Our Team
Principal Investigator
Taka Masuda, PhD
Webpage
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Lab Manager
Leah Wojcik
Email: lwojcik@ualberta.ca
Dzień dobry! (Polish for “Hello”) I’m Leah, and I graduated from the Honours Psychology program at the UofA in June 2023. My research interests lie at the intersection of cultural psychology and body image. My thesis focused on the ways East Asian Canadians and European Canadians cope with threats to their body image. I am deeply interested in learning how to tailor therapy in order to be a culturally competent clinical psychologist. In my free time you can find me volunteering, baking, or planning my next trip.
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Graduate Students
Min Hye Kang
PhD Student
Email: minhye@ualberta.ca
Annyoung, my name is Min Hye, and I joined the lab in Fall22 as a doctoral student. I majored in psychology for both my undergrad and master’s degree too. I graduated from Liberty University (VA) and Sogang University (Seoul). My research interest is in how culture influences social cognition, and it probably comes from being exposed to diverse cultures as I have lived in Korea, New Zealand, and the US before. My research works focus on the cultural differences coming from holistic-analytical thinking and independent-interdependent social orientation. In my leisure time, I enjoy film photography and baking.
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Tsolmon Bayart-Od
MA Student
Email: bayartod@ualberta.ca
Cайн уу! (Means “Hi!” in Mongolian) My name is Tsolmon Bayart-Od (Tsomo in short), I’m from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. I got my bachelor’s degree from J.F.Oberlin University (Tokyo, Japan), majoring in Japanese Language Education and minoring in Communication studies. And joined the Culture and Cognition Lab starting in the Fall of 2022. I am interested in cross-cultural studies and discovering Mongolian cultural patterns by comparing them to Canadian and Japanese. In my free time, I like photography and travelling.
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Undergraduate Students
Brooklyn Chantry
Email: chantry@ualberta.ca
Hi! My name is Brooklyn, and I graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and history. I was born in Edmonton, and my cultural background is Chinese, German, and Indigenous. I am interested in researching about different cultures in sports. My goal is to pursue counselling psychology, so being knowledgeable about different cultures is important. In my free time, I enjoy playing sports, especially rugby, going to concerts, and spending time with friends and family.
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Daniel Eyestone
Email: eyestone@ualberta.ca
Hello, my name is Daniel. I am a fourth-year undergraduate psychology honors student here at the UofA. I started volunteering with the Culture and Cognition Lab in Fall 2024. I have lived in Alberta my whole life, but my family roots trace back to Ireland and Poland. Following my undergraduate degree I hope to pursue graduate studies in counselling psychology, investigating how cultural perception of gender roles impacts relationship stability, satisfaction, and personal well-being.
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Debadrita Chowdhury
Email: debadrit@ualberta.ca
Hi, my name is Debadrita and I’m in my fifth year of the BSc Honours Psychology program. I was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, and have lived in Canada for most of my life – but I’m still much happier in 30-degree weather than the deep Albertan winters! I’m interested in learning about culture and child development, especially cross-cultural studies with South Asians. In my free time, I enjoy painting and digital art, reading fiction, and watching anime with my sister.
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Elishba Jamal
Email: elishba@ualberta.ca
Hello everyone! My name is Elishba, and I’m currently finishing up my Science Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in Psychology. While I was raised in Edmonton, I was born in Peshawar, Pakistan. Culture plays a significant role in my life and fuels my interest in cultural psychology, particularly how cultural differences shape people’s behavior and perspectives. In my free time, I enjoy photography, crocheting, and spending time with my two cats, Haku and Mothi!
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Erica Witte
Honors Student
Email: ewitte@ualberta.ca
My name is Erica, I am from Edmonton, Alberta and I am applying for the psychology honours program for Fall 2025! This is my second year of studies at the University of Alberta with a major of psychology (arts) and a minor of sociology. My goal is to become a child psychologist, and I am passionate about pursuing research in cultural differences among youth. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my three cats, and two dogs.
