Madeleine Yu, PhD
Lab Manager – einsteinlabmanager@utoronto.ca
Madeleine Yu received her PhD in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology from the University of Toronto where she studied human voice recognition. Her doctoral research explores how developmental, sociolinguistic, and cognitive factors individually and collectively influence voice identification accuracy. Madeleine aspires to continue working in research and data, with a focus on improving people’s lives. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, rock climbing, and enjoying the changing of the seasons.
Lindsey Thurston, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow – lindsey.thurston@utoronto.ca
Lindsey Thurston received her PhD in psychology and neuroscience from the University of Toronto where she studied gender/sex, neuroendocrinology, and behaviour in white matter microstructure. Her multimodal neuroimaging work attempts to bridge social and scientific domains by drawing on neurofeminist frameworks. Lindsey’s master’s research, conducted at Queen’s University, explored working memory and psychopharmacology in non-human animal models. Lindsey aspires to be Editor-in-Chief of a scientific journal and in her spare time she photographs the city of Toronto.
Amanpreet Kaur, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow – aman.kaur@utoronto.ca
Amanpreet has a PhD in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, where she studied sex differences in the relationship between hypertension and cognitive health. Her current research focuses on the specific characteristics that influence women’s cognitive health across the lifespan. She is particularly interested in how hormonal transitions such as menopause and vascular and genetic risk factors, as well as social determinants of health, influence the trajectory of cognitive aging and dementia risk. She also has an MSc in Human Genetics (Bioinformatics) from McGill University. Outside of the lab, Amanpreet is a trained Indian classical vocalist and enjoys reading, painting, and travelling with her family.
Noelia Calvo, PhD
Research Associate – noelia.calvo@utoronto.ca
Noelia Calvo is a Linguist and PhD in Psychology from Argentina. She is now working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Einstein lab. Dr. Calvo researches risk and reserve proxies in dementia. She is particularly interested in the role of language, ethnicity and biological sex in Alzheimer’s disease. To understand the interactive effects of different social determinants of health, Dr. Calvo uses behavioral data (quantitative and qualitative) together with neuroimaging techniques, and multivariate analysis. The ultimate goal of her research is to facilitate and promote health equity in the study and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of the lab, Noelia enjoys reading, biking and trekking.
Sophia Zhao
PhD Student – sophiayt.zhao@mail.utoronto.ca
Sophia received her Honours B.Sc. in Psychology and Physiology from the University of Toronto and has an interest in the neurological mechanisms associated with different cognitive functions, especially related to aging and disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. She is an incoming doctoral student for Fall 2022. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys playing tennis, baking, and trying new restaurants with friends and family.
Jana Galley
PhD Student – jana.galley@mail.utoronto.ca
Jana received her Honours B.A. in Communication and Media Studies and Psychology with a concentration in Health Psychology from Carleton University. She joined the Einstein Lab in the Fall 2022 as a graduate student, eager to explore the dynamic interplay between the mind, the brain, and the social world. She is especially interested in understanding the relationship between hormones and embodied cognition and combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. Outside of the lab, she loves listening to podcasts, taking long walks in the dog park, and embracing any opportunity to travel.
Jenalyn Ormita
PhD Student – jenalyn.ormita@mail.utoronto.ca
Jenalyn Ormita (she/her) received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Honours) from Mount Royal University. She joined the Einstein lab in Fall 2024 as an incoming doctoral student. With knowledge in psychology and women’s and gender studies, Jenalyn is interested in studying how cognition and various biological factors are affected by social factors such as race, gender, culture, and immigration. Jenalyn‘s research interests ultimately stem from her desire to understand others and promote social justice using a multidisciplinary and intersectional lens. Outside the lab, she enjoys playing volleyball, dancing, and spending time with loved ones!
Lucy Muir
PhD Student – lucy.muir@utoronto.ca
Lucy joined the Einstein Lab as a doctoral student in 2024. She completed her Honours B.A. in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University where she developed a passion for biopsychosocial research on sex, gender, and aging. Lucy is now nurturing that passion with her graduate studies. She researches menopause as a biological, psychological, and social process, and is exploring the complex ways that menopause may influence cognitive health. Outside the lab, Lucy is a committed long-distance runner, an avid concert-goer, and loves to participate in community theatre.
Research Assistants
- Dorrin Taghdisi
- Jacki Zhao
- Michael Howard
- Lauren Mahony
- Irelande Farrell
Project Students
- Eithar Fadl
- Comfort Oluwagbamila
- Zaki Ul Haq
- Trisha Menon
- Tracy Thong
- Quinn Tan
Research Volunteers
- Galo Ginocchio
- Prathiga Suthanthirarajan
- Yumo Zhang
- Tea Paquin
- Ethina Islam
- Saarah Dhansura
- Iana Bulavko
- Francine Castillo