Steven Brown, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 23892
stebro@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: Neural, cognitive, anthropological and evolutionary aspects of the arts, as well as the inter-relationships among the arts themselves. My lab training is in molecular biology and human brain imaging. In addition, I am a classical pianist and avid dancer.

Matthew Berry, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow and lab manager
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
berryma@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The psychology and cognitive neuroscience of drama (gesture), literature (narrative and storytelling), creativity, humor and improvisation. I am attempting to develop a new field devoted to analyzing the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the production, perception, and synthesis of these areas. Beyond the lab, I am a writer, improvist, photographer, and fully licensed scuba diver.

Carmen Tu, B.H.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
tuc4@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: Social cognition and joint action during conversation. This research involves analyzing dynamic patterns of how people become aligned and affiliated with one another during social interactions. My other research interests include character psychology and cross-media comparisons of narrative plot structure. I am also interested in the health humanities, and I enjoy painting, writing, dance, and film photography outside of research.

Elizabeth Phillips, B.M., B.Sc., Ph.D. student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
phille10@mcmaster.ca>

Research Interests: Music theory and cognition, especially what defines human music as a global category of sound. This involves comparing music across cultures and contrasting it to other categories of sound (such as language and environmental noise). I am currently working on a vocal-based model for the evolution of scale structure. I also study the psychology of film music, and am a duathlete and classical pianist.

Zoe Lazar-Kurz, B.Sc., Ph.D. student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
lazarkzc@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The cognitive psychology and neuroscience of creativity. I am currently working to characterize the creative process to better understand how an initial idea evolves into a final product. Currently, we are studying graphic designers, painters, creative writers and musicians in order to develop a unified theory spanning many creative domains. Outside of the lab, I love to cook, play piano, and enjoy the great outdoors.

Kiah Prince, B.Cog.Sc., Ph.D. student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
princk2@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The neural correlates of the self, cooperation, and mentalizing. I am using functional MRI to explore the overlap in the brain networks between implicit mentalizing and rhythmic entrainment during cooperative social interactions. Apart from my work in the lab, I am a flamenco guitarist, photographer, writer, and music composer.

Jacob Cameirao, B.Sc., Master's student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
cameiraj2@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The applied arts, particularly in the context of arts-based therapies. I am studying the mechanisms of action of arts-based therapies with the goal of developing a framework to guide the selection, combination, and integration of the arts in therapy.

Sam Kim, Honours thesis student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
kimj197@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: Music perception and the possible health benefits of music. I am currently determining if pitch discreteness is the sole distinguishing feature between song and speech, and whether it facilitates auditory memory. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing the piano, singing, and playing volleyball.

Isimeme Okonofua, Honours thesis student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
okonofui@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: I am interested in cognitive neuroscience, specifically the neuroscience of creative improvisation. I am investigating the neural correlates of the improvisational processes of human conversation. I am also passionate about mental health research. Outside of the lab, I love watching movies and live theatre.

Sofia Campitelli, Honours thesis student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
campites@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: Understanding cognition and behaviour through the lens of dance. My thesis is looking at the role of social interaction in the evolution of rhythm and dance. I also have a passion for the mental health field. I was a competitive dancer, and enjoy acting and anything outdoors.

Emily O'Halloran, Honours thesis student
Arts & Science Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
ohalloe@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: I am fascinated by how our brains develop and execute novel ideas for creative projects. I am investigating the cognitive processes underlying creative writing. Beyond this research, I enjoy reading, running, playing piano, and concocting strange yet surprisingly delicious smoothies.

Miranda Wu, Honours thesis student
Health Sciences Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
wum75@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The mechanisms of arts-based therapies. My thesis project is examining the use of techniques from drama-based psychotherapies, in particular how shifting narrative perspective may impact an individual’s experience of an event in terms of emotional expressiveness, insight, mood, psychological distance, and empathy. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing and horror movies.

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