The lab. October 2019.
humans.
Noam Miller Associate Professor
Noam joined the faculty at Laurier in the summer of 2014. Before that he was a post-doctoral researcher in Iain Couzin's lab at Princeton, in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. He got his PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto where he worked with Sara Shettleworth and Robert Gerlai. Before that he got a BSc in Biology from Tel-Aviv University, where he also worked with Ilan Golani. His research spans the range from comparative cognition to behavioral ecology but his primary interest is in how taking place in a group shapes individual cognitive functions such as learning and decision-making. Noam also writes a blog on fish cognition called >3s.
[Noam's CV]
Noam joined the faculty at Laurier in the summer of 2014. Before that he was a post-doctoral researcher in Iain Couzin's lab at Princeton, in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. He got his PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto where he worked with Sara Shettleworth and Robert Gerlai. Before that he got a BSc in Biology from Tel-Aviv University, where he also worked with Ilan Golani. His research spans the range from comparative cognition to behavioral ecology but his primary interest is in how taking place in a group shapes individual cognitive functions such as learning and decision-making. Noam also writes a blog on fish cognition called >3s.
[Noam's CV]
Chelsey Damphousse Graduate Student (PhD)
Chelsey is in the third year of her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience at Laurier. She is a BSc Honours graduate of the Behaviour, Cognition, Neuroscience program at the University of Windsor where she worked under the supervision of Dr. Jerry Cohen. While at U of W, she primarily studied the degradation of motor skills associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in rodents. From there she earned her MSc in the Miller lab researching rodent social transmission of food preferences (STFP) from a social foraging and personality perspective. For her dissertation, she is examining spatial representations within the hippocampus of Japanese quail by means of tetrode electrophysiology.
Chelsey is in the third year of her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience at Laurier. She is a BSc Honours graduate of the Behaviour, Cognition, Neuroscience program at the University of Windsor where she worked under the supervision of Dr. Jerry Cohen. While at U of W, she primarily studied the degradation of motor skills associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in rodents. From there she earned her MSc in the Miller lab researching rodent social transmission of food preferences (STFP) from a social foraging and personality perspective. For her dissertation, she is examining spatial representations within the hippocampus of Japanese quail by means of tetrode electrophysiology.
Jovan Poposki Graduate Student (MSc)
Jovan is starting his Master's degree in Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience working with sensor data in the workplace and connecting it to subjective experiences through survey data. He graduated with an Honors BA in Psychology and performed his undergraduate thesis under the supervision of Dr. Bruce McKay, which was based on the preliminary connection between the rise in lyrical references of drugs in music and rising drug use in the last decade. His favourite areas of psychology are Biopsychology and Cognitive Psychology, namely anything involving memory and the functions of the hippocampus, although he also likes all other areas of psychology.
Jovan is starting his Master's degree in Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience working with sensor data in the workplace and connecting it to subjective experiences through survey data. He graduated with an Honors BA in Psychology and performed his undergraduate thesis under the supervision of Dr. Bruce McKay, which was based on the preliminary connection between the rise in lyrical references of drugs in music and rising drug use in the last decade. His favourite areas of psychology are Biopsychology and Cognitive Psychology, namely anything involving memory and the functions of the hippocampus, although he also likes all other areas of psychology.
Tanya Shoot Graduate Student (PhD)
Tanya is in the first year of her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience at Laurier. She is a BSc Honours graduate of the Neuroscience program at the University of Western Ontario where she worked under the supervision of Dr. David Sherry, with collaboration of Dr. Susan Healy (University of St. Andrews, Scotland). While at Western, she studied how zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) change their nest-building behaviour to different ambient temperature conditions. From there, she earned her MSc with Dr. David Sherry and Dr. Mark Daley, which delved into how computational models can bring insight into avian incubation. For her dissertation, she is creating and empirically testing a model of how information is distributed at the individual and group level, using social (zebra fish, Danio rerio) and anti-social (guppy, Poecilia reticulata) model organisms.
