People

Dr. Jason Deska

Dr. Jason Deska is an associate professor and the director of the Social Perception & Intergroup Relations lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. He completed his Ph.D. at Miami University under the supervision of Kurt Hugenberg and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto with Nick Rule.

Lucas Baron is a second-year Psychological Science PhD student. He is broadly interested in social psychological research surrounding stereotypes, prejudice, and dehumanization. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, his current projects involve understanding how bisexual+ people (those who are attracted to multiple genders) navigate being viewed as inauthentic. He is also interested in how factors like gender and body size affect people’s perceptions of bisexual+ individuals. Through his research, he hopes to contribute to our understanding of how and why people form biased opinions of themselves and others based on perceived group membership.

Kiana Greenly is a second-year Psychological Science Master’s student. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. Kiana is generally interested in examining perceptions of multiracial individuals and how these perceptions affect them and their lives. Her research hopes to contribute to a growing pool of literature in this area and broaden our insights on multiracial individuals.

Sam Pejic is a fourth-year Psychological Science PhD student. She completed her master’s degree in Psychological Science at Toronto Metropolitan University, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Western University. Sam’s current research focuses on investigating the implications of narrow prototypes, specifically for individuals’ inclusion in broad social justice movements (e.g., Stop Asian Hate movement), as well as how social pain judgments differ as a function of population membership (e.g., prisoner, exoneree), and physical characteristics (e.g., height, disability status). Her master’s thesis focused on developing a comprehensive catalogue of stereotypes and counter-stereotypes attributed to substance-use disorders for the purpose of stigma-reduction interventions.

Joud Akrat is a third-year psychology undergraduate student. She is interested in the concept of identity, specifically the African identity across the diaspora, and the many different expressions of culture and character among marginalized and underrepresented communities in Canada and globally. She aims to further her research through post-graduate research.

Argo Basembe is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology (Hons) with a planned LGBTQ2S+ Studies minor. They are currently completing their Honours Thesis in the lab, focusing on exploring the self-perceptions of authenticity among racialized trans* folks. All of their research interests centre around the social-structural experiences of marginalized people. Argo strives to continue facilitating and participating in critical research frameworks and hopes to pursue graduate studies.

Ghazal (Eden) Faridi Haftkhani is a second-year Psychology student at Toronto Metropolitan University, pursuing a double minor in Mathematics and Biology. Her research interests include the psychology of digital cultures and online communities, as well as the applications of neurofeedback in treating PTSD, depression, and sleep disorders.

Rebecca Furtado is a second-year undergrad student studying psychology with the plan to do a double minor in sociology and child studies. She is interested in discovering more about the relationship between familial ties and experiences of past/present events that can affect parents, guardians or children. Rebecca aspires to pursue graduate studies in the related field and gain more insight into the research experience.

Diva Kaushik is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology, planning to get a double minor in Sociology and Philosophy.  She has a keen interest in researching the intersection of the three disciplines and their effects on the human condition. Additionally, Diva is interested in exploring the increasing incorporation of qualitative methods in psychological research and hopes to further her knowledge and skills in the field through graduate studies.

Ayesha Khalid is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology with a plan to minor in disability studies. She is interested in various areas of psychology, such as social and clinical psychology. She is interested in identity formation and consolidation, as well as the construction of the self, particularly in adults living with autism. Ayesha hopes to further explore her interests through research opportunities and graduate studies.

Johanna Lewis is a fourth year undergraduate psychology student minoring in Child and Youth Care and Criminology. She is interested in exploring how misperceptions or stereotypes can affect judgements in criminal or legal settings. Her goal is to contribute to research that improves fairness in legal and social systems by better understanding how perception shapes the ways we interpret behaviour and assign blame. Johanna hopes to pursue graduate studies in psychology to further explore the connections between perception, social cognition, and criminal behaviour.

Rory Shaw is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Criminology and planning a minor in Psychology. He is interested in how mental health disorders and developmental disabilities shape learning, educational outcomes, and long term emotional well-being. Rory also volunteers as an inbound operator at the Distress Centre of Greater Toronto and hopes to further his knowledge and skills in psychology through graduate studies.