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
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 [rplatkin@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.