Tanya is in the first year of her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience at Laurier. She is a BSc Honours graduate of the Neuroscience program at the University of Western Ontario where she worked under the supervision of Dr. David Sherry, with collaboration of Dr. Susan Healy (University of St. Andrews, Scotland). While at Western, she studied how zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) change their nest-building behaviour to different ambient temperature conditions. From there, she earned her MSc with Dr. David Sherry and Dr. Mark Daley, which delved into how computational models can bring insight into avian incubation. For her dissertation, she is creating and empirically testing a model of how information is distributed at the individual and group level, using social (zebra fish, Danio rerio) and anti-social (guppy, Poecilia reticulata) model organisms.
Morgan Skinner Graduate Student (PhD)
Morgan is a second year PhD student in Behavioural Neuroscience. After completing a double major in history and psychology from Wilfrid Laurier, Morgan earned his B.Ed from the University of Western Ontario. Following his accreditation with the Ontario College of Teachers, he spent the next nine years teaching in Canada and overseas. Morgan returned to Laurier to complete an H.B.Sc. Psych, and to pursue his dream of researching snakes. His research with the Collective Cognition Lab will seek to explore social behaviours in Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis).
Morgan is a second year PhD student in Behavioural Neuroscience. After completing a double major in history and psychology from Wilfrid Laurier, Morgan earned his B.Ed from the University of Western Ontario. Following his accreditation with the Ontario College of Teachers, he spent the next nine years teaching in Canada and overseas. Morgan returned to Laurier to complete an H.B.Sc. Psych, and to pursue his dream of researching snakes. His research with the Collective Cognition Lab will seek to explore social behaviours in Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis).
Troy Freiburger Undergraduate Student (Senior Thesis)
Troy is a fourth-year double major in Psychology and Philosophy at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a thesis student in the lab, studying self-recognition in Eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). He has assisted in various other snake experiments in the lab. Troy is most interested in Biopsychology and Epigenetics; specifically, as they relate to evolutionary development.
Troy is a fourth-year double major in Psychology and Philosophy at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a thesis student in the lab, studying self-recognition in Eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). He has assisted in various other snake experiments in the lab. Troy is most interested in Biopsychology and Epigenetics; specifically, as they relate to evolutionary development.
Arshya Garg Undergraduate Student (Volunteer)
Arshya is a fourth- year Health Science Student. Psychology has always been a field of interest for me and have taken a particular interest in the way humans and animals interact with others and their environment. I joined the Collective Cognition Lab in the Fall of 2019 and am excited to work with various animals and learn more about their cognition and behaviours.
Arshya is a fourth- year Health Science Student. Psychology has always been a field of interest for me and have taken a particular interest in the way humans and animals interact with others and their environment. I joined the Collective Cognition Lab in the Fall of 2019 and am excited to work with various animals and learn more about their cognition and behaviours.
Yukta Jotwani Undergraduate Student (Volunteer)
Yukta is third-year Psychology student. I have always been interested in the topic of animal cognition and learning. I joined the Collective Cognition Lab in the summer of 2019 as a volunteer. So far, I have helped in coding snake behaviour and feeding the worms. In the future, I look forward to working with a variety of animals in the lab and would love to be able to gain more knowledge of animal behaviour.
Yukta is third-year Psychology student. I have always been interested in the topic of animal cognition and learning. I joined the Collective Cognition Lab in the summer of 2019 as a volunteer. So far, I have helped in coding snake behaviour and feeding the worms. In the future, I look forward to working with a variety of animals in the lab and would love to be able to gain more knowledge of animal behaviour.
Jamal Lewis Undergraduate Student (Volunteer)
Jamal is a third-year Psychology student at Wilfrid Laurier University. Since taking an introductory course in animal cognition, he's been fascinated by the far-reaching mental capacities across different animal species and the various commonalities shared between human and animal cognitive processes. He's excited for the opportunity through the Collective Cognition Lab to be able to extend his knowledge and contribute to such an intriguing field within psychology.
Jamal is a third-year Psychology student at Wilfrid Laurier University. Since taking an introductory course in animal cognition, he's been fascinated by the far-reaching mental capacities across different animal species and the various commonalities shared between human and animal cognitive processes. He's excited for the opportunity through the Collective Cognition Lab to be able to extend his knowledge and contribute to such an intriguing field within psychology.
