Dorsa Amir

Dorsa Amir is an Assistant Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience and Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University. She directs the Mind & Culture Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research that bridges psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics.

• Education: PhD from Yale University (2018), BS from UCLA (2012)
• Departments: Psychology & Neuroscience (2024–present), Evolutionary Anthropology (2025–present)

Her research investigates how cultural environments shape cognitive development, behavioral variation, and decision-making. Key themes include cross-cultural childhood studies, cultural evolution, and the limitations of Western-centric methodologies in developmental research.

Recent publications analyze topics such as WEIRD visual perception, scarcity effects on child generosity, and cross-cultural acoustic communication patterns. She emphasizes fieldwork in diverse societies (e.g., Shuar, Hadza) and experimental validation of cognitive models.

At Duke, she teaches courses like PSY 203: Practicum and participates in faculty development programs. Her outreach work includes public science communication in outlets like TED, Science, and The New York Times.