Dr. Kana Imuta is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, where she also serves as a Principal Researcher at the Early Cognitive Development Centre. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Otago, with her doctoral thesis titled 'Exploring Memory Development in 2- to 6-year-old Children.' Her research investigates social and cognitive development in children, encompassing theory of mind, empathy, imitation, social preferences, accent and dialect-based biases, bullying dynamics, media effects on attention and executive functions, deliberate practice, emotional contagion, and conspiracy theorizing across the lifespan. Additional interests include the effects of bilingualism on children's social-cognitive development and the role of joint music-making activities in promoting social behaviors among typically developing children and those with autism spectrum disorder.

Imuta has produced a substantial body of peer-reviewed work, including several influential meta-analytic reviews. Notable publications are 'Is your accent right for the job? A meta-analysis on accent bias in hiring decisions' (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2024, with Spence, Hornsey, and Stephenson), 'A meta-analytic review on the social–emotional intelligence correlates of the six bullying roles: bullies, followers, victims, bully-victims, defenders, and outsiders' (Psychological Bulletin, 2022, with Song, Henry, Ruffman, Peterson, and Slaughter), 'Something about the way you speak: a meta‐analysis on children’s linguistic‐based social preferences' (Child Development, 2021, with Spence and Hornsey), 'Lying and theory of mind: a meta‐analysis' (Child Development, 2021, with Lee), 'A meta-analytic review of the association between theory of mind and aggression' (Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2024, with Ekerim-Akbulut et al.), and 'Children's judgments on the acceptability of prejudice' (Child Development, 2023, with Spence, Neldner, and Hornsey). She has also contributed book chapters such as 'Shaping one's future self: the development of deliberate practice' (2016, with Suddendorf and Brinums) and 'Practicing for the future: deliberate practice in early childhood' (Child Development, 2018, with Brinums and Suddendorf).

Professional Email: k.imuta@uq.edu.au