Sandy Salama Undergraduate Student (Volunteer)
Sandy is a second-year Health Science student. She joined the Collective Cognition Lab in Winter 2020 after enrolling in Behavioural Neuroscience and instantly becoming fascinated by the mechanisms in which the human brain controls behaviour. She currently runs experiments looking to assess zebrafish social choice and is excited to expand her knowledge of animal cognition and behaviour, as well as understand how it could potentially be extended to that of human beings
Sandy is a second-year Health Science student. She joined the Collective Cognition Lab in Winter 2020 after enrolling in Behavioural Neuroscience and instantly becoming fascinated by the mechanisms in which the human brain controls behaviour. She currently runs experiments looking to assess zebrafish social choice and is excited to expand her knowledge of animal cognition and behaviour, as well as understand how it could potentially be extended to that of human beings
Britney Sekulovski Undergraduate Student (Directed Studies)
Britney is a third-year Psychology student at Wilfrid Laurier University. In the Collective Cognition Lab, she has coded for snake personality experiments, as well as assisted with a zebrafish experiment. Britney is most interested in Biopsychology, particularly the functions of the limbic system in the brain. She hopes to expand her knowledge of animal cognition and behaviour while assisting in the lab.
Britney is a third-year Psychology student at Wilfrid Laurier University. In the Collective Cognition Lab, she has coded for snake personality experiments, as well as assisted with a zebrafish experiment. Britney is most interested in Biopsychology, particularly the functions of the limbic system in the brain. She hopes to expand her knowledge of animal cognition and behaviour while assisting in the lab.
Non-humans (current).
Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Our lab works mostly with zebrafish, a small schooling fish from northern India and Nepal. Zebrafish are a common pet store fish. They are extensively used by geneticists, developmental biologists, and neuroscientists because they are small, easy to work with, have vertebrae, and spend much of their time transparent. They are a tightly schooling species which makes them ideal for studying collective behavior. We have done studies on their collective movement, how they make social choices, their "personalities" (yes, fish have personalities), and how they learn. More on the Research page.
Our lab works mostly with zebrafish, a small schooling fish from northern India and Nepal. Zebrafish are a common pet store fish. They are extensively used by geneticists, developmental biologists, and neuroscientists because they are small, easy to work with, have vertebrae, and spend much of their time transparent. They are a tightly schooling species which makes them ideal for studying collective behavior. We have done studies on their collective movement, how they make social choices, their "personalities" (yes, fish have personalities), and how they learn. More on the Research page.
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
The lab has also used guppies, another common research subject, to study mate choice copying and personality (in collaboration with Dr. David White's lab). Female guppies make choices about who to mate with that are based, in part, on the colorfulness and pattern of each potential mate's tail. Some females copy the choices made by other females. More on this on the Research page.
The lab has also used guppies, another common research subject, to study mate choice copying and personality (in collaboration with Dr. David White's lab). Female guppies make choices about who to mate with that are based, in part, on the colorfulness and pattern of each potential mate's tail. Some females copy the choices made by other females. More on this on the Research page.
Blind cave fish (Astyanax mexicanus; a.k.a. Mexican tetra)
We are currently conducting a project, in collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Wilson, to explore how blind cave fish, who have evolved away their eyes, do social and spatial things. These fish can still sense things, using odor and their lateral line, but - as far as we know - they have zero sensitivity to light. This, we think, probably affects their social behavior a lot.
We are currently conducting a project, in collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Wilson, to explore how blind cave fish, who have evolved away their eyes, do social and spatial things. These fish can still sense things, using odor and their lateral line, but - as far as we know - they have zero sensitivity to light. This, we think, probably affects their social behavior a lot.
Quail (Coturnix japonica)
The lab has several coveys of female Japanese quail. Quail have relatively strict dominance hierarchies (some birds always get their way, others never do). By allowing the quail to compete for tasty treats we can explore how these dominance hierarchies form and change over time and how they interact with other types of social networks and individual differences in cognition. We are also, in collaboration with Dr. Diano Marrone, exploring how spatial learning works in the quail brain.
