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 second-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
Ali Özen
Ali is a second-year Master’s student in the psychology program at Sabancı. He is mainly interested in infant social and emotional development, as well as developmental psychology as a whole. He is a music enthusiast, and plays the classical and electric guitar. He also loves reading about science and philosophy.
Pelin Öztürk
Pelin is a first-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 first-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.
Berkay Arslan
Berkay is a fourth-year psychology student, who has a strong interest on comparative and developmental psychology. He loves reading about animal behaviors with a preference for primate behaviors. In his free time, he likes to travel, listen to podcasts, and do woodworking (especially wooden spoons)!
Gülce Fidan
Gülce is a fourth-year psychology student. She is interested in social psychology and developmental psychology. She also enjoys forensic psychology. She assists in studies of human-robot interaction and a study about the effect of music on the social interaction of children and chimpanzees at the MLT Lab. In her spare time, she likes watching sitcoms, taking analog photos, and traveling.
Elif Nur Keskinkılıç
Coming soon…
Duru İmamoğlu
Duru is a third-year psychology undergraduate student, and she is also minoring in Gender Studies. She is interested in language development in infancy, and hopes to work in the field of developmental psychology. She likes to read about minorities, gender roles, and oppression and to watch volleyball matches and festival movies!
Begüm Kayaalp
Begüm is a third-year psychology undergraduate student. Also, she is doing a minor in Decision and Behavior. She is interested in developmental psychology and social psychology. She also works as an intern at an online therapy center. She likes to read about history, philosophy and mythology. She likes to cook. She hopes to work in the field of clinical psychology focusing on development.
Lara Mercan Şahin
Lara is a fourth-year psychology and management student. She is especially interested in social and developmental psychology. She is also in the theatre club. She enjoys both watching theatre and acting in them. In her spare times, she enjoys participating in art related activities and binging sitcoms.
Lab Alumni
Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
Elif Tutku Tunalı
Ayşenaz Akbay
Aslıhan Niksarlı
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
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