Our Team

Our research team is made up of graduate students, undergraduate students completing theses and independent projects, and many undergraduate volunteers.

Dr. Stanka Fitneva

Lab Director

I direct the Language and Cognition Lab at Queen's University. My interests are in the development of language, communication, and social cognition. Outside the lab, you can catch me hiking, doing yoga, baking or practicing on the piano at home.

Kat Snelling

Graduate Student
PhD, Developmental Psychology

I am in the third year of my PhD in Developmental Psychology. My research examines the role of prediction in language processing and learning. From infancy, people make predictions while listening to speech. My research evaluates the impact of correct and incorrect predictions on language processing and word learning. One of my favourite things to do in Kingston is watching the sun set over Lake Ontario!

Jordan Eggiman-Ketter

Graduate Student

MSc, Developmental Psychology

My name is Jordan and I am a graduate student in the lab. I'm currently in my second year of my MSc and am interested in how children and adults remember other peoples' relationships and whether some relationships are more memorable than others. Outside the lab, I love trying new foods and coffee shops!

Alexandra Nastasa

Graduate Student
MSc, Developmental Psychology

I am in the final year of my Master's investigating how learning emotions like curiosity and confusion shape children's problem solving. My background in biophysics and years of experience working as a tutor have shaped my research significantly. In particular, I am interested in how children feel during real-time, naturalistic learning, with a focus on tailoring research methods to answer difficult questions.

Jessica Lee

Honours Thesis Student
Year 4, Psychology

My name is Jessica and I'm a fourth year psychology student! This is my third year in the lab, I started as a research assistant in my second year and am currently doing my undergraduate thesis on factors that affect people's blame attributions. Outside the lab, I love hiking with my dog, spending time with friends, and watching reality TV!

Naomi Chen

Honours Thesis Student
Year 4, Con-Ed Psychology

My name is Naomie, and I'm currently in my fourth year in the Con-Ed Psychology program. I'm doing an honours thesis with the lab, and my research focuses on social memory for interpersonal relationships. I'm interested in developmental differences between children and adults and how children learn to recognize and communicate emotions through language. Outside of the lab, I like to travel, play video games, and go on hikes!

Lindsey Levitan

Research Assistant
BA Psychology (Minor in Linguistics)

Hi, my name is Lindsey. I study Psychology with a minor in Linguistics and hope to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. I’m especially interested in the cognitive and biological processes behind how people understand, produce, and learn language. Recently, I conducted research as a directed lab student in the Language and Cognition Lab, examining the relationship between vocabulary development and semantic fluency in children.

Madison Hyndman

Directed Lab Student
Year 4, BSc Psychology (Minor in Biology)

My name is Madison and I am a 4th year psychology student completing my directed lab in the LC Lab. I am currently working on a project that is exploring how time horizons and informant accuracy impact children’s decision making. Outside of the lab I enjoy making art and birding!

Anika Naidoo

Directed Lab Student
Year 3, Psychology

Hi! My name is Anika, and I am a third year psychology student. I am especially interested in language development, multilingualism, and cognitive processes involved in learning! Outside of the lab, you can find me hiking, reading, journaling and hanging out with friends.

Catherine Shevelevich

Directed Lab Student
Year 3, BScH Psychology

Hi! My name is Catherine Shevelevich and I am a third-year Psychology student. I am interested in the cognitive processes involved in learning, particularly the role of inhibition in managing prior expectations. Outside the lab, I like to read and drink matcha!

Madeline Beron

Research Assistant
Year 3, BScH Psychology

I am a third year Psychology student and this is my second year in the LCL! In the lab, I manage our social media presence and assist with data collection for various ongoing studies. I am particularly interested in how cognition develops in children and how various factors, such as language, affect this development. In my spare time I love reading books and going for walks!

Imogen Tear

Research Assistant
Year 4, Psychology (BA)

Hi! My name is Imogen and I'm in my final year of my psychology undergraduate degree! I started in the lab in 3rd year with an interest in cognition and language acquisition! I completed my 570 project on word learning and vocabulary size, and now I support the Social Media Team! Outside the lab, I love hanging out with friends, going on hikes with my dog, reading, and enjoying good food!

