TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
IN AFFECT AND COGNITION
Lab Director
Anna Weinberg, Ph.D.
Stony Brook University, 2014
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Canada Research Chair in Clinical Neuroscience
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
McGill University
anna.weinberg@mcgill.ca
Office: 2001 McGill College, 1407
++1 (514) 398 4672
Lab: 2001 McGill College, 1450
Graduate Students
Lidia Panier
Lidia is a fifth-year PhD student in the lab. She completed her M.A. (Social Sciences: Psychology) at the University of Chicago. She is interested in the effects of stress on reward processing across depression and anxiety, as well as the unique differences between these internalizing disorders.
Funding:
Canada First Research Excellence Fund, Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives, Graduate Student Fellowship (2021-2022)
FRQ-S Ph.D. Funding (2022-2024)
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Héléna Renault
Héléna is a fifth-year PhD student in the lab. They completed their undergraduate degree (BA, Honours Psychology) at McGill and are interested in how neural responses to reward interact with various types of stress as well as how these factors relate to depression.
Funding:
Judith Mappin Fellowship, McGill University (2020, 2022)
Canada Graduate Scholarship – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2021)
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Doctoral Award (2023-2026)
Grace Allison
Grace is a fourth-year PhD student in the TRAC lab. She completed her B.A. in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is interested in biobehavioral correlates of reward and threat processing, social functioning, and different facets of stress exposure, as they relate to the development and maintenance of internalizing psychopathology and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.
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Funding:
Judith Mappin Fellowship, McGill University (2021)
Canada First Research Excellence Fund, Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives, Graduate Student Fellowship (2022-2023)
FRQ-SC P.h.D Funding (2023-2027)
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Awards:
SSCP Distinguished Contribution Award at APS Student Poster Competition, 2022
APS Student Research Award, 2022
Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) Student Poster Award, 2023
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Corinne Sejourne (co-mentored)
Corinne is a fourth-year PhD student working jointly in the TRAC Lab and Behavioural Medicine Lab. She received her undergraduate degree (B.A., Honors, Human Biology) from Brown University. She is interested in developing treatment interventions to promote healthier stress responses in mothers and caregivers as measured by emotional and physiological markers.
Funding:
Tomlinson Fellowship, McGill University (2021-2023)
FRQ-SC P.h.D Funding (2023-2027)
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Awards:
Society for Affective Science, Outstanding Poster Honorable Mention, 2022
Alex Argiros
Alex is a second-year PhD student in the TRAC lab. She received her B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University in 2020 and her M.Ed. in Clinical and Developmental Research from Vanderbilt University in 2023. She is interested in how neural responses to reward, threat, and emotional stimuli interact with social factors and how these factors relate to the development of anxiety and depression.
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Funding:
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Doctoral Award (2024-2027)
Zhixin (Annie) Zhou
Annie is a second-year PhD student in the lab. She completed her B.S. degree at the Ohio State University (Psychology) and M.A. degree (Clinical Psychology) at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is interested in exploring how maternal psychological distress impacts offspring’s brain development and mental health by probing the neurophysiological correlates of cognitive-affective functions.
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Funding:
Tomlinson Fellowship, McGill University (2023-2025)
Joséphine Levy
Josephine is a first-year clinical PhD student in the TRAC lab. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Université Paris Cité and her Masters of Research in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology at University College London and Yale University. She is interested in exploring biobehavioral markers of anxiety across development, particularly during the transition to parenthood
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Post-docs
Simon Morand-Beaulieu, Ph.D.
Simon is a postdoctoral scholar in the TRAC lab. He earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Université de Montréal, where he studied the brain mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral therapy for adults with Tourette syndrome. Before joining the lab, he completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center. At Yale, Simon studied cognitive control in children with Tourette syndrome and ADHD, as well as tic control through voluntary tic suppression and behavioral therapy. Simon has recently received funding from the Tourette Association of America to begin a new project investigating the neural correlates of anger and irritability in children with Tourette syndrome using EEG. Apart from his work on Tourette syndrome and related conditions, his other interests include the study of how dyadic processes and parent-child interactions may impact child and adolescent mental health.
