“When I was young, my parents gave me the freedom to explore and learn interesting things despite the fact that I didn’t do well with any kind of exams. My parent’s pedagogy really protected my curiosity and self-esteem, which greatly motivated me to keep learning new things, including English. During my undergrad program, I met Dr. Liezhong Ge and Dr. Kang Lee, who later became my supervisors. Dr. Ge is one of the leading scientists in human-machine interaction in China and the Chinese Clint Eastwood. Dr. Lee is one of the most renowned child development researchers in the world. Both taught me a lot about doing research, but what influences me the most was their open attitudes. My first very study found an effect that went directly against a well-established hypothesis. While I was trapped by confusion and self-doubt, they saw a breakthrough in science. They transformed my fear of the unknown into a boundless passion for science.

“I study early development of cognitive capacities in infancy. My work mostly focus on infants’ perception and learning at neural and behavioural levels by examining how experience shapes development.”

Gabriel received Bachelor in Industry and Business Management and Master’s in Applied Psychology from China (Zhejiang Sci-Tech U). Gabriel then received a PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of Toronto and continued working as a post-doc associate at Princeton University for three years. Over the years, Gabriel also received training in engineering and computer science. When not at work, Gabriel enjoys street photography and video games which allow him to wander at will in both real and virtual worlds.