_svg.png)


Meet the team
Principal investigator

Dr Hana D'Souza
Hana is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in the School of Psychology at Cardiff University. She leads the Cardiff Babylab and is also the Deputy Director of the Cardiff University Centre for Human Developmental Science (CUCHDS).
Hobbies: Exploring the Welsh coast and Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog).
Postdoctoral research associate

Dr Catia M. Oliveira
Catia's research focuses primarily on typical and atypical development in children, with a specific interest on the interplay between language, sleep, executive function, memory, and mental health.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Catia enjoys reading books, taking care of her plants, and watching anime. Catia is also a massive fan of cats!
PhD student

Charlotte Bocchetta
Charlotte is particularly interested in the motor development of young children with Down syndrome and object handling behaviours during parent-child interactions.
Hobbies: She enjoys travelling, experiencing new cultures and foods, baking, and yoga.
PhD student

Sofia Hryniv
Sofia's research explores language development in neurodevelopmental conditions, and the ways in which automated technology can be used to understand language development.
Hobbies: Hiking, reading, and baking. Even better if she can take a snack and a book break in the middle of a hike!
PhD student

Jean Qin Liu
Jean is interested in parent-child interactions and children's attention, especially in children with Down syndrome. Jean is also interested in the socioemotional and cognitive development of typical children and preterm infants.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Jean likes travelling, scuba diving, and playing Mahjong.
PhD student

Kate Mee
Kate's PhD research uses head-mounted eye-tracking to explore how young children with Down syndrome learn Makaton (signing) through interactions with their parents.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Kate enjoys spending time in nature, watching comedy, and playing music.
PhD student

Craig Thompson
Craig is a PhD student looking at developing a machine learning model that can efficiently label large datasets to test current developmental theories.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Craig enjoys computer science and 3D printing (he has printed his own wearable iron man costume!).
Trainee clinical psychologist

Becky Hardiman
Becky is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. She is completing research within the team about translating our research into clinical practice.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Becky enjoys sunrise sea swimming, cooking and eating tasty things, and exploring the outdoors!
Affiliated PhD student

Mohamed Abdelrazek
Mohamed is a paediatric doctor and clinical academic at Cardiff University, supported by the Welsh Clinical Academic Training (WCAT) programme. His PhD research will investigate how early-life infection and inflammation influence brain development and later neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. His work aims to identify biomarkers that could help protect and support babies at risk of neurodevelopmental difficulties.
Hobbies: Outside of work, Mohamed loves travelling, beaches, visiting art galleries, and going to musicals.
Affiliated PhD student

Alejandra Mitzi Castellón-Flores
​Mitzi’s research focuses on language development and predictive processing, with a particular interest in rhythm, morphosyntactic cues, and language acquisition in typical development and neurodevelopmental conditions. She is especially interested in how temporal and linguistic prediction support early communication and cognition.
Hobbies: In her free time, she enjoys reading, travelling to new places, going on reflective walks, and observing stars and planets.
Affiliated PhD student

Agata Koziol
Agata is a 3rd year PhD student at the Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, researching motor development and the role of posture in infancy. We were lucky to have Agata visit our lab back in October thanks to the Taith scholarship!
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Agata likes to do handcrafts, especially knitting and sewing!
Affiliated PhD student

Maria Marin
Maria's PhD research investigates the connections between motor and language development, with a focus on how postural stability and locomotion—especially when aided by parental adjustments—support cognitive and linguistic growth. Maria is based at the Neurocognitive Development Lab, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Maria likes to journal, bake, and learn new languages!
Research assistant

Shreel Thummar
Shreel is a part-time Research Assistant at Cardiff Babylab. Shreel is responsible for data management for the TinyExplorer project.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Shreel enjoys reading, dancing and painting. Shreel also really loves to travel and swim.
Intercalating medical student

