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.

Elias Elaneh, Honours thesis student
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
elanehej@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in social cognition and, more specifically, in mentalizing. I am exploring how mentalizing facilitates leader/follower dynamics in real-time conversation. My other interests in psychology include mental health, social robotics, and decision-making processes. In my free time, I like to sing, read, and listen to philosophy podcasts.

Vivian Lo, Honours thesis student
Neuroscience Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
lov6@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The neuroscience of music cognition, especially tonality. My initial work in the lab involved researching the origin of scales in vocal music. I am carrying this knowledge to a functional MRI study of tonality processing in the brain. Outside the lab, I play saxophone, collect board games, and bake.

Khalil Husein, Honours thesis student
Integrated Science Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
huseink@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The psychology of music and musical structure. I am analyzing and comparing characteristics of scale structure in world music to understand the origin and evolution of musical scales. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing the piano, reading, and watching Marvel movies.

Yona Grossman, Honours thesis student
Arts & Science Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
grossmay@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The interplay between dance and the brain, especially the biological, cognitive, and evolutionary underpinnings of dance/movement. My research is exploring the difference in conversation dynamics between aligned and disaligned dyads. Outside the lab, I love to dance, and I am currently choreographing McMaster’s production of A Chorus Line.

Ezra Nadler, Honours thesis student
Arts & Science Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
nadlere@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: The psychology of everyday conversation. I am currently analyzing discrepancies between casual (telephone) conversations and fictional (film) conversations with respect to cognitive alignment. I am also interested in a wide range of interdisciplinary and medical research. Outside the lab, I enjoy improvising on the piano and playing sports.

Nicole Strader, Honours thesis student
Arts & Science Program
(905) 525-9140 ext. 21443
stradern@mcmaster.ca

Research Interests: Analyzing and understanding the development and trajectories of the creative process within the domain of creative writing. This involves a "change analysis" to examine the work flow during the writing of short stories. Outside of the lab, I have a keen interest in martial arts, outdoor recreation, and reading.

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