The Memory & Decision Processes (MAD) Lab is housed in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University in downtown Toronto, and is directed by Dr. Julia Spaniol. Research in the MAD Lab uses behavioural and neuroscience techniques to study how motivation and emotion affect cognitive processes in younger and older adults.
Welcome to the Memory and Decision Processes Lab!
About Us
Recent News
September 2024: New MAD Lab study in press at Cognition and Emotion.
September 2024: Congratulations to Brandy Murovec on her successful dissertation defense! Way to go Brandy!
September 2024: Congratulations to Aalim Makani and Polina Andrievskaia on their new NSERC CGS-D scholarships!
September 2024: The MAD Lab welcomes new postdoc Dr. Pelin Tanberg (PhD ’24, U Waterloo)!
July/August 2024: The MAD lab says goodbye to Maša Iskra, visiting PhD student from the Sports University Cologne, and to Kieryn Carlse, post-bacc research assistant, who will begin her graduate studies at Brock University this fall.
July 2024: New MAD Lab study in press at Psychology and Aging.
June 2024: Mane Kara-Yakoubian, Megan Vaziri, and Julia Spaniol present research on aging and motivation at the 50+ Festival at TMU.
June 2024: Liyana Swirsky (PhD ’23) receives the Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence.
June 2024: Julia Spaniol receives the 2024 Women in Cognitive Science Canada+ Mentorship Award.
June 2024: Santhiya Purohit and Lindsay Santacroce present at CSBBCS in Edmonton AB.
May 2024: Shadini Dematagoda presents MAD Lab research at the Toronto Area Memory Group Meeting.
April 2024: Megan Vaziri presents MAD lab research at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting in Toronto.
February 2024: Lindsay Santacroce is the 2024 winner of the McCall MacBain 10min Research Talk competition at McMaster University. Congratulations Lindsay!
February 2024: Julia Spaniol is named an APS Fellow.
November 2023: Aalim Makani, Shadini Dematagoda, and Julia Spaniol present MAD Lab research at Psychonomics in San Francisco.
November 2023: New MAD Lab study in press at Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
October 2023: Congratulations to Aalim Makani on graduating from the MA program and starting his PhD, and to Dr. Liyana Swirsky on receiving her PhD and starting her postgraduate career!
September 2023: Congratulations to MAD Lab students on their new scholarships: Shadini Dematagoda (NSERC Vanier), Megan Vaziri (NSERC CGS-M), Aalim Makani (OGS), Brandy Murovec (TMGS)!
September 2023: Welcome to new MAD Lab students Megan Vaziri (MA Clinical) and Santhiya Purohit (undergraduate thesis student)!