Overview
Director
Dr. Ahmed will be accepting graduate students through the Health Science Ph.D. program and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Ph.D. program for the 2025-2026 academic school year.
Our research team investigates the cognitive mechanisms that facilitate learning and social functioning during early childhood. To do this, we conduct research in children’s homes and schools using a variety of cognitive assessments, observational tools, and virtual technology. We also use large scale data sets (at the state, federal, and international levels) to study how early cognitive development supports learning and well-being across the lifespan. Additionally, we collaborate with educational research foundations to design, implement, and evaluate early childhood interventions that target children’s cognitive development through teaching strategies and curricular enhancements. Across our lines of research, we employ advanced quantitative methodology and develop novel assessments to understand children’s learning and development.
The Applied Cognitive Development Lab is directed by Dr. Sammy Ahmed, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Ahmed received a B.S. in Applied Psychology from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan.
The Applied Cognitive Development Lab is located in the Transition Center at University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus.
For more information about the Applied Cognitive Development Lab, please e-mail sammyahmed@uri.edu