Current Team
Scientific Director
Dr. JasiÅ„ska is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the ÃÀÓÕÖ±²¥ at the University of Toronto. She is fundamentally interested in the neural mechanisms that support language (monolingual or bilingual, signed or spoken), reading, and cognitive development across the lifespan. Her research asks questions such as how early life experience changes the brain's capacity for learning. She uses MRI and fNIRS neuroimaging technology to gain new insights into the biological underpinnings of language, reading, and human cognition.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Henry has a Ph.D. in Cognitive & Brain Sciences from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (HUJI). He holds an M.A. in Cognitive Science from the Language, Logic and Cognition Center at HUJI, and a B.A. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science. Henry is interested in how the structure of language, and of written language in particular, shapes the way we learn and process linguistic material, incorporating insights from the field of statistical learning. He has a particular interest in individual differences in these skills, and in cross-linguistic differences in how language encodes structure. His PhD thesis centred on a large-scale longitudinal fMRI project examining the neurocognitive underpinnings of second language literacy, in collaboration with Haskins Laboratories in New Haven.
Graduate Students & Researchers
Mary-Claire Ball is a Ph.D. candidate in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. She holds an M.A. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from the University of Delaware and a B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University. Her doctoral research examines children's language and literacy development in multilingual communities in rural Côte d'Ivoire.
Hannah Whitehead is a Ph.D. candidate in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. She holds an MA from OISE at University of Toronto and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. Hannah is passionate about using evidence-based approaches to improve academic outcomes in at-risk children. Her doctoral research is focused on understanding the neurodevelopment of literacy and numeracy in rural Côte d’Ivoire.
Brooke is an Ph.D. student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP) program at OISE. She holds an M.A. in SCCP from OISE, an M.Ed. in Developmental Psychology and Education from OISE, and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology from Queen’s University. Brooke’s research in the BOLD lab focuses on the predictors of educational outcomes in Côte d’Ivoire using a risk and resilience framework. She is passionate about education, mental health, and child development.
Andrea is a Ph.D. student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. With an HB.Sc. in Neuroscience and Mental Health from the University of Toronto, she has centred her research on neurodevelopment, educational enhancement, and social connectedness. Andrea is using fNIRS neuroimaging technology in the BOLD lab to investigate longitudinal changes in the brain in response to displacement among Afghan refugee youth.
Micaela Ostry is a Ph.D. student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at the ÃÀÓÕÖ±²¥, University of Toronto. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from McGill University and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Micaela’s research at the BOLD Lab focuses on examining literacy outcomes among internally displaced children in Nigeria.
Sarah is an M.A. student in the Developmental Psychology and Education Program at OISE. During her BA&Sc (Hons.) in Cognitive Science at McGill, her research looked at reading cognition in Primary Progressive Aphasia and the development of novel reading tasks for this population. She also has two years of experience delivering psychoeducational support to children and adolescents with learning disabilities. Her research at the BOLD lab looks at cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual Syrian refugee youth.
Breanna is an M.Ed student in OISE’s Developmental Psychology and Education program. She received her B.A.Sc in Applied Psychology in Human Behaviour with a specialization in Autism and Behavioural Sciences from McMaster University. Her research interests include child development, disability studies, social-emotional development, and education. Her current work with the lab involves investigating the effectiveness of food insecurity scales and the impact of food insecurity on child development in a developing country.
Joshua Lim is a Ph.D. student in the Curriculum and Pedagogy program with a specialization in Comparative, International, and Development Education at OISE. He holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Pedagogy and an M.A. in Child Study and Education from OISE, and a B.ASc. (Hons.) in Interdisciplinary Studies from Lakehead University. Joshua’s research interests center on child development and the effects of poverty and child labour. His work with the BOLD lab involved investigating the impact of interrupted schooling on the development of neural systems for reading in resettled refugee children.
