About
Research Interests
I am a social psychologist who studies how social categories—such as race, gender, and age—shape the ways we perceive and interact with one another. My research focuses on how people make sense of social information across the lifespan, and how these processes influence attitudes, behaviour, and decision-making in real-world contexts.
My goal is to generate research that supports equitable and evidence-based change. I am particularly interested in questions such as:
- How do social categories influence people’s experiences in workplaces, schools, and communities?
- How can insights from social psychology guide decisions that affect diverse groups with different goals and needs?
- How do our identities and lived experiences shape how we evaluate programs and policies intended to serve others?
Put simply: what biases are built into our systems, and how can we identify and address them in fair and sensitive ways?
To answer these questions, I draw on a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, including:
- Questionnaires
- Reaction-time measures
- Thematic analysis
- Physiological measures
- Behavioural coding
My current areas of interest include housing, education and child development, bias in hiring and workplace practices, health and healthcare equity, and environmental decision-making.
I earned my B.A. at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and completed my M.A. and Ph.D. at York University under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Steele. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University with Dr. Sylvia Perry (Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes Lab) and a subsequent two-year postdoctoral position at McMaster University with Dr. Sukhvinder Obhi (Social Brain, Body, and Action Lab).
Before entering academia, I trained in stage management at Sheridan College and earned a diploma in theatre production. Although I’m no longer working in theatre, I still love attending musical theatre and dance performances. Outside of research, I enjoy genealogy, helping friends trace their ancestry, and working on a large archival project to preserve my own family’s history.