Het Patel

Research Assistant
Year 2, BHSc

I am a second-year Bachelor of Health Sciences student at Queen’s University. I am a Research Assistant in the Language and Cognition Lab, where I contribute to research examining how neurodevelopmental disabilities affect children and their families, with a focus on caregiver well-being and broader social factors. I am interested in child development, cognition, and the ways social environments influence mental health. Outside of the lab, I enjoy vibe coding, playing guitar and cricket.

Kelly Wang

Research Assistant
Year 3, Psychology (BA)

Hi! My name is Kelly, and I'm going into my fourth year in Psychology. I am especially interested in language pragmatics and how language is influenced by shared social norms and common knowledge. In my spare time, I enjoy playing guitar and cooking with my friends!

Yousif Al-Aboosi

Research Assisstant
Year 4, BHSc

I joined the lab in 2023. My role began as a study facilitator for children. I then worked with colleagues to develop a website that provides immigrant children with access to free resources, such as books and podcasts. Following this, I began assisting other research assistants in completing their studies and recruiting participants. I am now working on a new project related to children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and parental perceived depression, family functioning, and social support, with income as an additional factor.

Kyra Chin

Research Assistant
Year 4, BScH Psychology

My name is Kyra Chin and I am a fourth year Psychology major at Queen’s University. In the lab, I assist various projects with data collection and also help generate social media content and outreach! I am very interested in child development, particularly how language develops over time, which sparked my interest in joining this lab. Outside of the lab, I love to hang out with friends and family, play board games and watch new shows and movies:)

Charlie Zhu

Research Assistant
Year 3, BHSc

Hello! My name is Charlie and I’m a third year Health Sciences student at Queen’s. I am intrigued by neuroscience and am particularly interested in making and analyzing connections between real world phenomena and the underlying mechanisms of cognitive psychology. My non-research interests include knitting, playing guitar, and cooking!

Olivia Greer

Research Assistant
Year 2, Psychology Specialization

My name is Olivia, I am a second year student in the Psychology Specialization at Queen's University. I'm interested in cognition and how the way we think affects our behaviour and development. I am especially excited to explore social cognition, how learning language shapes development, and the interaction between language and cognitive processes. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading and listening to music.

Jordan Jia

Research Assistant
Year 2, BHSc

My name is Jordan Jia, and I am a second year Health Sciences student at Queen’s University. My research interests include linguistics and developmental psychology, particularly how language development interacts with cognitive and social development. Over the past year in the lab, I have enjoyed gaining hands-on research experience and contributing to projects that explore the psychology of memory. Outside of the lab, I enjoy skiing, hiking, and bouldering, and I love spending time outdoors whenever I can.

Also in the Lab

Pamela Ye - Research Assistant
Year 3, Psychology (Minor in Linguistics)

Lab Alumni

Honours Thesis Students

2023-2024: Elif Gokcek, Ella Hands, Samara Osten

2022-2023: Shiyi Bin

2021- 2022: Hannah Clark

2020-2021: Rina Gutzin, Bronwyn Bates

2019-2020: Joanna Mrowca-Migiel, Jamie Fournier, Sydney Thib

2018-2019: Alexis Winfield

2017-2018: Blake Noyes, Katherine Snelling

2016-2017: Jennifer Zhang

2015-2016: Ida Liao, Samantha Lenahan, Alexandra Macisaac

2014-2015: Peter Elliott, Katie Harper, Sandra Krause

2013-2014: Breanna Kelly, Alastair Hibberd

2012-2013: Nancy Dai

2010-2011: Amy Wainer

2009-2010: Laurel Dault, Justin Goddrad, Arielle Mida

2008-2009: Kristen Hadfield

2006-2007: Scott Ross

2005-2006: Bronwen Fullerton

2004-2005: Ketana Teav, Erin White

Graduate Students

Katharine Bailey (co-supervised with Dr. N. Im-Bolter), PhD 2021.

Now instructor, Concordia University of Edmonton.

Katherine Snelling, MA, 2021.

Now PhD student in Psychology, Queen’s University.

Michael Slinger, MSc, 2020.

Now PhD student in Sociology, Dalhousie University.

Rana Pishva, MSc, 2010.

Now in clinical practice.

Kristen Dunfield, MA, 2006.

Now Professor, Concordia University.

Lab Managers

Anya Den Hartog

And many more directed lab students, summer interns, and volunteers! Thank you!