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.

Dr. Isabel Rojas-Ferrer (she/her)

2024- Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, (Canada)

2023 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico)

2022 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico)

2021 Ph.D. in Biology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa (Canada)

2016 M.Sc. in Ecology, evolution, and systematics, Department of Biology, University of Missouri-Saint Louis (USA) 

2014 B.S. in Industrial microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico)

Isabel is a Puerto Rican scientist, educator and science communicator focusing on topics of animal behavior and cognition. She possesses a PhD from the University of Ottawa, Canada, where she investigated how individual passerine birds acquire and use information. Currently, she is interested in understanding how information flows through a natural system from the moment it gets embedded, acquired and transmitted across a population. Isabel is a resident at the STEMM Advocacy Institute on a project focused on animal literacy, and was a Fellow of Yale Ciencia Academy and Ciencia PR. Alongside her academic career, she is a fervent mental health and, diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization advocate. Her best friend and dog companion is a shepherd mix named Vito Rojas-Ferrer. 

Website: https://www.lilmissethologist.com/

ORCID: 0000-0003-1186-6099

Twitter: @LilMsEthologist

Connor Lambert

2018- PhD candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta (Canada)

2018 BS Wildlife Conservation, Brigham Young University ( USA)

2018 MS Biology, Miami University ( USA)

Connor is a zoologist with interests in animal behavior, cognition, and conservation. During his undergraduate Connor worked on conservation and management of deer, sage grouse, pygmy rabbits, and bats, and then did a Master’s in biology examining the evolution of monogamy in prairie voles.  He is fascinated by what animals perceive, how they process this information and learn from it, and the evolution of these cognitive abilities.  Connor is interested in not only studying the cognitive mechanisms underlying behavior, but also why these cognitive mechanisms have evolved and how and why individuals differ in these abilities. For his PhD Connor is studying how and why individuals within a species differ in their cognition,  what environmental and social factors shape cognitive abilities, and the evolutionary relationship between nest building and cognitive abilities. 

Website: https://ctlambert.weebly.com/

Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=ugqnjZoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3568-1868

Twitter: @ConnorTLambert

Julia Self (she/her)

Fall 2023, 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 is completing 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/

Sara Blunk

2021- MSc Psychology, University of Alberta (Canada)

2021 Bsc Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Kansas State University (USA)

Sara is interested in studying culture in bird populations in the context of traditions in structure building (i.e., nests and bowers) and how different aspects of the environment affect the traditions within a population. In her spare time, Sara paints, goes birding, or hikes.

Umama Mir (she/her)

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.

• Andrés Camacho Alpizar, PhD 2023, https://andrescamachoalpizar.weebly.com/
• 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)

• 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
• 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