Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Michael Mack, PhD
Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (2011) View CV |
Want to join the team?We are actively recruiting talented students to join the lab through the Psychology Graduate Program. We are also looking for motivated undergraduates or recent grads interested in research experience. Contact Dr. Mack for more details. |
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Anna Blumenthal
BA in Psychology, Minors in Classical Studies & Philosophy, Drew University
MS in Cognitive Science University of Trento & SISSA, Italy
PhD in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario
Anna is co-supervised by Meg Schlichting and Michael Mack. She grew up in Colorado and New Jersey, and did her graduate work in cognitive neuroscience in northern Italy and then in Ontario at Western. Broadly, She is interested in how the hippocampus and surrounding medial temporal lobe structures contribute to perception, learning, and memory. At UofT, she is excited to combine neuroimaging and computational modeling to understand the link between episodic and semantic memory in the developing brain. In her free time, she loves going hiking and camping with Alfred (the handsome fellow in the photo), reading fantasy/sci-fi, and traveling.
blumenthal.anna@gmail.com
BA in Psychology, Minors in Classical Studies & Philosophy, Drew University
MS in Cognitive Science University of Trento & SISSA, Italy
PhD in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario
Anna is co-supervised by Meg Schlichting and Michael Mack. She grew up in Colorado and New Jersey, and did her graduate work in cognitive neuroscience in northern Italy and then in Ontario at Western. Broadly, She is interested in how the hippocampus and surrounding medial temporal lobe structures contribute to perception, learning, and memory. At UofT, she is excited to combine neuroimaging and computational modeling to understand the link between episodic and semantic memory in the developing brain. In her free time, she loves going hiking and camping with Alfred (the handsome fellow in the photo), reading fantasy/sci-fi, and traveling.
blumenthal.anna@gmail.com
Outside Project Graduate Students
Johnny Dubois
BSc in Psychology, Brandon University
University of Toronto, MA/PhD Candidate
Johnny graduated from Brandon University in Manitoba. He worked with Dr. Nicholas Waiter on mindfulness and cognition. Prior to graduate school, he worked as a research assistant at Pine River Institute, a residential treatment centre for youth with addiction, near Shelburne, Ontario. His current PhD work focuses on exploring developmental changes in implicit/non-declarative memory, and the neural correlates of these processes.
m.dubois@mail.utoronto.ca
BSc in Psychology, Brandon University
University of Toronto, MA/PhD Candidate
Johnny graduated from Brandon University in Manitoba. He worked with Dr. Nicholas Waiter on mindfulness and cognition. Prior to graduate school, he worked as a research assistant at Pine River Institute, a residential treatment centre for youth with addiction, near Shelburne, Ontario. His current PhD work focuses on exploring developmental changes in implicit/non-declarative memory, and the neural correlates of these processes.
m.dubois@mail.utoronto.ca
Graduate Research Assistants
Melisa Gumus
Hon. B.Sc. in Neuroscience and Mathematics, University of Toronto
M.Sc Student in the Institute of Medical of Science, University of Toronto & Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Melisa is investigating the link between cognitive outcomes and structural/functional brain changes in post-concussion and CTE patients in her masters, being supervised by Dr. Carmela Tartaglia and collaborating with Dr. Mack. She is also part of the DTI team at the Mack Lab, that studies the interaction between differences in white matter tracts and learning performance during rapid categorization, using computational models and generating connectors. She has been part of the lab since the beginning and previously served as a lab manager. She believes that math can solve anything, even the complexity of the human brain.
melisa.gumus@mail.utoronto.ca
Hon. B.Sc. in Neuroscience and Mathematics, University of Toronto
M.Sc Student in the Institute of Medical of Science, University of Toronto & Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Melisa is investigating the link between cognitive outcomes and structural/functional brain changes in post-concussion and CTE patients in her masters, being supervised by Dr. Carmela Tartaglia and collaborating with Dr. Mack. She is also part of the DTI team at the Mack Lab, that studies the interaction between differences in white matter tracts and learning performance during rapid categorization, using computational models and generating connectors. She has been part of the lab since the beginning and previously served as a lab manager. She believes that math can solve anything, even the complexity of the human brain.
