Language Learning Lab - Research Team

Research Team

Dr. Katharine Graf Estes, Principal Investigator - Lab Director

Infants are immersed in a world of immense complexity, yet they display knowledge of the people, objects, actions, and sounds in their environments very early in life. My research explores the mechanisms that support this early learning. In particular, the ability to detect statistical regularities may play a fundamental role in how infants learn about a highly complex, highly salient aspect of the auditory world: language. Infants become especially attuned to regularities in the sound patterns of the ambient language, including its phoneme distinctions, sound combinations within words, and its cues to word boundaries in fluent speech. Thus, when infants begin to understand and produce words, they do not start as a blank slate. I am investigating how infants learn from statistical regularities in the language they hear and the nature of what they learn.

Andrea Ramirez Barajas, Doctoral Candidate

I am a fifth year doctoral student in the Developmental area in the Psychology department. I graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Spanish and Psychology B.A. Before starting my PhD at the lab, I worked as a McNair Scholar for two years with Dr. Graf Estes where I was able to conduct and present research in infant bilingual language acquisition. I am broadly interested in the variations in lexical and acoustic properties in a bilingual as well as a monolingual population. More specifically, I’m interested in parent-child interactions and the effect the parent’s speech has on their infant’s language development in a social context.

Jenna DiStefano, Graduate Student

I am a psychology doctoral student in the developmental area. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in Psychology, minoring in ASL/Deaf Studies and Education. Before joining the lab as a PhD student, I worked as a lab manager for Dr. Duane Watson at Vanderbilt University, supporting studies relating to language and cognition. My current research interests broadly relate to infant language acquisition. More specifically, I am interested in the language acquisition of Deaf infant populations learning American Sign Language (ASL) -- especially those who live in a predominantly hearing social environment.

Işıl Doğan, Graduate Student

Işıl earned her M.A. in Developmental Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Tilbe Göksun at Koç University in Istanbul. She is interested in understanding how infants acquire language and how they integrate language and cognition. To explore these topics, she investigated the precursors of individual differences in multimodal language comprehension and production in her master’s thesis. She has also focused on both internal factors (e.g., neonatal status, individual differences in early processing of language) and external factors (e.g., caregiver multimodal input, caregivers’ beliefs) in building blocks of cognition. Currently, Işıl is researching how infant-directed speech produced by caregivers aligns with their gestures during specific play tasks at the Language Learning Lab.

Jiaqi (Jenny) Geng, Graduate Student

Language learning doesn’t happen in isolation, instead, it is a manifestation of one’s cultural background, experience, and values. I am passionate about investigating the mechanisms infants use to learn languages in their cultural contexts and through interactions with social agencies, in combination with parental cultural engagements and beliefs. My interests sparked during my B.A. journey at UC Davis, and was further solidified during my research involvement at various labs in the States and my one-year stay abroad in Hong Kong. As a first-year graduate student, I hope to employ a cultural-infused approach to study how culture shapes infants’ language learning trajectories.

Isabelle Pai, Graduate Student

Isabelle is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology coming from an Economics research background, with a B.A. in Economics from New York University and consumer research experience at Nielsen and GfK after graduation. She received her Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology, with a Cognitive Development concentration, from Cornell University in 2020. Her primary research interest is in language development, particularly in children's language acquisition. She is interested in how infants and young children acquire language - how they learn new words, how they learn semantic and pragmatic concepts, how they form abstract relations and how this acquisition facilitates their thought formation. In her spare time, she enjoys attending symphonies, cold weather sports such as hockey, figure skating, downhill skiing and spending time in nature. Currently, Isabelle is involved in projects: PICA e INTEL in collaboration with the Infant Cognition Lab with Dr. Lisa Oakes.

