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

PhD Student

MA Developmental Psychology, 2021

BAH Psychology, 2018

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!

Anisha Imtiaz

Lab Manager

Joint Honours in Psychology and Sociology

Hi! My name is Anisha. I've just completed my second year as a joint honours student in Psychology and Sociology. I love working with children and I am looking forward to administering experiments for the first time! I am particularily interested in how expertise affects cognition, and the learning differences between children who are monolingual and bilingual. Outside of the lab I love fashion, baking and cooking.

Kelly Huangfu

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Psychology Major

Hi! My name's Kelly and I'm going into my third year of Psychology. This is my first year with the Language and Cognition lab and I hope to learn lots about how the presentation of information changes how people react to it. Outside of the lab, you can find me listening to music or going on walks with my friends.

Samara Osten

Honours Thesis Student

Psychology Major

My name is Samara, and I am a fourth-year psychology major completing my honors thesis in the lab. I joined the Language and Cognition Lab because I am interested in developmental psychology and psycholinguistics. After completing my undergraduate degree, I hope to pursue graduate studies in speech-language pathology to learn about language development in children. Outside the lab, I love playing hockey, dancing, traveling, volunteering with children with special needs, and spending time with people I love.

Haani Syed

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Computing Major

My name is Haani Syed and I'm an enthusiastic second-year undergraduate computing student passionate about utilizing programming principles to tackle challenges within cognitive psychology and healthcare. Apart from my academic pursuits, I also enjoy practicing martial arts, and music, and making the most of life's adventures.

Georgia Brunicke

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Psychology Major

My name is Georgia, and I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology. This is my first year as a research assistant with the lab and I am excited to explore how children assign blame and gather information. Outside of the lab, I enjoy volunteering, listening to podcasts, spending time with friends, and going to the gym!

Yousif Al-Aboosi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Health Sciences Major

Hello! I'm Yousif Ihsan Al-Aboosi, a second-year Health Science (Honors) student at Queen's University. My interest lies in exploring the incredible cognitive capabilities of the human brain and delving into the depths of its boundless potential. I am currently excited to be a part of the prestigious LCL lab, renowned for its groundbreaking research in language and cognitive psychology. This invaluable opportunity allows me to gain a comprehensive understanding of cognition and its applications, which align perfectly with my future career aspirations.

Alexandra Culbert

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Psychology Major, History Minor

My name is Alexandra, and I am a third-year student majoring in psychology and minoring in history. This is my second year volunteering in the lab and I am excited to continue my work on the ongoing experiments from last year. I am particularly interested in children's word learning processes and the onset of awareness of expert knowledge. Outside of the lab I love reading, baking and listening to music.

Breanna Way

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Psychology Major, Linguistics Minor

I am a fourth-year psychology major with a minor in linguistics, and this is my second year volunteering in the lab! I’m super excited to take a closer look at the cognitive functions behind language this year, I specifically have a lot of interest in psycholinguistics and language acquisition. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, playing music, and binge-watching reality TV.

Ella Hands

Honours Thesis Student

Psychology Major, Spanish and

Latin Studies Minor

Hi! I'm Ella, a fourth-year student majoring in Psychology and embarking on my honours thesis journey in the LCL. Initially, it was my fascination with the intricate realms of language learning and developmental psychology led me to this lab. In the current year, I am delving into the impacts of group membership on blame attribution. This marks my second year as part of the team, and I look forward to furthering my contributions alongside these hard-working individuals and brilliant minds. Beyond academics, I love to play guitar, do photography, and spend time with my golden retrievers!

Madison Hyndman

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Biology and Psychology Specialization

My name is Madison, I am a second year student majoring in Biology and Psychology. This is my first year volunteering in the lab and I am excited to learn more about language acquisition and developmental psychology. Outside of the lab you can catch me hiking, reading, and enjoying music.

Adelle Barksy-Moore

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Psychology Major

Elif Gokcek

Honours Thesis Student

Psychology Major

Hello everyone! My name is Elif and I am currently in my fourth year of psychology at Queen's University. I have been with the lab since my second year, and this year I am doing my Honours Thesis on "The Effects of Time Horizons in Children's Explore-Exploit Decisions". I am very interested in the explore-exploit dilemma and judgement and decision making, and interactions of cognitive and social psychology fields. Outside of the lab, I spend my time hanging out with friends, reading and discovering new bagel combinations at Cogro :)

Dharsan Ravindran

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Computing Major

Hi my name is Dharsan! I'm currently in my fourth year of my BCMPH degree, with a specialization in Software Design. I am particularly interested in cognitive psychology to discover and learn more about cognitive structures and their interactions. Outside the lab in my free time, I enjoy watching basketball, watching T.V., and traveling.

Calvin Choi

Graduate Student Research Assistant

Psychology Major

Lab Alumni

Honours Thesis Students

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 associate Professor, Concordia University.

Lab Managers

Anya Den Hartog

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