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PEOPLE

Principal Investigator

Dr. Andy Lee

Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough.
Adjunct scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, Toronto.
andych.lee[at]utoronto.ca
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Following a B.A. in Psychology, Physiology, and Philosophy at the University of Oxford, I was a Ph.D. student at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge working with Professors Trevor Robbins and Adrian Owen on the role of the human frontal lobes in memory encoding and retrieval. I then undertook a post-doctoral position with Prof. Kim Graham at the MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK, where I became interested in long-term memory and the medial temporal lobes. In 2006, I moved to the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford on a Royal Society Relocation Fellowship, and became a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow in 2008. In 2011, I took up a faculty position at the Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Scarborough campus. Outside of science, I love spending time with my wife and children, and making music.
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Post-doctoral fellows
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Dr. Zhemeng Wu

Postdoctoral Fellow

zhemeng.wu[at]utoronto.ca

I completed my PhD in Experimental Psychology in University of Oxford, where I used a combined electrophysiology and neuroimaging approach to investigate the interaction between MTL and PFC in recognition memory in non-human primates. I’m interested in what’s the dynamic neural mechanisms operating in macaque hippocampus and PFC and how these mechanisms support memory. Currently, I’m working in both the Ito-Limbic (Dr Rutsuko Ito) and Lee-MTL (Dr Andy Lee) labs to continue my interests on memory. Using a cross-species approach, I aim to investigate the role of MTL in mediating temporal memory and approach-avoidance decision making. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling around the world, making coffee and spending time with my family and friends.
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Dr. Sonny Dhawan

Postdoctoral Fellow

sonny.dhawan[at]utoronto.ca 

I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in both the Lee-MTL (Dr Andy Lee) and Ito-LiMBiC (Dr Rutsuko Ito) labs. During my PhD at the University of St Andrews (Scotland), I worked with Prof. Verity Brown investigating the role of the subthalamic nucleus in executive functioning – particularly understanding how inactivating this region in the rat impairs the selection of responses necessary for the formation of attentional set. I am interested in both the learning and memory processes exercised during decision making and problem solving, and I am currently exploring the role of the rodent medial temporal lobe in approach-avoidance decision making. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling to new places, eating new food, reading about astronomy, and playing guitar, hockey, and video games.

Graduate students

Shouyu Ling

Graduate Student

shouyu.ling[at]mail.utoronto.ca

I received my B.Sc in Psychology at University of Toronto. I am currently a Ph.D student co-supervised by Dr. Andy Lee and Dr. Adrian Nestor. My research focuses on examining the neural correlates of visual perception and mental imagery. Specifically, I apply various machine learning techniques on neuroimaging data to try to retrieve the content of visual/imagery experiences. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading and spending time with friends.

Willem Le Duc

Graduate Student

w.leduc[at]mail.utoronto.ca

I am a graduate student pursuing a Master’s and PhD in Clinical Psychology, co-supervised by Drs. Andy Lee and Antony Ruocco. I completed a B.A. in Honours Psychology at McGill University, and conducted the research for my undergraduate thesis in the Sheldon Memory Lab, under the supervision of Dr. Signy Sheldon. My undergraduate research focused on how individual differences in remembering styles are reflected in the structure, connectivity and functional dynamics of the hippocampus. My Master’s thesis will examine approach-avoidance conflict processing in patients with hippocampal lesions. My extracurricular interests include rock climbing, cycling, basketball and cinema.

Sonja Chu

Graduate Student

sonja.chu[at]mail.utoronto.ca

I am a PhD student in the clinical program at UTSC, and I am co-supervised by Andy Lee and Vina Goghari. Before joining the lab, I completed my Honours BA in Psychology from McGill University. My research uses fMRI and computational modelling to examine approach-avoidance conflict decision making in GAD and MDD. Outside of the lab, I enjoy volunteering and spending time with my dog. 

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Cody Cane

Graduate Student

cody.cane[at]mail.utoronto.ca

I am a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at UTSC. I am co-supervised by Anthony Ruocco and Andy Lee. I completed an Honours B.Cog.Sc. in Cognitive Science, specialized in Cognitive Neuroscience at Carleton University. My research uses fMRI to examine response inhibition related brain activity in different clinical populations (specifically individuals with depression and borderline personality disorder). I am also looking at how dimensional traits (e.g., disinhibition, negative affectivity, etc.) may relate to this brain activity. Outside of the lab, I enjoy working out, mixed martial arts, reading, and gaming.

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Gahyun Kim

Graduate Student

gh.kim[at]mail.utoronto.ca

I am a direct-entry Ph.D. student in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Andy Lee. I have received my honours BA in Psychology from the University of Calgary and completed B.Ed in Education and English Education back in Korea. My research interest is investigating the underlying neural representations of memory construct and alteration. My current research project is examining the temporal duration of memory at different emotional levels. Outside of the lab, I like novels, sports, traveling, and having dinner with my family.

Undergraduate Students

Hilary Watson

Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK (2010 - 2011), and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada (2011 - 2013).

Graduate students

Danielle Douglas

​PhD student (2011 - 2016), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis title: ‘Stairway to nowhere: Structural incoherencies reveal the role of the medial temporal lobe in visual perception’.

Sarah Rudebeck

​PhD student (2008 - 2012), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Thesis title: ‘The Human Medial Temporal Lobe, Brain Connectivity, and Recognition Memory’.

