Romin W. Tafarodi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, where he researches cultured subjectivity and identity formation. He holds a B.A. from the University of Waterloo and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. His work examines how societal symbols and institutional relations shape human individuality and interpersonal understanding, with secondary interests in metapsychology and philosophy of science. Research interests focus on: Self-consciousness as culturally-mediated subjectivity Contingencies of identity in social relations Cross-cultural perspectives on selfhood and personhood Philosophical foundations of psychological science His publications demonstrate consistent focus on cross-cultural identity, self-esteem mechanisms, and social perception, with frequent comparative studies between Eastern and Western societies. Recent works explore multicultural adjustment, implicit bias awareness, and narrative identity in diverse cultural contexts. Current and former graduate students include: Siobhan Flanagan (current) Tara Marshall Greg Bonn Jeff Yen Courses taught in 2024-2025: PSY197: The Extended Mind PSY428: Critical Psychology PSY425: Self and Identity
David D. Vachon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University. His research focuses on individual differences in deviance across the lifespan, emphasizing the role of personality in externalizing disorders and the absence of internal controls like empathy and constraint. He explores clinical psychology, social/personality dynamics, and developmental science. Research Interests: His work spans Personality etiology of psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and narcissism Deviant behaviors (substance use, aggression, crime) as natural outcomes without internal controls Developmental psychopathology and its intersection with race/criminal status Publications: His articles analyze empathy-aggression relationships, psychopathy prevalence, and DSM-5 critiques, reflecting themes of behavioral prediction and forensic psychology. Advising & Grants: No formal advisees or grant details listed. His work is supported by collaborative research networks in clinical and developmental psychology.
Anita Hubley is a Professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS). She serves as MERM Program Coordinator and directs the Adult Development and Psychometrics Lab. Her work focuses on psychometric test development/validation and quality of life research across adult populations. Education: Ph.D. in Psychology (Human Assessment specialization), Carleton University (1995) M.A. in Psychology (Lifespan Development and Aging), University of Victoria (1991) Pre-doctoral training at Geriatric Assessment Unit (Ottawa) and Neuropsychological Assessment Unit (Ottawa) Her research integrates psychometric theory with practical applications in aging populations, homeless/vulnerably housed individuals, and neuropsychological assessment tools. Key contributions include developing the Memory Test for Older Adults (MTOA), Hubley Depression Scale for Older Adults (HDS-OA), Quality of Life in Homeless and Hard-to-House Individuals (QoLHHI), and Subjective Age Identity Scale (SAIS). Scientific Awards: Killam Teaching Prize (2017) Distinguished Reviewer, Buros Institute of Mental Measurements (2013) She has taught graduate courses in Psychological Assessment, Measurement Principles, Scale Development, and Applied Neuropsychology, emphasizing ethical testing practices and response process research. Her lab's work on test adaptation for marginalized populations has informed international measurement standards.
Gunnar Blohm is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen's University, affiliated with the School of Medicine and Faculty of Health Sciences. His research focuses on sensorimotor neuroscience, particularly 3D sensorimotor control, eye-hand coordination, and computational modeling of neural processes. He holds a Ph.D. from Université Catholique de Louvain and has held postdoctoral positions at York University and his alma mater. Cross-appointed to the School of Computing, Department of Psychology, and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, he is also Vice-Director of the Connected Minds initiative. His research integrates behavioral experiments, brain imaging (MEG/EEG), and patient studies to understand how sensory information is transformed into goal-directed actions. Key areas include visuomotor transformations, multisensory integration, and Bayesian processes in neural computations. Blohm leads the Computational Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab, emphasizing collaborative projects like Neuromatch Academy and contributions to open science initiatives. Affiliated with Queen's Centre for Neuroscience Studies and Ingenuity Labs, his work bridges computational approaches with clinical applications, aiming to develop frameworks for understanding brain dysfunction and clinical tools. His recent articles explore topics like saccade dynamics, pupil responses, and generative adversarial collaborations in scientific discourse.
