People

Jordan Axt is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at McGill as well as Head of Data and Methodology for Project Implicit. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Duke’s Center for Advanced Hindsight. In his spare time, he enjoys updating lists of Montreal restaurants, thinking about Duke basketball, and doing a little bit of yoga.

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Jeffrey To is a second-year PhD student who received his Bachelors of Science in Psychology in 2021 from the University of Toronto. After graduating, he spent a year working as an associate in a behavioral science consulting firm, consulting on projects related to education, smoking cessation, and mental health. Broadly, he's interested in biased perceptions across multiple group categories, the consequences of these perceptions for stigmatized groups (e.g., in hiring or leadership), and how we can leverage behavioral science to correct these biases individually and systemically. Beyond academia, he enjoys reading literary texts, working out, and going on long walks.

Valentina Palacio Posada is a first-year MA student who received her BSc in psychology and sociology in 2022 at the University of Toronto. She’s broadly interested in how people make and perceive group categories, how bias and discrimination can affect how we think within social domains such as social class and sexuality, and how to diminish these biases within social life. Outside of research, she likes watching movies, practicing aerial silks, hiking and cycling.

Leyla Yang is a fourth-year student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Math. She is interested in Cognition and Social cognition. Her research project focuses on how stereotype threat affects women’s performance. She plans on pursuing graduate school in Experimental Psychology. She has a lovely cat named Cookie, and in spare time, she enjoys watching movies and playing online “Escape Rooms” game.

Tara Quinlan is a third-year student in the Faculty of Science majoring in Psychology. She is interested in interpersonal dynamics and the effect that physical attractiveness has on decision making. In her free time, she enjoys listening to live music, whether in a pub or at a concert.

William Li is a fourth-year student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Science for Arts Students. He is interested in social perception and intersectionality, and his research explores how race and sex affect sexual orientation judgment. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing piano and guitar, singing, and writing.

Anya Williamson is a third-year student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She is interested in social psychology, and her research focuses on intergroup dynamics and finding interventions that reduce bias. In her free time, she enjoys music, swimming, and climbing.

Angela Gao is a fourth-year student majoring in Psychology. She is interested in studying the sociocultural and personality factors that affect psychopathology. Specifically, she is interested in addictive behaviours such as substance use and gambling. In her free time, she enjoys music, movies, and discovering new restaurants.

Kathleen Gaudio graduated from McGill with a major in Psychology and two minors in Behavioural Sciences and Education. She is taking a year off from school to dedicate her full attention to research projects, allowing her to delve deeper into her academic interests. She is passionate about understanding the underlying mechanisms of bias and discrimination to pursue creating a more equitable society. Outside of these academic pursuits, she loves playing a wide variety of sports and geeking out over Harry Potter.

Charlotte Costain is a third year McGill student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Health Geography and Behavioral Science. She is interested in the effects and impacts of inter-group biases on an individual level, and what can be done to mitigate these biases. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, read, and check out the different coffee shops of Montreal.

Katheryn Tu is a third year McGill student majoring in Psychology and minoring in English Literature and Behavioural Sciences. She is interested in learning about how societal biases influence individual beliefs, thoughts, and actions towards themselves and others. Outside of the lab, she loves trying new restaurants and visiting the Jardin Botanique.