people

Dr. Ben Whittaker (they/them)

2022- Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta (Canada)

2021 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph (Canada)

2019 PhD, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University (UK)

2012 MSc Biodiversity and Conservation, University of Leeds (UK)

2011 BSc Ecology and Environmental Biology, University of Leeds (UK)

Website: https://bawhittaker.weebly.com/

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9316-6285 

Twitter:  @ba_whittaker

Ben is interested in understanding how personality affects the way individuals interact with each other, specifically in terms of communication strategies and trade-offs between cooperation and conflict. Their previous research focused on how cleaner fish interact with salmon in aquaculture and developed tools for identifying commercially desired behaviours. Ben also enjoys podcasting, creating art, and being in nature.

Julia Self (she/her)

Fall 2023, NSERC MSc Student, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta (Canada)

Summer 2023 Laboratory Manager/Research Assistant

Summer 2022 Undergraduate Research Initiative, Undergraduate Researcher Stipend

2021-23 Psychology Honours Student

2020 Volunteer

Julia completed her Bachelor of Science Honours in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Guillette. Her research interests include determinants of cognitive development and social learning, with a broad passion for mental health. Outside of academic interests, Julia is a PADI certified Rescue Diver and is working towards her Master Diver certification. She also enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and volunteering with several mental health and community organizations in the Edmonton area.

Twitter: @JuliaLSelf

website: https://juliaself.owlstown.net/

Chandler Carr (they/them; starting Sept 2024)

Chandler has a broad interest in animal behaviors that are important for mate attraction and reproduction. Chandler is currently interested in understanding the causes of individuality in extended phenotypes like nest building. They love birds, brains, and beauty, having conducted two different independent undergraduate projects on house wren nest building and the neuroscience of how beauty affects human emotions. Beyond research, they love to make art, watch cartoons, play sandbox games, and exist in nature.

Twitter: @cecarr72

Sofia Garrido Villegas (she/her; starting Sept 2024)

Sofia is interested in neurobiology, cognition, and animal behaviour. She is intrigued by why animals exhibit certain behaviours, the choices they make, and the significance of these choices in both environmental and social contexts. Her bachelor thesis focused on the process of social integration of new individuals into already established groups in guinea pigs. Apart from her academic pursuits, she engages in literary activities, both reading and writing, and she enjoys taking walks in nature.

Twitter: @soficgarrido

Henry Swartwood Garcia (he/him)

2024 MITACS Globalink Research Intern

Henry is studying his 4rth year of his Bachelor of Biology at the University of the Americas Puebla (Mexico), and shows a special interest in birds and more specifically in owls. Henry has worked with mottled owls in the past and is curious to learn new approaches for the study of birds in addition to their distribution, such as their behavior. Besides birds, Henry is very interested in botany, in interspecific relationships within ecosystems and in conservation biology. Henry likes to learn new things, and he enjoys singing, chatting with his partners, walking through the nature, playing board games, reading and playing/listening to music.

Umama Mir (she/her)

2024 URI Undergraduate Researcher Stipend; Scotiabank to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)

2024 Independent Studies Student

2023 Volunteer

Umama is a third-year student completing a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Immunology and Infection. She is interested in animal cognition and its similarities and differences to human cognition. Besides doing research, Umama also enjoys baking.

Avery Baldwin (she/her)

2024 Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology (WISEST) Summer Research Program

Avery recently finished grade eleven at Harry Ainlay High School in Edmonton, Alberta and is a member of the Women in Scholarships, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) program at the University of Alberta. She is excited to begin exploring the field of psychology, specifically animal cognition. In her free time, she enjoys teaching and learning dance, baking, and spending time with friends.  

Isabella De Guzman (she/they):

2024 Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology (WISEST) Summer Research Program

Isabella is currently a high school student at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Vegreville, Alberta. She is working towards pursuing an education and career in Psychology, as an advocate for the importance of mental health. In her free time she loves being involved in anything creative whether it be drawing, painting, playing instruments, or acting. She loves spending time with her friends, family, and her dog.  

Simran Gill (she/her)

2024 Volunteer

Simran is a 3rd year undergraduate working towards a Bachelors of Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Simran is currently most interested in animal cognition and learning but has a broad interest in all thing Psychology. Outside of Psychology, she loves to read as much as possible.

• Dr. Connor Lambert, PhD 2024, https://ctlambert.weebly.com/ (2024- Postdoctoral Researcher at Texas Tech University, USA)
• Dr. Andrés Camacho Alpizar, PhD 2023, https://andrescamachoalpizar.weebly.com/ (2023- Sessional Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta)
• Gopika Balasubramanian, MSc 2022, https://gopikabalasubramanian.weebly.com/
• Tristan Eckersley, MSc 2021, http://www.tristaneckersley.com (2021-, Research Assistant, Mental Health Court initiative in the Edmonton Mental Health branch of Alberta Health Services)
• Dr. Alexis Breen, PhD 2018 (University of St Andrews), http://www.alexisbreen.com/, (2020- Postdoctoral Researcher Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Germany)

• Hiba Zahid, 2024, Volunteer
• Stefan Stanescu, Summer 2023 Undergraduate Research Initiative, Undergraduate Researcher Stipend, 2023-2024 Independent Studies Student, 2022 Volunteer (2024 MSc student McGill University, Canada)
• Nicole Gerle, 2023, Independent Studies Student, 2022 Volunteer
• Maryam Abdelhamed, 2023 WISEST Summer Research Program (Queen Elizabeth High School, Alberta)
• Nakul Wewhare, Summer 2023 MITACS Globalink Research Intern (IISER Pune, India)
• Priya Binwal, Summer 2023 MITACS Globalink Research Intern ( IISER Kolkata, India)
• Harleen Kooner, 2022-2023, Independent Studies Student
• Cailyn Poole, 2021-2023 Psychology Honours Student; Summer 2022 Research Assistant
• Jessica Hewitt, 2021-2023 Independent Studies Student, 2020 Volunteer
• Karen Yeung, Summer 2022 Mitacs Globalink Research Intern (Hong Kong University)
• Liam Nolet-Mulholland, 2019-2022 Psychology Honours Student
• Anna Nevoit, Summer 2022, WISEST summer high school student
• Deborah Yun, Summer 2022, WISEST summer high school student, (2023- Honours student in Physiology, University of Alberta)
• Kalie Keays, 2020-2021, Volunteer
• Shaunak Mistry 2019-2021, Independent studies student
• Christine McManus 2020-2021, Independent studies student
• Briana Kroeker 2019-2020, Psychology Honours student, (2024- MA student, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada)
• Maks Taghizada 2019-2020, Independent studies student
• Harsimran Khinda 2019-2020, Volunteer, (2022- PhD student, New York University College of Dentistry, USA)
• Maneet Sidhu 2019-2020, Volunteer
• Chelsea Hanson 2019-2020, Volunteer
• Brittany Perkins 2019, WISEST summer high school student
• Cora-Lee Kashuba 2019, WISEST summer high school student
• Kristen Laurenson 2017-2018 (University of St Andrews) Biology Honours student
• Peter Stewart 2017-2018 (University of St Andrews) Biology Honours student (2019-, PhD student, Conservation Ecology Group, Durham University, UK)
• Alba McClinton 2017(University of St Andrews) Volunteer
• Keren Lovie 2017(University of St Andrews) Volunteer
• Clememnce Bonneaud 2017 (Université de Paris 13, France) Intern
• Tas Vamos 2016 (University of St Andrews) Undergraduate Research Assistant, (2020-, PhD Student, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
• Chloe Guerard 2016 (Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, France) Intern