Sabancı University MLT Lab
Led by the Director Dr. Junko Kanero, Sabancı University Mind, Language, & Technology Lab conducts many scientific studies to advance the theoretical understanding of cognitive processes to provide practical implications of the research. We believe in an interdisciplinary approach, and the topics integrate several research areas including psychology, education, linguistics, and human-computer interaction.
Our Team
Dr. Junko Kanero
Director of the MLT Lab
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Junko is the Director of the MLT Lab. As a cognitive and developmental psychologist, Junko examines language as a window into human cognition. In 2016, she received her PhD in Developmental Psychology and Neuroscience from Temple University in the US. She then moved to Istanbul to work as a postdoctoral researcher at Koç University. In January 2019, she was appointed as an Assistant Professor at Sabancı University. Together with the wonderful members of the MLT Lab, Junko explores language development in infancy and childhood, the use of technology in language education, and how language and non-linguistic cognition interact. She speaks English, Japanese, and Arabic... and some Turkish too. She is also passionate about humanitarian works and volunteers in the local NGO Istanbul&I where she served as the head manager until last December.
Curriculum vitae:
Dr. İlkan Can İpekçi
İlkan Can İpekçi (they/he) is a post-doctoral interdisciplinary researcher on a cultural psychology research on young and aging populations and their memory performances. They completed their Ph.D. in gender studies at Sabanacı University with a dissertation on queer* trauma and the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people in Turkey and their mental health struggles under the supervision of Prof. Sibel Irzık and Prof. Sibel Halfon. They hold dual BA degrees in Interpreting and Translation Studies (English-Spanish-Turkish), and Psychology from Yeditepe University where they also completed their M.A. in Cultural Anthropology with full scholarship. They have taught undergraduate courses at Sabancı University, Yeditepe University, and Bahçeşehir University.
Saghar Yeganehparast
Saghar is a sophomore Computer Science and Engineering student with a minor in Business Analytics at Sabancı University. She is passionate about machine learning, data science, and software engineering, always eager to explore and learn more. Her native language is Persian, and she is fluent in English and Turkish. Saghar loves learning new languages and enjoys expanding her linguistic skills. In her free (and not-so-free) time, she enjoys playing the piano, reading fantasy books, watching K-dramas, and—when possible—catching up on sleep. One day, she hopes to travel the world and experience different cultures.
İrem Kuyucu
İrem is a third-year Master’s student. Research-wise she is interested in sociolinguistics: how language in conversation can shape our thoughts, as well as attitudes and behaviors towards others. She also assists a project on Human-Robot Interaction like many other MLT lab members. In her free time, she likes to read fiction, experiment with movement of any kind (kickboxing, yoga and powerlifting are some of them) and travel.
Pelin Öztürk
Pelin is a second-year Master’s student. She graduated from Boğaziçi University. Her research focuses on the relationship between language and non-linguistic human cognition. She is also doing a research internship at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Apart from academia, she is a photographer. She also enjoys swimming, traveling, and knitting her own clothes!
Selen Akay
Selen is a third-year Master’s student in psychology. She graduated from Bilkent University, Turkey. Her research interests include human-robot interaction and mind attribution. When not busy with her academic duties, she likes to play video games and board games with her friends.
Cansu Özden
Cansu is a first-year master’s student. Her research interests primarily focus on linguistic studies, including the evolution and development of language and the relationship between
language and cognition. In addition to her academic pursuits, she enjoys making clay objects, binge-watching comfort TV shows, and collecting precious memories with the people she
loves.
Ayşe Nur Mart
Ayşe Nur is a senior in her Psychology Bachelors at Sabancı University. She is going to pursue a career in clinical psychology and she is interested in expanding her expertise in the field overall. She is a singer and she also plays the guitar in her free time. She also dabbles in being a translator part-time. She is thrilled to be a part of the Human-Robot interactions research team in the MLT Lab!
Mariyam Azmat
Mariyam completed her Undergraduate in psychology from Sabanci University last semester and is currently working with the lab on research before she starts her Masters in Fall 2025. Her ongoing research revolves around emotions and AI technology; she is interested in understanding if we can feel emotions towards AI agents as we do towards humans. The research is currently in the design stage, so stay tuned for updates soon! Mariyam is an aspiring clinical psychologist and is interested in pursuing a Masters in a neuropsychology related field, where she can learn more about the neural mechanisms behind neurodegenerative disorders.
