Our Team
Principal Investigator
Dr. Claude Alain
Dr. Claude Alain is a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. His research is in the field of cognitive neuroscience and focuses on the brain processes supporting auditory scene analysis. He uses a combination of neuroimaging techniques (e.g., EEG, MEG and fMRI) to investigate which, and how, different brain areas work together when we perceive, attend to and remember auditory objects. He is interested in how these processes changes as we age and how these age-related changes may be impacted by experience such as bilingualism and musicianship. His lab is also investigating the interplay between attention and memory, speech in noise comprehension and new EEG measures of perception and cognition for possible clinical applications. He has mentored and continue to train students and postdoctoral fellows from around the world, with many of his trainees having successfully moved on to careers in academic or health care facilities.
Cross-Appointments
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto
- Music and Health Sciences, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Memphis, Tennessee
Research Fellows

Dr. Dawei Shen
Dawei is a research associate working with Dr. Claude Alain and Dr. Bernhard Ross to investigate the temporal characteristics of attentional processing (e.g., auditory attentional blink), the effects of background noise on speech perception, and auditory spatial working memory by using EEG, MEG and fMRI measures. She received her Ph.D. in 2006 from the University of Manitoba. In her free time, she likes to read history and science fiction books.

Dr. Vivek Sharma
Vivek has obtained his PhD in Music and Health Sciences at the Faculty of Music at University of Toronto using EEG and behavioral methods in his research. Currently, Vivek is studying the neuroplasticity of the brain from musical training along with enhancements in the cortical representation of sound and executive inhibitory control when responding to musical and linguistic information. He is an avid professional musician who also enjoys martial arts, swing dancing, and computer programming in his free time.

Dr. Rachel Rabi
Rachel is a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Claude Alain, Dr. Nicole Anderson, and Dr. Lynn Hasher to examine changes in sensory and cognitive inhibition that accompany healthy and pathological aging (e.g., mild cognitive impairment) using ERP. She received her Ph.D. in 2016 from the University of Western Ontario. There, her research examined category learning across the lifespan, with a particular focus on how age-related changes in executive functioning impact categorization performance. In her free time, Rachel likes to cook, spend time with her family, and travel.
Graduate Students
Manda Fischer
What is the relation between awareness, attention, and memory? Currently, I am investigating the dynamic interplay between attention and memory. My work uses EEG and behavioural measures to examine how auditory experience and memory can optimize attention and performance during online perception of real-world scenes. Specifically, I am interested both in how everyday auditory experience and implicit memory can bias spatial attention in complex scenes and in how these effects appear in different populations, for example, in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in congenitally blind individuals. This area of research is fascinating, and constantly pushes me to see the complexity of things.
My background in psychoacoustics and auditory cognitive neuroscience includes, also, examinations of 1) the role of timbre and attention in the perceptual organization of sound (auditory scene analysis) and 2) the neural encoding and cross-modal plasticity of audio-motor sequences in music learning.
My work is co-supervised by Dr. Claude Alain and Dr. Morris Moscovitch.

Maxime Perron
Maxime is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Prior to joining the laboratory, he completed a master’s degree in Clinical and Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Rehabilitation at Université Laval, in which he studied the structural neuroplasticity induced by amateur singing and its effects on speech-in-noise in aging. Currently, his doctoral projects focus on the impact of hearing loss and hearing devices on auditory perception, cognitive processing, and brain function in older adults using behavioural, EEG, and MRI methods. When Maxime is not in the lab, he enjoys baking, playing board games and spending time with friends.
Veronica Vuong
Veronica is a PhD student in Medical Science and a research coordinator at the Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto. Through her research, she aims to use various neuroimaging techniques to gain a greater understanding of the neural mechanisms by which long-known music listening may promote changes in the brain and result in cognitive improvements, such as memory, in persons with dementia. Veronica is a professional musician (pianist) and enjoys travelling, hiking, gardening, art, and exploring new and diverse food.

