Meet our Principal Investigator

Sarah Pope-Caldwell

Dr. Pope-Caldwell is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Georgia State University, specializing in cognitive flexibility. Her work spans research sites in the Republic of the Congo, Germany, and Atlanta. Dr. Pope-Caldwell blends cross-cultural and developmental psychology, neuroscience, and primatology to understand how both human and nonhuman primates navigate problem-solving challenges across varying contexts

Dr. Pope-Caldwell's CV

Dr. Pope-Caldwell's website

Research Coordinators

Ardain Dzabatou

is the Congo site Research Coordinator and a student at Marien Ngouabi University. His research interests include understanding how eco-cultural environments impact children's knowledge of local animals and how traditional foraging skillsets can be preserved and shared with future generations.

Tamara Morton

is the Georgia State University Research Coordinator in Atlanta, GA . Previous research interests focused on multimodal communication in chimpanzees. She has worked in wildlife rehabilitation, handling, and conservation, and remains particularly interested in how animal cognition research can inform and support conservation efforts.

PhD Students

Wilson Vieira

https://www.wilson-vieira.com/

is a PhD candidate at the University of Leipzig. His focus is in cross-cultural psychology. Specifically, his research aims to understand variation in cognitive flexibility in humans. More specifically, his research looks at how environmental contexts and sources of information influence the way humans decide to forego known, working strategies for unknown, alternative ones.

Nicholas Lienhard

is a graduate student in Cognitive Sciences at Georgia State University. He is interested in primate attention and problem-solving and what internal/external factors may impact  those behaviors. Future research interests include how smart devices and touchscreen technology can be used and may impact captive primates in terms of care, enrichment, and research-related activities.

Skylar Brodnan

is a graduate student in Psychology at Georgia State University. She is interested in the evolution of cognition, specifically, the relationship between social structure, ecology, and problem-solving strategies in primates.

Paul Mekouno Paul is a Research Assistant at our Congo research site. He specializes in conducting interviews and research games with Bandongo and BaYaka participants.

Bienvenue Mbongo Bienvenue is a Research Assistant at our Congo research site. He specializes in conducting research games with BaYaka participants.

GSU Research Assistants

Farez Parmar is the Lead Research Assistant in Non-human Primate Studies for the ADAPT Lab. He is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursuing animal psychology. He has an interest in learning about how animals interact with their environment and other animals in it. He is exited to work alongside the team and hopes to learn a lot from this opportunity.

Menaalla Mansour is a Research Assistant for the ADAPT Lab. She is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University Honors College majoring in Psychology and hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus on cross-cultural research. She is particularly interested in children’s cognitive and socioemotional development and how cultural contexts shape these processes. Through her work in the lab, she is excited to strengthen her research skills and prepare for doctoral training in psychology.

Bintou Bah is an undergraduate at Georgia State University majoring in Psychology and plans to become a therapist with a particular interest in working with older adults. She developed an interest in psychology through her curiosity about why people think and behave the way they do. She was born and raised in Georgia until age 13, lived in Senegal through high school, and later returned to the United States for college. Her multicultural background has shaped her perspective on identity, relationships, and development across the lifespan.

 Jenna Palazzolo is a Research Assistant in Child Studies for the ADAPT Lab. She is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursuing a degree in Psychology. She is interested in learning about cognitive flexibility in children and the contexts involved in learning. She is excited to gain valuable research skills and deepen her understanding of research.

Phillip Morgan is the Lead Research Assistant in Child Studies for the ADAPT Lab. He earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Georgia State University and master’s in psychology with a focus on applied research . His academic interests center on advancing his methodological and applied research skills, and he is currently preparing to apply to Georgia State University’s Ph.D. program in psychology.

 Sebastian Phoenix is a Research Assistant in Non-human Primate Studies for the ADAPT Lab. He is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursuing a medical degree in Psychiatry and a PhD in applied behavioral analysis. He is interested in learning how animals and non-human primates respond to behavioral treatment and how medication can coincide with behavior in animals. He is excited to work alongside the team and be part of this opportunity.

Aymmeri Coleman is a Research Assistant in the ADAPT Lab. She is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursuing abnormal psychology. Her interests include anxiety, depression, trauma-related psychopathology, and attachment processes, with a focus on how chronic stress and early experiences shape nervous system regulation. She looks forward to developing her interests in development, behavior, and mental health through this research opportunity.

Marc Morris is an undergraduate Research Assistant in Child Studies for the ADAPT Lab. He is a senior at Georgia State University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience. He plans to work in academic research after graduation to progress toward his goal of earning a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology. He hopes to continue pursuing his passion for working with children through research.

Congo Research Assistants

Diop Dzabatou Diop is a Research Assistant at our Congo research site. He specializes in collecting observational video data and conducting research games with Bandongo participants.

Issa Dzabatou Issa is a Research Assistant at our Congo research site. He specializes in conducting research games with BaYaka and Bandongo participants.

Karen Siha is a Lead Research Assistant in Child Studies for the ADAPT Lab. She is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University studying psychology to become a mental health counselor. She is interested in helping underserved communities manage depression and anxiety. She is excited to work alongside the team and continue developing her skills through this opportunity.

Rania Ochoa-Yaser is a Research Assistant for the ADAPT Lab. She is an undergraduate student interested in decision-making and cognitive flexibility across species and cultures. She aims to contribute to research addressing underrepresented populations to improve cognitive understanding and support diverse learning styles.

Riley Moody is a Research Assistant working with multicultural cognitive development in adults and children for the ADAPT Lab. She is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University’s Honors College pursuing early-childhood behavioral medicine, with a background in youth-oriented legislative advocacy and social work. She is committed to fostering equitable, compassionate learning experiences that consider socioeconomic and intersectional factors.

Destin Dzanguendet Destin is a Research Assistant at our Congo research site. He specializes in conducting research games with Bandongo participants.

Close Collaborators

Previous Lab Members

  • Celeste Walton - Graduated with a M.S. in Neuroscience from GSU in Spring 2025.

  • Alex Navas - Graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from GSU in Spring 2025.

  • Sahith Reddy Thummala - Graduated with an M.S. in Computer Science from GSU in Fall 2025.