People

Dr. Todd Handy − Professor and Director/Principal Investigator
Todd began his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt, but left after an M.A. to work and rock climb in Yosemite. He finished his Ph.D. at UC-Davis in 1998 under Ron Mangun, and then, after a post-doc at Dartmouth College with Mike Gazzaniga, moved to UBC in 2003.  He now enjoys walking, work outs, avoiding ultra-processed foods, and doing The New York Times crossword puzzle.
Alannah Wallace − PhD Student
Alannah studies the visual attention network and the behavioural strategies used to optimize control of attention in cognitively vulnerable populations. She received her B.A. Hons in Psychology from SFU in 2016, and MA in Educational Psychology from SFU in 2019. She enjoys being outdoors, hanging out with her dog, going to comedy shows, and visiting ranches.
Melanie Butt - PhD Student
Melanie studies daily cognition in young adults, particularly how variations in subjective cognitive complaints are intertwined with variations in mood. She received her B.A. in Cognitive Systems from UBC in 2020. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys cooking, crafting, and taking photos of nature.
Ni An - PhD Student
Ni studies how clinical conditions like mild traumatic brain injuries impact sustained attention, with a focus on cognitive and neural mechanisms. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UBC in 2022. In her spare time, Ni enjoys observing wildlife and spending time with her pet zebra finches. 
Gloria Gu - MA Student
Gloria is interested in how daily changes in weather variables impact cognition and mood. She is currently working with young adults but has an interest in focusing on older adults in the future. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UBC in 2024. In her free time, she also loves art, watching movies, and going to the gym.
Jasneer Kaur - BA Student
Jasneer graduated from UBC with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Economics. Her research interests revolve around exploring how behavioral strategies influence attention and decision-making in young adults. In her free time, Jasneer is a family volunteer at the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. She also enjoys videography, working out, and a good cup of coffee.
David Roberts - BA Student
David is researching how ADHD symptoms influence sexual identity development. His work explores confusion, emotional tone, and disclosure in non-heterosexual individuals, as well as how ADHD traits affect early experiences—such as first sexual desire and comfort with sexual thoughts. Outside of research, David enjoys exercising, exploring nature, and visiting family on Vancouver Island.
Drishti Datta - BA Student
Drishti is interested in how people respond to subtle social and sensory stimuli in their environment. She is currently working on a cross-cultural study examining the prevalence of misokinesia, an aversive reaction to small, repetitive movements. She received her B.A. with Honours in Psychology from UBC in 2025. She enjoys driving, traveling to new countries, and kayaking.
Kate Seeley - BA Student
Kate is a 4th year undergrad in psychology with the goal of getting her PHD in neuropsychology to work as an assessing clinician conducting psychoeducational and autism assessments in Vancouver. Beyond research, she enjoys doing yoga and spending time outdoors. 
Kritika Nayyar - BA Student
Graduated with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology from UBC. Pursuing a Master’s at Trinity College Dublin. Interested in researching sensory processing and audio-visual disorders.
Serena Chakraborty - BA Student
Serena has always been fascinated by how the mind works. Her involvement in the misokinesia and misophonia study has deepened her interest in sensory perception and human behavior. Outside of research, she enjoys watching psychological thrillers, café hopping, and capturing little moments through photography.
Essence Lee - BA Student
Essence is a current psychology undergraduate student at UBC. She is interested in counselling psychology and mental health.
Marilo Morales - BA Student
Marilo is currently researching the impacts of 2SLGBTQ+ minority stress and social safety on cognition. He hopes to help center queer perspectives in research about 2SLGBTQ+ people and is interested in person-to-person variations of gender concepts. In his free time, he likes to dance bachata, watch anime, and play the bongos.
Dipansha Tokas - BA Student
Dipansha is a Psychology major at UBC with strong interests in cultural identity, behavioural change, and sustainable economics. Her work focuses on the mental well-being of diasporic communities, shaped by her own cross-cultural background as an international student from India. Outside of research, Dipansha enjoys playing football, creating art, travelling, and contributing to community initiatives.

PhD Alumni

Dr. Sumeet Jaswal

Currently on the Psychology Faculty at Langara College
Dr. Kyle Gooderham

Currently a UBC post-doc and on the Psychology Faculty at Langara College
Dr. Jennifer Yip

Currently a practicing clinical psychologist
Dr. Simon Ho

Currently working for Microsoft
Dr. Grace Truong

Currently a Lecturer in the UBC Department of Psychology
Dr. Julia Kam

Currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary
Dr. Lindsay Nagamatsu

Currently an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in the School of Kinesiology at Western University
Dr. Marla Mickleborough

Currently an Associate Professor in Psychology and Health Studies at the University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Jennifer Corbett

Currently a Principal Investigator at VPAL, Cambridge MA
Dr. Christine Tipper

Christine was an Assistant Professor in the UBC Department of Psychiatry when she sadly and unexpectedly passed away. With two of her former students, we completed this paper of hers in her honour.