Our Team

Anna Czepiel is a postdoctoral researcher in the LAMA lab, at the UTM, exploring how the brain tracks real-world speech and song. She gained a Bachelor’s in music (University of York) and a Master’s in Music, Mind, and Technology with Cognitive Neuroscience (University of Jyväskylä). After an internship at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Anna completed her doctoral work in 2023 on responses to music in real-world contexts at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and Maastricht University. In her spare time, Anna enjoys baking, playing piano and violin, and singing.

Anne is a graduate student in the Psychology department at the University of Toronto. Her work explores how we develop knowledge specific to music and language, particularly through observing children's vocal production. She is also interested in how children conceptualize the impact of music on emotions, aiming to better understand how we develop the ability to use music for emotion regulation in everyday life. Outside of research, Anne enjoys listening to podcasts and playing music with her friends.

Saghar recently received her HBSc in Psychology specialist and Biology for Health Science major. Her professional experience working with children and youth (with and without disabilities) inspired her to join the LAMA lab. Her project investigates whether we can better convey emotions through speech or song. In her free time, Saghar likes to spend time with friends and family, going on hikes, and listening to mental health podcasts.

Vashti is a graduate student at OISE- University of Toronto. She completed her B.A. (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Ottawa and her M.Ed from OISE. Vashti is interested in alternative approaches to “traditional” education, using music as a learning aid. In her spare time,  she enjoys travelling, karaoke, baking, and listening to music.

​Elaine is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto specializing in Psychology and minoring in Physiology. She is passionate about how language and the human voice shape infant’s and children’s perceptions of the world during development. Her past experiences largely involve working with children from a research standpoint which inspired her to join the LAMA lab. Aside from research, Elaine enjoys learning new recipes and trying new restaurants.

Arousha is a third-year undergraduate student double majoring in Chemistry and Health Sciences at UTM. She is passionate about understanding brain development and how it varies in children with different health conditions and disorders. In particular, she would like to explore how such conditions impact speech formation and language recognition. Outside of the lab, Arousha can be found baking up something in the kitchen, enjoying iced coffee (or her new favourite, matcha), and spending time with friends and family.

Natasha is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the UTM, pursuing a dual major in Communication, Culture, Information Technology, and Technology, Coding, and Society. With an interest in blending aesthetics and accessibility, her goal is to specialize in UX/UI design, aiming to craft user-centric digital interfaces. She is also keen on exploring effective social media strategies for community outreach and participant recruitment. Outside of academia, she enjoys reading, parks, sweet treat outings, and traveling!

Chloe is an incoming fourth-year international student from Trinidad and Tobago and is doing a double major in Psychology and Statistics at UTM. Coming from a family of musicians, music has always interested her, and she hopes to learn more about speech and language acquisition using music in children. She has a keen interest in Statistics and loves doing statistical analysis. In her free time, she works as a radio host at CFRE Radio at UTM as "The Voice of CFRE". She also plays the bass guitar in her free time.

Ginnie is a third-year undergraduate student at UofT. She is pursuing the Neuroscience and Psychology Specialist programs and has an interest in auditory and visual perception. As an ROP student at the LAMA Lab, she is interested in learning about how EEG data is collected in auditory research and hopes to gain skills in data analysis and presentation. Ginnie is also excited to explore how learning music influences our ability to differentiate song and speech. In her free time, she enjoys watching sitcoms and trying new foods.

Elma is a third-year undergraduate student, double majoring in Biology for Health Sciences and Chemistry at the University of Toronto. In 2023, she was a Lab Coordinator for the LAMA Lab where she developed at interest in speech and music acquisition in real-world settings, especially in children and adults. Through the use of EEG technology, she hopes to learn more about how adults acquire speech and sound through their neural pathways and how the process can be applied to speech and auditory impediments in various neurological conditions and post brain injuries.Outside of the lab, she likes to paint, read novels, and discover different genres of music.

Anna is a graduate student in Psychology at the University of Toronto. She received her BSc in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. She is mainly interested in how bilingualism and other diverse linguistic environments influence our perception and development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, songwriting, and discovering new music in different languages.