Sabrina Karjack, Graduate Student

Sabrina is a Ph.D. candidate in Developmental Psychology. She earned her M.A. in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Simona Ghetti at UCD, and graduated from UCLA in 2020 with her B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in how toddlers learn words and remember them during a period of life characterized by relatively poor memory. How is it that young toddlers can build up such a large vocabulary at the same time as they struggle to remember what happened the week before? Currently at the Language Learning Lab, Sabrina's research explores this question (and more!) in multilingual populations.

Raquel Ortiz Anguiano, Lab Manager

Raquel graduated from UC Davis in 2023 with a B.S. in Human Development, B.A in Psychology and a minor in Chicana/o Studies. While working to obtain her degree, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Infant Cognition Lab under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Oakes. This is where she was able to start her journey studying Developmental Psychology and develop a passion for it. With the guidance of Dr. Oakes and her graduate student mentors Shannon Klotz and Van Pham, she was able to focus on a research project that allowed her to study both visual attention and language aquisition in a naturalistic setting. Now, Raquel hopes to use her time at the Language Learning Lab to further explore all aspects of cognitive development, with an emphasis on Mexican American populations.

Ruby Lara, Lab Manager

Hello! I graduated UC Davis 2025 with a double major in Linguistics and Spanish. I was born and raised in a small agricultural town in Monterey County, California. My major in Linguistics stems from my upbringing in a diverse community of Spanish and dialect speakers. I grew to appreciate the intricacies of individual languages, how they interact, and the cultures accompanying them. My experience with English as a second language and rich exposure to various dialects have prompted my interest in the Language Lab. What piques my interest the most is bilingual education and helping to improve ESL programs to encourage the learning and retention of two languages simultaneously. I am enthusiastic about learning more about early childhood language development and how it is influenced by culture and the surrounding environment. Outside my studies, I enjoy reading fiction and social science genres, crafting, and hiking.

Chengyi Li, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello everyone, I'm Chengyi. I am a third year student studying linguistics, planning to graduate in 2027. First language acquisition is one of my interests which is why I took up this lab. After graduation I plan on attending grad school to specialize in a field of linguistics. I am from a small part of Sacramento where there's not much to do besides watch movies and hangout, but it's really what you make out of it! Besides studying I am an avid language learner (started with Spanish, moving on to Cantonese/Mandarin), which also gravitated me towards this lab.

Madhavi Ramesh, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a third-year undergraduate majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Growing up in India for eighteen years has ignited my fascination with language development and learning styles. Witnessing how effortlessly children and toddlers around me pick up multiple languages in their everyday conversations has been genuinely captivating. My previous experience as an academic mentor and a karate peer mentor working with children with speech and hearing disabilities has further fueled my interest in children's language development, especially among those kids devoid of these sensory abilities. At home, I learned Tamil and acquired English, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Kannada proficiency at school. This passion for language and children has inspired me to join the language learning lab, where I can merge my interests. My ultimate goal is to become a pediatrician and integrate the skills I've gained as an undergraduate researcher into my future practice. During my free time, you can find me listening to music and podcasts, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Nicole Miquilarena, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi everyone! I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with a biological emphasis, as well as minoring in Spanish. I was born and raised in Miami, FL, and grew up speaking Spanish at home. My upbringing with my Venezuelan family sparked my interest in child language development, specifically second-language acquisition. Besides English and Spanish, I've also learned to speak Portuguese and took Mandarin Chinese lessons for 4 years. Languages have always been one of my main interests. I have also been working with kids for the past 5 years of my life, and am very passionate about it and want to continue doing it in the future! I am very excited to learn more about early childhood language development throughout my time in the lab. In my free time, I love crocheting, going out to eat, and spending time with my friends.