Nilsu Bolat
Nilsu is a junior Psychology and Computer Science and Engineering double major student at Sabanci University. She has a broad interest in all areas of psychology but she aims to focus on neuroscience and artificial intelligence in the future. She is involved in projects at the MLT Lab related to human-robot interaction and developmental psychology. Also, she is an assistant at MACC Lab, conducting EEG experiments. She enjoys listening to music, singing and playing guitar in her free time.
Miray Özge Yılmaz
Miray is a second year psychology student. She is interested in the relation between language & cognition and the psychology of music. She plans to do her master’s in neuroscience. She loves reading books, watching movies, playing the piano and learning new languages!
Ayşe Helin Dağlı
Helin is a third-year Psychology student, also minoring in Art Theory and Criticism. Although she enjoys all branches of psychology, cognitive and social psychology peaks her interest the most. She is particularly interested in linguistics, visual cognition, social cognition and group behavior. She plans to pursue her master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring the city, and painting. She is also part of a volunteer program aiming to teach English to young girls.
Betül Sena Apuhan
Betül Sena Apuhan is a second-year undergraduate psychology student at Sabancı University. She has a general interest in clinical psychology, with a particular focus on close relationships. She is currently contributing to research on human-robot interaction at the MLT Lab and greatly enjoys working in this field. Additionally, she has academic interests in emotion regulation, developmental psychology, and attachment theory. Among her curiosities is how relationship dynamics are influenced when couples communicate in a second language. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to new places and watching movies. She plans to pursue a career in clinical psychology while deepening her academic knowledge of close relationships.
Ekin Su Gümüş
Ekin is a senior Computer Science and Engineering and Psychology double major program student at Sabanci University. They have been contributing to Human-Computer/Robot Interaction studies in the MLT laboratory for almost 2 years. They want to continue their academic adventure by understanding humans’ interactions with developing technologies and contribute to the creation of human-centered ethical artificial intelligent technologies. When they find time, they like doing creative activities such as drawing, reading, and playing tabletop RPG or video games with friends.
Nergis Konukcu
Coming Soon…
Şimal Irmak Demirtaş
Irmak is a third-year Psychology student at Sabancı University. While she tries to be active in every area of psychology, she is most involved in cognitive, developmental, and social psychology. Currently, she is working on projects related to human-robot interaction at the MLT Lab. At the same time, she is an assistant in a memory research project at the MACC Lab. In her free time, she enjoys visiting museums and drawing.
Lab Alumni
Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
Elif Tutku Tunalı
Ayşenaz Akbay
Aslıhan Niksarlı
Ali Özen
Ayşe Doğan
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Ceren Boynuk
İrem Gözelekli
Serap Özlü
Helin Erden
Devrim Öztürk
Ece Karaosmanoğlu
Eren Akbaba
Nazlı Şevval Tezel
Zeynep Zontur
Fatma İlayda Ünal
Ege Kalecik
Berkay Arslan
Gülce Fidan
Elif Nur Keskinkılıç
Duru İmamoğlu
Begüm Kayaalp
Lara Mercan Şahin
Cansu Evren
Arisha Kashif
PURE Project Spring 2021
Aslı Aydınlar
Aysun Öğüt
Berna Yıldıran
Göktuğ Gençkaya
PURE Project Summer 2021
Berkay Arslan
PURE Project Summer 2022
Ahmad Alhasan
Berkay Arslan
Elif Gödüş
Eren Çavuş
Ezgi Bostancı
İdil Akdemir
İlayda Kaytaran
Serhat Varolan
Yaren Zengin
PURE Project Summer 2023
Cansu Özden
Ekin Su Gümüş
Esin Aydın
Ezgi Bostancı
Göksu Gamlı
İrem Aras
Larissa Tatyosoğlu
PURE Project Summer 2024
Aysima Nesrin Şahin
Aysu Top
Hanne Akkiraz
Nergis Konukcu
Nilsu Bolat
Seher Naz Hut
Şimal Irmak Demirtaş
Utku Fuat Dailli
Yağmur Denizli
PURE Project Spring 2025
Coming Soon…