The lab has several coveys of female Japanese quail. Quail have relatively strict dominance hierarchies (some birds always get their way, others never do). By allowing the quail to compete for tasty treats we can explore how these dominance hierarchies form and change over time and how they interact with other types of social networks and individual differences in cognition. We are also, in collaboration with Dr. Diano Marrone, exploring how spatial learning works in the quail brain.
A snake in our lab (Photo: Noam Miller)
Garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
We have recently set up a lab to study social behavior in Eastern garter snakes. There is shockingly little research on snake cognition and they do some very interesting things, cognitively. Snakes are often considered asocial, which we think is wrong. For example, check out this image of a garter snake mating ball in Manitoba. That looks social to us.
We have recently set up a lab to study social behavior in Eastern garter snakes. There is shockingly little research on snake cognition and they do some very interesting things, cognitively. Snakes are often considered asocial, which we think is wrong. For example, check out this image of a garter snake mating ball in Manitoba. That looks social to us.
Ball python (Python regius)
In collaboration with Drs. Bruce McKay and Diano Marrone, we are currently studying how ball pythons learn about different odors, express preferences for odors, and encode those odors in their olfactory bulbs. The behavioral neuroscience of snakes is only a little better studied than their cognition.
In collaboration with Drs. Bruce McKay and Diano Marrone, we are currently studying how ball pythons learn about different odors, express preferences for odors, and encode those odors in their olfactory bulbs. The behavioral neuroscience of snakes is only a little better studied than their cognition.
Non-humans (FORMER).
Pigeon (Columba livia)
Pigeons are the workhorses of comparative psychology research. Our lab previously housed both homing and Silver King pigeons and had operant boxes to explore how social information is learned and combined with personal information. We are currently working on developing a virtual 3D operant box for the pigeons (more on that coming soon). This is all due to pigeons' unique vision. Learn more here.
Pigeons are the workhorses of comparative psychology research. Our lab previously housed both homing and Silver King pigeons and had operant boxes to explore how social information is learned and combined with personal information. We are currently working on developing a virtual 3D operant box for the pigeons (more on that coming soon). This is all due to pigeons' unique vision. Learn more here.
Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
In collaboration with Dr. Diano Marrone, we previously worked on social transmission of food preferences and exploration of novel environments in groups of rats. We also ran a study on implicit memory in rats, together with Dr. Paul Mallet. We are currently, in collaboration with Dr. Kristin Andrews, exploring how rat societies and their "cultures" may be formed and maintained in the face of immigration.
In collaboration with Dr. Diano Marrone, we previously worked on social transmission of food preferences and exploration of novel environments in groups of rats. We also ran a study on implicit memory in rats, together with Dr. Paul Mallet. We are currently, in collaboration with Dr. Kristin Andrews, exploring how rat societies and their "cultures" may be formed and maintained in the face of immigration.
Former (human) Lab members.
Graduate Students:
Hailey Katzman (2017-2019; MSc): Hailey's Master's thesis involved designing and implementing a technique for performing brain lesions in zebrafish, and exploring how lesions of their dorsal-lateral telencephalon affected their schooling behavior.
Undergraduate Students:
Allyson Andrade (2016-17; Volunteer): Allyson helped run a lot of the quail and fish experiments in the lab.
Eric Armstrong (2016-17; Directed Studies): Eric's experiment expanded on earlier work on social information use in zebrafish. He also helped run other zebrafish and quail experiments and in coding videos of rat social foraging. His work was published here.
Ramy Ayoub (2015-17; Directed Studies): Ramy was one of the founding members of the lab and helped with the pigeon experiments at first. He then started his own experiment on flexible social information use in zebrafish, which was published here.
Caroline Baker (2017-19; Directed Studies): Caroline was a volunteer in the lab, then the lab manager, and then ran her own experiment on the effects of various drugs on 'personality' in fish. Then she graduated.
Kyle Brubacher (2015-16; Volunteer): Kyle helped run a lot of different experiments on pigeons and fish, and also got involved in tracking videos.
Debbie Hernandez Carmona (2016-17; Volunteer): Debbie helped run experiments on fish and quail and with coding videos of rats foraging together.
