About

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About

        Established in 2020 by Dr. Shanna Kousaie, the Cognitive Neuroscience of Bilingualism Lab is composed of graduate students, honours                  students, research assistants, and volunteers.

Research in the lab uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and behavioural measures to understand the links between bilingual language experience, cognition, and brain structure and function.

Currently, we are collecting data for the study "Multimodal measures of the interaction between cognition and language experience". If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, are monolingual or English-French bilingual, and are interested in participating in this study please contact cogneuro.bilingualism@uottawa.ca.

We are also commencing a new study “Neurocognitive measures of the impact of language experience on cognitive reserve in aging and cognitive impairment” that is examining the influence and mechanism(s) of bilingual language experience as a protective factor in cognitive aging.

The lab is also interested in developing an objective way to measure relative language proficiency using speech samples collected from participants in different past and ongoing studies in the lab.

Students interested in volunteering, completing an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) project, an honours thesis, or graduate studies with the Cognitive Neuroscience of Bilingualism Lab should contact Dr. Shanna Kousaie.

Dr. Kousaie can supervise graduate students in the Clinical and Experimental Psychology program as well as undergraduate students completing their honours thesis.

Please include your contact information, transcript, and CV.

Thank you for your interest in our lab!

Research Activities

Are you interested in participating in Cognitive and neuroscience research? Take a look at our current projects! All of our projects have a cash compensation when you complete the study! 

Multimodal measures of the interaction between cognition and language experience (18-35)

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This study aims to understand the links between bilingual language experience, cognition, and brain structure and function. The study consists of three sessions:

  • Behavioural
  • EEG
  • MRI.

Once all of the sessions are complete, you will receive a cash compensation as a thank you for helping our research and you will also receive an image of your brain!

If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, are monolingual or English-French bilingual, and are interested in participating in this study please contact cogneuro.bilingualism@uottawa.ca.

Neurocognitive measures of the impact of language experience on cognitive reserve in aging and cognitive impairment (65+)

This upcoming study is examining the influence and mechanism(s) of bilingual language experience as a protective factor in cognitive aging. This activity consists of two sessions: 

  1. Behavioural and EEG 
  2. MRI

This activity is looking for English-French bilingual individuals aged 65+. At this moment, this activity is still in development and is not available. 

Members

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Dr. Shanna Kousaie

Lab Director

Assistant Professor

 
Dr. Kousaie's general research interests are in the interaction between language and cognition in terms of brain structure and function. The goals of her research are to use a multi-method cognitive neuroscience approach to examine questions about how language experience influences: (1) language processing in both a native and non-native language; (2) executive function and cognitive processes more generally; and (3) age-related changes in language processing, communication, and cognitive function.

 

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Somayya Saleemi

Doctoral Student

Somayya Saleemi (she/her) is a Doctoral student at the University of Ottawa in the Clinical Psychology program. Her research is focused on the effects of bilingualism on cognition and aging. Other areas of interest include child psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and research ethics.

She completed her Hons. BSc. in Psychology from York University in Toronto, followed by an Ontario Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research from Humber College.

In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and spending time with her three cats named Potter, Weasley, and Hermione.

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Jasmine Lee

Doctoral Student 

Jasmine is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Her thesis research explores neurocognition, bilingualism and executive functioning across the lifespan, with a focus on bilingualism as a mitigating factor in neurodegeneration in aging.

Prior to her current studies, she completed her B.A. & Sc. in Honours Cognitive Science and M.Sc. in Neuroscience at McGill University.

 

Lauren

Lauren Cooper-Ballinger

Honours Student

Lauren is a 4th year in the BSc Psychology program at uOttawa. She previously volunteered with the CNB lab, and she is very interested in the neuroscientific approach towards language and cognition.

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Patrice Yazdanyar

Lab Coordinator

Patrice graduated with an Honours B.A. in Psychology in 2021 at the University of Ottawa; he completed his Honours Thesis in the Cognitive Aging and Driving Laboratory. Patrice is currently the lab coordinator for the CNB lab and the Child Development Laboratories. 

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Younes El Hamdany

Research Assistant

Younes is a recent graduate of the Honours BA Psychology at uOttawa. His thesis investigated the difference between behavioural and electrophysiological measures in bilinguals. He holds a diploma in technical sciences from CADI Ayaad University.

Anna

Anna Marinescu 

Research Assistant

Anna recently completed her honours thesis in the CNB lab. Her honours thesis is interested in the different effects of bilingualism on cognitive control in young adults. She wishes to continue her studies at the graduate level in the field of neuropsychology.

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Mujtaba Rizvi

Research Assistant

Mujtaba is a second year student in the Honours Health Sciences Program at the University of Ottawa. He is a volunteer in the CNB lab and assists with testing participants using EEG. He is very passionate about learning about the relationship between neurocognition and language.

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Mackenna Pattison

Research Assistant

Mackenna is recent graduate of the Honours BA Psychology program at uOttawa. She is a research assistant in the CNB lab and helps with a variety of tasks. She is also a member of the CADRe lab in which she completed her honours thesis and the ReaCH lab where she completed a UROP project.

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Melody Shabani

Research Assistant

Melody is a second-year Health Sciences Honours student at the University of Ottawa. She volunteers in the CNB lab, helping to test participants using the EEG. She is interested in learning and using different methods of neurocognitive testing such as the electroencephalogram, behavioral testing and MRI, in the hope of gaining further insights into the underlying relationships between bilingualism and neurocognition.

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Francesca Carraro

Research Assistant

Francesca is a  3rd year student in the Honours B.A Psychology program at uOttawa! She assists in testing participants using electroencephalography (EEG) in the CNB Lab. Francesca is eager to investigate how language experience shapes language processing, executive function, and cognitive changes using a combination of behavioural, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging techniques.
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CNB Alumni

  • Younes El Hamdany (Baccalauréat en art, spécialisation psychologie ’23)
  • Britney Hammell (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology, minor in Health Sciences ’23)
  • Emma Kazmierowski (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology, minor in Linguistics ’23)
  • Naya Goguen (Baccalauréat en sciences, spécialisation psychologie '22)
  • Maxine Montpetit (Baccalauréat en sciences, spécialisation psychologie '22)
  • Hannah Kalil (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology ’22)
  • Ariane Chartrand (Baccalauréat en art, spécialisation psychologie ’22)

News from the CNB Lab

Check out what we've been up to!

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ACFAS 2023

We were thrilled to have three of our students (Younes, Jasmine, and Anna) present their work at the ACFAS 2023 conference!

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CSBBCS 2023

Here's one of our grad students, Jasmine, sharing her work at CSBBCS 2023! 

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Centre for Research on the Brain, Language and Music, Montreal

We were so excited to see Jasmine give a talk on De-mystifying Knowledge Translation at the Centre for Research on the Brain, Language and Music in Montreal!

Partners

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