Theodore Waters

Theodore Waters is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University Abu Dhabi and a Global Network Associate Professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. He is affiliated with the Department of Psychology in the Division of Science at NYUAD, where he leads the Representations of Early Experiences Lab (REEL).

Waters holds a PhD in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology from Emory University (2013), an MA from Emory University, and an Honours BSc from the University of Toronto. He was awarded a post-doctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development.

His research focuses on the developmental and cognitive mechanisms underlying the lifelong impact of early experiences, particularly through the lens of attachment representations and autobiographical memory. He integrates narrative, developmental, and cognitive methodologies to study how early relational experiences shape identity, meaning-making, and socioemotional development across the lifespan. His lab conducts longitudinal and cross-cultural research, including significant work in China on parenting, gender development, and attachment security.

The most recent publications highlight a strong trend in longitudinal, cross-cultural, and cognitive-attachment research, with emphasis on secure base scripts, maternal adjustment, identity formation, and gender norms. His work appears in top journals such as Child Development, Development and Psychopathology, and Scientific Reports.

Scientific awards include:

• National Research Service Award (NRSA)

Waters mentors undergraduate capstone students and PhD candidates, including Yufei Gu, Azka Noor, Greeshma Giridas, and Aisha Alketbi. He teaches core courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and the Capstone Project in Psychology. He has received consistent teaching appointments through 2025. His lab, REEL, fosters interdisciplinary research and welcomes undergraduate research assistants. He is actively involved in grant-funded longitudinal studies and collaborative international research.

Lab and research team details:

• Lab: Representations of Early Experiences Lab (REEL)
• Post-Doctoral Associates: Rui Yang, Stefania Vacaru
• PhD Student: Yufei Gu
• Research Associate & Lab Coordinator: Sophie Barriault
• Capstone Students: Azka Noor, Greeshma Giridas, Aisha Alketbi