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Kai Iglesias
Email: kaiyoshi@ualberta.ca
My name is Kaiyoshi Iglesias, a third-year undergraduate student in the Department of Psychology. I have a diverse Canadian background, including Filipino, Yonsei Japanese Canadian, Indigenous, and Irish heritage. This personal background has greatly influenced my interest in cultural psychology, particularly in understanding how different cultures shape socialization and psychological processes. Outside of academics, I enjoy biking, badminton, bouldering, and backcountry camping, as well as trips to the mountains.
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Karina Tamkee
Honors Student
Email: tamkee@ualberta.ca
Hi everyone! My name is Karina and my cultural background is Chinese Indian. I am in my fifth year of the BSc Honours Psychology program, completing my thesis in the Culture and Cognition Lab. My research interests focus on how culture influences child development and social relationships. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, reading, and playing video games.
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Marggi Patel
Email: marggi@ualberta.ca
My name is Marggi Patel. I graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences and Psychology from the University of Alberta. I was born in India but lived in Canada for most of my life. I recently joined the culture and cognition lab. I love learning about different cultures and my research interest reflects this. I look forward to learning about how social cognition is impacted by culture and learning more about cultural differences. My hobbies include hiking, Muay Thai, and traveling.
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Matt Mah
Email: mmah1@ualberta.ca
Hello, my name is Matheson Mah. I graduated from the University of Alberta with a BSc Honors Psychology degree. I am an aspiring clinical psychologist, and I am currently interested in researching cultural differences in response to stress and mental health variations. I look forward to continuing to assist the lab with its many ongoing research projects to further my experience and understanding in the field.
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Megan Harris
Email: meharris@ualberta.ca
Hi everyone! My name is Megan. I am a psychology and linguistics undergraduate student here at the University of Alberta. I was born and raised in Edmonton. I started volunteering with the Culture & Cognition Lab in Winter 2023 after taking a course in cultural psychology with Dr. Masuda. My research interests relate to the interactions between language and experience, for example, categorical perception; that is, how stimuli are categorized in the mind. Outside of the lab, I am passionate about learning and teaching history.
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Minahil Nasir
Email: minahil@ualberta.ca
Hi! I’m a third-year BSc Psychology major with a minor in Physical Sciences at the University of Alberta. I was born in Pakistan and have lived in Edmonton my whole life, but I’ve also had the opportunity to travel and explore many cultures and languages around the world. I’m interested in child and youth psychology, and how cultural differences influence development. I volunteer with CASA to support and advocate for youth mental health, and hope to pursue a career in clinical psychology. In my free time, I enjoy strength training, baking, soccer, and hiking.
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Nick Nitafan
Email: nitafan@ualberta.ca
Kamusta? ȏ.̮ȏ My name is Nick. I graduated with a BSc. in Psychology (specialization) in June 2024. Born and raised in the Philippines, and having to move to Canada at a young age, the impact of culture to the psyche has always been an interest of mine to investigate. In particular, I am interested in researching cultural differences in memory. Outside of school, I enjoy playing the guitar (and learning other instruments) and staying fit in the gym!
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Olivia Staub
Email: ostaub@ualberta.ca
Hi! My name is Olivia and I am in my 3rd year studying Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I was born in Switzerland, where part of my family originates, and I am also Ukrainian, having lived in Edmonton most of my life. My goal is to pursue graduate school in counselling psychology. Through participating in the lab, I hope to gain a broadened cultural sensitivity and understanding to bring into my future career. Outside academics, I enjoy walking my dog, Arthur, trying new restaurants, and watching the latest TV series.
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Rachel Kelly
Email: rekelly@ualberta.ca
I am an undergraduate student currently studying psychology and linguistics. I am of Jamaican descent, but I have spent most of my life living here in Edmonton. My research interests primarily include child development and language acquisition. Outside of the lab, I like to read, spending time with friends and family, and playing the piano.
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Sadia Parvez
Email: sparvez@ualberta.ca
Hello! My name is Sadia and I’m in my 5th year of my specialization in psychology. I’m interested in researching cultural influences on motivation and decision-making. I was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and moved here when I was very young. My goal this year is to learn how to write in Bangla and surprise my mom! Outside of school, I love spending time with my cat, writing poetry, and playing my piano and guitar.
