Research Team

Graduate Students

Claire Wei, Ph.D Student

Email: 22mc62@queensu.ca

Area of research: I am a 1st year Ph.D student at the Queen's Culture and Cognition lab. I earned my B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Gender & Feminist Studies from McGill University. I am interested in the cultural differences in parent-child interaction.. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing, drawing, hiking, watching movies, and playing the Gu Zheng.

Matthew Peng, MSc Student

Email: m.peng@queensu.ca

Area of research: I'm a second year MSc student in Psychology at Queen's. I got my BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy at the University of British Columbia. I joined the Culture and Cognition Lab because I'm interested in the relationship between emotion and health across cultures, and how this relates to well-being among immigrants. Outside of the lab, I love all things art (music, movies, literature), watching basketball, and spontaneous walks.

Angele Wen, MSc Student

Email: angele.wen@queensu.ca

Area of research: I am a second-year master’s student in social psychology at Queen’s. I hold a B.A. in psychology from McGill, with minors in East Asian studies, educational psychology, and behavioural science. My research interests lie around how culture shapes relationships, including parent-child and romantic relationships. During my free time, I enjoy cooking new recipes, doing nail art, and experimenting with mixology. I am excited to embark on this new journey at Queen’s! 

Post-Doctoral Fellows

Xiaoyi (Cherie) Zhou, Post-Doc

Email: cherie.zhou@queensu.ca

Area of research: My name is Cherie, and I joined the lab as a postdoctoral researcher in the summer of 2024. I completed my PhD in cognitive psychology at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Currently, I am involved in multiple projects that explore cultural perceptions of luck and the potential of AI to enhance psychological well-being. It's been an exciting journey! Outside the lab, I'm also interested in psychotherapy, Pilates, and board games.

Samantha Shang, Post-Doc

Email: shang.x@queensu.ca

Area of research: I recently earned my PhD at the Queen's Culture and Cognition lab. I earned my B.S. in psychology from Jilin University in China and my master's in psychology from Wake Forest University in the USA. I study the "unsaid words" - How do people read between the lines? Why don't people share certain information, even with close others? I am also enthusiastic about R, stats, and cross-cultural measurement. In my free time, I love dancing salsa and hanging out with my cats, Georgia and Major Tom. I named myself "Samantha" after the AI from the movie "Her" (2013).

Undergraduate Students

Hillary Andru, Project Leader, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a third-year Health Sciences student with an interest in psychology. Growing up in a very multicultural area has made me curious about cultural differences and similarities, especially in parenting and decision making. I love my schoolwork, but in my spare time, I enjoy volunteering, journaling, swimming, and dancing! This is my second year with the lab and I have enjoyed every minute of being a part of this awesome team! 

Natalie Yang, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Natalie, and I’m in my 4th year majoring in Psychology and minoring in French! My research interests include developmental, social & clinical psychology. As a Chinese Canadian, I am particularly interested in the intersection of individualism and collectivism and its influence on this group of individuals. In the future, I hope to become a psychologist to serve Asian-Canadian children & teenagers in the mental health field. I love dancing, playing musical instruments, and spending time with friends! 

Naomie Chen, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Naomie, and I’m a fourth-year Psychology student at Queen’s. Growing up between Chinese and Canadian cultures and being bilingual in English and Chinese has given me a unique perspective and sparked my curiosity about the role culture plays in shaping identity. I’m especially interested in how these influences affect children’s development. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time in nature, going for walks by the water, and playing video games in my downtime.

Nicole Herring, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a fourth-year Psychology student completing my thesis in the lab under the supervision of Dr. Ji! My research interest is mainly social psychology, and I am very excited to learn about cultural differences in perceptions of luck. This is my first year in the lab, and I am looking forward to completing cross-cultural research. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with friends, exercising, and trying out new recipes!

Nadya Kalsi, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Nadya Kalsi, I am a fourth year psychology student here at Queen’s. Throughout my undergrad, the topics that have stuck out to me always involved the exploration of cultural differences, and it amazed me how almost each construct could be discerned across cultures. I joined this lab as somebody who has had a major interest in cross-cultural comparisons and the underlying cognitive mechanisms that are developed through culture. Outside of the lab, I love to dance, read, work out, sew, and hang out with my friends and family!

Stella Spadafora, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a third-year Arts student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Linguistics. This will be my first year working as a research assistant in the Culture and Cognition Lab, and I am excited to develop hands-on research skills that will benefit my future studies. I am very interested in sociolinguistics and understanding how variations in language and culture influence human cognition, including decision-making and behavior. Beyond my studies, I enjoy running, volunteering, reading, and spending quality time with my family.

Charlotte Szuty, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Charlotte Szuty, and I am currently in my third year of Psychology and Linguistics at Queen’s University. I am interested in cultural differences in mental health etiology and the efficacy of mental health treatments. After my undergraduate, I hope to pursue a Masters in either Clinical Psychology or Speech Language Pathology. This is my first year with the Cultures and Cognition Lab, and I am excited to develop my research skills and learn more about the field! Outside of the lab I enjoy hand embroidery, hiking, and my 2 cats!

Rita Li, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Rita, and I am a third-year psychology student. I have a deep interest in the intersection of culture and human cognition: being born and raised in China, I have been fascinated by how cultural backgrounds shape perspectives and behaviors. After completing my studies in Canada, I plan to pursue counseling with Chinese people, integrating Chinese cultural values into counseling practice to develop a culturally sensitive approach that is more effective for Chinese clients. Beyond academics, I enjoy composing music, playing piano, and exploring diverse cultures and languages!

Wendy Zhao, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I’m a first-year Health Sciences student with an interest in psychology. I’m interested in how contextual cues, such as physician attire, shape patients’ perceptions and trust, and how these social and cognitive processes influence healthcare settings across cultures. As an immigrant, I am also curious about how bilingualism influences learning styles and cognitive processing. This is my first year in the Culture and Cognition Lab, and I am excited to learn from the team and develop my research skills!