Lixia Yang

Dr. Lixia Yang is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, Faculty of Arts. She holds a PhD from the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and completed postdoctoral training at the Max-Planck Institute for Human Development and the University of Toronto. Her research is centered on cognitive aging, memory, emotion-cognition interactions, and cultural influences on cognition.

• PhD, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Dr. Yang's research interests include cognitive plasticity of the aging brain, age differences in attention, memory, and executive functions, and cultural effects on social engagement and memory. She also investigates the psychosocial wellbeing of minoritized immigrant populations in Canada, particularly during the pandemic. Her work bridges cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and public health.

Her recent publications (2021–2022) reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus on aging, cognition, emotion, culture, and mental health. Key themes include cognitive control under mood and attentional load, long-term benefits of cognitive and physical training in older adults, and the psychological impact of anti-Chinese discrimination and pandemic stress on immigrant communities. Her research employs experimental, longitudinal, and survey methodologies across diverse populations.

Dr. Yang has received notable recognition for her scholarly and community contributions:

• 2021 Dean’s Scholarly, Research and Creative Activity Award
• Ryerson 2015 YSGS Outstanding Contribution to Graduate Education Award
• 2022 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award for Outstanding Community Contribution

She has been actively involved in mentoring and supervising undergraduate and graduate students, including honours theses, practicum students, and research assistants. Her research has been funded by NSERC and CIHR, supporting both cognitive aging studies and pandemic-related mental health projects. Dr. Yang also contributes to professional service as an associate editor for the Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Adulthood and Aging and as a reviewer for numerous journals and grant agencies.

Dr. Yang leads the Cognitive Aging Lab (CAL) at Toronto Metropolitan University, where her team investigates neurocognitive changes in aging, cognitive training outcomes, and socioemotional factors affecting memory and executive function.