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!
Adelaide Jensen, Laboratory Coordinator
Adelaide is a fifth-year student in the M.A.-Ph.D. Program in Experimental Psychology. For her thesis, she is studying how the birth control pill affects memory in young adults. A couple fun facts about Adelaide: she loves hiking, spending time with her dog Mylo, and watching/reading Harry Potter!
Kristina Munelith-Souksanh
Kristina is a third-year student in the M.A.-Ph.D. Clinical Psychology program at the University of Ottawa. Her research looks at the potential neural network alterations in brain regions important for personal and event memory in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors using fMRI/neuroimaging techniques. Kristina has experience in psychophysiological techniques like heart rate variability, and electroencephalography from her past research projects. Outside of school, Kristina loves cycling and spending lots of time with her big family.
Angela Katherine Boland
Angela is a third-year student in the M.A-Ph.D Experimental Psychology program at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on the cognitive changes that arise in dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Specifically, she is interested in using electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the electrical brain activity of people with MCI while they complete semantic memory tasks. 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!
Bianca St-Denis
Bianca is a second-year student in the M.A.-Ph.D. program in clinical psychology. Her research currently focuses on data anxiety. She has also previously worked on projects related to psychological needs and measurement validation.
Stefanie Gard
Hi! My name is Stefanie, and I am in the second year of my PhD in Experimental Psychology working in the Dr. Vanessa Taler’s Lab. My research focuses on the EEG correlates of WM and selective attention during a cognitive task in older adults with and without SCD. A fun fact about me is that I love to train my dog Hunter.
Tamanna Islam
Tamanna Islam is a 4th-year PhD candidate in Experimental Psychology at the University of Ottawa, working under the guidance of Dr. Lisa Walker. Her research aims to improve the quality of life for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), with a specific focus on cognitive fatigability. She is currently leading a comprehensive Needs Assessment Survey to identify and address unmet needs related to cognitive fatigability, with the goal of enhancing patient engagement. Additionally, Tamanna is developing a multidimensional behavioral intervention designed to address cognitive fatigability. Her work also investigates the potential of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to alleviate cognitive fatigability in MS. Recently, she contributed to a quality improvement initiative at a local MS clinic. Outside her research, Tamanna is a self-taught artist, creating metaphorical narratives that reflect contemporary societal issues.