melisa.gumus@mail.utoronto.ca
Aaron Rambhajan
University of Toronto
Aaron is a Masters student in the Faculty of Information at University of Toronto. He is passionate about decision-making, especially as it pertains to how real-world information modulates behaviour. Under Dr. Mack, he has been investigating the dimensions of real-world information processing by targeting the rapid visual object understanding mechanisms underlying human categorization.
aaron.rambhajan@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto
Aaron is a Masters student in the Faculty of Information at University of Toronto. He is passionate about decision-making, especially as it pertains to how real-world information modulates behaviour. Under Dr. Mack, he has been investigating the dimensions of real-world information processing by targeting the rapid visual object understanding mechanisms underlying human categorization.
aaron.rambhajan@mail.utoronto.ca
Research Assistants
Marlie Tandoc
University of Toronto, Graduated with Hon. B.Sc. in 2018
Summer 2018 University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) recipient
Marlie is a recent graduate of University of Toronto’s Psychology Research Specialist program. She is interested in how the brain organizes our experiences into meaningful concepts and memories, as well as the role of attention in these processes. Expanding on her undergraduate thesis, she will be using fMRI to investigate how different learning contexts can change how we build conceptual knowledge at a representational level, and how this influences our subsequent decision making. Her goal is to attend graduate school for cognitive neuroscience to pursue her love for learning how we learn.
marlie.tandoc@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, Graduated with Hon. B.Sc. in 2018
Summer 2018 University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) recipient
Marlie is a recent graduate of University of Toronto’s Psychology Research Specialist program. She is interested in how the brain organizes our experiences into meaningful concepts and memories, as well as the role of attention in these processes. Expanding on her undergraduate thesis, she will be using fMRI to investigate how different learning contexts can change how we build conceptual knowledge at a representational level, and how this influences our subsequent decision making. Her goal is to attend graduate school for cognitive neuroscience to pursue her love for learning how we learn.
marlie.tandoc@mail.utoronto.ca
Teresa Zhu
University of Toronto, 3rd Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 Individual Project Student
Past NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) recipient
Teresa is in her third year studying Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Toronto. As an Individual Project student with the Mack Lab, she is interested in the relationship between white matter structure and visual category learning. Outside the lab, Teresa enjoys reading, board games, and spending time with friends and family.
teresa.zhu@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 3rd Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 Individual Project Student
Past NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) recipient
Teresa is in her third year studying Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Toronto. As an Individual Project student with the Mack Lab, she is interested in the relationship between white matter structure and visual category learning. Outside the lab, Teresa enjoys reading, board games, and spending time with friends and family.
teresa.zhu@mail.utoronto.ca
Belinda Hoang
University of Toronto, 2nd Year Undergraduate
Summer 2018 ROP299 Student
Belinda is currently in her second year of her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and planning to major in Neuroscience and Psychology. This summer, she will be part of the Mack Lab as a ROP student, studying the interactions between attention and memory during category learning.
belinda.hoang@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 2nd Year Undergraduate
Summer 2018 ROP299 Student
Belinda is currently in her second year of her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and planning to major in Neuroscience and Psychology. This summer, she will be part of the Mack Lab as a ROP student, studying the interactions between attention and memory during category learning.
belinda.hoang@mail.utoronto.ca
Brad Dalgleish
University of Toronto, 3rd Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 Individual Project Student
Brad is a third year student specializing in Psychology. His future career ambition involves working with children and adolescents with learning disorders like ADHD. The research opportunities at the Mack Lab are particularly relevant with their focus on memory and attention which are important factors implicated in many learning disorders. In his spare time, Brad enjoys building websites, reading good books, and getting caffeinated.
brad.dalgleish@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 3rd Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 Individual Project Student
Brad is a third year student specializing in Psychology. His future career ambition involves working with children and adolescents with learning disorders like ADHD. The research opportunities at the Mack Lab are particularly relevant with their focus on memory and attention which are important factors implicated in many learning disorders. In his spare time, Brad enjoys building websites, reading good books, and getting caffeinated.