William Sulis is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and an Associate Member of the Department of Psychology at McMaster University, where he also directs the Collective Intelligence Lab (CILab). With a unique interdisciplinary background spanning mathematics, physics, and psychiatry, Dr. Sulis bridges the gap between theoretical science and clinical practice. His educational journey is exceptionally diverse: B.Sc. (Hon) in Mathematics with minor in Theoretical Physics, Carleton University (1976) M.D., University of Western Ontario (1980) M.A. in Mathematics, University of Western Ontario (1984) Ph.D. in Mathematics, University of Western Ontario (1989) FRCPC in Psychiatry (1984) Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics, University of Waterloo (2014) CRCPC in Geriatric Psychiatry (2015) Dr. Sulis's research explores the intersection of complex systems theory with psychological and psychiatric phenomena. His work on Collective Intelligence investigates how group dynamics emerge from individual interactions, while his research on Temperament and Psychobiology examines the continuum between normal personality variations and mental illness. He has made significant contributions to understanding Synchronization in Complex Systems and developed the concept of Transient Induced Global Response Synchronization (TIGoRS) , which has implications for neural coding and information processing. His theoretical work extends to Quantum Foundations and Process Algebra Theory , where he proposes novel approaches to quantum mechanics. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent thread connecting complex systems theory with psychological and psychiatric applications. His work increasingly focuses on bridging the gap between temperament theory and clinical psychiatry, using mathematical and computational approaches to understand mental illness. Simultaneously, he continues to develop theoretical frameworks in quantum physics through process algebra models, demonstrating remarkable interdisciplinary range. Dr. Sulis has received several prestigious awards including The Governor General's Medal for having the highest overall grade point average in his graduating class, the Henry Marshall Tory Scholarship, and multiple Harry Stevenson Southam Scholarships. Throughout his career, Dr. Sulis has mentored numerous students across disciplines, supervising research projects spanning collective intelligence, semantic space modeling, network dynamics, and temperament studies. His Collective Intelligence Lab has served as a hub for interdisciplinary research connecting computer science, psychology, and psychiatry. Dr. Sulis has also been actively involved in professional organizations, serving as President of The Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences (1996-1998) and holding editorial positions for several journals including "Dynamical Psychology" and "Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and the Life Sciences." As Director of the Collective Intelligence Lab at McMaster University, Dr. Sulis fosters research exploring how complex adaptive systems can model cognitive and social phenomena. The lab serves as an intellectual nexus where mathematics, computer science, psychology, and psychiatry converge to address fundamental questions about intelligence, both individual and collective.
Frank Russo is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he holds the NSERC-Sonova Senior Research Chair in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience. He leads the Science of Music Auditory Research and Technology (SMART) Lab and holds affiliate and adjunct positions at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto, respectively. Research Interests: Dr. Russo's work lies at the intersection of auditory cognitive neuroscience, music psychology, and rehabilitation. His research explores how humans perceive music and speech, particularly under challenging conditions such as hearing loss or non-native accents. He investigates the cognitive and neural mechanisms of listening effort, emotional speech processing, and the social and therapeutic benefits of music, especially through community choirs and digital interventions. Publication Trends: His recent publications emphasize objective measurement of listening effort using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), music-based interventions for Parkinson’s disease and dementia, vocal and emotional responses to singing, and multisensory integration in beat perception. The work is highly translational, bridging basic cognitive neuroscience with clinical and community applications. Scientific Awards and Honors: NSERC-Sonova Senior Research Chair in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association Fellow of Massey College Fellow of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Science Past President of the Canadian Acoustical Association Advising and Grants: Dr. Russo actively mentors students and researchers, as evidenced by his co-authorship with numerous junior colleagues. He has secured major funding through NSERC and industry partnerships, enabling the development of impactful technologies such as hearing aid algorithms, sensory substitution systems, and digital therapeutics. His SingWell