Theo Riseborough
Theo is a medical student currently intercalating in Psychology and Medicine. He is doing his research project with the lab looking at motor development in young children.
Hobbies: Theo enjoys going to gigs, cooking, watching films and taking his dog for walks.
UG placement student

Sarah Crabtree
Sarah is an undergraduate placement student undertaking a placement at Cardiff Babylab. She is responsible for data collection, social media and assisting the team where needed for the TinyExplorer project.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys music, reading and a dip in the ocean.
UG placement student

Isabel Lambourn
Isabel is an undergraduate psychology student undertaking a placement at Cardiff Babylab. She is responsible for data collection, social media and assisting the team where needed for the TinyExplorer project.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Issy enjoys aerial fitness, wild swimming and going to gigs with her friends.
UG placement student

Saskia Pember
Saskia is an undergraduate psychology student undertaking a placement at Cardiff Babylab. She is responsible for data collection, social media and assisting the team where needed for the TinyExplorer project.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Saskia enjoys crocheting, yoga and sea swimming.
UG placement student

Leah Price
Leah is an undergraduate placement student undertaking a placement at Cardiff Babylab. She is responsible for data collection, social media and assisting the team where needed for the TinyExplorer project.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab, Leah enjoys playing video games, reading and watching TV shows. She also loves listening and dancing to Kpop.
Visiting clinical trainee

Veronica Capaldo
Veronica is a visiting clinical trainee from The School of psychotherapy, Accademia di neuropsicologia dello sviluppo. She supports children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families. Her research interests lie in early typical and atypical development.
Hobbies: Outside of the lab Veronica enjoys photography, and exploring new places, cultures and food. She also loves music and spending time in nature.
Cardiff Babylab advisor

Beth Butler
Beth is a qualified neonatal nurse, semi-permanent makeup artist, and mum to three children. Her youngest, Tessa, has Down syndrome and is the reason Beth became involved with the TinyExplorer project. Beth and Tessa continue to contribute greatly to Cardiff Babylab's research.
Hobbies: Outside of work and being a mum, Beth enjoys escaping into a good fantasy or thriller novel and spending time with friends.
Cardiff Babylab advisor

Gosia Jon-Dare
Gosia is a physiotherapist with a passion for early detection and early intervention for infants at high risk of delayed neurodevelopment. She primarily works at Cerebral Palsy Cymru in Cardiff, where she leads the early intervention service.
Hobbies: Gosia enjoys spending time outdoors, especially wild swimming and going on long foraging walks.
Alumni
Postdoctoral research associates

Dr Teodor Nikolov
October, 2023 - October, 2025
Research assistants

Sally Morrin
May, 2025 - December, 2025

Lucy Davies
October, 2024 - November, 2024

Shreya Jana
November, 2024 - December, 2024
Visiting students

Agata Koziol
October, 2024 - October, 2024
PhD student - Polish academy of science, Poland

Jan Matějka
October, 2024 - December, 2024
MSc student - Masaryk university, Czech Republic
Psychology MSc placement students

Shreel Thummar
May, 2025 - August, 2025

Elin Huws
May, 2025 - July, 2025

Lucy Davies
May, 2024 - August, 2024

Manon Lloyd
May, 2025 - July, 2025
.jpeg)
Lauren Sampson
June, 2024 - September, 2024

Mike Zye Zhang
October, 2023 - July, 2024
Psychology UG placement students

Sophia Ivakovic
October, 2024 - June, 2024

Tom Jones
August, 2024 - June, 2025

Rae-Marie Breakspear
October, 2024 - May, 2025

Andrea Garrido
June, 2024 - February, 2025

Charley Bezuidenhout
October, 2024 - June, 2025

Sarah Arulia
October, 2024 - May, 2025

Alice Thomas
October, 2023 - June, 2024

Jayden Wordley
October, 2023 - May, 2024
Summer interns

Ella Barree
July, 2025 - September, 2025

Rebecca Hendry
June, 2024 - July, 2024

Leia Khan
June, 2024 - August, 2024