Director
Hwajin Yang is Associate Professor of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. She obtained her PhD in Psychology from Cornell University (NY, USA) in 2005. She has established a strong research program that is guided by one overarching question: How does our everyday experience contribute to the regulation of executive functions that are considered to be the foundation of human capital? Given that executive functions—and dysfunctions—influence many aspects of our lives (psychological well-being, decision-making, adaptive behaviors, mental health and academic success), from infancy to old age, the study of executive functions carries fundamental implications for adaptive cognitive functioning and integrative cognitive capacity in both children and adults. She has published many empirical research articles in top-tier and prestigious journals in Cognitive, Developmental, Educational Psychology and Gerontology. She is currently serving as the associate editor of Frontiers in Developmental Psychology.
Collaborators
Andree Hartanto is a Lecturer of Psychology at Singapore Management University. He specialized in cognitive and developmental psychology. His current research focuses on identifying factors that contribute to individual differences in cognitive functions, with an aim to understand ways to optimize human cognitive potential.
PhD Students & Lab Associates
Ng Wee Qin
Lab Coordinator & Full Time Research Associate
CVI graduated from SMU with a double degree in Business Management and Social Science. I am currently working in the lab as a Research Assistant while exploring the option of further studies after my stint. Here at the lab, I am exposed to research on children and the elderly and have slowly developed an interest in these areas too.
Tan Qin Ying Joanne
PhD Student
CVI graduated with a BSc in Biology and Psychology from McMaster University, Canada. My undergraduate research focused on animal behaviour and evolutionary psychology, and I used social network analysis to explore the behaviour of cichlid fishes for my Honours Thesis.
Toh Wei Xing
PhD Student
CVI have recently completed my first year at the SMU Psychology PhD program. My current research interests center on the implications of executive functions in everyday behaviours, as well as experiential factors (e.g., bilingualism, video gaming) that could improve executive functions.
Shuna Khoo
PhD Student
CVI graduated with Summa Cum Laude (Highest distinction) for double degree in Bachelor of Business Management (Finance) and Social Sciences (Psychology). I chose to pursue a PhD in Psychology to advance my passion in psychology (cognitive and developmental) and technology (emerging technologies and artificial intelligence).