Sabancı University MLT Lab
Led by the principal investigator 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
Principle Investigator of the MLT Lab
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Junko is the Principal Investigator (PI) 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:
Ayşe Doğan
Ayşe is a third-year master’s student interested in studying human-robot interactions as well as studying second language acquisition via technology and robots. She enjoys traveling and watching sitcoms in her free time
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!
İrem Kuyucu
İrem is a second-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.
Selen Akay
Selen is a second-year Master’s student in psychology. She graduated from Bilkent University, Turkey. Her research interests include but are not limited to – intergroup relations, close relationships, adult attachment, human-robot interaction, and mind attribution. She enjoys learning about and experiencing different cultures. She also loves playing video games and board games with her friends.
Cansu Özden
After graduating from Istanbul University, Department of Psychology, Cansu started working at MLT Lab as a PURE intern and is still working there. Her research interest is mostly focused on language studies. Therefore, she is interested in departments such as Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Cognitive Psychology that deal with language from different perspectives. In addition to her quantitative research skills, she also enjoys conducting research using qualitative research methods that deal with language in a different way. In addition to her academic interests, she loves making clay objects, binge-watching comfort TV shows, and collecting precious memories with the people she loves.
Cansu Evren
Coming soon…
Göksu Gamlı
Göksu is a 4th-year Linguistics student at Boğaziçi University. She is working as a PURE intern at MLT Lab and is still work there. While she loves every aspect of Linguistics, her main interests lie in Cognitive Science and Sign Language. She is also learning new aspects of Computational Linguistics every day. Besides Turkish and English, she knows Turkish Sign Language (TİD), Japanese, and Latin. She has many hobbies, but her current favorites are growing flowers, cosplay, and going to the theatre.
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!
Mariyam Azmat
Mariyam is a third year undergraduate psychology student with a passion for clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience. She is a new research assistant in the MLT lab and she is super excited to work on upcoming projects and studies in the lab, especially those within the human-robot interaction team. Since taking the Developmental Psychology course with Professor Junko last semester and learning all about children development studies, Mariyam knew that she wanted to work in the MLT lab as they work with children — and robots (which is so cool!). In her free time, Mariyam loves to read fantasy and classics, rewatch The Office and Friends, watch horror movies, and discuss psychological theories with her friends.
Arisha Kashif
Arisha is currently in her final semester, studying Psychology! She plans on pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and her dream is to become a Clinical Therapist one day. She is particularly interested in Human-Robot Interaction research and can not wait to work on the upcoming projects. She loves watching horror movies, dancing, baking and having meaningful conversations with her friends.
Nilsu Bolat
Nilsu is a sophomore psychology student at Sabancı University. She is interested in all fields of psychology but she wishes to study neuroscience and artificial intelligence in the future. She will be helping human robot interaction and language studies in MLT Lab. She’s also helping with EEG studies in MACC Lab. She enjoys listening to music and singing in her free time.
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!
Lab Alumni
Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
Elif Tutku Tunalı
Ayşenaz Akbay
Aslıhan Niksarlı
Ali Özen
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
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