People | Parc Lab

Lab Members

Lab Director

Juhyun Park, Ph.D. (she/her)

Dr. Park is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Dr. Park completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo and a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University. She is interested in identifying cognitive-affective processes underlying depression, anxiety, and co-occurring problems such as harmful substance use, with the ultimate goal of helping to refine current interventions and develop more effective treatment approaches. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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Graduate Students

Emily Hiu Yuet Wong, M.Sc. (she/her)

I am pursuing my MA-PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where I will investigate the relationships between emotion regulation, interpersonal traits, and internalizing symptoms. I completed my HBSc at the University of Toronto St. George (Neuroscience and Psychology). Throughout my undergraduate degree I was involved in interventional psychiatry research, which fostered my interest in psychological disorders. I then pursued my MSc at Rozeske Lab, where I used a mouse model of PTSD to probe neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex during a sensory intervention for accelerating fear extinction. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, making fresh pasta, and baking pies.

Grace Armstrong, Honours B.A. (she/her)

I am pursuing my MA-PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough. I am interested in exploring the relation between reward/threat sensitivity and internalizing symptoms, as well as investigating how external factors (i.e., early adversity and life stress) influence this relation. I completed my BA (Hons) at Queen's University (Majoring in Psychology), where I conducted an honours thesis investigating the moderating effects of childhood maltreatment history on the relation between major life stress and depression onset. After graduating, I worked as a lab coordinator for the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network for Depression (CAN-BIND), a national biomarker discovery program where I assisted in data collection. In my free time, I enjoy cooking for my friends and family, drawing, and practicing Pilates.

Jessica Sah, Honours B.Sc. (she/her)

Jessica is a first year Master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She completed her HBSc at the University of Toronto St. George, specializing in Neuroscience and Psychology. Her honours thesis, funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, used fMRI to examine the neurobiological link between suicidality and irritability in adults with major depressive disorder. Outside of academics, she enjoys singing, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Lab Managers

Petra Legaspi, Honours B.A. (she/her)

Petra graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from York University. As the Lab Manager, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the lab and supports various ongoing research projects. Her research interests center on understanding how cognitive and emotional processes, such as emotion regulation, contribute to the development and maintenance of psychopathology, particularly depression, anxiety, and substance use, in adult populations. She plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology and aspires to become a clinical research psychologist. In her free time, Petra enjoys outdoor activities, board games, reading, and baking.

Michael Mannarn, Honours B.Sc. (he/him)

Michael graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Toronto Scarborough. As Assistant Lab Manager he assists with running day-to-day operations and supporting ongoing research projects. His research interests focus on cognitive and affective mechanisms underlying anxiety and psychopathology, including learning processes such as avoidance behaviour, threat prediction, and decision-making. He is interested in how variation in these mechanisms across individuals contributes to differences in symptom presentation and maintenance. Outside of the lab, he enjoys science fiction and fantasy related media, creative writing, and TTRPGs.

Research Interns

Elisabeth Coller (she/her)

Elisabeth is a third-year biomedical engineering student at the University of Florida working in the PARC lab as a summer intern. She is extremely passionate about developing implantable devices to treat different neurological conditions and improve patients' quality of life. She is particularly interested in working with EEG and is currently exploring the cognitive and neural processes underlying emotional clarity. Outside of the lab, she likes to bake, travel, and cycle!

Research Assistants

Chiamaka Elora Chukwunyere (she/her)

Elora is a fourth-year student majoring in Neuroscience and Mental Health Studies. She is deeply passionate about mental disorders and is particularly interested in how underlying factors (such as childhood trauma and genetics) contribute to their development. She believes that a better understanding of these influences can lead to more effective and personalized treatment outcomes. Outside of academics, Elora finds joy in creating art and baking bread.

Aleesha Khan (she/her)

Aleesha is a fourth-year student pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She is specializing in Co-op Mental Health Studies with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Aleesha is deeply passionate about amplifying and empowering marginalized voices through her academic work. Her research interests focus on emotional dysregulation in internalizing disorders, as well as the role of contextual factors as potential risk contributors to these conditions in adult populations. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and playing Stardew Valley.

Mason Li (he/him)

Mason is a fourth-year student in the Mental Health Studies Specialist program at the University of Toronto Scarborough. His research interests focus on improving mental health outcomes for marginalized populations, including refugees and incarcerated individuals, with particular emphasis on the prevention and intervention of mood disorders. Outside of academia, Mason enjoys social events and adrenaline-fueled activities such as going to the gun range and car racing.

Grace Oh-Lee (she/her)

As a third year Mental Health Studies Specialist, Grace is interested in connecting patterns in brain activity with psychopathology and improvement in mental conditions over time. Her goal is to become a Clinical Psychologist, applying research findings to therapeutic practices with clients. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, walks in nature, and art.

Alfred Wong (he/him)

Alfred is a 4th year student in the Specialist Mental Health Program at UTSC. Driven by an interest in emotional regulation strategies and the mechanisms of psychopathology, he aims to explore these areas in depth for his graduate studies. Away from school, he finds enjoyment in exercising and spending time with his dogs.