Duong Khuu, Undergraduate Research Assistant

I am a second year Cognitive Neuroscience and Mathematics major, as I am very drawn toward topics concerning logic and the wiring of the human brain. For that reason, the chaotic nature of language is particularly puzzling and intriguing to me, especially considering how this intricate linguistic network is one of the most crucial inventions (discovery?) in human history. Joining the LLL allows me an opportunity to understand the formation of the gears that enable our linguistic abilities through babies' ever-growing minds! Other than that, I also like to play video games and watch House M.D. in my free time :)

Andrew Douthitt, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a second-year Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior major. I grew up all over the west coast, but am really a California resident at heart. As the youngest of 3 half-brothers, I have the privilege of being the uncle to 5 nieces and nephews, which inspired me to seek out academic focuses on development. Being there from the first day they were born to their 5th birthday has opened my eyes to how impactful education and research can be, especially within a linguistic setting. This passion for understanding neurobiology and child development has motivated me to work in the Language Learning Lab as a research assistant. Building from this experience, I hope to continue meaningful work with children as a pediatrician. When I am not in class or lab, you can find me skiing Tahoe’s highest peaks, hiking with friends, or reading.

Bo Wang, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Our daily operations are supported by amazing functionality that we often take for granted. As an NPB major, Bo’s research focuses on deconstructing the mechanisms we have normalized and reconstructing them into an applicable form, allowing us to gain deeper insight into ourselves and avoid our limitations. Infants serve as a relatively transparent vessel of these functions, providing information derived from behaviorally correlated mathematics that enriches our evidential foundation. Building on this, he hopes to advance his future research in neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence as a physician-researcher.

Erynne Hagerty , Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hey hi! Currently I am studying at Sacramento State University as a double major in Psychology and Deaf Studies, with a minor in Sociology. Psychology and ASL have long been fascinations of mine, so it only made sense to marry the two when it came to my research! Much of the current language research is on spoken language only, excluding the Deaf population entirely. I'd like to help change that! In my downtime, I'm knitting or crocheting with some music playing in the background.

Priyanjali Roychowdhury, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a 2nd-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Political Science. In the future, I hope to get my PhD in Clinical Psychology! I've been very passionate about teaching kids from a young age so naturally I also developed an interest in understanding how young kids process new information and how to adapt my teaching style accordingly. Also, growing up in a multilingual household with immigrant parents as well as an incredibly multicultural neighborhood, I had the privilege of immersing myself in multiple cultures which sparked my curiosity of how certain diaspora's in the US form and adapt to American cultural norms. In my free time, I love to read, watch movies and hang out with friends!

Crosby Cox, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi! I'm a third-year transfer student from San Diego majoring in psychology. Primarily, my interests lie in language acquisition and cognition during early development. Joining the Language Learning Lab allows me to combine my general interests in psychology with my natural curiosity for language acquisition and cognitive development. I would like to pursue a Ph.D. in developmental psychology with the goal of becoming a professor. In my free time, I enjoy playing electric bass, hiking, listening to music, and playing pickleball.

Xitlalic Castro Camberos, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi everyone! I am a third year majoring in Human development. I was born and raised in Oakland, California. In my free time, I enjoy baking, binge watching tv shows, and spending time with friends and family! As a daughter of two immigrant parents from Mexico, my first language was Spanish and the transition to English was a very difficult process. This is why learning how language affects the development of children has always been a strong interest of mine. In the future I hope to work as a bilingual speech language pathologist and give back to my community. The language learning lab will allow me to gain more insight on language and child development and it will help me gain skills that will allow me to thrive in my future career!

Melany Martinez, Undergraduate Research Assistant

I'm a third-year psychology major at UC Davis with a minor in political science. I grew up in Los Angeles in a bilingual Spanish- speaking household, which made me really interested in how language is used in everyday life. Switching between languages depending on who I'm talking to made me curious about how children learn and understand language. I've also volunteered for several years working with children, which strengthened my interest in child development and working with families. I'm excited to be a part of the lab and learn more about language development in a bilingual environment. In my free time, I enjoy scrapbooking, reading, spending time with friends, and talking with my sisters. In the future, I hope to become a therapist!

