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 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 studied 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. She is currently working as a clinical psychologist and as a lecturer in McGill's Dept. of Psychology.
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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; University College London)
Talya Azrieli, M.Sc. (People and Operations Manager; Mako Financial Technologies)
Emma Galarneau, M.Sc, PhD. (Research Project Manager; University of Toronto)
Alexa Meilleur, M.Sc. (PhD candidate; Université du Québec à Montréal)
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Past Undergraduate Research Students
2023-2024
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Lily Drever (M.Sc. Student; Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill University)
Alexia Dusciuc
Bryana-Alexa Liberta
Mina Mahdi (M.A. Student; Yale University)
Ryan Miller-Slemko
Anna Walls (Lab Coordinator; TRAC Lab at McGill University)
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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)
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2017-2018
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Talya Azrieli, M.Sc. (People and Operations Manager at Mako Financial Technologies)
Anne Baptiste, M.A. (PhD Candidate; Clinical Psychology at Concordia University)
Carla Benea (PhD Student; Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill University)
Kathleen Charles, M.A. (Mental Health Practitioner at Head & Hands / À Deux Mains)
Ajar Diushekeeva (PhD Candidate; Clinical Psychology at Université de Montréal)
Tony Fang
Anne-Valérie Fournier, Psy. D. (Business Partner in Organizational & Human Transformation; Santé Québec)
Natalie Klein, MPH. (Senior Program Officer; Public Health Agency of Canada)
Emily Schwartzman (PhD Student; Experimental Psychology at the University of Toronto)
Jhanvi Shethia (Director; Hiranyavarnaam Alkalis B.V.)
Nazila Tolooei, M.A. (Bilingual Resource Specialist; Kids Help Phone)
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2016-2017
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Ian Bernstein, JD, BCL, LLM. (Notary & Title Attorney; Nadia De Riggi)
Angela Brett
Emma Galarneau, M.Sc, PhD. (Research Project Manager; University of Toronto)
Charles LaPeirre, PhD. (Co-founder and Trainer; Corps Bruyants)
Alexa Meilleur, M.Sc. (PhD candidate; Université du Québec à Montréal)
Gul Saeed, MPH. (PhD Student in Public Health; Yale University)
Leah Suissa-Rocheleau (Student; BCL/JD Program at McGill University)
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2015-2016
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Devon Chazan, PhD.
Lauren Deckelbaum, M.Sc., PhD. (Business Psychology Consultant)
Can Fenerci, M. Sc., PhD (Behavioural Science Fellow; Impact Canada)
Jean-Philippe Gagne, M.A., PhD. (Assistant Professor; Department of Psychiatry at McGill University)
Nathaniel Philip, MPH. (Occupational and Environmental Health Data and Policy Analyst)
Alexa Meilleur, M.Sc. (PhD candidate; Université du Québec à Montréal)
Gul Saeed, MPH. (PhD Student in Public Health; Yale University)
Sarah Sieur, M.Sc. (Clinical Psychologist; Sarah Lou Psychology)
David St-Amand, M.Sc. (PhD Student; Neurobiology at Duke University)
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2014-2015
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Jean-Philippe Gagne, M.A., PhD. (Assistant Professor; Department of Psychiatry at McGill University)
Costanza Graziani, M.Sc.
Leah Hamovitch, M.A., PhD. (Senior Consultant; Legal Aid Ontario)
Patricia Silas
Cecile Sunahara, M.A. (PhD Student; Southern Methodist University)
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2013-2014
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Robert Abdulezer, DMD. (Family Dentist; Lumino Health)
Sonia Krol, PhD (Clinical Psychologist; Plateau Psychology & Lecturer; Dept. of Psychology, McGill University)
Caroline Neel
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2012-2013
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Sophie Beland, M.Sc., MD. (Resident Physician; Université de Sherbrooke)
Todd Chan, PhD. (Senior Quantitative Researcher; Google)
Celine Coletta
Stephanie Dimitroff, PhD. (Assistant Professor; University of Montana)
Arseny Ryazanov, PhD. (Senior Product Researcher; Netflix)
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2011-2012
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Erin Luxenberg, MD. (Family Doctor; Waskaganish, Quebec)
Arseny Ryazanov, PhD. (Senior Product Researcher; Netflix)