​Friederike Charlotte Hechler

IDEALAB PhD Candidate

I am a Cotutelle PhD candidate at Macquarie University and Universität Potsdam. I am fascinated by the manifold synergistic aspects of social cognition. The main question driving my research is “How do action and perception shape each other during social interaction?” My research examines both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication, be it face-to-face or in virtual exchanges. My special focus lies in understanding how communication can be made more inclusive for all neurodiverse people.

I am a “Zappelphilipp” – seizing every free minute to move – but my heart belongs to dance, which is the origin of my scientific curiosity in the action-perception loop.

​My favourite things are teaching ballet and contemporary improvisation, drawing and reading.

Colleen Murphy

PhD Candidate & Clinical Psychologist

I am a clinical psychologist and PhD Candidate studying social information processing in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. In my research, I have been developing new eye-tracking paradigms to examine how individuals naturally gather social information, when viewing complex scenes containing social and non-social information and when viewing faces expressing different emotions and gaze signals.

My favourite things are travelling, cats and chocolate. 

Kristina Haira

Masters Candidate

During my undergraduate journey, I found myself drawn to the intricate dynamics of human-robot interactions, which led me to earn a double degree in a Bachelor of Science, specialising in Human Biology with a Bachelor of Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Now, as I pursue a Masters of Research at Macquarie University under the guidance of Dr. Nathan Caruana and Prof. Emily Cross, my research centers on exploring the impact of embodied robots on task engagement. Participants in my study interact with either an embodied robot or a screen-based version while engaging in language learning activities. I’m exploring the opportunities and challenges of using social robots as an educational tool. 

​My favourite things are cherishing moments with my dog, Toto, immersing myself in books, and enjoying card games with family and friends.
Hannah Cahill
Masters Candidate
​I began my career in information management while working towards librarianship. I later earned a double degree in Psychology and Cognitive Science from Macquarie University. During my studies I developed an interest in the science of reading and psycholinguistics and undertook a placement with Macquarie University’s Reading Clinic under the supervision of Prof. Genevieve McArthur evaluating treatments that claimed to improve poor reading. I am currently doing the Masters of Research at Macquarie University supervised by Dr. Nathan Caruana and Prof. Emily Cross. My research mostly uses qualitative methods to examine the opportunities and challenges of using social robots as an education tool for children with reading difficulty and anxiety.
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My favourite things are reading, playing table-top games, arts and crafts, and cuddling with her Maine Coon cat Lyra.

Glicyr (Ann) Perez

Research Assistant

I am involved in research that uses virtual reality to explore human social interactions. I first joined the lab as an undergraduate intern in 2021; initially conducting a systematic review of empirical research applying virtual reality technology in autism research. Since this time, I have become involved in coordinating several dyadic virtual reality studies which explore how humans display and process non-verbal social cues, particularly eye gaze and hand gestures. I am passionate about data analysis and spend much of my time in the lab building analysis pipelines for our dyadic interaction studies.
 
My favourite things are pop dancing, sharing meals with friends and family and long scenic hikes.

Eva von Butler

DAAD Rise Intern

I am a cognitive science student at Osnabrück University, currently completing a DAAD Rise Internship in the HAVIC and SoBA Labs.

My research project is exploring the behavioural dynamics of social interactions involving autistic and non-autistic individuals. The study approach dissociates from the traditional individual-centric deficit model often associated with autism in the medical context and considers social interaction difficulties as a two-sided/ bidirectional interplay. My research is particularly focused on better understanding the role that stigma plays in shaping social interaction outcomes by closely interrogating the behaviours of non-autistic people when they interact with autistic people.
 
My favourite things are art and climbing.