Monica Nava, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello everyone! I’m a third year Human Development major. I’m the second oldest of four children, and growing up with my two younger siblings has been such a big part of my life. Watching them learn, grow, and develop has shown me how meaningful and beautiful it is to be surrounded by kids who bring so much joy and light into everyday life. That experience is a big reason why I became interested in child development. I also grew up speaking Spanish as my first language, and I’ve seen how much language can shape learning, confidence, and the way someone experiences school. I’m really interested in learning more about language development and how it impacts children as they grow. During my free time I like going to the gym, hanging out with my friends and family, going on walks, and painting

Dayra Suchite Reyes, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello, I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minoring in Human Physiology. I was born in Guatemala City and was raised by my grandmother there for a few years. I later immigrated with my parents and was raised in Van Nuys, California, where I was rushed into school in a language unfamiliar to me. My first language is Spanish, and I struggled to learn a new language in a school that offered few resources, which left me behind. My mom was resourceful and would find opportunities to help me, which, by high school, motivated me to academically excel. I have chosen a career as a doctor because I have seen the healthcare disparities and inequalities faced by the immigrant community, and this has motivated me to work in a field where I can provide a culturally humble and equitable healthcare service. In my free time, I love to listen to music, watch movies, swim, cook, and explore the Northern California area.

Ruby Lacerda, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Human Development. I grew up in Marin County, CA and have worked with children of all ages for over 4 years, and am the oldest sibling of 5. I have always had a strong interest in child language acquisition and early childhood learning, especially in cases where developmental delays/disabilities are present. I was drawn to the Language Learning Lab because it I would love to gain more experience working with children in a professional setting and observing how different methods of learning and environmental factors affect speech and language development. I absolutely love helping people as directly as I can, and after graduating I plan to pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology to eventually work as a pediatric speech therapist! And as for my hobbies, I love crafting, crocheting (really anything artistic), running, reading, etc., and I spend most of my time in nature or at coffee shops and thrift stores.

Matthew Chen, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a 3rd-year undergraduate student majoring in Neurology, Physiology, and Behavior. I grew up in Hainesport, New Jersey, and I enjoy lifting weights, singing, and playing the guitar in my free time. Currently, I am working towards my goal of going into pediatric dentistry. Through numerous experiences working with children, I’ve developed a strong interest in how they develop and interact with the world around them. As a Chinese-American student growing up with multiple cultures and languages being spoken at home, I am particularly interested in bilingualism and how language shapes development and identity.

Monica Rodriguez, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello everyone! My name is Monica Rodriguez, and I am a fourth year Psychology student with a minor in Chicanx Studies. I was born in Santa Ynez and raised in Paso Robles, California, and come from a Mexican immigrant family. My first language was Spanish, but I grew up in a bilingual household, which allowed me to see how language and culture shape the way children learn and communicate. I am especially interested in how bilingualism and cultural experiences influence child development, which drew me to the Language Learning Lab. During my time in the lab, I hope to learn more about how researchers study language development in children and how research findings can be used to better support diverse families and communities. These interests have inspired me to pursue a career conducting psychological research that supports and advocates for Latinx children and families.

Caroline Elmer, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! My name is Caroline and I am a fourth-year double majoring in human development and Spanish and minoring in education. I have a lot of experience working with children, from memory development research with toddlers to working in a middle school ESL program. Because of these experiences, I am very passionate about applying psychology and human development research to education. I am planning to work in early childhood education in the future, specifically in Spanish-English dual immersion programs, so I am interested in researching the impacts of bilingualism on language learning. Overall, I want to incorporate language learning research into my teaching so I can be a more effective educator. I also love to swim, read, and spend time with family and friends!

Camiah Fajardo, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am Camilah, I'm from Lodi, CA, and a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Spanish. I have always had an interest in working with children and grew up with several little cousins, nieces, and nephews, helping them learn English and Spanish. Additionally, I am a classroom assistant at the Center for Children and Family studies, where I have had the pleasure of observing several children's language development, acquisition, and creativity and have been intrigued to learn more of how their learning works. This has fueled my interest in the Language Learning Lab and I hope to learn and give as much as I can in this lab. When I get some free time, I love to play guitar, listen to music, go hiking, scrapbooking, and spend time with my friends and family.

