Dr. Ed Kroc is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) within the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education in the Faculty of Education. Specializing in the Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (MERM) program, he joined UBC in 2018 after completing his PhD in Mathematics at UBC, M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics in Statistics, and B.Sc. in Mathematics at DePaul University. Education: PhD (UBC, 2015), M.Sc. (DePaul, 2007), B.Sc. (DePaul, 2006) Courses Taught: Experimental Designs, Correlational Analysis, Meta-Analysis, Causal Inference, Bayesian Methods, Multivariate Analysis His scholarly interests focus on measurement theory, causal inference, spatio-temporal modeling, and urban ecology. Recent research explores the life cycles of urban-nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls, measurement error models, and statistical methodology. His publications span psychology, ecology, mathematics, and interdisciplinary research. Dr. Kroc’s work emphasizes methodological rigor, including reliability estimation, polynomial regression techniques, and assessment protocols for motor skill evaluation. He advocates for multivariate thinking in subscale cutoff determination and challenges traditional measurement frameworks like Stevens’ scales. Contact: ed.kroc@ubc.ca | Office: Scarfe Office Block 2527
Bruno D. Zumbo is a Distinguished University Scholar and Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), holding the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Psychometrics and Measurement. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Education, specifically within the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), where he leads the Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (MERM) Program. Additionally, he is a member of the Institute of Applied Mathematics at UBC. Professor Zumbo is on sabbatical from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2026. Professor Zumbo's scholarly work spans mathematical science, statistics, and psychometrics, with a focus on understanding the mathematical and conceptual nuances of measurement, test theory, and social surveys. His academic journey began as an Assistant Professor in 1990 at the University of Ottawa, with subsequent professorships at the University of Northern British Columbia before joining UBC in 2000. His educational background includes training in mathematical sciences, with his first peer-reviewed publication appearing in 1987. Dr. Zumbo's research interests center on psychometrics and statistical methods, with particular emphasis on validity theory and validation practices, measurement invariance and item bias, robustness of statistical methods to assumption violations, and development of nonparametric, Bayesian, and adaptive alternatives. His work bridges mathematical science with practical applications in international assessment, language testing, and quality of life research. His core research program explores mathematical formulations of mental test theory using measure theory, probability theory, and functional analysis, along with geometry of multivariate statistics, Bayesian analysis, and various test theories. Professor Zumbo's extensive publication record includes over 400 scholarly works, with recent research focusing on validity frameworks, measurement theory, statistical methods, and applications in health psychology and educational assessment. His work demonstrates a consistent integration of mathematical rigor with practical measurement concerns across diverse domains. Elected full member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (2022) Canada Research Chair in Psychometrics and Measurement – Tier 1 (2020) Paragon UBC Professorship in Psychometrics & Measurement (2015-2024) Centenary Medal of Distinction (2019) Pioneer in the Psychometrics of Quality of Life by the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (2018) Distinguished University Scholar, UBC (2017) Killam Research Prize, UBC (2017) UBC Killam Teaching Prize (2012) As director of the Edgeworth Laboratory for the Mathematical Sciences of Psychometrics and Measurement, Professor Zumbo leads research on cross-disciplinary topics in psychometrics. His grant funding totals approximately $9.9 million since 2000, with recent highlights including $2.8 million from the Canada Research Chairs Program and $3.3 million from the UBC-Paragon Research Agreement. His research has practical applications across education, health, and social sciences, with particular emphasis on ensuring measurement validity and fairness in diverse contexts.
Dr. Molly Babel is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of British Columbia, where she directs the Speech In Context Lab (SpeeCon). Her research examines speech perception, processing, and production within the broader context of spoken language use, including social and performative elements such as gender identity and accent variation. Her work spans sociolinguistics, phonetics, and psycholinguistics with core interests in bilingual speech (particularly Cantonese-English), phonetic variation, voice evaluation, and perceptual learning. She investigates how social context, syntactic factors, language environment, and talker variability influence speech processing, often focusing on gender identity and crosslinguistic phenomena in early bilinguals. Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) reveals dominant trends in bilingual voice learning, Cantonese-English phonetic mergers, perceptual adaptation to pronunciation variation, and critical examinations of essentialist language ideologies. Her research integrates acoustic analysis, perception experiments, and computational modeling to explore speech intelligibility, voice recall, and cognitive representation of spoken language. The Speech in Context Lab, which she leads, studies spoken communication through a broad lens of context—including social, linguistic, and environmental factors—to unravel how language is cognitively represented. The lab's work emphasizes practical applications in speech technology, language education, and understanding social biases in voice perception, using the acorn metaphor to represent speech as a dense information package requiring careful analysis.
