Zara Fearns, B.S.

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Building/Location

5500 Campanile Dr.
San Diego, CA 92182

Website Links

• LinkedIn
• Google Scholar

Bio

Zara joined the lab in September of 2026. She graduated from UC San Diego with a B.S. in Clinical Psychology and minor in Philosophy. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in Dr. Leslie Carver's Developmental Neuroscience Lab at UCSD and at SDSU's Brain Development Imaging Labs under Dr. Inna Fishman. In both labs, she participated on a wide variety of research projects related to the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder, from infant looking time studies to EEG projects exploring sensory response differences in Autistic adults. At the CAN lab, Zara is interested in further exploring development and the processing of emotion and ambiguous stimuli in the brain.

Education

• B.S., University of California, San Diego. Major: Clinical Psychology.

Areas of Specialization

• Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Disorders & Development, Emotion Processing

Interests

I am passionate about conducting research projects exploring topics in both developmental and clinical psychology. Outside the lab, I am a part of San Diego LEND, which is an organization that provides interdisciplinary training in the field of developmental disorders that also promotes engagement with the neurodivergent community.

Certifications

Board Certified Autism Technician (BCAT) - Inactive

Fun Facts

I am a former Division 1 fencing athlete from UCSD, and I have traveled all over the world for my sport. I still continue to compete nationally and internationally for Team GBR. I also have 3 cats at home, and 2 younger brothers.

Awards & Honors

• • Triton Research and Experiential Learning (TRELs) Scholarship (2024)
  • Mark Appelbaum Academic Scholar Athlete of the Year (2026)
  • USFCA All-Academic and Scholar of Distinction (2024, 2025, 2026)
  • All Triton Team (2026)
  • UCSD Division 1 Athletic Scholarship (2024, 2025, 2026)
  • MSPF First Team, Academic and Athletic, (2024, 2025, 2026)
  • All-Region (2024, 2025, 2026)

Office Hours

Publications

• Marin, A., Fearns, Z., Dratva, M., Powell, L. J., Störmer, V. S., & Carver, L. J. (2026). Infants Anticipate the Timing of Sounds From Dynamic Collision Events. Infancy : the official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies, 31(3), e70101. https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.70101