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Tamila Khoshkish
Email: khoshkis@ualberta.ca
Hello! My name is Tamila, I am a volunteer in the Culture and Cognition Lab and an alumnus of the U of A. My parents immigrated here from Iran; I was born in Toronto, but shortly after my family and I moved to Alberta. I am highly interested in how our sociocultural environment affects our perception of the world and how we cognitively engage with it. My hobbies include art, storytelling/writing, music, and mildly obsessing over shows. :))
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Tim Nakatsu
Email: ttnakats@ualberta.ca
Hello! My name is Timothy but everyone calls me Tim and I am a third-year student studying Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. I was born and raised in Edmonton but my parents are Japanese and I was able to experience Japanese and Canadian culture which I am thankful for. I took a Cultural Psychology class with Dr. Masuda and it piqued my interest, especially in regard to differences between Japanese and Canadian cultures. In my free time I enjoy cooking, football and being with my family.
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Lab Employees
Vernon Gaudet
Programmer/Game Creator
Email: vgaudet@ualberta.ca
Hello, bonjour! I graduated in 2023 from the University of Alberta with a BSc in Psychology with Computing Science Minor. I grew up in rural Alberta. My background is Filipino and French Canadian. My hobbies and interests include history, art, programming and gaming. I am interested in applying technology and digital methods to psychological research in ways that are creative and useful. Within our lab, I specialize in creating and programming systems, games and stimuli for our studies.
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Arianna Cook
General RA
Email: akcook@ualberta.ca
My name is Arianna and I graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology in 2022. In the lab, I am currently exploring how culture influences emotion perception and context sensitivity. I’m from Edmonton and my background is East Prussian German and Ukrainian. Because East Prussia no longer exists, I have never met anyone outside of my family who shares my family’s history; this prompted me to explore East Prussian history and its influence on my family as a teenager, which has now evolved into an interest in cultural psychology more broadly. In my free time, I enjoy painting, skiing, and exploring new cities!
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Narimane Dahou
General RA
Email: dahou@ualberta.ca
I completed my BSc degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology in Spring 2020. I was born in Algeria, North Africa, and I have lived in Montreal before moving to Edmonton. I’ve had cultural influences from very different regions and this piqued my interest on how cultural influences multiple facets of our lives. Currently, I am investigating the emotional and cultural differences in autobiographical memory.
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Delaney Fisher
Proofreader
Email: dfisher1@ualberta.ca
I received my bachelor of science degree with a major in Psychology and a minor in Spanish language and literature with the completion of the Certificate in International Learning in 2022. I was born and raised in the Edmonton area. My research interests include cultural variation in emotion perception, mental health, and sports psychology. I love to learn about culture through literature, research, language, and travel. In my spare time, I enjoy playing sports and tutoring English.
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Shaneen Jamal
General RA
Email: sjamal@ualberta.ca
I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology, minoring in biology, in 2022. I was born in Pakistan but have spent most of my life in Canada. Having been surrounded by a mosaic of people since childhood, I have always been fascinated with culture and how it shapes us. I’m specifically interested in how symptom presentation in mental health varies across cultures. In my spare time, I enjoy baking and reading; my goal this year is to read a book from every country!
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Wanyixiong Hua
Animator
Email: wanyixio@ualberta.ca
Hello, my name is Wanyixiong Hua, and I am a research assistant in the cultural cognition lab. I was born and raised in China. I graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and the University of Amsterdam with a master’s degree in psychology. I recently discovered that I enjoy rock climbing. Sport at school usually involved my sturdier schoolmates delivering brutal football-style tackles that left me dazed in the ground, pounded by the endless hail. I mix cocktails recreationally, listen to music at the volume of a sullen adolescent, read the literature, and fight a losing battle against ageing.
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External Members
Huaitang Wang, PhD
Researcher, Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta
Email: huaitang.wang@ualberta.ca
He succeeded in publishing his dissertation on Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, a prestigious journal in the area of social and cultural psychology (Wang, Masuda, Ito, & Rashid, 2012). We are still working on finalizing research programs on culture and language.