project fosters collaboration across academic, clinical, and community sectors. Labs and Teams: He directs the SMART Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, a hub for interdisciplinary research on music, hearing, and cognition. The lab collaborates extensively with KITE Research Institute, Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto, and various community organizations focused on aging, hearing loss, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Dr. Lauren Emberson (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts. She directs the Baby Learning Lab, which is part of UBC's Early Development Research Group, a consortium focused on infant and child development. Prior to her position at UBC, Dr. Emberson was an Assistant Professor at Princeton University where she co-founded and co-directed the Princeton Baby and Princeton Kid Labs. Education: Postdoctoral Associate, University of Rochester (PI Aslin) Ph.D, Cornell University (PIs Amso, Goldstein, Spivey) B.Sc, University of British Columbia Dr. Emberson's research focuses on learning, perception (audition, vision, crossmodal or multisensory), language development, face/object perception, and attention in infants. She investigates these capacities using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques, particularly fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy), working primarily with very young infants (birth through 1 year) and preterm/premature infants. Her work examines how infants' learning capacities contribute to rapid development of perception in ecological contexts, with implications for understanding how early life experiences affect later outcomes. Analysis of Dr. Emberson's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on infant perception, learning mechanisms, and neuroimaging methodology. Her work increasingly incorporates advanced fNIRS techniques while maintaining focus on fundamental questions about how infants learn from their environment. There's a growing emphasis on individual differences, cross-cultural comparisons, and applications to infants facing developmental challenges. Dr. Emberson serves on the editorial board of Infancy (journal of the International Congress of Infancy Studies) and is a consulting editor for the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience . Her research has been published in top journals including PNAS, Current Biology, Psychological Science, Cognition, Developmental Science, and the Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Emberson has secured significant research funding from prestigious organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, James S. McDonnell Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She collaborates with clinicians at BC Women's and Children's Hospitals to understand how different early life experiences impact learning and brain development. Dr. Emberson is currently accepting graduate students into her research program. The Baby Learning Lab, under Dr. Emberson's direction, is part of UBC's Early Developmental Research Group and collaborates with multiple institutions. The lab strives to provide interactive research experiences for infants and families while advancing scientific understanding of early cognitive development. The lab acknowledges that it operates on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
Jonn Axsen is a Professor in the School of Resource & Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where he directs the Sustainable Transportation Research Team (START). With an academic career focused on mitigating transportation emissions, he bridges individual decision-making, social systems, technology, and public policy to advance sustainable mobility solutions. BBA, Business Administration (First Class Honours), Simon Fraser University MRM, Resource Management, Simon Fraser University PhD, Transportation Technology and Policy, University of California, Davis His research identifies solutions for decarbonizing road transportation, examining electric vehicles, alternative mobility systems, and policy frameworks. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understand consumer behavior, organizational transitions, and policy effectiveness in achieving zero-emissions vehicle adoption. Recent publications focus on policy mixes for ZEV adoption, automobility reduction, and consumer perceptions of emerging mobility technologies. Key trends include analyzing subsidy effectiveness, automaker responses to regulation, and cross-cultural differences in mobility preferences. His work appears in top venues like Nature Climate Change and Transportation Research Part D . Royal Society of Canada Fellow (2021) International Transport Forum Award (2012) Securing $2M+ in grants from SSHRC, Translink, Tesla, and PICS, Axsen collaborates with organizations including the UN, Transport Canada, and environmental NGOs. He serves as Senior Associate Editor for Energy Research & Social Science and sits on the US National Academies’ Transportation Research Board. The START team at SFU conducts applied research on sustainable transportation, integrating stakeholder insights with academic rigor. Axsen's lab focuses on bridging technical and social dimensions of mobility transitions through mixed-method studies.