Funding:
CIHR Fellowship (2020-2023)
Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Tourette Syndrome, Tourette Association of America & American Brain Foundation, in partnership with the American Academy of Neurology (2022-2024)
Awards:
FRQS Étudiant-chercheur Étoile Award (2017)
Lab Managers
Connie Yun
Connie has completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at McGill University. She is interested in exploring the relevance of cultural differences within the field of psychology. In particular, she is interested in understanding the trajectories of psychopathology in minoritized groups. Her future plans involve pursuing graduate studies in clinical psychology and she hopes to eventually become a clinical research psychologist.
Anna Walls
Anna is in her final year of an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at McGill University. She is passionate about exploring the neural mechanisms that may contribute to the risk of developing substance use disorders and how these factors interplay with internalizing and externalizing behaviours. In the future, Anna plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology.
Research Assistants
Niru N.
Ryan is in his final year of his undergraduate degree (B.Sc., Honours Psychology and Minor in Neuroscience) at McGill University. He is excited to continue gaining research experience at the TRAC lab by completing his second Honours thesis. He is interested in learning more about psychopathology and its connection to neural responses and cognitive function. In the future, Ryan plans to pursue medical school
Ryan Freedman
Niru is a second-year undergraduate student, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Honours Psychology, and minors in World Cinemas and in East Asian Language and Literature. Their main interest is in learning about the neural processes involved in psychopathology. They are excited to pursue a career in research and to expand their knowledge in the fields of psychology and neuroscience.
Zheyi is currently a U3 student in her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Her research interests include psychopathologies and the potential personality traits that may act as vulnerability factors contributing to the developments of these disorders. Zheyi is passionate about bringing advances in psychotherapies that target those vulnerability factors to help more patients. To achieve this goal, she plans to continue her studies in clinical psychology.
Zheyi Li.
Maria is a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Psychology, with a double minor in Behavioral Science and Social Studies of Medicine. She is passionate about researching the neurobiological underpinnings of psychopathologies and exploring their potential vulnerability markers. Maria is looking forward to engaging with and learning from the lab’s methodologies, specifically Event-Related Potentials. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology, with the goal of contributing to both research and clinical practice.
Maria Houdafa
Yijae Kim
Yijae is a U3 psychology student minoring in German languages at McGill university. At the TRAC lab, she is excited to learn more about EEG and its diverse use within different fields in psychology this year. Her research interests involve personality and well-being, and developmental psychopathology. After graduating, Yijae hopes to continue doing interdisciplinary research in psychology.
Aralia is in her fourth year at McGill University, majoring in psychology and double minoring in behavioral science and sociology. This is Aralia’s second year at the TRAC lab, and she is excited to continue working with the EEG and learn more about the intersections between psychopathology and neural mechanisms. She is particularly interested in child and health psychology, and particularly how adverse life events early in childhood affect both mental and physical health outcomes later in life. In the future she hopes to pursue studies in clinical or counselling psychology.
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Aralia Mills
Sophie Touma-Sawaya
Sophie is a fourth-year undergraduate psychology student at McGill University with a
minor in Behavioural Science. She is interested in studying the intersection between
psychopathologies and underlying neural mechanisms, especially those related to substance use disorders. Sophie is passionate about enhancing the mental health landscape through innovative research, advocacy, and compassionate care. In the future, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Joelle Nesdale-Tucker
Joelle is in her last year of a Bachelor of Arts with a Psychology major and a double minor in Behavioural Science and Sociology. She is enjoying learning how to work with EEG at the TRAC Lab. Her research interests include psychopathology and neurodiversity. She is passionate about advancing wellness through evidence-based and compassionate care. Joelle plans to pursue graduate studies and is considering a combined master's in counselling and clinical psychology.
Aidan Schottler-Raymond
Aidan recently graduated from McGill with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. At the TRAC lab, he is excited to explore the neural correlates of cognitive-affective processes involved in internalizing psychopathology. His research interests include exploring potential biomarkers of vulnerability towards developing mood disorders, and the usage of biological/neural measures for precise classifications of psychopathology in line with dimensional models.
