Meet Our Team
Katherine Duncan
Principal Investigator
Dr. Duncan is an Associate Professor in and the Associate Chair (Undergraduate) of the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto (St. George Campus), as well as a Canada Research Chair (Tier II). Her lab seeks to understand why human memory is so fickle. Why can we sometimes recall past experiences in exquisite detail but at other times struggle to remember an acquaintance’s name? She and her lab use neuroimaging tools to investigate the dynamic brain states that may underlie this variability, and also draw inspiration from neuroscience to identify factors in our environment that can shape memory performance. Her lab primarily investigates these phenomena in healthy young adults but, through collaborations, also investigates memory across the lifespan and in individuals with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and Mild Cognitive Impairments.
Thomas Biba
PhD Student
I am a PhD student in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto supervised by Dr. Katherine Duncan and co-supervised by Dr. Taufik Valiante (Krembil Brain Institute). My work investigates how rapid (sub-second) temporal dynamics effect memory formation, and how these operations are enabled by the hippocampus using intra-cranial EEG. Broadly speaking, I am interested in characterizing how rhythmic shifts in perceptual and mnemonic processing might inform theory about the role of perception-memory interactions in predictive processing.
Robyn Wilford
PhD Student
I am a second-year PhD student at the University of Toronto supervised by Dr. Katherine Duncan. Broadly, my research interests involve understanding the brain as a complex dynamical system nonlinearly coupled to behavioural and environmental processes. In the Duncan lab, I am applying dynamical systems theory methods to better understand the relationship between our perception and memory of events using fMRI. In particular, my goal is to develop neuroimaging methods and tools to study this relationship at the individual level of analysis. In my free time, I enjoy watching science fiction, reading epic fantasy novels, and drawing.
Catalina M. Yang
PhD Student
I am a PhD student in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto, co-supervised by Dr. Katherine Duncan and Dr. Morgan Barense. Before coming to UofT, I completed my BS degree in Neuroscience at Columbia University. I am interested in how memories are updated and (re)organized as a function of new experiences and learning. And what factors modulate the consequences of memory reactivation on other related memories.
When I am not in the lab, I love to paint, make digital animations, and foxtrot on the dance floor.
Matthew Dougherty
PHD Student
I’m a graduate student in the psychology department supervised by Dr. Katherine Duncan. My work is focused on understanding the variability of human memory retrieval. Why does the same information sometimes flow so easily to mind, but other times feel impossible to access? Using behavioural and fMRI methods, I study how interactions between cognitive states (such as attention & motivation) and neural states (such as activity in different neuromodulatory regions) contribute to memory retrieval successes and failures. Additionally, I am interested in the ways that individual differences in various cognitive domains may influence our memory dynamics. Prior to my PhD, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, where I later worked as a Research Specialist & Coordinator at the Computational Memory Lab studying the role of various contextual states on episodic memory. In my free time, I enjoy staying active, exploring new neighbourhoods, and scouting out new favourite cafes.
Mila Mac Neil
PhD Student
Hi! I am a PhD student in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto supervised by Dr. Katherine Duncan. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University where I cultivated my passion for autobiographical memory research. Currently, I am interested in the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the experience of mental time travel (i.e the ability to mentally travel forwards and backwards in time to re-experience memories). I am interested in combining behavioural methods and functional neuroimaging to examine how the brain facilitates autobiographical memory and the construction of the self through time. When I am not engaging in research, I love to ride horses, watch movies and write poetry!
Linda He
Lab Manager
Hello! My name is Linda, and I am a graduating Bachelor of Science (Hons.) student from the University of Toronto (Psychology research specialist, Bioethics minor). I have had the privilege of exploring many different research areas throughout my undergraduate (from social psychology to language development to cognitive neuroscience!). I am fascinated by many different topics relating to learning and memory, but have particularly loved exploring how salient experiences such as insight and prediction error impact later memory. Outside of psychology research, I have an interest in philosophy, a fledgling hobby for photography, and a passion for petting cats.
Lily Huang
NSERC USRA Student
I am a fourth-year undergraduate pursuing a Psychology Research Specialist and a Statistics minor at the University of Toronto. I am excited to join the Duncan Lab and to complete a mini-thesis project under the supervision of Mila Mac Neil. My research interests focus on how cognitive and neurobiological processes shape learning and memory retrieval across changing contexts.
Josephine Liao
Research Assistant
Saihaj Sandhu
Research Assistant
Hi! My name is Saihaj. I’m a third year Psychology Specialist student also doing minors in Statistics and Biology at the University of Toronto. I am thrilled to join Duncan Lab as a research assistant under Mila’s project on individual differences and how that may relate to why people differ in how they recall and experience autobiographical memories. In my spare time, I love to oil paint, annoy my lovely cat, and try new cafes with my friends.
Lorraine Liu
Independent Research Project Student
Hi, my name is Lorraine, and I am a third-year student doing a specialist in psychology with a major in neuroscience and a minor in statistics. I am interested in investigating the mechanisms of memory in the human brain, focusing on the impact of significant events on memory formation and retrieval. In my spare time, I enjoy sports (particularly tennis, hiking, and weight training), being in nature, and spending time with my family.
