RESEARCH TEAM

Dr. Diane Poulin-Dubois

Lab Director
Ph.D, Psychology
Université de Montréal 

Dr. Diane Poulin-Dubois received her Ph.D from Université de Montréal and completed postdoctoral training at McGill and Harvard University. She has been a Full professor at Concordia University since 2001 where she held a Concordia University Research Chair in Developmental Cybernetics. Throughout her career, Dr. Poulin-Dubois has been a visiting professor at many universities, including Cornell, Oxford, UBC, and University of Queensland. She has been awarded the Distinguished Scholarship Award from the Faculty of Arts and Science at Concordia University in 2007 and the Concordia University Research Fellowship in 2012. She is the recipient of the 2019 Pickering Award for Outstanding Contributions to Developmental Psychology in Canada and a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Professor Poulin-Dubois is internationally known for her theoretical and empirical contributions on cognitive and language development. Her research, which is currently funded by NSERC and SSHRC, concerns the early acquisition of a theory of mind, selective learning, conceptual categories, the cognitive benefits of early bilingualism and child-robot interactions. She is the author of more than 150 publications.

Archita Kaushal

Research Coordinator
B.Sc. Psychology (Honors, Distinction), Concordia University, 2023

I recently joined the Cognitive and Language Development research. As the Research Coordinator, I act as the principal administrative liaison and assist the research team on projects examining infants’ language and cognitive development. I plan on pursuing graduate level studies in Clinical Psychology and hope to work in the field of language development.

Elizabeth Dutemple

Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, In Progress
M.A. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, 2020
B.Sc. Psychology (First Class Honours), McGill University, 2019

I am a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the research and clinical training stream. My thesis focuses on the socio-cognitive skills and environmental factors that impact a child's readiness for school. Clinically, I am completing an internship at the Montreal Children's Hospital.

Marilyne Dragon

Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, In Progress
M.A. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, 2022
B.A. Psychology (First Class Honours, Dean's Honour List), McGill University, 2020

I am a third-year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Concordia University. I am currently collecting data for my doctoral thesis, which focuses on social learning abilities in young children, and more specifically on overimitation and its link with social affiliation. Clinically, I would like to become a child psychologist and I am currently completing a practicum at the Elevate Psychotherapy and Wellness Clinic.

Victoria Fratino

Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, In Progress
M.A. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, 2024
B.Sc. Psychology (First Class Honours, Dean's Honour List), McGill University, 2022

I am a first year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Concordia University. I am currently brainstorming my doctoral thesis which will focus on the relationships between bilingualism, curiosity, and executive functioning in toddlers. My master’s thesis focused on investigating whether second language learning benefitted executive functioning skills using a training design. Clinically, I am interested in becoming a pediatric neuropsychologist and I am currently completing an assessment practicum at the Jewish General Hospital’s Neonatal Follow-up Clinic.

Alexandra Piuze

M.A. Clinical Psychology, Concordia University, in progress
B.A. Psychology (Honors, Magna Cum Laude), Ottawa University, 2022

I am a second-year M.A. student in the research and clinical training Psychology program at Concordia University. I am interested in studying cognitive and language development in infants and young children, especially involving bilingualism and cognitive skills. My M.A. research studies whether executive functioning skills increase with greater exposure to a second language in infants. I am also broadly interested in behavioural neuroscience in children, aiming to become a pediatric neuropsychologist. I completed my B.A. in psychology at the University of Ottawa, where my honours thesis centred around the neurophysiological consequences of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on working memory and response inhibition.

Sayde Jennings
B.A. Psychology (Specialization), Concordia University, in progress

I am a third-year student in a Specialization in Psychology currently volunteering in the Cognitive and Language Development Lab. Through completing my specialization project at the CLD laboratory, I hope to gain valuable insight and experience which aligns with my goal to pursue a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology, where I would like to specialize in paediatrics and the special needs population.
 

Brittany Montpetit
B.A. Psychology (Honours), Concordia University, in progress

I am a fourth-year Honours student in Psychology, currently working on my undergraduate thesis in the Cognitive and Language Development Lab. My academic interests include the mind-body connection and language-speech development. My enthusiasm for these areas grew from my experience as a swimming instructor for children. Working with children of various ages and developmental stages sparked my interest in these fields. These passions have driven my commitment to pursuing graduate studies dedicated to researching these domains.  

Olivia Pauker
B.A. Psychology (Specialization), Concordia University, in progress

I am currently in my fourth year at Concordia completing a Specialization in Psychology. I am volunteering in the Cognitive and Language Development Lab, where I am assisting a PhD student in her research on overimitation and social affiliation. I am very interested in the social and cognitive development of infants and children. Following my B.A., I intend to pursue a Master’s in clinical psychology or developmental psychology to conduct research and eventually work in a clinical setting with children and families.

Sydney Brandon
B.A. Psychology (Honours), Concordia University, in progress

I am a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in the Honours Psychology program. Currently, I am volunteering in the Cognitive and Language Development Lab, where I am assisting a doctoral candidate with her thesis research. My academic interests are in social learning abilities, behavioural neuroscience, and cognitive development, particularly in young children. I plan to pursue a graduate degree to further investigate these domains. In my research I hope to explore the neurological aspects of cognitive processes and learning throughout development.

Veronica Scotto
B.A. Psychology (First Class Honors, Distinction), McGill University, 2024

After completing a B.A. in Honors Psychology at McGill University, I joined the Cognitive & Language Development Lab as a volunteer, where I am currently assisting a student with her doctoral thesis. Having completed two undergraduate theses focused on socio-emotional development, I now plan to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. My goal is to contribute to impactful research that addresses practical challenges in children's communication while gaining deeper insights into the factors that foster higher-quality relationships among youth. I am particularly interested in identifying ambiguities in children's socio-emotional behaviour to enhance developmental outcomes.

Chloe Akiki
B.A. Psychology (Specialization), Concordia University, in progress

I am a fourth and final year undergraduate student in the B.A. Psychology Specialization program at Concordia University. At the Cognitive and Language Development Lab, I am assisting Alexandra Piuze with her master's thesis, which explores whether differences in executive functioning exist between monolingual and bilingual infants. I aim to earn a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy, driven by my passion for helping families build stronger, healthier relationships. I am eager to contribute to research that can lead to positive change and make a lasting impact on the well-being of families.

Ella Telio
B.A. Psychology (Specialization), Concordia University, in progress

I am currently a second-year student in a Specialization in Psychology. At the moment, I am volunteering in the Cognitive and Language Development Lab, where I am assisting a student with her master's thesis. In the long run, I aim to earn a Master's in Speech and Language Pathology, so I can both contribute to the field and make a positive impact on children with communication disorders. Additionally, I'm passionate about research, especially in areas related to language acquisition and cognitive development, which aligns with my interests in psychology and speech pathology. 

Julian Leclair-Shefler
B.A. Psychology (Specialization), Concordia University, in progress

I am a third-year undergraduate completing a Specialization in Psychology BA at Concordia University. As a volunteer in the Cognitive and Language Development lab, I assist a Ph.D. student with her research exploring social imitation and preference in infants and preschoolers. I am passionate about many areas of psychology research, particularly those aimed toward discovering or enhancing psychotherapeutic interventions and better understanding social behaviour and cognitive development across the lifespan. I want to pursue graduate studies in counselling psychology to continue my involvement in research and become a licensed psychotherapist.