I graduated from the University of York in 2011 with a degree in Psychology before earning my PhD from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, the University of Cambridge, in 2016. Between 2016 and 2018 I was a post-doctoral research fellow at Queen's University Belfast and the University of Edinburgh. I was appointed as a Lecturer in Applied Developmental Psychology in 2019.

I have previously published under the name Agnieszka Jaroslawska.

I am interested in the development of executive functions and their role in school readiness, as well as how these functions can be effectively supported throughout childhood. My research takes a translational approach, applying core principles from developmental and cognitive psychology to better understand classroom learning and offer practitioners research-based insights. Central to my work is a focus on cognitive skills that have significant practical relevance to education. 

Currently, I lead a research programme focused on investigating mind wandering in children. This work examines the nature of mind wandering and evaluates its potential costs and benefits in relation to educational attainment. This line of research aligns with my broader interest in developing innovative strategies to address educational underachievement and create lasting improvements in children’s lives. Additionally, I am exploring how children develop emotional granularity—the ability to differentiate and label emotions—aiming to identify critical periods for fostering emotional awareness and resilience.

• I teach cognitive developmental psychology and supervise final-year projects and MSc dissertations in this area.
• I am also the module convenor of PSY7107 'Atypical Development in an Educational Context' on the Applied Developmental Psychology (MSc) Course.
• In my role as an advisor to students working towards a Doctorate in Educational, Child, and Adolescent Psychology (DECAP), I foster the development of strong research skills in the next generation of educational psychologists.