Robert Pellerin is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, where he has established himself as a leading expert in Industry 4.0, digital transformation, and production management systems. With over three decades of academic experience, he holds the Jarislowsky/AtkinsRéalis Research Chair in International Project Management and maintains active affiliations with multiple research centers including SAGIP, CIRODD, Laboratoire Poly-Industries 4.0, IVADO, GMT, and CIRRELT. His research focuses on the industry of the future and digital society, with particular emphasis on Industry 5.0 (human-centered Industry 4.0 practices), real-time production management, project planning and control, management information systems (ERP, MES, PLM), process reengineering, and digital transformation. Professor Pellerin's work bridges theoretical research with practical industrial applications, addressing critical challenges faced by manufacturing SMEs in their digital transformation journeys. His extensive publication record includes 347 scholarly works, with recent research trending toward human-centered AI applications in manufacturing, digital twin technology for warehouse and mining operations, and optimization of production planning under uncertainty. His scholarly impact is evidenced by multiple top-cited and top-viewed papers in leading journals such as the Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing and International Journal of Production Research. Selected Awards and Distinctions: Best Student Paper Award 2024, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference Best paper at the 34th European Modeling & Simulation Symposium (2022) Multiple Top cited/viewed paper awards in leading journals (2018-2020) Excellence in Teaching Award from Polytechnique Montréal (2012) Best Professor of Industrial Engineering for Graduate Studies Award (2011) Majdi Najm Award from the SAP University Alliance (2007) Professor Pellerin has supervised 12 PhD students and 49 Master's students to completion, with recent theses focusing on Industry 4.0 implementation in SMEs, digital transformation project management, and human-AI interaction in manufacturing settings. His research is supported through multiple collaborative projects with industry partners, particularly in the mining, construction, and manufacturing sectors. He has developed innovative frameworks for business process reengineering and project portfolio management that have been adopted by several industrial organizations. As a member of the Laboratoire Poly-Industries 4.0 and other research centers, he leads interdisciplinary teams exploring the integration of emerging technologies in production systems. His current work focuses on developing human-centered AI solutions that enhance rather than replace human capabilities in manufacturing environments, aligning with the emerging Industry 5.0 paradigm.
Dena Shahriari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia's School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME). She holds additional affiliations with the International Collaborations on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) and the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS). Her research bridges materials science, electrical engineering, and medicine to develop innovative solutions for healthcare challenges. Dr. Shahriari received her BS in Bioengineering from the University of California Berkeley, followed by a PhD in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Bioelectronics Laboratory under Professor Polina Anikeeva, working with both the Research Laboratory of Electronics and the McGovern Brain Institute. Her research focuses on developing neuroelectronic devices, sensors, and smart biomaterials to interface with biological tissues for tissue regeneration and organ augmentation. Key areas include smart biomaterials, neural interfaces, biosensors, tissue regeneration, and organ augmentation, with specific research themes in cellular & molecular engineering and human interfacing devices. The BioAugmentative Interfaces Laboratory she leads at ICORD creates advanced interfaces between biological systems and electronic devices for therapeutic applications. Analysis of Dr. Shahriari's publication record reveals a consistent focus on neural interfaces and biomaterials for tissue regeneration, with her most recent work (2023-2025) showing increasing incorporation of artificial intelligence techniques in medical imaging and diagnostics while maintaining her core expertise in biomaterials engineering. Her research spans from fundamental biomaterials development to clinical applications, with particular emphasis on nerve repair scaffolds with microchannel structures, optoelectronic neural interfaces, and smart biomaterials for organ augmentation. Dr. Shahriari actively mentors a diverse research team including PhD candidates Shahriar Shalileh (UBC Four Year Fellowship Awardee) and Elham Mohseni Vadeghani (Faculty of Medicine 2024 Graduate Student Awardee), Master's student Adan Moallemi (CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship awardee), PhD student Milad Yazdani, and numerous undergraduate researchers. Alumni from her lab have pursued medical school, industry positions, and further graduate studies at institutions like EPFL. The BioAugmentative Interfaces Laboratory is situated within UBC's newly opened purpose-built biomedical engineering facility, positioning Dr. Shahriari's research at the forefront of Canada's efforts to advance health solutions and grow the biotech sector through collaborative research across engineering, medicine, and biology.
