THE TEAM
Dr. Blake Butler [he/him] is an assistant professor in the department of psychology and the brain and mind institute at the University of Western Ontario. His research focusses on the role of experience & plasticity in the development of sensory systems, with a focus on hearing loss and restoration. His program combines behavioural, neuroimaging, and anatomical approaches across models.
Yu (Karen) Du [ydu366@uwo.ca; she/her] is a postdoctoral fellow in NiSSL group. She is interested in how sensory cues are combined to inform spatial navigation, and how contextual information informs sensory processing and sensitivity.
Hiring:
Technician
Katelyn Kittel [kkittel@uwo.ca; she/her] is the RVT in the NiSSL group. She graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at St. Lawrence College, Kingston and has been working in small animal practice since. She has always had a special interest in education and feline medicine. She currently lives with two friendly black cats of her own. In her spare time she likes to be surrounded by friends/family and pets. She enjoys being outdoors and is always looking for an adventure.
Jessica Lammert [jlammert@uwo.ca; she/her] is a PhD student in the NiSSL group. She completed her BA and MSc at Western University, where she investigated the white matter correlates of childhood reading disability, and visual perception in ASL signers. Her current research interests include investigating cross-modal neuroplasticity as a function of sensory and linguistic experience. Outside of the lab, Jessica enjoys drawing, painting, cooking, and camping.
Kate Raymond [kraymon9@uwo.ca; she/her] is an PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program. Prior to this, she completed her BSc at McMaster, worked at the SickKids Research Institute, and completed an MSc in Neuroscience at UWO. Currently, she studies misophonia, a newly discovered neuropsychological phenomenon where specific sounds (e.g. people chewing) elicit aversive physiological and emotional responses. Outside of research, Kate enjoys immersing herself in the great outdoors and after many years of leading hiking and canoeing trips, she has become a budding environmental activist!
Cailey Salagovic [csalagov@uwo.ca; she/her] is a PhD student in the NiSSL group. She has earned a B.A. in Music at University of Denver, a B.Sc. with honors in Psychology at University of Colorado Denver, and an MSc is Psychology where she investigated the effect of auditory stimuli on visual attention, and audiovisual perception in cochlear implant users . Her current research uses EEG to learn about audiovisual speech perception across the hearing spectrum in collaboration with the Stevenson Sensory Lab. When not in the lab, Cailey enjoys baking needlessly complicated recipes and other “indoorsy” activities.
Austin Robertson [arobe223@uwo.ca; he/him] is a Neuroscience PhD student with the NiSSL lab. He completed his BSc in Biomedical Science with a minor in Neuroscience at the University of Guelph. Currently, his research under involves establishing the precision of myelin as a structural marker of core auditory cortex in order to better qualify its functional reorganization following deafening. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing video games, and watching/coaching basketball (GO RAPTORS!).
Rafaela Platkin [rplatikin@uwo.ca; she/her] is an MSc student in CDBS Psychology. She completed her BSc at Queen's University where she looked at the perception of emotional intensity in auditory stimuli. She is currently investigating the role of narrative engagement and listening effort in children and its potential burden on secondary task performance. She hopes to expand her research to inform school-focused interventions to reduce listening fatigue in adolescents. In her free time she likes participating in music-related activities.
Facundo Lodol [flodol@uwo.ca; he/him] is a Neuroscience MSc student and former Honours thesis student in the NiSSL lab at Western. For his graduate work, Facundo is examining an EEG biomarker of sensory gating in individuals with specific sound sensitivities. Outside of the lab, his interests include making music and playing sports such as soccer and basketball.
Emiko Osborne [eosborn9@uwo.ca; she/her] is an Honour's Thesis student working with Jessica on understanding narrative processing in children. Her research interests include developmental cognitive neuroscience, language acquisition and processing, and neuroplasticity. Outside of the lab she enjoys swimming, coaching, and spending time with friends!
Valerie Ah-Yen [vahyen@uwo.ca; she/her] is an Honour's Thesis student working with Cailey to examine the relationship between audiovisual speech signals and the brain activity they evoke.
Cameron Lewis [clewis88@uwo.ca; he/him] is an Honors Thesis student. His research uses EEG to identify how patterns of brain activity differ in those with visual snow syndrome compared to those with typical vision. He likes to spend his free time outside mountain biking, hiking, and camping.
Jamie Jon [jjon@uwo.ca; she/her] is an Honors Thesis student working with Facundo to examine EEG biomarkers of repetition suppression in people with and without specific sound sensitivity.
