Email: aba396@nyu.edu
Program: PhD in Developmental Psychology
Year entered Program:
Research Interests: Developmental Neuroscience, Infancy, Early Life Stress, Parent-Child Interactions, Cognitive Control Development
Principal Advisor(s): Dr.Clancy Blair & Dr.Natalie Brito
Research Description/Bio:
Annie Aitken is a doctoral student and National Science Foundation graduate research fellow studying how early life experiences shape neurocognitive development. Broadly, her research examines associations between the caregiver-infant relationship and infant cognitive control, particularly within contexts of poverty and stress. Under the mentorship of Dr. Clancy Blair and Dr. Natalie Brito, Annie is currently using electrophysiology methods to study how the neural underpinnings of attention are modulated by social interactions across the first year of life. Prior to joining NYU, Annie conducted research with children on the autism spectrum at University of California, San Francisco. Annie’s long-term goal is to use developmental theory and research to address the impact of social and economic inequalities.