Amisha Ojha
Amisha is a graduate student in the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. She completed her BSc. Hons. in Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Toronto where she studied attention control and working memory capacity as components of the n-back task. Currently, her research project focuses on the impact of hearing loss and cochlear implants on reflective visual and auditory short-term memory in older adults using behavioural and EEG methods. When Amisha is not in the lab, she enjoys cooking, reading, and hiking.
Myriam Lesage
Myriam is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate studies at McGill University, graduating with a major in Psychology and minors in biochemistry and behavioural science. Her current research aims to further our understanding of the link between incidental learning, memory-guided attention, and auditory scene analysis using behavioural and EEG methods. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, hiking and discovering new TV shows.
Collaborating Students & Scientists
Steven Baker – Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Shayna Rosenbaum
Rohila Hashimi – Sam & Ida Ross Memory Clinic, Dr. Morris Freedman
Dr. Rachel Rabi – Anderson Lab, Dr. Nicole Anderson
Dr. Annette Schumann – MEG Lab, Dr. Bernhard Ross
Dr. Jennifer Bugos – Cognitive and Neurophysiology of Aging Lab, University of South Florida
Dr. Tysen Bauer – Herrmann Lab, Dr. Björn Herrmann
Ricky Chow – Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Shayna Rosenbaum
Research Assistants

Shahier Paracha
Shahier is an undergraduate student in the Specialist Co-op Neuroscience program at the University of Toronto. He is passionate about understanding the functional significance of different brain areas and how differences at the neural level contribute to uniqueness between individuals. He hopes to pursue medicine in the future with a specialization in neurosurgery. In his free time, Shahier likes to play the guitar and spend time with his friends. He also enjoys playing sports, especially soccer and cricket.
Mello Mo
Mello is an undergraduate student in the Psychology Specialist program at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about neuroimaging techniques, cognition, and memory. She is currently assisting with the experiment on auditory memory-guided attention under the supervision of Manda Fischer. In her free time, Mello likes to spend time with her friends, read, and play video games.

Martin Soto
Martin is an undergraduate student in the Specialist Co-op Psychology program at the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus. He aims to expand his knowledge of neuroimaging and research techniques and is doing a co-op internship under the supervision of Manda Fischer and Dr. Claude Alain. He is currently analyzing the encoding stage in auditory memory-guided attention using both EEG and behavioural measures. In his free time, Martin likes to play sports, hike, and spend time with friends.

Miriam Taza
Miriam is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto with a double major in neuroscience and psychology. She is passionate about neuroimaging techniques, brain mapping, cognition, and human behavior. She is currently investigating the interplay between auditory contextual memory and auditory attention using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Outside of the lab, Miriam’s interest also include photography and reading.

Brian Lau
Brian is a research assistant under the supervision of Maxime Perron and Dr. Claude Alain. He is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto’s Specialist Co-op Mental Health Studies program passionate about examining neuropsychological assessments/rehabilitation methods involving the aging population and individuals living with long-term disabilities. In his free time, Brian enjoys learning the guitar, playing video games, and spending time with his siblings.
Staff