Rebecca Sashko, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi, everyone! I am a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Medical Humanities. I’m very passionate about clinical psychology and mental health, with a particular interest in development and socialization. I’m incredibly excited to learn how early parent child interactions promote language learning and how multilingual children organize and understand language! Additionally, as someone who grew up in a bilingual household, I’m looking forward to learning how culture and language shape future learning, identity, as well as how we navigate the world. In my free time, I love being outdoors, playing guitar, drawing, and spending time with my pets.

Maribel Alfaro , Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi everyone! My name is Maribel, and I am a fourth-year Human Development and Psychology major, who grew up in Sacramento. I became interested in the Language Learning Lab after my Cognitive Psychology class with Professor Karjack went over the topic of language acquisition of children, especially bilingual children since I identify as part of that group. As an aspiring mother in the future, I hope that I am further able to understand how children learn different languages at critical time points and hope to contribute to meaningful research that could be applicable to many aspiring parents. I am super excited to work with everyone in the lab and learn more about research!

Bella Chacon, Undergraduate Research Assistant

I’m a third-year majoring in Psychology. My interest in child development comes from both my psychology studies and my experiences spending time with young children. Watching an infant grow and change over time from becoming aware of the world around them to beginning to communicate and connect with others sparked my curiosity about how these early milestones develop. It was amazing to see how language starts with small sounds, gestures, and everyday interactions, and how those moments gradually become meaningful communication. That curiosity is one of the reasons I returned to school to study psychology and learn more about human behavior and development. As I’ve continued my studies, I’ve become especially interested in how children’s early experiences, relationships, and environments shape their language, thinking, and social development. I’m excited about the opportunity to explore these interests through research, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to work that helps us better understand how children learn, communicate, and grow during the earliest years of life.

Janele Perez, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a third-year Psychology student with a minor in Human Development. My experiences working with young children, as well as being raised in a multilingual household, have sparked my curiosity about early language learning and social-emotional development. I am especially interested in understanding how bilingual and multicultural environments influence children's communication and learning. In the future, I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and provide culturally responsive mental health services to children and families. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to music, and spending time outdoors.

Huitong Zhang , Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hello! I am a junior at UC Davis double majoring in Psychology and Statistics. Originally from Beijing, I am a bilingual student currently expanding my linguistic horizons by learning Korean and Japanese. I have always been fascinated by how language shapes the mind and how individuals navigate multiple languages. My background in both psychology and statistics drives my interest in using quantitative methods to explore early childhood language acquisition and cognitive development in multilingual environments. I am particularly excited to join the Language Learning Lab to better understand the intersection of language, cognition, and data-driven research. Outside of academia, I really enjoy outdoor hiking and listening to music."

Clara Anisworth, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi everyone! I am a second-year undergraduate student double-majoring in Psychology and Linguistics, as well as minoring in French. I have always felt closely connected with language in its complete form, and I admire its versatility as the primary tool through which we share our lived experience. I have always been naturally drawn to reading literature, writing music and learning new languages, but since beginning my studies at UC Davis I discovered a new curiosity for the scientific and linguistic building blocks of these passions. The lines between science and art are oftentimes arbitrary; I am incredibly excited to deepen my knowledge and acquire research skills in language development with the Language Learning Lab, because that is what forms the foundation of the words I so admire. Language processing and acquisition starts at the very beginnings of life, and I am enthusiastic to work with infants and toddlers, as I am considering a career in pediatric speech pathology. After graduating, I am interested in pursuing a graduate degree in speech pathology, and potentially a career as a speech therapist! In my freetime, I spend a lot of time training for the UCD Triathlon team, and love long Sunday bike rides and lake swims! When I’m totally out of steam for training, I love to paint, play my guitar, and get out in nature with my friends and a cup of coffee :)

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