In the future, he hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology.
Kate Woolliams
Kate recently graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a double minor in Sociology and Behavioural Science. Her research interests range from the common underlying mechanisms between internalizing disorders, to metadehumanization in women, to better capturing treatment outcome disparities between minority groups. She is passionate about expanding access to affordable evidence-based treatment to underserved communities. Kate plans to pursue a Master’s in counselling psychology to achieve this goal.
Alexandru Cebotari
Alexandru is in the last year of his Bachelor of Science, majoring in Honours Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. In the TRAC lab, he is excited to learn more about EEG methodology and how it can be applied to studying psychopathology. After his final year, he is interested in pursuing studies in clinical psychology or medicine.
Qifan (Tina) Zhang
Tina is currently a U3 student and will be graduating soon from McGill with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy with a minor in Behavioral Science. She enjoys learning EEG techniques and working with participants at the TRAC Lab. Her research interests include psychopathology, neural biomarkers for psychiatric disorders, and existential psychotherapy. She is passionate about combining phenomenological concepts with psychological research for well-being enhancement. Tina plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology or psychiatry.
Elias German
Elias (called Eli by friends) is in his final (U3) year of a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with minors in Behavioral Science and Linguistics. He is passionate about the art and science of therapeutic intervention, gay and trans rights, and the transformative nature of inter-group solidarity. In the future, he hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.
Erik is a fourth year undergrad studying Psychology and Statistics. He is excited to explore his research interests and learn new skills here at the TRAC lab. He is particularly interested in new research initiatives such as the RDoC framework to study psychopathology. In the future, Erik seeks to pursue graduate studies in clinical research.
Erik Mas
Katheryn is a fourth year undergraduate student (B.A. Psychology, Minor in Behavioural Sciences, Minor in English Literature). Her current interest is in the biological processes that play a role in intergroup relations and biases. Future directions are for graduate studies in social neuroscience or psychiatry.
Katheryn Tu
Erin is in her final year, completing a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology, and minors in Behavioural Science and Anthropology. She is excited to be an RA at the TRAC Lab to learn about EEG and participate in weekly lab meetings to learn from other lab members and be exposed to new research articles. Her main interest is within the field of Child Psychology, so she would like to discover more about adolescent psychopathology and the intersection between biological vulnerabilities and social/environmental circumstances. In the future, she plans to pursue graduate studies in Counselling and Clinical Psychology.
Erin Pereira
Elizabeth Savchenko
Elizabeth is a U2 student completing a Bachelor of Science in Honours Psychology. She is interested in the use of EEGs and event-related potentials as methods to conduct research. She is excited to learn more about the link between reward sensitivity pathways and emotional dysregulation. She is interested in both quantitative and clinical psychology, and hopes to pursue graduate studies in those areas!
Imane is a third-year Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Psychology, with a doubleminor in Behavioural Science and Sociology. She is enthusiastic about joining the TRAClab to deepen her understanding of EEG techniques and their applications in studying various psychopathologies. Her research interests span depression, anxiety, trauma,and personality. After completing her undergraduate degree, Imane aims to pursue graduate studies in clinical or child psychology.
Imane Kassem
Keira Gallagher
​Keira is a fourth-year student in Honours Psychology, with a minor in Philosophy. She is excited to be joining the TRAC Lab to complete her honours thesis. She is interested in learning more about how EEG methods are used to understand forms of psychopathology. In the future, Keira hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology.
Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Alumni
Clara Freeman, Ph. D.: Post-doc at Yale University, School of Medicine
Juhyun Park, Ph. D.: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough
Paige Ethridge, Ph.D.: Clinical Psychologist, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton
Aislinn Sandre, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario (starting Winter 2025)
Iulia Banica, Ph.D.: Clinical Psychologist, Ontario Shores Centre of Mental Health Sciences
Undergraduate Alumni
Maya Ladki (Lab Coordinator, Lydon & CASC Lab, McGill University)
Zoe Bishop (Masters in Counselling, McGill University)
Katherine Li
Elisabeth Irvine
Enqi Wang
Leila Rafai
Brigida Bono
Melissa Shemirani (Experimental Psychology, McGill University)
Marc-Antoine Brosseau
Alyssa Bensoussan
Samantha Villedrouin
Chaimaa El Mouslih (Clinical Psychology, McGill University)
Martin Sellier Silva (Research Assistant, Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health)
Loran Carpentier (Clinical Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal)
Seonwoo Hong (Clinical Psychology, University of British Columbia)
Lidie Silva Andres
Anaïs Mortazavi Zadeh
Lara El-Zein
Arianna McCagg
Zeina Moussa
Mila Goulon
Mica Ostry
Sonya Akberdina
Lunaa Hao
Maya Ahia (Clinical Psychology, University of Toronto)
Joelle Schaffer (Clinical Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University)
Jasmine Kotsiopoulus (Master of Arts in Research and Clinical Training in Psychology, Concordia University)
Ghislaine Niyonkuru (Clinical Psychology, University of Ottawa)
Talia Schroeder (lab coordinator, Dr. Sarah Racine's lab, McGill University)
Lina Badran
Helen Liu
Fiona Sewall
Chloe White (Clinical Psychology, Simon Fraser University)
Viveca Lee (research assistant, Eating Disorders Continuum, Douglas Hospital)
Alexandra MacTavish (graduate student, child clinical psychology, University of Windsor)
Kiki Brabander (graduate student, Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University)
Ella Christiaans (graduate student, Educational Psychology, McGill University)
Fauzia Saiyed (Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student at Lehigh University)
Claire Punturieri (graduate student, Clinical Psychology, University of Wisconsin)
Ariel Boyle (graduate student, Clinical Psychology, Concordia University)
Iman Lahouaoula (medical student, UBC)
Erin Matsuba (graduate student, psychology, Syracuse University)
Manlu Liu (graduate student, University of British Columbia)
Jamie Borenstein-Laurie (graduate student, Clinical Psychology, Concordia University)
Emma Stewart (graduate student, Clinical Psychology, University of Western Ontario)
Benazir Hodzic-Santor (medical student, University of Toronto)
Insub Kim (graduate student, Stanford University)
Tiana Corovic (law school, University of Toronto)
Agnessa Karapetian (PhD student in cognitive computational neuroscience, Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Berlin)
Julia Ferrone (graduate student, PsyD in School Psychology, Adelphi University)
Nicole Ledwos (graduate student, integrated program in neuroscience, McGill University)
Hazal Ozlen (project manager, Villeneuve lab, the Douglas)
Anne Baptiste (graduate student, Concordia University)
Emily Snook (medical student, University of Toronto)
Mert Kimyaci (research assistant in the Regulation, Affect and Development Lab, McGill University)
Wendy Wang
Sasha Novozhilova
Seffie Yip
David Figeuroa Perez
Jiaqi Zhao
Erica Di Caprio
Veronica Rusu
Emily Demers
Karin Cinalioglu
Charlene Osei-Afrifa
Ruby Atesoglu
Alison Yang
Sarah Bernier
Emilie Hess
Blair Lavery
Dila Bilal
Catherine Labasi-Sammartino
Christine Koppenaal
​Samantha Scholes
Sarah Lefebvre
Margot Kelly-Hedrick
Christine Koppenaal
Charles LaPierre
Shannon Dawe
Sarah Sieur
Kelly Cool
Jennifer Burns
Shona Mistry
Sasha Topilova
Zainab Yahya
Bettina Trabelsi
Rachel Shepherd
Katie Mound
Ellie Basra
Oliver Huang
Friends &
Collaborators
Autumn Kujawa, Vanderbilt University
Melanie Dirks, McGill University
Anja Riesel, University Hamburg
Sarah Racine, McGill University
Alexis May, Wesleyan University
Greg Hajcak, Florida State University
Roman Kotov, Stony Brook University
Stewart Shankman, Northwestern University
E. David Klonsky, University of British Columbia
Christopher Patrick, Florida State University
Norbert Kathmann, Humboldt University
Dan Foti, Purdue University
Signy Sheldon, McGill University