Edmond Cretu serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering within the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia. His research contributions are centered in microsystems, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering, with affiliations to the Bionics Network and Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS). His educational qualifications include: MASc from Romania PhD from TU Delft Research focuses on MEMS and Microsystems (adaptive designs, multi-domain modeling); Nanotechnology for biomedical applications including BioMEMS; Signal Processing techniques for nonlinear/chaotic systems; and Biomedical Engineering applications such as ultrasound imaging and wearable sensor networks, integrating fractal/constructal theories for complex system analysis. Scientific awards and honors: No specific awards mentioned in source text Actively supervises graduate students and pursues interdisciplinary collaborations. Laboratory affiliations include the Microsystems and Nanotechnology (MiNa) research group and Biomedical and Multimedia Signal Processing group. Expresses interest in mentoring undergraduate researchers and collaborative projects involving sensor networks and micro-instrumentation.
Anne-Michelle Tessier is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) within the Faculty of Arts, Department of Linguistics. As Director of the UBC Child Phonology Lab, she investigates theoretical phonology and language acquisition through constraint-based grammars like Optimality Theory (OT), Harmonic Grammar, and Harmonic Serialism. Her interdisciplinary research bridges phonology with cognitive science, speech technology, and biomedical applications. PhD in Linguistics, UMass Amherst (2006) Former Assistant/Associate Professor, University of Alberta (2006-2016) Lecturer in Linguistics/Psychology, University of Michigan (2016-2018) Adjunct Professor, Simon Fraser University (2016-2019) Her research focuses on phonological acquisition , constraint-based learning algorithms , and cross-linguistic studies . She explores topics such as: U-shaped development in child phonology Second language production/perception in childhood Prosodic processing in cochlear implant users Morpho-phonological domain interactions French liaison acquisition mechanisms Swearword phonological satisfaction Key publications include her textbook Phonological Acquisition and work on error-driven learning models. She previously served as Associate Editor for Glossa and Lingua journals. Current projects examine English onset clusters, French liaison simulations, and L1/L2 phonological modeling.
Rebecca Todd is an Associate Professor in UBC's Department of Psychology within the Faculty of Arts, and a member of the Centre for Brain Health. She specializes in cognitive neuroscience with a focus on the interaction between emotion and cognition in health and psychopathology. Her research employs brain imaging methods and laboratory experiments to investigate how we process affective salience and how this influences perception, learning, and memory. Dr. Todd earned her PhD in Developmental Science and Neuroscience from the University of Toronto in 2008. Prior to her academic career in neuroscience, she was a contemporary dance choreographer and journalist, which has informed her unique interdisciplinary approach to studying cognition through movement and interaction. Her research program focuses on neurocognitive processes underlying the interaction between human emotion and cognition. She investigates how we process affective salience (emotional/motivational importance) of objects and events, and how this influences perception, learning, and memory. Her work examines individual differences in how we filter the world to perceive specific categories of salient events (threatening vs. rewarding), how such filters develop over time, and their consequences for emotional health. Specific programs include investigation of neurocognitive processes underlying effects of acute stress on attention, learning, and memory, and attentional biases predicting treatment outcomes in depression. Dr. Todd's recent publications show an evolving research trajectory that increasingly integrates participatory sensemaking, ecological approaches to cognition, and multidisciplinary perspectives. Her work spans cognitive neuroscience, clinical applications, dance cognition, and embodied approaches to understanding how we interact with our environment. The breadth of her research demonstrates a commitment to understanding cognition as embedded in real-world contexts rather than isolated laboratory settings. Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award (2017) CIHR New Investigator Award (2016) Dr. Todd leads the Motivated Cognition Lab at UBC, where she employs a multi-method approach including EEG, fMRI, psychophysiology, eye tracking, and genotyping to assess how common genetic variations interact with life experience to shape brain activity. Her lab investigates how these interactions influence emotional filters for perceiving and remembering. She is affiliated with MATRIX-N: Multidisciplinary Alliance for Translational Research and Innovation in Neuropsychiatry, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. While she is not currently accepting graduate students, her research continues to advance understanding of the neurocognitive basis of emotional experience and its impact on cognition.
