Lab members

Staff

Shreeyaa Ramana – Lab Coordinator – einsteinlabmanager@utoronto.ca
Shreeyaa received her Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Toronto. She manages the database for the Estrogens & Cognition project, supervises the work of undergraduate research assistants, and supports the day-to-day operation of the lab. Shreeyaa is fascinated by the utility of neuropsychological tests in understanding complex relationships between the brain and behaviour and is also an avid consumer of research on knowledge translation. Outside of her work in the lab, she is a science communicator and enjoys reading fiction and playing basketball!

Graduate students

• • • • • Laura Gravelsins – Doctoral Student – laura.gravelsins@mail.utoronto.ca
          Laura received her Honours B.Sc. in 2017 and M.A. in 2018, both at the University of Toronto and she is now a Ph.D. psychology student at the Einstein Lab. She feels fortunate to have been a part of the lab during the 4th year of her undergraduate degree and Masters degree, and strongly values its interdisciplinary, diverse, and feminist research. The complex relationship between genes, hormones, and cognition is fascinating to Laura, and her current research focuses on investigating cognitive performance in oral contraceptive users. Outside of the lab she is a don at Victoria College and enjoys playing ice hockey with friends and family!
          • Alana Brown – Doctoral Student – alana.brown@mail.utoronto.ca
            Alana received her Psychology Master’s degree at the University of Toronto and is now a Ph.D. candidate with the Einstein Lab. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from UofT in 2016, and is fortunate to have worked on a variety of projects in the Einstein Lab for two years prior to joining as a graduate student. She is particularly interested in the impact of hormones on brain structure and function in the context of spatial abilities, navigation strategies, and wayfinding behaviors in humans. Outside of the lab, Alana enjoys science fiction, drawing, photography, cooking spicy food, and exploring the city.
      • Sophia Zhao – Doctoral 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 – Doctoral Student – jana.galley@mail.utoronto.ca
          Jana recived 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.
        • Michelle Galper – Doctoral Student – michelle.galper@mail.utoronto.ca
          

          Michelle (she/her) received her Honours B.A. in Psychology and Political Science from Queen’s University. She is an incoming PhD candidate for the Fall 2023 cohort, and is very excited to be joining the Einstein lab. She is interested in researching the many intersecting factors (both biological and environmental) that impact cognitive function in later life, and how these factors affect the brain at a structural, functional, and neuropsychological level. Outside of the lab, Michelle enjoys all things music, camping, and trying new restaurants around the city!

        • Post-Doctoral Fellows

          • Noelia Calvo – 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.

            Reubs Walsh – reubs.walsh@utoronto.ca

            

            Reubs J Walsh is a multidisciplinary scientist with degrees in human physiology, cognitive neuropsychology, and clinical developmental psychology. Their work focusses on understanding how the social environment shapes individuals’ biology, especially their brains, and draws on the philosophical and political works of neurodivergent, queer/trans and intersectional feminist movements and scholars. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Einstein lab, they investigate how biosocial processes related to gender/sex – including gender-affirming medical treatments using hormones, and social stress and isolation – influence how the brains of trans women and non binary people PAMAB change in older age. Their project uses neuropsychological testing, multimodal neuroimaging, and qualitative methods to obtain a deeper understanding of these participants’ experiences, and how those experiences may have influenced the health of their aging brains. Outside the lab, Reubs enjoys building skills within the performing arts, using those skills to communicate the scientific ideas and knowledge that motivate their commitment to building a more equitable society, and spending time with their friends, family and communities.

          Work-Study Students

          • • Shelby Davies
            • Garima Amarnath
            • Emily Ng

          Research Assistants

          • Rumsha Siddiqui
          • Carina Koeppel
          • Shannon Mahony
          • Donghun Oh
          • Anahita Dhru
          • Lauren Mahony
          • Echo Zhang
          • Abby Wang
          • Anastasia Liu
          • Michelle Teng