Winslab Research Team

Dr. Adam Winsler (awinsler@gmu.edu)

Dr. Winsler is an applied developmental psychologist with interests in children's transition to school, the development of self-regulation, private speech, Vygotskian sociocultural theory and bilingualism and early schooling for English-Language Learners (ELLs). His current research explores childcare, school readiness, and school trajectories among ethnically and linguistically diverse, immigrant, low-income, urban preschoolers using data from the large-scale (n > 30,000) longitudinal Miami School Readiness Project; Private speech and self-regulation in typical children and those with ADHD or autistic spectrum disorders; Music/dance and self-regulation; and self-regulated learning and motivation among college students. Dr. Winsler is author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters and has two books. His most recent book, Private speech, executive functioning, and the development of verbal self-regulation was published by Cambridge University Press in 2009. He has received over $2 million of research funding for his work. Dr. Winsler also served as editor of the journal, Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

Download Dr. Winsler's CV here, and watch his recent interview on bilingualism here.

Saisha Birr (PhD)

Saisha is a second-year PhD student in the ADP program. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a B.S. in Psychology in 2022. Before joining the Winslab, her research focused on cognition and aging, specifically learning and memory. She worked on a project investigating adult lifespan effects on functional specialization along the hippocampal long axis and she is still in collaboration on a study investigating age differences in episodic memory’s role in categorization strategies. Her current research interests include self-regulation and executive functioning in neurodiverse and typical development and improving accommodations and support in public school settings for neurodiverse students. Her other interests include sex differences in autism, how late diagnosis impacts cognition and mental health in autistic/ADHD adults, and co-occurring neurodivergence.

Hazal Civelek (PhD)

Hazal is a second-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Winsler’s lab. She graduated from Kadir Has University with a B.A. in psychology. She received her M.A. degree in Psychology from Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey. Her research interests during her M.A. years were language development, bilingualism, multimodal language development, and children’s social-cognitive development. Her current research interest is the role of social skills of children and bilingualism in problem-solving skills and math development.  

Isis Cowan (PhD)

Isis is a third-year Ph.D. student in the ADP program working in Dr. Winsler’s lab. She graduated from Old Dominion University with a B.S. in Psychology in 2021. During her bachelors, her research focused on identity development and acculturation processes in immigrants and people from ethnic/racial minoritized groups. Isis’ current research interests include enhancing developmental and educational outcomes for autistic people in culturally minoritized groups. Her master’s thesis will longitudinally examine differences/similarities in educational outcomes for autistic children growing up bilingually vs monolingually. 

Ben Gallimore (MA)

Ben is a second-year master’s student working in Dr. Winsler's lab. Ben graduated Cum Laude with a B.S in Psychology in August 2024 from George Mason University. Ben is working on his master’s thesis about the effects of ethnicity and income on the change in a student’s disability status over time in grade school; Ben’s master’s thesis is a continuation and expansion upon his Psychology Honors thesis which he completed as an undergrad. Ben's interests pertain to disabilities, accommodations, and special education.

Victoria (Vicki) Rabii (PhD)

Victoria (Vicki) is a fourth-year PhD student co-mentored by Dr. Winsler and Dr. Doebel. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 with a B.S. in Psychology. Prior to joining George Mason, she completed a Postbac IRTA Fellowship at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and worked as a research assistant at the University of Maryland collecting and disseminating child assessment data for Educare DC's longitudinal program evaluation. Vicki’s research interests center on how early adversity and other environmental factors (e.g., poverty) impact academic development in children from early childhood education (ECE) programs. Her current research examines factors such as school quality and mobility in moderating the long-term outcomes of attending preschool.

Jeila Rios (MA)

Jeila Rios is a second year master’s student working in Dr. Winsler’s lab. Jeila graduated Cum Laude from St. Edward’s University in May 2025 with a B.A in Psychology and a minor in both Art and Interdisciplinary Studies. During undergrad, her research focused on experiences of sexual abuse for members of collectivist cultures, how cultural factors influence Latine views of climate change, and the effect of mental health stigma on cortisol. Jeila’s current research interest include how cultural factors shape ethnic-racial minority experiences, trauma and racism, intersectionality of race and gender, and what fosters resiliency.

Wilhemina Solley (MA)

Wilhemina is a second year master's student working in Dr. Winsler's lab. She graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 2024 with a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Theatre. Prior to coming to GMU she spent a year working as a registered behavior technician with children on the autism spectrum. Over the summer she worked directly running theater programming for people with a range of disabilities through the STEP VA non-profit organization. Her research interests are the outcomes of participation in arts programs, specifically theatre, in autistic populations.  

Katherine Xu (MA)

Katherine Xu is a second-year master's student in the ADP program working in Dr. Winsler's lab. She graduated from the College of Idaho with a B.A. In Psychology and minors in Education, Communication, and Health Promotion. Katherine's research interest is in the children from immigrant families and refugee family in a US  school setting. 

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