I study the commonsense intuitions about individual and collective learning in social networks that enable cumulative culture, and how these intuitions develop in early childhood. In my postdoctoral work, I focused on how children reason about contagions - including biological transmission, but also the transmission of beliefs and behaviors. Here’s a word cloud of some ideas that motivate my research:

I did my PhD at Yale, working primarily with Frank Keil. I went to St. John's College in Santa Fe as an undergraduate, where everyone reads philosophy and the history of science. I also spent a few years in Peace Corps and teaching abroad, and did a 1-year master's (MAPSS) at the University of Chicago before starting my PhD. I like stats, languages and the intellectual history of the cognitive sciences. I could care less for disciplinary boundaries.