brad.dalgleish@mail.utoronto.ca
Chanel Fu
University of Toronto, 2nd Year Undergraduate
Chanel is a Research Assistant at the Mack Lab and in her second year of study in Neuroscience, Psychology, and Statistics. Her research interests include the intersection of disease and cognition. At Mack Lab, she has found the perfect opportunity to learn more about white matter and its role in visual categorization as well as auditory categorization of abnormal heart sounds, Outside the lab, Chanel spends her time pursuing music and exploring the outdoors.
chanel.fu@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 2nd Year Undergraduate
Chanel is a Research Assistant at the Mack Lab and in her second year of study in Neuroscience, Psychology, and Statistics. Her research interests include the intersection of disease and cognition. At Mack Lab, she has found the perfect opportunity to learn more about white matter and its role in visual categorization as well as auditory categorization of abnormal heart sounds, Outside the lab, Chanel spends her time pursuing music and exploring the outdoors.
chanel.fu@mail.utoronto.ca
Zosia Gontarz
University of Toronto, 4th Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 Individual Project Student
Zosia is in her fourth year of the psychology specialist program. Her main interests are within the field are cognitive and social psychology, especially where they relate to childhood and development, so a joint project between the Mack and the Budding Minds Labs looking at semantic development across childhood and adolescence was the perfect opportunity! Outside of the lab, Zosia loves hiking with her dog, playing music, and exploring food spots in the city.
zosia.gontarz@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 4th Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 Individual Project Student
Zosia is in her fourth year of the psychology specialist program. Her main interests are within the field are cognitive and social psychology, especially where they relate to childhood and development, so a joint project between the Mack and the Budding Minds Labs looking at semantic development across childhood and adolescence was the perfect opportunity! Outside of the lab, Zosia loves hiking with her dog, playing music, and exploring food spots in the city.
zosia.gontarz@mail.utoronto.ca
Stella Leowinata
University of Toronto, 3rd Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 ROP399 Student
Stella is in her third year studying Neuroscience, Psychology, and Computer Science. She joins the Mack Lab to explore her interest in learning and plasticity in the brain. The project she is working on looks at change in white matter and activity patterns during visual categorization learning. Outside of school, Stella teaches dance and enjoys exploring the city. stella.leowinata@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 3rd Year Undergraduate
Fall/Winter 2018-19 ROP399 Student
Stella is in her third year studying Neuroscience, Psychology, and Computer Science. She joins the Mack Lab to explore her interest in learning and plasticity in the brain. The project she is working on looks at change in white matter and activity patterns during visual categorization learning. Outside of school, Stella teaches dance and enjoys exploring the city. stella.leowinata@mail.utoronto.ca
Zach Johnson
University of Toronto, 4th Year Undergraduate
Zach is a returning 4th year student specializing in Psychology. He is particularly interested in the development of attention in infants and young children and how this knowledge can inform early self-regulation interventions. Specifically relevant are opportunities in the Mack Lab to investigate learning, attention, and memory in categorization and concept formation. Zach has worked with high performance tennis players for the past ten years, has recently begun teaching adapted mindfulness-based techniques to children, and spends his personal time reading science fiction, playing hockey, and enjoying music. zach.johnson@mail.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, 4th Year Undergraduate
Zach is a returning 4th year student specializing in Psychology. He is particularly interested in the development of attention in infants and young children and how this knowledge can inform early self-regulation interventions. Specifically relevant are opportunities in the Mack Lab to investigate learning, attention, and memory in categorization and concept formation. Zach has worked with high performance tennis players for the past ten years, has recently begun teaching adapted mindfulness-based techniques to children, and spends his personal time reading science fiction, playing hockey, and enjoying music. zach.johnson@mail.utoronto.ca
Lab Alumni
- Ian Mahoney - Now Law student at Osgoode Law School, York University
- Phil Johnston - Now PhD student in Psychology at University of Toronto
- Elliane Croce - Soon to be Masters student at UCL
- Jason Chow - Now PhD student in Psychology at Vanderbilt University
- Josh Seltzer
- Kevin Kadak - Wilfrid Laurier University, 4th Year Undergraduate