Krisha Khanna
Thesis Student
Hi everyone! I am a 3rd year undergraduate pursuing a Psychology Research Specialist and a Women and Gender Studies Major at the University of Toronto. I will be completing a mini-thesis project at the Duncan Lab under the supervision of Matthew Dougherty. I am also a Research Assistant at the Stigma and Motivation Lab where we investigate experiences of social invisiblization and their impact. My research interests span around the effects of social and cultural experiences on brain processes, particularly memory. In my free time, I love to nerd out over movies and go for runs (whenever the weather permits!).
Linus Chan
ROP Student
I am a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto with a specialist in neuroscience and a major in physiology. As a ROP student at the Duncan lab under the supervision of Robyn Wilford, I am excited to contribute to her research on the influence of goal-direction locomotion and real-world objects on memory to further understand memory processing. In my free time, I rock climb and play/write music with my friends!
Julia Summerfield
ROP Student
Austin McInnis
Work Study Research Assistant
Hi, my name is Austin, and I am a third-year student double-majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology, with a minor in Chemistry. I’m interested in the neurochemical basis behind memory formation and storage. I’m currently working with Matthew, investigating how our ability to retrieve memories changes as a function of time. Outside the lab, I love reading (mainly fantasy), rock climbing, and binge-watching TV shows
Katie Fruitman
Work Study Research Assistant
I’m a third-year computational cognitive science student, excited to be joining the Duncan Lab and contributing to Matt’s work in RetTime. Beyond memory, my other research interests include computational cognition, and more broadly, what it means for something to be minded. Outside of the lab, I enjoy both playing and teaching classical piano, as well as exploring the great cafes Toronto has to offer
Ellie Chang
Lab Programmer
I’m a second-year student at the University of Toronto specializing in Computer Science and Data Science. I enjoy working on machine learning projects, from building tools that make technology more accessible to restoring historical images and exploring robotics. Beyond the technical side, I’m fascinated by psychology, especially how memory works in the brain, and I’m excited about the ways computational models might help us understand human cognition.
Van Ngo
Lab Programmer
As a Master of Information student specializing in Human-Centered Data Science, I am deeply fascinated by the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and computation, especially how neural networks and memory systems inform each other in both natural and artificial intelligence. Thus, supporting research at the lab aligns with my curiosity in understanding more about memory formation and retrieval while allowing me to sharpen my technical skills in data science.
Sadika
Volunteer Research Assistant
Lale Kutlu
Volunteer Research Assistant
Zoey Lee
Volunteer Research Assistant
Selected Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Andrew Bauer —VP, Applied AI @ Seekr
- Xiaoping Fang — Associate Professor, Beijing Language and Culture University
- Buddhika Bellana — Assistant Professor, York University, Glendon Campus
Graduate Students
- Ariana Youm
- Anuya Patil
- Kyle Alsbyry-Nealy — PhD Candidate, Psychology, University of Toronto
- Alexandra Decker — Assistant Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at WashU; prev. postdoc@ MIT
Undergraduate Thesis Students
- Tien Yang –– PhD Student, University of Michigan
- Sara Pishdadian — PhD Candidate, Clinical Neuropsychology, York University
- Dylan Tucker — MD Student, McMaster University
- Shafquat Arefeen — Instructor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Senior Analyst at Shopify
- Eugenia Barkova — Software Engineer
- Azara Lalla — PhD Candidate, Experimental Psychology, McGill University
- Hannah Tarder-Stoll — Assistant Professor, York University
- Helen Liu — MHSc, Healthcare Analyst at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)
Lab Managers
- Rachel Downey — PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychology, Concordia University
- Danielle Lim — PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychology, Ryerson University
- Dongyan Lin — PhD Candidate, Neuroscience, McGill University
- Sarah Berger — PhD Candidate, Psychology, Western University
- Hannah Cho — PhD Candidate, Psychology, University of Toronto
- Zahra Abolghasem — MA Student, Psychology, University of British Columbia
- Katie Mackintosh — Master Student, Information, University of Toronto
- Huiqin Chen – PhD Candidate, Awh Vogel Lab, University of Chicago
- Josie Davies – Clinic Manager, Whole Kids Health, Toronto
- Alan (Jing Chiuan) Peng – MD Student. McMaster University
Individual Project Students
- Yaxin Liu — Postdoctoral fellow, BachLab, University of Bonn
- Freda Jian — PhD Candidate, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
- Wangjing Yu — PhD Candidate, Psychology, Columbia University
- Alex Gordienko — PhD Candidate, Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
NSERC/UTEA/ROP Students
- Justine Vorvis – PhD Candidate, University of Toronto
Research Assistants
- Louisa Man — PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychology, Queen’s University
- Freha Mian — MA in Counselling Psychology, Registered Pscychotherapist
- Shijing Wang — MSc Candidate, Institute of Medical Science
- Mohammad Ali — MSc, MINDS Program, McMaster University
- Isis So – MD-PhD Candidate, Western University
- Layan Elfaki — MSc Candidate, Institute of Medical Science
- Ruoqi Huang – DPhil Candidate, Experimental Psychology, Oxford Unviersity
- Emily Wang – Clincial Psychology, University of Windsor
Lab Programmers
- Jihad El Sheikh — Software Developer Intern, CaseBank Technologies
- Ashkan Kiyomarsi — Software Engineer at Square
- Hongyu Wang — Software Engineer at Google
- Kevin Xu — Software Engineer Intern at FacebookPost