McGill Laboratory of Affiliation and Prosociality
LAB DIRECTOR | DR. JENNIFER BARTZ
Past Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
| GENTIANA SADIKAJ |
Dr. Gentiana Sadikaj completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at McGill University in 2012. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship under Dr. Bartz's supervision in 2017, and she is currently an assistant professor at Concordia University. Broadly speaking, Genta is interested in understanding (1) person and situational influences on personality processes involving perception of others, affect, and interpersonal behavior, (2) intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of personality processes, and (3) perception accuracy. Presently, she is examining whether specific polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) influence interpersonal dynamics between romantic partners in naturally occurring interpersonal situations.
| SONIA KROL |
Dr. Sonia Krol completed her PhD student in Clinical Psychology at McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Bartz. She also completed her BA in Psychology at McGill University. Broadly, Sonia is interested in the relationship between the self and social behaviour. Specifically, she studies how one’s sense of self—the extent to which one knows who they are—influences self-other distinction, particularly in the context of empathy.
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EMAIL: sonia.krol@mail.mcgill.ca
| CECILE (Cici) SUNAHARA |
Cecile completed her M.Sc. at McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Bartz investigating the neurobiological and social cognitive underpinnings of human affiliation and prosociality. Cici is completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Southern Methodist University under the supervision of Dr. Benjamin A. Tabak where she aims to continue exploring the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms which support our ability to connect with others.
| JONAS NITSCHKE |
Dr. Jonas Nitschke completed his PhD in Experimental Psychology at McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Bartz. Jonas is completing his post doctoral research in the Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit at University of Vienna under the supervision of Dr. Claus Lamm. He is interested in how stress influences our self-perceptions and how we interact with our social environment.
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EMAIL: jonas.nitschke@mcgill.ca
WEB: jonasnitschke.com
TWITTER: @jonasnitschke
| TANYA PROCYSHYN |
Dr. Tanya Procyshyn completed Parke Davis Exchange Post-Doctoral Fellowship (University of Cambridge) in at McGill in 2021-2022, pursuing research related to oxytocin in collaboration with Dr. Bartz. She is interested in the biological variables (hormones, genes) that underlie individual differences in social traits and their relationship to autism spectrum phenotypes. She completed her PhD in Psychiatry at the Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge.
EMAIL: tlp30@cam.ac.uk
| KRISTINA TCHALOVA |
Dr. Kristina Tchalova is a former SSHRC and HBHL fellow who completed her PhD in Experimental Psychology in the Bartz lab, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship. She is currently a lecturer at McGill University, teaching classes such as Intro to Psychology (PSYC 100), Interpersonal Relationships (PSYC 474), and Human Motivation (PSYC 471). Her research examines the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to the formation and maintenance of social bonds, as well as the influence these mechanisms exert on emotional and physical health.
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EMAIL: kristina.tchalova@mail.mcgill.ca
TWITTER: @k_tchalova
Past Lab Coordinators
Juliette Dupertuys, M.Phil. (PhD student at University College London)
Talya Azrieli, M.Sc. (People and Operations Manager at Mako Financial Technologies)
Emma Galarneau, M.Sc. (PhD candidate at the University of Toronto)
Alexa Meilleur, M.Sc. (PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Montréal)
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Past Undergraduate Research Students
2023-2024
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Lily Drever (M.Sc. Student; IPN at McGill)
Alexia Dusciuc
Bryana-Alexa Liberta
Mina Mahdi (M.A. Student; Yale University)
Ryan Miller-Slemko
Anna Walls
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2022-2023
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Andrew Burcar (M.A. Student; Counseling Psychology at McGill University)
Molly Feffer (Lab Coordinator; McGill Lab of Affiliation and Prosociality)
Nikita Guarascio (M.Sc. Student; Psychology at Université de Montréal)
Nada Khalil (Research Coordinator; Douglas Mental Health Institute)
Katya Kredl (PhD Student; Experimental Psychology at McGill University
Fiona Mant
Siobhan Naegelen (M.Sc. Student; Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience at Maastricht University)
Megan Schenk (MPH Student; University of British Colombia)
Melissa Shemirani (M.Sc. Student; Experimental Psychology at McGill University)​
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2021-2022
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Laury-Ann Beddard (M.A. Student; Developmental Psychology at Florida Atlantic University)
Juliette Dupertuys, M.Phil. (PhD Student; Ecological Brain DPT at University College London)
Rose-Marie Guérard (PhD Student; Clinical Psychology at Université de Montréal)
Yuqi Huang (PhD Student; University of Hong Kong)
Jasmine Kotsiopoulos (M.A. Student; Research and Clinical Training at Concordia University)
Bianca Lafreniere (Student; Université de Montréal)
Ignacio Perezmontemayor-Cruz (M.A. Student; Clinical Psychology at Concordia University)
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2020-2021
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Abby Couture, M.Sc. (Social Researcher; Bryant Research)
Letong Li (Clinical Research Assistant; Lady Davis Institute)
Kira Rudakova (PhD Student; Rehabilitation Sciences at Université de Montréal)
Chloe White, M.A. (PhD Student; Clinical Psychology at Simon Fraser University)
Jessica Wong (PhD Student; Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England)
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2019-2020
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Alejandra Almarales
Laina Benjamin (Certified Professional Coach in Neurolinguistic Programming)
Haneen Eldiri (National Organizer; National Network for Arab American Communities)
Hannah Li (M.Sc. Student; HEC Paris)
Stefan Pirvu (Founder; Email Superstars)
Negin Zamani, M.Sc. (Research Project Manager; Toronto Metropolitan University)
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2018-2019
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Victoria Allard (PhD Student; Clinical Psychology at Université de Montréal)
Jeannine Alana Bertin (PhD Candidate; Social and Political Psychology at New York University)
Kathleen Charles, M.A (Mental Health Practitioner at Head & Hands / À Deux Mains)
Marilyne Dragon, M.A (PhD Candidate; Clinical Psychology at Concordia University)
Olivia Holden, M.A. (PhD Candidate; School/Applied Child Psychology at McGill University)
Camilla Lopez (Behaviour Interventionist and Part-Time Elementary Teacher)
Stephanie Oliverio, M.A. (PhD Student; Clinical Psychology at Concordia University)
Karim Abou Nader, M.Sc. (MD Candidate at Université de Montréal)
Reagan Schoenholz (Clinical Research Coordinator at the Rivera Mindt Lab)
Emily Schwartzman (PhD Student; Experimental Psychology at the University of Toronto)
Negin Zamani, M.Sc. (Research Project Manager; Toronto Metropolitan University)