Maki Rooksby

I initially trained as a developmental psychologist, specialising in young children's understanding of figurative language, such as sarcasm and how it may relate to the development of broader social and cognitive skills. As a post-doctoral researcher, I have been gaining an expertise across wider fields. These include children's autobiographical memory, mental health in children, family relationships including attachment, the phenomenon of hikikomori (severe social withdrawal), with a role of technology running as an overarching theme at the intersection. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at SOcial Brain in Action (SOBA) Lab, investigating our sense of social space during interaction with robots and how our cultural experiences may play a part in our perception of social spatial relationships.