Our Team

Angie Johnston is an assistant professor at Boston College where she directs the Canine Cognition Center and Social Learning Laboratory. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Yale University and her B.S. in Child Development from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research on canine cognition and child development has received numerous awards from sources such as the National Science Foundation, and her work has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, and Scientific American. When she’s not in the lab investigating how dogs and children learn about the world around them, you can find her at home getting new study ideas from her dog, Vader. You can find more information at her personal website. 

Molly is a 2nd year PhD student in the lab. She is interested in the incredible abilities of human children, especially when it comes to learning from others. Children have a natural affinity to pay attention to demonstrations, absorb information that is taught to them, and learn at an incredible rate. Molly aims to figure out how they are able to learn so effectively by comparing them to other animals, and seeing what aspects of human social learning are unique. 

Shennai has diverse research experience, having completed a Bachelor of Science with Honors in zoology, plant science, ecology, and conservation biology. She was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. From childhood, she has had an affinity for the natural world and has strived to inspire people to connect with nature, especially her young cousins.

She was the founder of the community education program, Dingo Whiskers, at the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary and Research Center in Toolern Vale, Australia. This program offered educational presentations to many young school children across the state of Victoria, so that they could learn about Australia’s only apex land predator. Shennai adores spending time with her young cousins, watching them learn and grow. She is excited to learn more about developmental psychology!

Anya has always had a desire to understand human behavior and learning. Her exploration of behavior began with the studies of animals, comparing the behavior of dogs, lemurs, and Japanese macaques to humans. Her research developed a focus on the evolution of learning, with special attention to imitation and emulation learning. She is currently investigating how humans have developed their unique social learning abilities in the context of the Natural Pedagogy Hypothesis. Outside of research, Anya has diverse teaching experiences, working with children ages 6 to 18. As lab coordinator of the Social Learning Lab, she is ecstatic to work with work kids and introduce them to diverse types of science!

Rachel is a sophomore at Boston College majoring in neuroscience with a minor in philosophy on the pre-medical track. She is interested in studying how children develop empathy and understand concepts of fairness, self-control, and cooperation.  When not in the lab, Rachel enjoys singing, dancing, and performing in musicals. In the future she hopes to become a medical doctor where she can continue working with children, just like in the Social Learning Lab!

Gabe is a Junior at Boston College majoring in Neuroscience and Math. He is very interested in how human social learning changes as we grow older, especially changes in social grouping tendencies. His aspirations after Boston College are to go to graduate school and pursue a career in research and academia. Gabe also enjoys playing soccer, cooking, watching movies with his friends, and exploring Boston!

Carly Fisher (’23) is an undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in Psychology with a minor in Applied Psychology and Human Development. She is interested in studying the unique aspects of human learning through comparative psychology. On campus, Carly serves as a Resident Assistant and a Campus Tour Guide. She was recently accepted into the Fifth Year Master’s Program and will be obtaining a M.A. in the Spring of 2024.

Gia Hamalis is an undergraduate Research Assistant in the Canine Cognition Lab and will be graduating in 2023. She is currently working on her thesis project, which focuses on how dogs use strategy, but is also very interested in how canine cognition and child cognition relate. She is especially interested in overimitation, emotional development, and attachment in children.

Kayla is a thesis student at Boston College studying neuroscience in the class of 2022 on the pre-law track. Her thesis focuses on comparative psychology between dogs and infants and she is further excited to see how they compare in other ways, such as with the Over-imitation study. She absolutely adores kids— an adoration that she attributes to her several past jobs in childcare and large family consisting of many kids. In her free time, Kayla enjoys tap dancing, hammocking with a good book, and spending time with her favorite humans, her nieces and nephews. 

Mark Schmitt is a Senior in the Social Learning Center double-majoring in Psychology and English. Over the past few years, Mark has always enjoyed working alongside kids and learning about human social behavior, and hopes to continue doing so as a research assistant! Outside of his time with the SLC, Mark is the president of the CCE, a comedy group on campus, and he enjoys reading/writing, going on runs, and spending quality time with friends.