Meyha is a graduate student in Psychology at the University of Toronto, co-supervised by Drs. Christina Vanden Bosch der Nederlanden and Laura Cirelli. She received her HBSc in Neuroscience from UofT in 2023 and has been at the LAMA lab since its opening in 2022. Meyha is interested in the intersection between language development, social-emotional development, and music, particularly in infants and children. She hopes to use both neural and behavioural measures to answer such questions in the lab. In her free time, Meyha enjoys singing, playing the harmonium, teaching English to her students, and spending time with friends and family. 

Alia is entering her fourth year of her BSc in Psychology. She is particularly interested in researching infants' ability to bias their attention towards the human voice in environments filled with different sounds, and how this ability influences language learning. Alia likes to devote her spare time to activities such as hiking, swimming and tennis, and spending time with family. 

Reem recently graduated from the psychology specialist program. Her interests include topics involving child and language development. She wants to learn more about how we process speech and the many factors that affect it. She plays the flute and loves to paint. She can speak Arabic, English and French, and she is learning German in her free time.  

Asma Makkouk is a dedicated psychology major at UTM, expecting to graduate in January 2025 with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and double minors in Biology and English. Currently, Asma serves as a Research Assistant at the LAMA Lab, where she recruits participants and coordinates study sessions for the German Word Learning Project. Additionally, she is a volunteer at the Multilingualism and Literacy Lab at OISE, administering French literacy assessments to children in public schools across the GTA. Asma's long-term goal is to become a professor and researcher, focusing on the development of inclusive educational practices that support all children, particularly those from multilingual or neurodiverse backgrounds. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, shopping, and exploring new food places.
 

Razan is a third-year undergraduate student double majoring in Biology for Health Science and Psychology. She previously studied medicine abroad for two years before transferring to UTM. She is passionate about the cognitive and neural foundations of human communication, particularly how children and adults process language and music. Through her various volunteering experiences—working with children, supporting and engaging with patients in clinical settings—she has developed a strong interest in understanding how neurological conditions impact speech, language acquisition, and cognitive function. Outside of academics, Razan enjoys listening to music while crocheting, reading, and travelling the world!

​Muskaan is an undergraduate student entering her third year at the University of Toronto, double majoring in Psychology and Biology for Health Sciences. She is passionate about learning more about the cognition behind auditory learning in children and how they can detect different sound features. She is excited to showcase the behind-the-scenes of the lab and valuable knowledge to all during her work-study. In her free time, she likes drawing and making art, reading books, and spending time with family.

Cassandra is a fourth-year Biology and Psychology student at UTM with a remarkable passion for working with children and playing musical instruments. She is excited to conduct research on the intersection of music and psychology, particularly in the realm of child development. Her interest lies in exploring the effects and interventions of music on cognitive processes such as language learning. Beyond academics, Cassandra enjoys singing, swimming, being in nature, and spending time with loved ones.  She is actively engaged in her community, volunteering as a Children's Sunday School Teacher at her parish and serving as the President of UTM Catholics where she is spearheading the music ministry.

David is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UTM pursuing a psychology specialist and history minor. He is particularly interested in the connection between music and speech related cognition and how this can be better understood using neuroimaging techniques. In his spare time, David is an avid reader and likes to travel. He is excited for the opportunity to learn more about the field of music psychology with all the insight and clinical applications found within it.

Dylan is a fourth-year undergraduate student specializing in Psychology at UTM. She is interested in the attentional bias applied to speech and song, and how this influences memory and learning. As the Knowledge Translation student for the lab, Dylan is passionate about translating complex psychological research into practical tools and insights that can be applied in both clinical and educational settings. Supplementing her studies and passion for developmental and clinical psychology, Dylan volunteers as a crisis responder for Kids Help Phone and interns with the National Ballet School’s Adaptive Dance Program.  In her free time, Dylan enjoys spending time with friends, attempting baking recipes, and exploring different coffee spots around the city. She is excited to continue developing her skills and contributing to the lab throughout the year.