I am a student at Smith College (‘24, gap year) studying neuroscience and Italian. I hope to pursue an MD/PhD; and, I envision studying pediatrics, child psychiatry, or child neurology in the medical route and either developmental psychology or developmental cognitive neuroscience in the university route. Although I am interested in attachment theory, play, and early adversity right now, I am so excited to hone my interests and continue the process of discovery! Beyond academics, I am a classical violist, and one of my favorite research endeavors is to explore music in different ways (for example, hosting my radio show, Memos From the World at Smith). I am always thrilled to talk about jazz, opera, classical, ethnomusicology, the neuroscience of music, and more! In my free time, I love to bike on the Charles River and on the Cape, attend music performances, and, most especially, travel to Rome.

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I’m a senior at MIT, studying cognitive science and computer science. My current research (with Junyi Chu) focuses on goals and planning in play. I’m also interested in the development of moral and social cognition, and probably many other topics I’m not yet aware of.

Asmita Mittal is an undergraduate student at Cornell University and has been working with the ECCL since high school. She is pursuing a BS in Human Development on a pre-medical track, alongside a Biomedical Engineering minor. Asmita is passionate about research regarding children’s play, persistence, and decision making. She is increasingly fascinated by the origins of children’s early understanding of the world and believes that curiosity should be infinite. As Asmita continues down this exciting path, she is eager to not only learn, but also uncover new aspects of human cognition along the way.