Undergraduate researcher at Emory University and incoming PhD student (Fall 2026) in the ADAPT Lab at Georgia State University.
Research
Working Memory · Emory NPRC
At the Laboratory of Comparative Primate Cognition, investigating how rhesus macaques adapt working memory strategies to task demands and exploring whether non-human primates flexibly shift between different memory encoding approaches.
Cognitive Flexibility · GSU ADAPT Lab
Joining Dr. Sarah Pope-Caldwell’s ADAPT Lab to study how cognitive flexibility develops across species, developmental stages, and cultural contexts. Research will include comparative work with capuchin monkeys at GSU’s Language Research Center.
Cross-Cultural Fieldwork · GSU ADAPT Lab
As part of the ADAPT Lab, upcoming fieldwork with Bandongo and BaYaka communities in the Republic of the Congo will examine cognitive flexibility to build a comparative framework spanning nonhuman primates and diverse human populations.
About
My path to comparative cognition began as an undergraduate student at Emory University, where I joined Dr. Robert Hampton’s Laboratory of Comparative Primate Cognition at the Emory National Primate Research Center. Working hands-on with rhesus macaques, training them on touchscreen tasks and analyzing memory strategies, helped confirm that I wanted my career to involve understanding how cognition is similar and different between species.
I’m drawn to questions about cognitive flexibility, specifically how animals and humans shift strategies, adapt to changing environments, and deploy different cognitive systems when circumstances demand it. Understanding these processes comparatively across species and cultures is something that interests me.
Starting Fall 2026, I’ll be a PhD student in the ADAPT Lab at Georgia State University, where I’ll extend my non-human primate work to capuchins, human behavioral research, and fieldwork abroad in Africa.
Experience
Research
PhD Student, ADAPT Lab
Georgia State University · Department of Psychology
Comparative cognition research under Dr. Sarah Pope-Caldwell. Studying cognitive flexibility across species (rhesus macaques and capuchin monkeys), developmental stages, and cultural contexts including fieldwork in the Republic of the Congo.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Laboratory of Comparative Primate Cognition · Emory National Primate Research Center
Independent study on working memory strategies in rhesus macaques under Dr. Robert Hampton. Designed and programmed behavioral tasks and analyzed performance data using Python.
Education
Ph.D. in Psychology
Georgia State University
Cognitive Sciences track. Will be working in the ADAPT Lab under Dr. Sarah Pope-Caldwell.
B.S. in Psychology
Emory University
Relevant coursework: Research Methods, Cognition, Statistics, Computer Science, Human Learning and Memory.
Associate of Arts
Oxford College of Emory University
Scholarship
Conference Poster
Do task cues influence memory strategy use in rhesus macaques?
Rebello, A., Henley, T., & Hampton, R. — Georgia Southern Psychological Society Conference, April 11, 2026.
Conference Poster
An experiment on attention: how break quality and length impact attentional restoration.
Rebello, A., Cordish, B., Womack, J., & Piramal, N. — Psychology Department Research Symposium, Emory University, December 2024.
Conference Poster
Evaluating cover crop effects on soil erosion rates at Oxford College Organic Farm.
Rebello, A., Yu, C., & Black, H. — Oxford College Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 2024.
Contact
I’m always happy to discuss comparative cognition, working memory, research methodology, or potential collaborations. Feel free to reach out via email.
Atlanta, GA · Emory University → GSU PhD, Fall 2026