Emma Hindley

​MSc in Neuroscience project student (2010), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Rebecca Milington

​MSc in Neuroscience project student (2009), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Matt Margerison

​Co-op Placement student & research thesis student (2017 - 2018), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Karlie Wood

Research thesis student (2017 - 2018), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Abdul

Research thesis student (2016 - 2017), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Olga Carpio

​​Research Assistant (2015), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Mylann Guevara

Research thesis student (2014 - 2015), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Iris Li

​​Research thesis student (2014 - 2015), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Katrina Bogus

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Zahraa Chorghay

​Research assistant volunteer & NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award student (2012 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Jenkin Mok

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Peter Rizk

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Sathesan Thavabalasingam

​​Research thesis student & University of Toronto Excellence Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering research student (2012 - 2013).

Sonya Dhillon

​Research supervised study student (2012 - 2013), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Eropa Stein

​Volunteer research assistant (2012 - 2013)

Eva Ta

​Summer undergraduate research assistant (2012), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Kathryn Atherton

​Summer undergraduate research assistant (2009), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Undergraduates

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Sherry Huang

Research thesis student

Specialist in Neuroscience

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Sapolnach Prompiengchai

Supervised study & NSERC USRA student

Specialist in Neuroscience

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Paula Toro Vargas

Work study student

Specialist in Psychology

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Gabrielle Hunter

Work study student

Major in Mental Health Studies and Sociology

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Haoyu Zhang

Visiting research student

Major in Psychology, Tsinghua University, China

Katrina Bogus

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Zahraa Chorghay

​Research assistant volunteer & NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award student (2012 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

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Alumni

Postdoctoral Fellows

Qun Ye

Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada (2019 -2021).

Yuan-fang Zhao

Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada (2018).

Ed O'Neil

Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada (2015 - 2018).

Hilary Watson

Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK (2010 - 2011), and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada (2011 - 2013).

Graduate students

Dylan Yeates

PhD student (2016 - 2022). Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis: 'The Role of Extrinsic Connections and Stimulus Identity in Ventral Hippocampus Mediated Approach-Avoidance Conflict Resolution'

Eric Chi-Hsun Chang

PhD student (2015 - 2022). Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis: 'Visualizing the Vulnerability of Face Processing Across the Lifespan:An Image Reconstruction Approach'

Dean Carcone

PhD student (2016 - 2022). Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis: 'The Transdiagnostic Relationship of Cumulative Lifetime Stress with Memory, the Hippocampus, and Personality Psychopathology'

 

Sathesan Thavabalasingam

PhD student (2014 - 2021). Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis: 'Human Medial Temporal Lobe Contributions to a Temporal Representation of Sequences in Memory'

Celia Fidalgo

PhD student (2013 - 2018). Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis: 'A Representational Account of Memory and Perception Across the Lifespan'

Danielle Douglas

PhD student (2011 - 2016). Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.

Thesis: 'Stairway to Nowhere: Structural Incoherencies Reveal the Role of the Medial Temporal Lobe in Visual Perception'

Sarah Rudebeck

PhD student (2008 - 2012). Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Thesis: 'The Human Medial Temporal Lobe, Brain Connectivity, and Recognition Memory'

Emma Hindley

MSc project student (2010). Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Thesis: 'Conditioned Pattern Preference Learning and the Effect of Hippocampal Lesions'

Rebecca Millington

MSc project student (2009). Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Thesis: 'Role of the Fornix in Recognition Memory'

Undergraduate Students

Tolu Faromika

Research thesis student (2021-2022), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Sahar Popal

Research thesis student (2021-2022), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Mariam Rahman

Supervised study and UTEA student (2021-2022), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Erin Butler

Research thesis student (2020-2021), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Kayla Smith

Research thesis student (2020-2021), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Theodore Aliyianis

Supervised study student (2020-2021), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

 

Hira Fatima

Supervised study student (2020-2021), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Kiah Spencer

Research assistant volunteer (2020-2021), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Sukhan Zehra

Research thesis student (2019-2020), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Maryam Sorkhou

Lab manager (2019-2020) & NSERC USRA (2019), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

 

Sanaya Engineer

Lab Manager (2019-2020) & NSERC USRA (2018), University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Fatima Syed

Research thesis student (2018-2019), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada. 

Supreet Aashat

Lab Manager (2018-2019), Research supervised study (2016-2017), & thesis student (2017-2018), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Luis-Eduardo Munoz Alvarado

Lab manager & research supervised study student (2017 - 2018), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Matt Margerison

​Co-op Placement student & research thesis student (2017 - 2018), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Karlie Wood

Research thesis student (2017 - 2018), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Ming Wu

Lab Manager (2016-2017), Research Assistant (2017-2018) Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Arshiya Choudhury

Research assistant (2016 - 2017), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Abdulwahab Sidiqi

​Research thesis student (2016 - 2017), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Olga Carpio

​​Research Assistant (2015), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Mylann Guevara

Research thesis student (2014 - 2015), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Iris Li

​​Research thesis student (2014 - 2015), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Katrina Bogus

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Zahraa Chorghay

​Research assistant volunteer & NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award student (2012 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Jenkin Mok

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Peter Rizk

​Research thesis student (2013 - 2014), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Sathesan Thavabalasingam

​​Research thesis student & University of Toronto Excellence Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering research student (2012 - 2013).

Sonya Dhillon

​Research supervised study student (2012 - 2013), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Eropa Stein

​Volunteer research assistant (2012 - 2013)

Eva Ta

​Summer undergraduate research assistant (2012), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Thushana Karunanithy

​​Summer undergraduate research assistant (2012), Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Kathryn Atherton

​Summer undergraduate research assistant (2009), Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.

Graduate
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