Our Team
A collaborative group of developmental scientists and students united by curiosity about children in a digital age.
Staff
Dr. Mengguo (Meng) Jing
Lab Director
I am interested in how children learn and develop in digital contexts. My interdisciplinary
research sits at the intersection of cognitive development, educational technology, and media
studies. I study how toddlers and preschoolers interact with digital media in informal learning contexts,
using a variety of methods including behavioral experiments, eye tracking, and meta-analysis.
I am an Assistant Professor in the Learning Sciences specialization at the Werklund School of Education,
University of Calgary. I received my Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of
Wisconsin–Madison in 2021, and completed postdoctoral training at Boston College and The Ohio State University
from 2021 to 2025.
Kinnari Shetty
Lab Manager
Kinnari Shetty is an interdisciplinary Doctoral student in Learning
Sciences at the University of Calgary's Werklund School of Education,
supervised by Dr. Man-Wai Chu, and currently serves as Lab Manager at
the Digital Child Lab. Her research sits at the intersection of
engineering education, learner agency, data privacy, and AI-driven
environments working with technology industry partners. Additionally her
research interests encompass Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Privacy in
an AI - Centric world, Surveillance , AI ethics, and the gender gap in
engineering. Drawing on 13 years of technical and executive experience
across Big Tech and startups, her research is backed by Master’s degrees
in Engineering, Engineering Management, and Project Management with
specialisations in AI ethics and Globalisation from the UK, Australia,
and Canada.
Kinnari was drawn to Dr. Jing’s Digital Child Lab by her fascination with
developmental research and her passion for understanding how emerging
technology shapes the future of children.
Tingzhuzhi (Bamboo) Hu
PhD StudentMy name is Tingzhuzhi (Bamboo) Hu, and I am a first-year PhD student in Educational Reseach at the University of Calgary. I received both my bachelor's and master's degrees in Early Childhood Education from Central China Normal University. My previous research focused on the effects of social robots on young children's science learning and social development. At the Digital Child Lab, I hope to continue exploring young children's digital learning, with a particular interest in how digital content can be designed to better support children's learning and development.
Isha Aulakh
Undergraduate Student
I am exploring how national screen-use guidelines can be made more
feasible for families. Recognizing how common screens have become in
daily life, I want to understand how parental, familial, and
environmental factors shape children's screen use. I also work as a
research assistant in our child learning studies, helping collect data
and interacting with parents and children.
Currently, I am completing my Bachelor of Health Sciences in
Bioinformatics at the University of Calgary.
Yogashree Jayabal Vanitha
Undergraduate Student
My name is Yogashree (Yoga), and I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences with
concentrations in Biology and Chemistry, along with a minor in Computer Science at the University of Calgary.
I primarily work on developing and maintaining the lab website while also supporting research projects
as a research assistant.
Joining the Digital Child Lab was something I was passionate about since it merges both my interests of
technology and child development. I am excited to explore ways to use technology in meaningful and
beneficial ways to support children's growth and development.
We're Looking for Curious Minds
We welcome applications from prospective graduate students, undergraduates, and postdoctoral researchers.
See Open Positions →