understanding the neural and cognitive foundations of language acquisition, reading development, and developmental disorders such as dyslexia. Key areas of interest include the role of rhythm perception, speech processing, and EEG-based studies of neural entrainment in typical and atypical development. Her research integrates insights from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and education, emphasizing translational approaches to improve literacy interventions. She has conducted longitudinal studies on infants and school-aged children, examining predictors of language outcomes and the impact of rhythmic training on executive function. Her work bridges developmental linguistics, auditory neuroscience, and educational policy, with a focus on universal speech structures in child-directed communication. Professor Goswami’s contributions include pioneering studies on the neural basis of phonological awareness and the application of machine learning to decode speech information from EEG data in infants. She has also explored cross-linguistic patterns in poetry and infant-directed speech, highlighting universal acoustic features underlying language acquisition. Her research has significant implications for understanding and remediating developmental disorders, particularly dyslexia and developmental language disorder. Her lab, the Centre for Neuroscience in Education, focuses on translating neuroscientific findings into practical educational strategies. Current projects include investigating rhythm-based interventions for children with language difficulties and analyzing the acoustic properties of speech in diverse linguistic contexts.

Joel TalcottView profile

Professor

• Developmental Dyslexia
• Reading Acquisition
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• +3 more

Joel Talcott is Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at Aston University, specializing in dyslexia and language disorders. His research examines genetic, neural, and cognitive foundations of reading development using methods including neuroimaging, genetic analysis, and large-scale behavioral assessment. Leadership Roles: Vice President of the British Dyslexia Association (2010-present), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2012), and IBRO-UNESCO Science of Learning Fellow (2020). Editorial responsibilities include service for Dyslexia and Annals of Dyslexia journals. Research: Leads the Aston Brain Centre's investigations into neurocognitive trajectories of reading skills. Current projects include the ECCaToN transdiagnostic protocol for neurodevelopmental characterization and analysis of literacy development datasets (LIBS Dataset). Awards: IBRO-UNESCO Science of Learning Fellow (2020) Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2012) Honorary Vice-President, British Dyslexia Association (2010)

Tyler PerrachioneView profile

Associate Professor

• Developmental disorders of language and reading
• Human voice recognition
• Social auditory perception
• +3 more

Tyler Perrachione is an Associate Professor at the Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences within Sargent College at Boston University. He holds affiliations with the Department of Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on developmental disorders of language and reading, human voice recognition, and the neural mechanisms underlying auditory perception and plasticity. He leads the Communication Neuroscience Research Laboratory, exploring speech processing efficiency, talker adaptation, and atypical neurodevelopment in conditions like autism and dyslexia. Education: Ph.D. in Neuroscience (MIT), M.A. and B.A. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science (Northwestern University). His work bridges cognitive neuroscience, audiology, and clinical linguistics, with a strong emphasis on neuroimaging and behavioral experimental methods. Key interests include how listeners adapt to vocal identity, the role of auditory cortex plasticity in speech processing, and the neural correlates of phonological deficits in reading disabilities. Research highlights include studies on cerebro-cerebellar connectivity in autism, the impact of musical training on auditory coding, and the efficacy of noninvasive neurostimulation in speech motor learning. His interdisciplinary approach addresses both fundamental science and clinical applications, such as improving language interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Lucia CiciollaView profile

Associate Professor

• Developmental Psychopathology
• Parent-Child Interactions
• Maternal Mental Health
• +6 more

Dr. Lucia Ciciolla is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Oklahoma State University. She leads the Child Adaptation and Maternal Psychopathology (CAMP) Laboratory, focusing on intergenerational transmission of psychopathology, maternal mental health, and parent-child interactions. Her work integrates clinical, developmental, and neuroscientific approaches to address risk and resilience factors in early child development. Current projects include the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study (NIH HEAL Initiative), EMBRACE (Epigenetics of Mother-Baby Reactivity), and studies on perinatal mental health interventions like the Perinatal Mental Illness Screening Tool (PMIST) and BLOOM (maternal-fetal bonding). Research themes emphasize maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), stress reactivity, sleep regulation, and mindfulness-based interventions to improve maternal and infant outcomes. Dr. Ciciolla collaborates with institutions such as the OSU Center for Family Resilience, CIRCA (CoBRE), and national consortia. Her lab supports graduate and undergraduate training, with students involved in clinical research, thesis work, and community-based initiatives like Mighty Mouth Camp for children with Selective Mutism.