Zoe Klemfuss

Dr. Zoe Klemfuss is an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), specializing in developmental and legal psychology. She holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and directs the Child Narratives Lab (childnarrativeslab.com). Her research focuses on children’s memory accuracy, narrative development, and sociocontextual influences, with applications to legal contexts such as child sexual abuse testimony. She has published in top journals like Developmental Psychology and Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, supported by NIH grants.

Key research areas include:

• Narrative development and eyewitness abilities in children,
• Sociocontextual factors shaping memory and well-being,
• Legal implications of children’s testimony accuracy,
• Parent-child communication strategies in stress/health contexts.

Recent publications highlight her work on pandemic-related mental health, misinformation resistance, and juror decision-making influenced by emotional testimony. Her lab emphasizes translational research bridging cognitive development and societal applications. She has advised multiple students and collaborates on grants addressing child welfare and forensic psychology.