Ashna Imran
Ashna is a Research Assistant, as well as the Lab Manager for the ERP lab at the Rotman Research Institute, working with Dr. Claude Alain. She is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto’s Specialist Co-op Psychology program, using her prior knowledge of cognitive psychology, and mental health, as well as research experience in neuroimaging to coordinate studies within the ERP lab. In her spare time, Ashna enjoys needlework, exploring new restaurants, and spending time outdoors.
Staff Alumni
Victoria Nieborowska – Lab Manager
Jeffrey Wong – Lab Manager
Claire Salloum – Lab Manager
Patricia Van Roon – Lab Manager
Yu He – Lab Manager
Ayomide Fakuade – Research Assistant
Alix Noly-Gandon – Research Assistant
Student & Scientist Alumni
Parnian Tajbakhsh
Research Assistant, University of Toronto
2019-2020
Karishma Ramdeo
Research Assistant, University of Toronto
2019-2020
Vanessa Chan
Ph.D Student, University of Toronto
2016-2020
Phil Johnston
M.A. Student, University of Toronto
Collaborating Student, McIntosh Lab
2019
Farnosh Hakimy
Volunteer
2019
Emily Alexander
M.A. Student, University of Toronto
2018 – 2019
Vivek Sharma
Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
Co-supervised, Music and Health Research Collaboratory
2019
Leah Monson
Summer Volunteer
2019
Chloe Orsini
Visiting Student, Imperial College London, UK
2019
Katharina Goeke
Visiting Student, University of Cologne
2019
Cassandra Skrotzki
Summer Practicum, Ryerson University
2019
Olivia Podolak
Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
Co-supervised, Music Cognition Lab
2017-2019
Alexandra Beltran Montoya
Volunteer
2019
Susan Gillingham
Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
2013-2019
Jing Lu
Visiting Scientist, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
2019
Joan Ngo
Ph.D. student, University of Toronto
Co-supervised, Hasher Aging & Cognition Lab
2013-2018
Jacqueline Zimmerman
Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
2014-2018
Gabrielle Katz
Summer Volunteer
2018
Ayomide Fakuade
Volunteer and Summer Student
2017-2018
Linda Garami
Postdoctoral Fellow, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2015-2017
Nasim Sham
Ph.D. student, University of Toronto
Co-supervised
2011-2016
Jiaxin Peng
Visiting Ph.D. student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
2016
Karen Banai
Visiting Professor, University of Haifa, Israel
2015-2016
Thijs Barten
Visiting Student, Radboud Univsersity, The Netherlands
2015
Yanmei Feng
Visiting M.D. Professor, Shanghai University
2015
Stefanie Hutka
Ph.D. student, University of Toronto
2012-2015
Yi Du
Ph.D. Student & Postdoctoral Fellow, Pekin University
2012-2015
Madeline Cusimano
Summer NSERC Create Student, University of Toronto
2014
Zsuzsanna Kocsis
Visiting Student, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2014-2015
Hannah Stewart
Ph.D. Visiting Student, Nottingham University, UK
2014
Bettina Habelt
Visiting Student, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany
2014
Laura Oliva
Visiting Student, University of Victoria, BC
2014
Guillaume Cheung
Summer Student
2013
Sandra Campeanu
Ph.D. Student
University of Toronto
2008-2014
Kristina Backer
Ph.D. student, University of Toronto
2009-2014.
Alice Kim
Ph.D. student, University of Toronto
2008-2013
Anja Roye
Ph.D. Student & Postdoctoral Fellow, Leipzig University
2011-2013
Claudia Freigang
Visiting Student, Leipzig University
2012-2013
Adam Cadesky
Summer Student
2012-2013
Dean Carcone
Summer Student
2012
Laura Sokka
Visiting Student, Helsinki University
2012
Gavin M. Bidelman
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
2011-2012
Stefanie Hutka
M.A. student, University of Toronto
2010-2012
Ben Zendel
Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
2006-2011
Sylvain Moreno
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
2008-2011
Ada Leung
Postdoctoral Fellow
2008-2011.
Olga Kciuk
4th year Undergraduate Thesis Student
University of Toronto
2009-2010
Kuang Da Zhu
M.A. student, University of Toronto
2008-2009
Boaz M. Ben-David
Postdoctoral Fellow
2007-2008.
Alina Gheorghe
M.A. student, University of Toronto
2007-2008
Sandra Campeanu
M.A. student, University of Toronto
2007-2008.
Zofia Wodniecka
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
2007-2008
Dawei Shen
Ph.D. Student & Postdoctoral Fellow
2006-2009
Laura Vecchio
4th year Undergraduate Thesis Student, University of Toronto
2006-2007.
Jessica Quan
4th year Undergraduate Thesis Student
University of Toronto
2006-2007
Ben Zendel
M.A. student
University of Toronto
2005-2006
Anthony Shahin
Postdoctoral Fellow
2005-2006
Roxanne Itier
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
2005-2008
Sandra Priselac
M.A. student, University of Toronto
Co-supervised
2004-2006
Ranil Sonnadara
Ph.D. student, McMaster University
Co-supervised
2002-2006
Asaf Gilboa
Postdoctoral Fellow
2004-2005
Stephen Arnott
Ph.D. student, University of Toronto
1998-2005
Joel Snyder
Postdoctoral Fellow
2003-2005
Ben Dyson
Postdoctoral Fellow
2003-2005
Aaron Izenberg
Summer Student
2002
Karen Reinke
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
2001-2004
Kelly McDonald
M.A. student, University of Toronto
2002-2004
Heather McNeely
Postdoctoral Fellow
1999-2001
Janine Hay
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
1998-2000
Jodi Ostroff
Postdoctoral Fellow
1998-1999
Alessandra Schiavetto
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
1997-1999.
Robert West
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-supervised
1997-1999
LOCATION
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences
3560 Bathurst St. Toronto, ON M6A 2E1
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