Alex Barnett (PI)
Dr. Barnett completed his B.Sc., M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. Before returning to UofT as faculty, Dr. Barnett was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, at Davis. Dr. Barnett’s research incorporates elements of systems neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and clinical neuropsychology in creative ways to expand our understanding of episodic memory.
Outside of the lab, Alex is an avid Toronto Raptors fan, enjoys running and being bad at video games.
Joshua Koh (Graduate Student)
Hi there! I recently graduated from the University of Toronto, where I pursued programs in Psychology and Neuroscience. My research interests lie in investigating the mechanisms and dynamics underlying human memory, and how they intertwine with other aspects of our cognition and behaviour. More specifically, using a combination of behavioural and neuroimaging techniques, I am keen to understand how people integrate memories for naturalistic events and extract the necessary information to navigate new experiences. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, going on walks, and playing sports 😊 Absolutely thrilled to be able to start this new journey with the Barnett lab and continue developing my love for the field!
Xianze Meng (Marcus) (Graduate Student)
Why may we react so differently to the exact same thing? Why does someone remember specific memories better than others? Why do people tackle a problem from various perspectives? My name is Xianze Meng (Marcus), a 4th-year neuroscience specialist student at the University of Toronto. I am broadly interested in revealing the individual difference in cognition, which includes memory processing, inherent cognitive ability, and acquired knowledge from experience and education. My current occupation in this lab involves MRI image preprocessing and analysis in cartoon-watching subjects to investigate event boundaries and data collection from MRI, EEG, and eye tracking on this topic in the future. Outside lab time, I love my cats, playing my guitar, and working on my car.
June-Kyo Kim (Research Assistant)
Hi! My name is June and I’m a 3rd year Undergraduate student at the University of Toronto in the Cell and Systems Biology Specialist program. I’m interested in how perception influences memory and how this encoding is reflected in our brain activity. I’m passionate about using computational approaches and machine learning to investigate memory processes and enhance our understanding of human behaviour and brain connectivity. In my free time I like to catch up on sleep and eat good food.
Aafiya Somani (Research Assistant)
Aafiya is interested in areas of research that explore cognitive mechanisms involved in different aspects of memory and how these mechanisms may vary across multiple variables. In the future, she would also like to be a part of research that focuses on the brain areas that are involved in these processes. As a fourth-year undergraduate student, she has assisted with research involving child cognition and women cognition during BRCA cancer and wants to expand her areas of research. Outside of her work in the lab, she likes to spend time with her friends, going to the gym, visiting new places and exploring music.
Shivanshi Dhuria (Lab coordinator)
Hi! My name is Shivanshi and I’m a third year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto double majoring in Molecular Genetics and Psychology. I’m interested in exploring how memory can be influenced by various cognitive and behavioural factors such as prior knowledge, and how these differences translate to brain activity patterns. In the lab, I’m currently working on behavioural, eye-tracking and EEG data collection and analysis relating to event segmentation. Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching Netflix, taking walks around campus and eating Indian food.
Past Lab Members
Joseph Merante (Graduate Student; Brock University)