Jonah Cooper (2017-18; Volunteer): Jonah helped with fish social learning experiments and coding videos of rats and quail.
Denisa Dica (2017-18; Volunteer): Denisa worked in Laurier's Science MakerLab while she was in the lab and helped us design and build some of our automated experimental apparati.
Chanpreet Grewal (2018-19; Volunteer): Chanpreet volunteered in the lab and helped with a range of experiments.
Erika Gunning (2015-16; Thesis): Erika's thesis examined how social networks and dominance hierarchies correlate in groups of female Japanese quail.
Lauren Hytman (2018; Volunteer): Lauren ran some experiments on the quail and their ability to find food scattered in space.
Mina Ishak (2016-17; Volunteer): Mina helped run zebrafish experiments on social information use.
Tharani Jeyakumar (2017-18; Volunteer): Tharani mostly helped run snake experiments and take care of the snakes.
Kevin Kadak (2017-19; Thesis). Kevin started out as a volunteer in the lab and then did his thesis on sequential collective choice in groups of zebrafish. His thesis is being written up for publication now.
Leah Kearney (2016-17; Volunteer): Leah worked on all the projects in the lab and helped run mutliple differnt experiments. Mostly, she ran a lot of the quail dominance experiments.
Eden Kleinhandler (2016-18; Thesis): Eden started out as a volunteer in the lab helping out with lots of different experiments and video coding. She then did her thesis (co-supervised by Dr. Mike Wilkie in Biology) on brumation in goldfish and what it does to their memory.
Alexandra Mahon (2018-19; Volunteer): Lexy helped out with a range of experiments and coding of videos during her time in the lab.
Ayden Malekjahani (2016-17; Thesis): Ayden's thesis explored how and whether individual differences ('personality') in quail contribute to their dominance hierarchies.
Kaitlin Petter (2015-16; Directed Studies): Kaitlin was one of the founding volunteers in the lab and help set up and run experiments with both pigeons and fish. Her directed studies project explored the somewhat neglected field of courtship and mating behaviors in zebrafish.
Rhyan Rodrigues (2018-19; Thesis): Rhyan's thesis explored how drugs affect collective decisions to avoid a group in zebrafish.
Mackenzie Schultz (2015-18; Lab Manager): Mackenzie did everything in the lab. She was the lab manager for three years until she graduated and went to grad school. She ran her own experiments (on social choice in quail), supervised everyone else, and kept the lab running, clean, and sane.
Gitika Sharma (2017-18; Thesis): Gitika's thesis was on how personality in zebrafish correlates with their ability to learn spatial things. She also helped out with other fish experiments.
Ashley Siegel (2016-17; Volunteer): Ashley helped run quail and zebrafish experiments.
Madison Smith (2015-16; Thesis): Madison's thesis focused on consistent individual differences in zebrafish and how the composition of zebrafish groups affects their collective behavior.
Emily Staffiere (2016-18; Thesis): Emily started out as a volunteer in the lab working with pigeons, quail, and fish, and then did her immense thesis on how testosterone levels can explain dominance hierarchies in quail.
Jessica Star (2019; Volunteer): Jess helped run experiments on zebrafish social choice and personality.
Stefani Trovato (2016-17; Directed Studies): Stefani helped with several studies over the summer but her own project was on same-different learning in pigeons and how complex their representations are.
Sarah Wahba (2015-16; Directed Studies): Sarah first volunteered in the lab, helping with a wide range of experiments, and then her directed studies helped develop our 3D operant box (more details on that coming soon).
Hailey Katzman (2017-2019; MSc): Hailey's Master's thesis involved designing and implementing a technique for performing brain lesions in zebrafish, and exploring how lesions of their dorsal-lateral telencephalon affected their schooling behavior.
Undergraduate Students:
Allyson Andrade (2016-17; Volunteer): Allyson helped run a lot of the quail and fish experiments in the lab.
Eric Armstrong (2016-17; Directed Studies): Eric's experiment expanded on earlier work on social information use in zebrafish. He also helped run other zebrafish and quail experiments and in coding videos of rat social foraging. His work was published here.
Ramy Ayoub (2015-17; Directed Studies): Ramy was one of the founding members of the lab and helped with the pigeon experiments at first. He then started his own experiment on flexible social information use in zebrafish, which was published here.
Caroline Baker (2017-19; Directed Studies): Caroline was a volunteer in the lab, then the lab manager, and then ran her own experiment on the effects of various drugs on 'personality' in fish. Then she graduated.
Kyle Brubacher (2015-16; Volunteer): Kyle helped run a lot of different experiments on pigeons and fish, and also got involved in tracking videos.
Debbie Hernandez Carmona (2016-17; Volunteer): Debbie helped run experiments on fish and quail and with coding videos of rats foraging together.
Jonah Cooper (2017-18; Volunteer): Jonah helped with fish social learning experiments and coding videos of rats and quail.
Denisa Dica (2017-18; Volunteer): Denisa worked in Laurier's Science MakerLab while she was in the lab and helped us design and build some of our automated experimental apparati.
Chanpreet Grewal (2018-19; Volunteer): Chanpreet volunteered in the lab and helped with a range of experiments.
Erika Gunning (2015-16; Thesis): Erika's thesis examined how social networks and dominance hierarchies correlate in groups of female Japanese quail.
Lauren Hytman (2018; Volunteer): Lauren ran some experiments on the quail and their ability to find food scattered in space.
Mina Ishak (2016-17; Volunteer): Mina helped run zebrafish experiments on social information use.
Tharani Jeyakumar (2017-18; Volunteer): Tharani mostly helped run snake experiments and take care of the snakes.
Kevin Kadak (2017-19; Thesis). Kevin started out as a volunteer in the lab and then did his thesis on sequential collective choice in groups of zebrafish. His thesis is being written up for publication now.
Leah Kearney (2016-17; Volunteer): Leah worked on all the projects in the lab and helped run mutliple differnt experiments. Mostly, she ran a lot of the quail dominance experiments.
Eden Kleinhandler (2016-18; Thesis): Eden started out as a volunteer in the lab helping out with lots of different experiments and video coding. She then did her thesis (co-supervised by Dr. Mike Wilkie in Biology) on brumation in goldfish and what it does to their memory.
Alexandra Mahon (2018-19; Volunteer): Lexy helped out with a range of experiments and coding of videos during her time in the lab.
Ayden Malekjahani (2016-17; Thesis): Ayden's thesis explored how and whether individual differences ('personality') in quail contribute to their dominance hierarchies.
Kaitlin Petter (2015-16; Directed Studies): Kaitlin was one of the founding volunteers in the lab and help set up and run experiments with both pigeons and fish. Her directed studies project explored the somewhat neglected field of courtship and mating behaviors in zebrafish.
Rhyan Rodrigues (2018-19; Thesis): Rhyan's thesis explored how drugs affect collective decisions to avoid a group in zebrafish.
Mackenzie Schultz (2015-18; Lab Manager): Mackenzie did everything in the lab. She was the lab manager for three years until she graduated and went to grad school. She ran her own experiments (on social choice in quail), supervised everyone else, and kept the lab running, clean, and sane.
Gitika Sharma (2017-18; Thesis): Gitika's thesis was on how personality in zebrafish correlates with their ability to learn spatial things. She also helped out with other fish experiments.
Ashley Siegel (2016-17; Volunteer): Ashley helped run quail and zebrafish experiments.
Madison Smith (2015-16; Thesis): Madison's thesis focused on consistent individual differences in zebrafish and how the composition of zebrafish groups affects their collective behavior.
Emily Staffiere (2016-18; Thesis): Emily started out as a volunteer in the lab working with pigeons, quail, and fish, and then did her immense thesis on how testosterone levels can explain dominance hierarchies in quail.
Jessica Star (2019; Volunteer): Jess helped run experiments on zebrafish social choice and personality.
Stefani Trovato (2016-17; Directed Studies): Stefani helped with several studies over the summer but her own project was on same-different learning in pigeons and how complex their representations are.
Sarah Wahba (2015-16; Directed Studies): Sarah first volunteered in the lab, helping with a wide range of experiments, and then her directed studies helped develop our 3D operant box (more details on that coming soon).