Dr. Huaitang Wang received his PhD degree from U of A Psychology in 2009.
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Jianhui Song, PhD
Researcher
Email: Jianhuis@ualberta.ca
Her research interest focused on the child rearing practice of Chinese immigrants and its relationship with some factors such as cultural values and language. We are working on a project titled “Culture and Sleeping Arrangement” in collaboration with Dr. Kim Noels.
Dr. Jianhui Song received her PhD degree from U of A Psychology in 2010.
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Ken-ichi Ito, PhD
Assistant Professor, University of Lethbridge
Website
Email: kenichi.ito@uleth.ca
After completing my PhD in cold weather, I moved to a tropical country, Singapore, to research the impact of culture within Asian countries and teach applied psychology. Moving from a place with -40°C to a place with +35°C made me realize that the Middle Way of moderation is a golden path. Now, I search for a golden path between the joy of spending time with my daughter and the pleasure of thought-provoking discussions with my students.
Dr. Ken-ichi Ito received his PhD degree from U of A Psychology in 2012.
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Sawa Senzaki, PhD
Professor, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Website
Email: senzakis@uwgb.edu
She is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in the departments of Psychology and Human Development. Her research centers around examining how children learn and develop culturally unique social and cognitive skills through social interactions (e.g., parent-child, peers).
Dr. Sawa Senzaki completed her Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Masuda at the U of A in 2013.
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Kristina Nand, M.A.
Freelance Writer
I received my BA from the University of Alberta. My research interests lie in cultural differences in perception and aesthetics, generational differences and cultural change, cultural variations in child rearing, and identity in bicultural children. Currently, I am doing international public relations work at the University of Tokyo in Japan.
Kristina Nand received her Masters Degree from U of A psychology in 2014.
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Liman Li, PhD
Associate Professor, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Website
Email: mwli@eduhk.hk
My research examines the role of socio-ecological factors (e.g., mobility and economic development) and cultural meaning systems (e.g., holism and collectivism) in influencing people’s social relationships, decision making and mental health across cultures.
Dr. Liman Li received her PhD degree from U of A Psychology in 2015.
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Mathew Russell, PhD
Email: mjr4@ualberta.ca
My research interests are in the domain of Cultural Neuroscience, looking at how biology and cultural experience (on the societal, group, and individual levels) work together to make up us incredibly complex and wonderful human beings. Within the Cultural Neuroscience tool set, I focus on using ERP methods to better understand how social orientation beliefs influence our attention process.
Dr. Matthew Russell received his PhD Degree from U of A Psychology in 2016.
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Mantou Lou, PhD
Assistant Professor, University of Victoria
Email: nigellou@uvic.ca
I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, and research fellow at the Centre for Youth and Society, University of Victoria. I am a social-educational psychologist and the director of the Motivation and Intercultural Relations (MIR) Lab. My research interests are at the intersection of social/personality psychology, educational psychology, and applied linguistics, especially where they converge on motivation, identity, intercultural communications, and intergroup relations.
Dr. Mantou Lou received his PhD degree from U of A Psychology in 2018.
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Hajin Lee, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Montreal
Webpage
Email: hajin.lee@umontreal.ca
I completed my doctoral degree in the Cultural and Social Psychology program in December, 2018. I was born and raised in South Korea. Throughout my graduate program, I examined the mutual constitution of culture and the human mind by focusing on three research areas: 1) culture and well-being, 2) culture and social judgment, and 3) the role of socialization in emotion judgment.
Dr. Hajin Lee received her PhD degree from U of A Psychology in 2019.
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Yuto Yasuda, PhD
Assistant Professor, Osaka University of Health and Sports Sciences
Email: yyasuda@ouhs.ac.jp
Hi all! I’m Yuto Yasuda. I was born and raised in Japan, but I went to Canada for grad school, which made me muticultural. Specifically, I have coached soccer in Japan and Canada, which exposed me to fascinating cultural differences in coaching styles. This multicultural experience fuels my research interest in how cultural variations affect psychological processes in performance settings. I look forward to exploring these dynamics further and contributing to our understanding of cultural influences in sports psychology.