Professor Paul Pavlidis is a faculty member at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Medicine , affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry , Michael Smith Laboratories , and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health . He serves as Associate Director of the UBC Graduate Program in Bioinformatics and leads the Pavlidis Lab at UBC. Education Ph.D. (1994) from University of California, Berkeley B.A. (1989) from Cornell University His research focuses on neuroinformatics , integrating genomics , bioinformatics , and systems biology to study gene networks in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia, autism, Alzheimer’s, and depression. He develops open-access tools including Gemma (transcriptome data harmonization), GOTrack , and ErmineJ . The lab applies single-cell genomics , bulk RNA-seq , and epigenetic analysis to understand cellular composition changes in brain disorders. Recent work includes a 2020 study in Biological Psychiatry identifying astrocyte and neuron population shifts in schizophrenia. Scientific Awards & Grants Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund grant (2016) National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant ($1.6 million USD, 2016-2021) for “Neuroinformatics for gene expression: networks, function and meta-analysis” Pavlidis advocates for open science , emphasizing reusable data and tools. His lab harmonizes over 19,000 transcriptomic datasets, enabling large-scale meta-analyses. Future work includes integrating single-cell RNA-sequencing into Gemma and advancing AI-driven bioinformatics.
Julia Schmidt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Medicine. With a PhD in cognitive rehabilitation from The University of Queensland and a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta, her research focuses on traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation, neurophysiological changes in concussion recovery, and patient/community partnerships. Academic Focus: Brain injury rehabilitation, evidence-based practice, social participation, and mobile health (mHealth) applications. Key Research Themes: Neurobiological to psychosocial impacts of TBI, virtual reality in rehabilitation, pandemic-related health disparities, and self-identity reconstruction post-injury. Recent Publications & Research Trends Her 2025–2024 work explores: Barriers in healthcare access for homeless populations with TBI and mental health disorders. Virtual reality for activities of daily living (ADL) rehabilitation. Post-traumatic growth metrics in TBI survivors. Pandemic impacts on older adults and people with disabilities. Labs & Collaborations Dr. Schmidt leads the CEDAR Brain Injury Lab, integrating lived-experience perspectives into research design and knowledge translation. She collaborates with clinical networks in British Columbia and Germany.
Dr. Alexis K. Black is an Assistant Professor at the School of Audiology & Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in Linguistics and Cognitive Science (2018) from UBC and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Haskins Laboratories with Dr. Richard Aslin before joining the faculty in January 2020. B.A. (University of Virginia) M.A. (University of Virginia) Ph.D. (University of British Columbia, 2018) Her research investigates how linguistic forms and concepts emerge from early learning processes and perceptual biases through behavioral studies (eye-tracking) and neuroimaging (EEG, fNIRS) . Key interests include: Infant language acquisition mechanisms Statistical learning in preverbal infants Speech perception development Neural entrainment to linguistic patterns Infant-directed speech analysis Methodological reproducibility in infancy research The 15 most recent publications reveal focus areas in developmental speech processing with cross-lab replication studies (ManyBabies), neural dynamics of language acquisition through EEG analysis, and multisensory integration in speech perception. Her work frequently examines bilingual infant development and experimental methodology standardization. She operates the Language and Development Lab , which combines behavioral and neuroimaging approaches to study language emergence.
Shana Poplack, CM, D. Litt, F.R.S.C., is a Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Sociolinguistics Laboratory since 1982. As a Canada Research Chair in Linguistics (Tier I) from 2001–2022, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (since 1998), and Fellow of the Linguistic Society of America (since 2009), her work bridges theoretical and applied sociolinguistics. D.Litt, Honoris Causa - University College Dublin (2017) Ph.D., Linguistics - University of Pennsylvania (1979) M.A., Linguistics and French Literature - New York University (1968) B.A., Romance Languages - Queens College, CUNY (1968) Her research specializes in linguistic variation and change through empirical analysis, focusing on bilingual language mixing, language contact, grammatical convergence, and the historical emergence of African American Vernacular English. She investigates how normative language prescription interacts with actual linguistic praxis, particularly in educational contexts. Recent work emphasizes code-switching mechanisms, phonetic integration in bilingual borrowing, and real-time language change dynamics. Publications span topics like grammaticalization of future tense in Brazilian Portuguese, subjunctive usage in North American English, and corpus-driven insights into Quebec French evolution. Member, Order of Canada (2014–present) Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (1998–present) Canada Research Chair, Tier I (2001–2022) Fellow, Linguistic Society of America (2009–present) The Sociolinguistics Laboratory under her direction has developed robust data management frameworks for multilingual corpora, contributing to open science initiatives like the Open Handbook of Linguistic Data Management . Her teaching includes advanced courses on sociolinguistic research and urban dialectology.
