MEET OUR TEAM
Laura Simone Lewis
Principle Investigator
Bio: Dr. Laura Simone Lewis is an Assistant Professor in the departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara.
She earned her B.S. from Duke University, her PhD from Harvard University, and was a UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley.
Laura is fascinated by the evolution and development of social cognition in great apes, especially the mechanisms that we use to form, build, maintain, and repair long-term social relationships. Besides hanging out with great apes, Laura loves rock climbing, swimming in the ocean, making pottery, and backpacking in the mountains.
Amanda Goguen
PhD Student
Bio: Amanda is a Ph.D. student in Psychological & Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara.
She holds a B.A. in Psychology from CU Denver. She previously worked in the Comparative Cognition Lab at UC San Diego, assisting in data collection and analysis for the Macaque and Canine Cognition projects. She has also collected data at Born Free USA (Texas), Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Kenya), and Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Uganda), gaining valuable field experience with primates.
Amanda is particularly interested in how theory of mind abilities and social relationships influence decision-making in cooperative and competitive contexts in chimpanzees, bonobos, and children. Additionally, she wants to explore how self-image and social reputation shape behaviors in social settings. In the future, she hopes to broaden her research to include comparative studies with non-primate animals. In her free time, she likes to play with her dogs, see friends, explore nature, and draw.
Topaz Mizrahi
Student Lab Manager
Bio: Topaz is a fourth year Psychological and Brain Sciences major, minoring in Jewish Studies as well. With a strong interest in Developmental Psychology in relation to phenomenology and its link to mood disorders, she plans to continue her research at UCSB as well as during her gap year as she prepares to pursue a PhD in Developmental Psychology.
Fun Fact: Topaz has two pitbulls named Belle and Dice!
Maia Richards
Student Lab Manager
Bio: Maia is a 4th year undergraduate student originally from Seattle, WA. Majoring in both Psychological and Brain Sciences and Biological Anthropology, she plans to continue doing various evolutionary psychology related research over the next year in preparation for grad school. With a strong research interest in psychopathology, specifically in how mood disorders may have arisen as evolutionary byproducts, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab, Maia is working on her senior honors thesis, and is Co-Chair of the Public and Mental Health Commission here at UCSB.
Fun Fact: Maia is allergic to cucumbers (yes, including pickles!)
Tanya Ngo
Undergrad Research Assistant
Bio: Tanya is a third-year Biopsychology major at UCSB with a strong interest in understanding how stress and decision-making influence the development and manifestation of mental disorders. She is particularly fascinated by how these psychological and behavioral patterns differ between humans and non-human primates, as well as how theory of mind shapes social cognition across species. Outside of work, Tanya likes to spend time with friends, explore new dessert spots around town, and unwind by watching sunsets at the beach.
Fun Fact: Tanya was born in Vietnam!
Aviela Chang
Undergrad Research Assistant
Bio: Hello! My name is Aviela Chang and I am a 4th year Psychological and Brain Sciences major! I am from Irvine and went to Sage Hill! I love the BOOM Lab and being able to work with chimpanzees!
Fun Fact: I love to sing and have been taking lessons since I was 13!
Eliza Pasha
Undergrad Research Assistant
Bio: With a background in human evolutionary psychology, Eliza is interested in the similarities between humans' and non-human primates' social relationships — whether that be a friend, foe, or flirt. By taking a comparative approach, she aims to bolster our understanding of the evolutionary history of human behavior and its origins in the mind.
Fun Fact: I can do a rather good Ring-tailed lemur and Lar gibbon impression!
Amirtha Srinivasan
Undergrad Research Assistant
Bio: Amirtha Srinivasan is a second year Psych & Brain Sciences major with a minor in Poverty, Inequality & Social Justice (PISJ)
Fun Fact: Amirtha is a licensed scuba diver!
BOOM Lab Team
Dr. Lewis and BOOM Lab PhD student Amanda Goguen at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden