Julia Kam, PhD
Principal Investigator
Julia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. She obtained her PhD from the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Todd Handy, where she established the electrophysiological signatures of internal attention. She then completed her postdoctoral training with Robert Knight at the University of California, Berkeley, where she examined the neural structures and mechanisms supporting internal attention. When she’s not studying about wandering minds, she loves to let her mind wander in nature, in museums, in concert halls, and in the kitchen.
Email: julia.kam @ ucalgary.ca
Sairamya Nanjappan Jothiraj, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Sairamya is a postdoctoral associate in the Internal Attention Lab, Department of Psychology, at the University of Calgary. She completed her PhD in bio signal processing at the Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (India) in 2021, where she was involved in developing an automatic tool for diagnosis epileptic seizure activities and its types. She then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the brain computer interface field at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rievere, where she conducted the experiments to control the robotic arm through EEG signals and hand gestures. Her research interests include signal processing, machine learning, deep learning, neural engineering, and AI in health care. Outside the lab, she enjoys nature walks, cooking, and playing badminton.
Email: sairamya.nanjappanjo @ ucalgary.ca
Chelsie M. Hart, MSc
Doctoral Student
Chelsie is a PhD Candidate in Experimental Psychology at the University of Calgary, examining the relationships between mind wandering and executive functions in individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. She got her BSc majoring in psychology from the University of Victoria, where she also got experience in environmental psychology research. She then went on to volunteer in multiple labs which focused on social perception and cognition, sleep and empathy, and spatial cognition. Chelsie received her MSc in Experimental Psychology at the University of Calgary under Suzanne Curtin, studying language development in young children at high risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her overarching research interest is in the effects of gender and sex on cognition and mental illness. When not conducting research, Chelsie spends much of her time exercising, working on one of her many hobbies, or playing video games.
Email: chelsie.hart @ ucalgary.ca
YeEun Park, BA
Master's Student
YeEun is a Master’s student in Experimental Psychology at University of Calgary. She completed her BA in psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she developed her interest in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Her research interest heavily lies on perception - how people perceive their environment, how perceived information get processed within the brain, which then is manifested in their behaviours. Outside the lab, YeEun enjoys walks with coffee and playing sports of any sort.
Email: yeeun.park @ ucalgary.ca
Yudhajit Ain, MSc
Master's Student
Yudhajit completed his MSc in Biological Sciences from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal. His interest in neuropsychology stems from a long-term fascination with the human brain, and how it underlies everything from optical illusions and social evolution, to attitudes towards and borne out of its own pathology. Outside of his research about the different dimensions of internal mentation, he is passionate about environmental sustainability and social justice. When not in the lab, you'll probably find him cooking, studying cat behaviour, reading, or getting existential to post-rock (often all at once).
Email: yudhajit.ain @ ucalgary.ca
Undergraduate Students
Simrit Rai
Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student
Tatsuya Hansen
Neuroscience, Neur 506 Student
Emily Beauchemin
Psychology, Psyc 499 Student
Jen Schweitzer
Psychology, Psyc 508 Student
Our lab is currently recruiting graduate students for Fall 2024!
Prospective graduate students should apply through the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary by November 15th, 2023.
Check out the Join Us page for more information.
Lab Alumni
Tarannum Rahnuma || Neuroscience, Honor's Thesis Student, 2022-23
current position: Medical School Student, University of Calgary
Nikita Nukala || Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student, 2022-23
current position: Research Coordinator, Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Bhavneet Chohan || Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student, 2022-23
current position: Research Coordinator, Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Raela Thiemann || Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student, 2021-22
current position: Graduate Student, University of Calgary
Lauren Wan-Sai-Cheong || Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student, 2021-22
current position: Contact Center Coordinator and Community Resource Specialist, Distress Center; Project Coordinator, University of Calgary
Fiza Hasan || Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student, 2021-22
current position: Graduate Student, Simon Fraser University
Alexandra Ouellette Zuk || Research Assistant and Project Coordinator, 2021-22
current position: Graduate Student, University of Toronto
Jihye Choi || Psychology, 2020-21
current position: Graduate Student, William and Mary University
Gahyun Kim || Psychology, Honor's Thesis Student, 2020-21
current position: Graduate Student, University of Toronto