Paulo G. Laurence

Collaborating Researcher, Federal University of ABC

Executive function refers to the cognitive processes that help people regulate their thoughts and actions, adapt to changing demands, and pursue their goals. My research examines how these processes develop and are shaped by social, cultural, educational, and environmental contexts, with particular attention to children and communities in Latin America. By combining behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and quantitative and qualitative methods, I aim to develop a more culturally grounded understanding of executive function and cognition, and their roles in learning and everyday life.

About me

I am a cognitive scientist investigating how cognitive abilities develop and vary across individuals and contexts. My research focuses particularly on executive function, reasoning, learning, and cognitive strategies, with an emphasis on how social, cultural, and environmental factors shape cognition. I combine behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, quantitative and qualitative methods, and advanced statistical analyses to study cognition both in controlled settings and in everyday life. I am currently a Collaborating Researcher at the Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition and an Affiliated Professor in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cognition at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Brazil. I am also the principal investigator of a research program funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation’s New Generation of Researchers Program (FAPESP), which examines cultural influences on executive function and its connections with relational reasoning. Previously, I served as a Visiting Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UFABC. I hold undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Education, a master’s degree, and a PhD in Developmental Disabilities from Mackenzie Presbyterian University. During my doctoral training, I conducted research with the Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley (remote due to the pandemic). I later completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Human Developmental Sciences at Mackenzie, including a research internship at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis. Across these experiences, I have sought to develop a more contextually and culturally grounded understanding of human cognition, while connecting fundamental research with questions relevant to development and education.