Director
Research
Our research team investigates the social and educational contexts that shape young children’s cognitive development. Specifically, we examine how children’s interactions with peers, teachers, and caregivers support the development of executive function skills (e.g., working memory, inhibition, attention, cognitive flexibility), and how these early cognitive skills relate to learning, social behavior, and health outcomes across the lifespan. To answer these questions, our research team collects data in children’s homes and schools using a variety of assessments and draw on national and international data sets to study children’s short- and long-term developmental outcomes. Our research also focuses on the development and validation of assessment tools for measuring children’s cognitive skills in ecologically valid settings, including in classrooms, peer groups, and remote environments. Additionally, we collaborate with school districts and non-profit research organizations to design, implement, and evaluate early childhood interventions that support children’s cognitive development, with a particular emphasis on curriculum enhancements and teacher professional learning programs. Across these areas, our team uses longitudinal, experimental, and intervention-based methods to generate evidence that informs developmental theory and educational practice.
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
Dr. Ahmed will be accepting graduate students through the Health Science Ph.D. program and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Ph.D. program for the 2026-2027 academic school year.