Esther Yu is a Ph.D. student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at the ÃÀÓÕÖ±²¥, University of Toronto. She holds an M.A. in Developmental Psychology and Education from OISE, a B.Sc. in Psychology and Applied Statistics from the University of Toronto, and a postgraduate certificate in Applied Artificial Intelligence from George Brown College. Her research examines how to support children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development across contexts. She is currently leading review studies on the application of artificial intelligence in early developmental settings to enhance children’s outcomes and is completing her Ph.D. comprehensive work at the BOLD Lab, focusing on children’s cognitive development.
Julianna holds an M.Ed. in Developmental Psychology and Education from OISE and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology and Biology for Health Sciences from the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is passionate about child development, mental health, and neuroscience. At the BOLD Lab, Julianna’s research focuses on understanding children’s socio-emotional outcomes in relation to caregiver mental health and on how quality education supports children’s literacy and numeracy development in rural Côte d’Ivoire.
Jerry is currently pursuing a M.Ed in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. His educational background includes a Diploma in Basic Education and a B.Ed in Psychology and Foundations of Education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Jerry has worked with students from grade 7 to 9 for over a decade. He is passionate about the pivotal role that education plays in child development.
Yuying is a M.Ed student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mental Health and Linguistics from the University of Toronto. Her diverse research experience spans psychological assessment, data collection and analysis, and curriculum development. Yuying’s research interests include language development, mental health interventions, and educational psychology. She has also contributed to research projects on adolescent psychological interventions and language acquisition among students in China.
Tazeen is an M.Ed. student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at the ÃÀÓÕÖ±²¥ (OISE). She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science (H.BSc) in the Psychology Specialist Program from the University of Toronto Scarborough. Tazeen has research experience working in auditory cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology labs and is interested in applied human development, neuroscience, and community psychology. She is excited to contribute to work at the BOLD Lab and learn about educational and learning barriers experienced by young refugee groups in Canada and the connection to underlying neural mechanisms.
Wardah Nadeem is an M.Ed student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. She holds an HBSc with a specialization in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto. She is interested in neuroimaging research and studying the neurobiology of language and cognitive development in children.
Undergraduate Students
Victoria is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto studying Neuroscience and Health Studies. She is interested in exploring child development across diverse social conditions, aiming to inform interventions that address language-learning barriers and promote child well-being. She is particularly excited to apply her passion for education advocacy to families in Côte d’Ivoire and refugee populations.
Kaija is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto studying Psychology. She is interested in exploring the relationship between childhood development, behavioural neuroscience, and socio-emotional well-being. She is excited to further explore these interests and gain hands-on experience in the field of psychology
Yomna is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto studying Neuroscience and Data Science. She is interested in the role of heritage language maintenance on socio-emotional well-being in refugee children. She is particularly enthusiastic about utilizing her passion for neuroscience to support and advocate for refugee populations.
Kenda is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto studying Neuroscience and Immunology. She is interested in the impacts of mental health and socioemotional well-being in communities facing high poverty and barriers to education, including refugee youth and families. She is eager to explore how these experiences influence neurodevelopment and educational outcomes, and she is passionate about advancing approaches that promote well-being and support learning in vulnerable populations.
Collaborators in Côte d'Ivoire
Fabrice is an Assistant Professor in Economic Sociology in the UFR of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, at University Péléfero Gon Coulibaly de Korhogo. His research focuses on issues related to children’s education in rural areas. His work on the Promoting Literacy Development in Rural Cocoa-Producing Communities project centers around the sociological and socioeconomic context of child literacy development. He is the country manager for Allô Alphabet and he also leads the Science Capacity Building collaboration with research partners in Côte d'Ivoire.
Hermann has a Ph.D. in Social Sciences and Human Capital Development from the Institute Development and Anthropology (ISAD) at Félix Houphouët Boigny University (UFHB). He holds M.A. and B.A. degrees in developmental economy. His research focuses on education, and he has worked on projects concerning the quality of professional development at private institutions of higher education. His research interests also include professional integration strategies. He is a member of the National Committee for Early Childhood Integrated Development (CNDIDJE) and has a special interest in young children’s learning abilities.