Memory Lab | Toronto Metropolitan University
Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Dr. Karl Szpunar
karl.szpunar@torontomu.ca
I completed my doctoral training at Washington University in St. Louis in 2009 and my postdoctoral training at Harvard University in 2015. My research focuses on elucidating the cognitive and neural mechanisms that give rise to adaptive uses of memory in daily life.
Graduate Students
Marni Goldstein
marni.goldstein@torontomu..ca
Growing up as an autistic, I felt great disparity between my cognition and that of others, leading to my fascination with how people think and how thoughts affect behavior. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in 2015. I then volunteered as a research assistant in the Multisensory Systems Neuroscience Lab at York University under the supervision of Dr. Joe DeSouza. I am in my fourth year as a graduate student.​
Samantha Gauvreau
samantha.gauvreua@torontomu.ca
I am a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program. I have a blended background in cognitive neuroscience and education. I most recently completed a master's degree at the University of Toronto where I conducted functional neuroimaging (MEG) research at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. I am also an Ontario certified teacher and previously obtained a Bachelor of Education at Queen's University after completing my undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science at McGill University. I am extremely passionate about fostering accessible learning in our communities. At the Memory Lab, I am very excited to explore cognitive and neuroimaging approaches to study attention and memory in learning to help students overcome challenges and improve educational outcomes.
Katriel Read
katriel.read@torontomu.ca
I am a third-year graduate student in the Psychological Science program. I completed my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology at McMaster University. My research interests include episodic future thinking, memory, and mental imagery. In the memory lab, I am excited to explore spontaneous mental imagery relating to what might happen in someone's ongoing experience. In my spare time, I enjoy playing sports, baking, and spending time outside!
Honours Thesis Student
Isabella De Oliveira
Isabella.deoliveira@torontomu.ca
I am in my final year of the Psychology BA Program at TMU, with a minor in Communication Design. Currently, I am completing my undergraduate thesis in the Memory Lab, where I am evaluating the role of memory in approximal simulations of the future. My research interests include episodic future thinking and its applications in clinical psychology. After completing my undergraduate thesis, I hope to pursue graduate education in clinical psychology. In my free time, I enjoy digital art and design, scrapbooking, and going to concerts.
Recent Lab Alumni - Graduate Students
Nilay Özdemir Haksever (lab manager) - Current Position - PhD Student at the University of Alberta
Hymnjyot Gill (MA, 2023) - Current Position - Medical Student, Michael G. DeGroote Medical School (WRC)
Sushmita Shrikanth (PhD, 2021) - Current Position - Researcher, Google (USA)
Yuchen Li (MA, 2021) - Current Position - PhD student at Purdue University (USA)
Vannia Puig (MA, 2019) - Current Position - PhD student at the University of Arizona (USA)
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Recent Lab Alumni - Undergraduate Students
Mila Mac Neil (BA, 2025) - Current Position - Graduate Student at the University of Toronto
Sarah Shahrour (BA, 2025) - Current Position - Graduate Student at York University​
Kieryn Carlse (BA, 2024) - Current Position - Graduate Student at Brock University
Kiana Greenly (BA, 2024) - Current Position - Graduate Student at Toronto Metropolitan University
Joey Vong (BA, 2022) - Current Position - Graduate Student at Toronto Metropolitan University
Anne Cabildo (BA, 2021) - Current Position - Graduate Student at the University of Toronto
Avishag Frank (BA, 2021) - Current Position - Graduate Student at Toronto Metropolitan University
Ruthie Poizner (BA, 2021) - Current Position - Graduate Student at Concordia University
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Current Collaborators
Dr. Julia Spaniol, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Lixia Yang, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Donna Rose Addis, Rotman Research Institute
Dr. Jason Chan, Iowa State University (USA)
Dr. Sezin Öner, Kadir Has University (Turkey)
Dr. Piotr Szpunar, University at Albany (USA)