Helen Monkman is an Associate Professor and Undergraduate Advisor at the School of Health Information Science , University of Victoria . With a PhD from UVic and BSc/MA in Psychology from Carleton University, she focuses on improving consumer health information systems through human factors, usability, and digital health literacy research. Education: PhD (UVic), MA (Carleton), BSc (Carleton) Key Research Areas: User-Centered Design, eHealth Literacy, Information Visualization, Healthcare IT Usability Her work emphasizes reducing cognitive demands on users and enhancing patient engagement through tailored health systems. She has collaborated with Canadian health organizations on mobile health apps, electronic medication reconciliation, and interoperability frameworks. Publications span topics in health informatics, usability engineering, and cognitive workload analysis. Specific projects include hybrid usability inspection methods and designing systems for users with limited eHealth literacy.
Dr. Adam Kenneth Dubé is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University's Faculty of Education . As Director of the Technology, Learning, & Cognition (TLC) Lab , he specializes in educational technology, cognitive development, and mathematical learning. His research explores tablet-based education, digital home numeracy practices, and children's interactions with smart assistants, funded by SSHRC and Fonds de Recherche du Québec. He has authored the book Understanding Tablets from Early Childhood to Adulthood: Encounters with Touch Technology and contributed to UN Digital Learning Guidelines. PhD in Psychology (University of Regina) MA in Psychology (University of Regina) Postdoctoral Research Fellow (University of Toronto) His work combines learning sciences and educational technology to address critical questions about digital learning efficacy. Articles highlight his focus on app store analysis, game-based pedagogy, and digital numeracy frameworks. Recent publications examine how user ratings influence app selection and how digital tools reshape mathematical cognition. Scientific Awards and Grants: SSHRC Insight Grant (2021) MITACS Accelerate (2020-2021) SSHRC Insight Grant (2020-2021) SSHRC Insight Development Grant (multiple 2019-2022) McGill Faculty of Education Distinguished Teacher Award AERA/SRCD Joint Fellow Research Trends show consistent exploration of educational technology's dual role in entertainment and learning, with recent work analyzing smart speakers' impact on children's understanding of artificial minds and AI communication.
Yaoyao Zhao is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University's Faculty of Engineering, holding the prestigious William Dawson Scholar designation (2019-2022). She teaches core courses including MECH 290 (Design Graphics), MECH 360 (Principles of Manufacturing), and MECH 560 (Eco-design and Product Life Cycle Assessment). Her educational background includes a Ph.D. and M.Eng. from the University of Auckland, and a B.Eng. from Beijing Institute of Technology. Research interests span three interconnected themes: Sustainable Manufacturing (developing sustainability analysis methods and material databases), Additive Manufacturing (exploring new design methods and materials), and Industry 4.0 (adapting AI/ML tools for cognitive manufacturing). Her work integrates biomechanics and materials science with primary focus on design and manufacturing informatics. Professor Zhao directs the Additive Design and Manufacturing Laboratory (ADML), which develops specialized software including INTRALATTICE Pro, SimuLattice, ConsolidDesign, and Automated Candidate Detection tools. Her 15 most recent publications (2018-2020) demonstrate expertise in additive manufacturing process modeling, lattice structure design, sustainable product development, and AI-driven manufacturing solutions, with significant contributions to titanium alloy processing, high-entropy materials, and biomedical applications. ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (JMD) 2019 Associate Editor Award William Dawson Scholar (2019-2022) Design Society Reviewers’ Favourite paper award (2019) ASME DMLC Best Paper Award (2018) MAME Professor of the Year Award (2014) Her research program secures substantial funding for advancing sustainable manufacturing practices and intelligent design systems, with particular emphasis on translating theoretical models into industrial applications through the ADML Lab's proprietary software ecosystem. Current projects focus on AI adaptation for cognitive manufacturing and end-of-life product reuse analysis.