Desmond McEwan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Education. His research focuses on sport and exercise psychology, particularly teamwork, group dynamics, and human thriving in high-performance teams. His research interests include Sport Psychology, Teamwork, Group Dynamics, High-Performance Teams, and Human Thriving. He examines how team cohesion, psychological safety, and resilience contribute to individual and team success in sport settings. His work often involves both elite and youth athletes, with applications in coaching and performance support. Recent publications (2023-2025) show a strong trend in exploring psychological safety, team resilience, and human thriving in sport. His work spans systematic reviews, longitudinal studies, and qualitative investigations, often focusing on interventions to improve teamwork and well-being. Key themes include the role of social support, leadership, and identity in team functioning. McEwan advises graduate students, including Stef Atkinson who completed a Master of Arts in Kinesiology on trust in the coach-athlete relationship. He is open to collaborations on clusters and grants. He directs the Sport and Performance Psychology Lab at UBC, which conducts research on team dynamics and thriving in sport.
Pouya Bashivan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine. His research focuses on developing computational models to explain and regulate neural responses during visual tasks requiring memory, combining machine learning, neuroscience, and cognitive science. Education : Ph.D. in Computer Engineering (2016), Postdocs in Machine Learning (2020) and Computational Neuroscience (2016-2020) His lab investigates: Topographical neural networks for visual cortex simulation Massively-multitask models for prefrontal cortex Saccade-driven visual exploration models Predictive hippocampus models for episodic memory Recent publications explore adversarial robustness, memory-augmented networks, and brain-state decoding. Current projects emphasize causal models, brain-AI alignment, and translating computational neuroscience into therapeutic applications. The lab is located in the McIntyre Medical Sciences Building, Room 1117, Montreal, Quebec.
Dr. Colin Garroway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Science. His research focuses on understanding how population-level processes influence biodiversity at genetic, population, and species levels. He employs interdisciplinary approaches, including genomics, ecological modeling, and data synthesis, to address challenges in conservation and climate change impacts. His work often targets systems undergoing significant environmental changes, such as urbanized areas and Arctic ecosystems. Dr. Garroway teaches advanced courses in Evolutionary Genetics and Evolutionary Biology. His research emphasizes the interplay between human-driven environmental changes—such as urbanization and climate warming—and their effects on genetic diversity, species distribution, and adaptation. He leads the Garroway Lab, which collaborates on global projects like biodiversity assessments in protected areas and epigenetic studies in wildlife. Key research themes include: biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation genetics, urban evolution, and the genetic consequences of human activities. His work integrates field studies, genomic analyses, and computational models to provide actionable insights for conservation strategies.
Dr. Gordon Hodson is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Brock University, Canada. He specializes in intergroup relations, prejudice, and dehumanization, with a focus on linking human-animal relations to broader systems of oppression. His work bridges academia and advocacy, exploring how ideologies like social dominance underpin both speciesism and ethnic prejudice. Education: Ph.D. (Psychology) from Western University (formerly University of Western Ontario). Research Interests: His studies examine intergroup contact's role in reducing bias, the psychological roots of prejudice, and the cognitive mechanisms underlying dehumanization. Key areas include: Intergroup contact theory Prejudice dynamics Human-animal relations Political radicalization Publications & Awards: Authored/edited over 150 peer-reviewed articles and books, including Why We Love and Exploit Animals . Honors include the SPSSI Gordon Allport Award (2019) and the APA Division 34 award (2016). Lab & Team: Leads the Brock Intergroup Attitudes Scholarship (BIAS) Lab, training students in prejudice research. Collaborates internationally on projects addressing speciesism, climate change, and pandemic risks linked to meat consumption. Grants & Future Work: Active in securing funding for research on intergroup contact generalization effects and policy implications of dehumanization. Current projects include longitudinal studies on prejudice trends and interventions to enhance cognitive liberalization.
