Meet our team
Learn more about the staff of the INSPIRE Laboratory.
Meet our Manager
Justin Duncan, PhD, Manager of Research Infrastructure
A native from the Ottawa-Gatineau region, Justin obtained his PhD in experimental psychology from UQÀM. Specializing in visual psychophysics, face perception and signal processing, his main research focus lies in examining how low-level vision supports higher level cognition involved in processing face identity and expressions of emotions using behavioral, electrophysiological and eye-tracking measurements. His research interests also extend to attention (e.g., effects of multitasking on face perception) and social psychology (e.g., understanding why individuals find it harder to recognize faces that belong to another ethnic group than their own, i.e., the other-race effect). In his spare time, he loves cycling in the Gatineau Park, playing drums, and reading.
Meet our research assistants
At the INSPIRE Laboratory, our research assistants are readily available to assist our researchers, students, and community members using INSPIRE. Our research assistants can help you with training you to use our technology and services, assist in many steps of the research process (e.g., ethics applications, designing and setting up your study, programming, and analyzing your data, etc.). We encourage you to book a virtual coffee chat at any time with our research assistants so that they can get to know you and support you in all capacities!
Angela Katherine Boland
Angela is a fourth-year student in the M.A-Ph.D Experimental Psychology program at the University of Ottawa. Her research uses brain imaging technologies, such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural effects of music and mindfulness-based programs on mental health and cognition. She is currently examining these effects among people with music performance anxiety. A fun fact about Angela is that she loves to dance and draw. For five years, she taught children's hip hop and jazz dance classes!
Stefanie Gard
Stefanie is a third year MA-PhD student in Experimental Psychology, supervised by Dr. Vanessa Taler’. Her research explores the neural markers of working memory and selective attention in older adults experiencing cognitive decline and dementia. Outside of the lab, she loves spending time with her pets Hunter and Mango!
Vivian Liu
Hi. I am a PhD student in Experimental Psychology working in Dr. Erin Maloney's lab. While my research mainly focus on mathematics and education, I am also interested in a multidiscplinary approach, especially with the use of technology and its impact. Fun fact: I am aversive of social media, so for the profile picture I put my bunny Olly, Olly the Overlord.
Sevda Hasanli
I'm a PhD student in Experimental Psychology working in the Neuropsychology Lab with Dr. Patrick Davidson. My research focuses on applying computational methods to neuropsychological assessments. Fun Fact: I enjoy spending time with family, camping in nature, and hiking.
Kaitline Fournier
Kaitline is a fourth-year student in the M.A.-Ph.D. program in Experimental Psychology. Her research examines how children understand and selectively learn foreign languages, and how these are influenced by parent attitudes towards multilingualism. A fun fact about Kaitline is that she has a 2-year-old yellow Labrador named Mollie.
Ezgi Tasyurek
Ezgi is a third-year Ph.D. student in Experimental Psychology. Her research focuses on age-based discrimination, namely ageism, particularly targeting older adults, as well as the intersection between ageism and racism. She is also interested in ageism in the workplace and its impact on older workers’ well-being and professional experiences. A fun fact about Ezgi: She learned how to ice skate just so she could skate on the canal!
