Hi there

I’m Kayla – I love creating experiences that invite curiosity, spark dialogue, and empower people to engage more deeply with the science in and around them. Currently, I’m a program coordinator in the Science, Society & Culture division at the Simons Foundation.

I completed my PhD at UCLA with Weizhe Hong, where I worked on understanding the neural circuit mechanisms of prosocial behavior as an NIMH NRSA fellow. I was also a fellow with UCLA-CDU Dana Center for Neuroscience and Society and engaged with initiatives that connect science to policy and public life through the Science Policy Group at UCLA, Scientist Network for Advancing Policy, and others. Originally from Singapore, I earned my B.S. in Neural Science and B.A. in Psychology from New York University.

Elsewhere, alongside science, I tend to my creative practices / moving, making, unmaking, moving / and can probably be found spending time in nature or hanging out with my cat, Bunsen