Patrick Gaudreau is a Full Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, where he specializes in social and personality psychology. His research focuses on the determinants and consequences of achievement in educational, sport, and artistic domains, particularly through the lens of his Model of Excellencism and Perfectionism (MEP). The MEP distinguishes between healthy pursuit of excellence and harmful perfectionism, emphasizing how these motivations affect performance, psychological adjustment, and social behaviors. Gaudreau's work highlights the benefits of excellencism, such as reduced distress and ethical attitudes compared to perfectionism. He also investigates motivational dynamics, coping strategies, and the impact of digital devices on learning. Education: Ph.D. in Psychology, Université de Montréal (2004) M.Sc. in Psychology, Université de Montréal (2000) B.Sc. in Psychology, Université de Montréal (1999) Research Interests: Perfectionism vs. excellencism, achievement goals, self-determination theory, performance anxiety, sport psychology, health psychology, and quantitative methods. His laboratory, LAMRA (Laboratory for Research on Achievement, Motivation, and the Regulation of Action), explores interactionist perspectives on how social environments and individual traits shape achievement outcomes. Recent Articles: Recent work examines psychological needs in the context of excellencism, perfectionism's impact on social disconnection, and the motivational roles of fear of failure. His findings advocate for interventions to transform perfectionism into excellencism to enhance both performance and well-being. Awards: None explicitly listed, but recognized as editor of Anxiety, Stress, and Coping and for over 100 scientific publications. Active in applied settings, including coaching youth baseball and advising on athlete well-being. Advising & Grants: Supervises numerous graduate students and collaborates on grants focusing on perfectionism, excellencism, and motivational interventions. His research has been supported by studies on procrastination, academic transitions, and the psychological effects of sport participation. Labs/Teams: Leads the LAMRA, a multidisciplinary team investigating achievement-related processes. Engaged with the Student-athlete Well-being and Achievement Project (SWAP), examining sport and academic outcomes for student-athletes.
Christine Tardif is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University. As head of the McConnell Brain Imaging Centre lab at the Montreal Neurological Institute, she develops advanced MRI techniques for in-vivo brain imaging, focusing on quantitative mapping of myelin and cortical microstructure. Her work spans methodological innovation (e.g., multi-modal biophysical modeling) and translational applications across preclinical (7 Tesla) and clinical (3 and 7 Tesla) systems. Undergraduate: B.Eng. in Computer Engineering, McGill University (2004) Master's: M.Sc. in Bioengineering, Imperial College London (2006) PhD: Biomedical Engineering, McGill University (2011) Her research explores myelin dynamics in health and disease, emphasizing its role in neural conduction, brain plasticity, and cognitive functions. The lab investigates dysmyelination in psychiatric disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder) and neurodegenerative conditions (e.g., multiple sclerosis) using relaxometry , magnetization transfer , and diffusion-weighted imaging . Recent methodological work includes 3D MERMAID sequences for motion-insensitive diffusion imaging and optimization of magnetization transfer saturation maps. Current projects integrate ultra-high field MRI with histological validation in preclinical models (e.g., marmoset brain sections), aiming to bridge microstructural metrics with macro-scale brain function. Applications span Alzheimer's disease risk assessment via white matter alterations, synaptic density mapping in psychosis, and cortical laminar differentiation studies.
William Hall is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Brock University. His research focuses on social identity threat, diversity, and inclusion, particularly examining how interpersonal interactions and organizational norms affect marginalized groups in STEM fields. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia (UBC). His research explores how workplace cultures and policies can mitigate social identity threat for women and other underrepresented groups. Key areas include gender dynamics in STEM, organizational inclusion strategies, and the psychological impacts of implicit biases. He has published extensively in journals like Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Social Psychological and Personality Science . William’s work emphasizes the interplay between individual experiences and systemic structures, advocating for identity-safe environments that foster belonging and reduce burnout. His lab website highlights ongoing projects and collaborations. No scientific awards are explicitly listed, but his contributions to organizational psychology are notable. He advises no listed students but collaborates on grants exploring workplace inclusion and gender equity.