Cody Yoon (he/him)

I am currently in my fourth year studying Psychology and Medical Anthropology at the University of Toronto, St. George campus. I am particularly interested in the study of biomarkers associated with depression and anxiety, as well as the factors that influence the development, maintenance, or prevention of these conditions—such as emotion regulation. I aspire to become a clinical psychologist who is involved in both research and practice, helping individuals who struggle especially with depression and anxiety.

Aidan Kark (he/him)

Aidan is a sophomore psychology student. He is very interested in the interplay between thought, emotion, and behaviour. He hopes to become a psychotherapist when he grows up. He loves spending time with family, taking walks and nature hikes, going to classical music concerts, acrylic painting, learning, and reading classics (especially children's classics and poetry).

Rashi Singh (she/her)

Rashi is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Scarborough, double majoring in Psychology and Economics. She is interested in emotion regulation, resilience, and how young people cope with stressors in academic and social contexts. Her research interests also include understanding the potential downsides of emotional control and the benefits of negative emotions. Rashi hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology and contribute to research that informs prevention and intervention programs supporting youth mental health. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, reading, and cycling.

Melanie Wang (she/her)

Melanie is a third-year Psychology Specialist student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She is interested in how life experiences and the way people deal with stress contribute to the development of psychopathology (such as depression and anxiety). She hopes to pursue graduate studies with the long-term goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. When Melanie isn’t on campus, she enjoys horseback riding, writing, and visiting cafés.

Ayanika Bhattacharjee (she/her)

Ayanika Bhattacharjee (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science Specialist degree in Mental Health Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She is an aspiring clinical psychologist with research interests focusing on personality pathology, mood disorders, and neurocognitive factors associated with psychopathology in youth populations. She is particularly interested in understanding how cognitive and emotional processes contribute to mental health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, spending time at the beach, and reading novels.

Marhaba Khunsa Dilawar (she/her)

Marhaba is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Scarborough interested in pursuing a Specialist in Neuroscience. She finds it hard not to find everything interesting, especially when it comes to how different parts of a system interact to create outcomes that are more than the sum of their parts. This extends to an interest in how cognitive and emotional processes interact with contextual factors in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. Outside of academia, she can probably be found spending time in nature, discussing wacky ideas with friends, or going down her next rabbit hole.

Nayeon Kang (she/her)

Nayeon is a third-year Neuroscience Specialist student at the University of Toronto. She is interested in how emotional, cognitive, and motor processes shape mental health outcomes, and hopes to explore these relationships by connecting brain, behaviour, and clinical perspectives. She also hopes to pursue graduate studies and contribute to research that deepens our understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders, with the goal of informing more effective interventions. In her free time, Nayeon enjoys running, listening to music, and spending time with her family and dog when she visits home.

Kimberly Mak (she/her)

Kimberly is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Scarborough pursuing a double major in Psychology and Neuroscience. She is interested in understanding how cognitive-affective processes, particularly emotion regulation and emotional-motivational functioning, interact with life experiences and environmental factors to contribute to depression, anxiety, and related co-occurring mental health conditions. In the future, Kimberly hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology or a career in Psychiatry. Outside of academics, she enjoys shopping, going to the gym, and listening to music.

Raihana Premji (she/her)

Raihana is a fifth-year student in the Mental Health Studies Specialist program at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her research interests focus on how psychopathology and neurodevelopmental disorders originate and present differently among women and ethnic minority groups. She aims to use research to inform evidence-based interventions as an aspiring clinical psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys watching sitcoms, reading, and listening to music.

Aditi Saha (she/her)

Aditi is a fourth-year student pursuing a Double Major in Human Biology & Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her research interests include neural markers such as error-related negativity, and reward positivity, as well as ways that current practices in psychotherapy can be enhanced. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new cafes, discovering new music, listening to psychology/crime related podcasts, dancing, and going on nature walks.

Jungmin Shin (he/him)

I am a third-year student studying Mental Health Studies and Neuroscience at University of Toronto, Scarborough. My research interest is based on psychopathology and the conscious processes to such causes. My goal is to pursue studies at graduate school and later become a clinical psychologist involved in research and practice. Aside from academics, I enjoy spending time playing sports and riding skateboards.

Sana Siddiqui (she/her)

Sana is a fourth-year Mental Health Studies Specialist student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She is primarily interested in conducting research that looks at the intersection between context and clinical psychology. Particularly, she is interested in examining ways to improve mental health outcomes and treatments for those with different cultural and social identities. In her free time, she likes watching hockey, exploring nature, and spending time with her two cats, Anya and Milo.

Chantal Ting (she/her)

Chantal is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Psychology Specialist and Criminology & Sociolegal Studies major programs at the University of Toronto, St. George campus. She hopes to become a clinical psychologist and is interested in how research on emotional regulation, vulnerabilities, and risk factors for psychological disorders can support effective interventions. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and trying good food.

Lab Alumni

Ekroop Rattu, Honours B.Sc.
Kaynaat Abrar, Honours B.Sc.; Graduate Student, Counselling and Clinical Psychology, UTSC
Riva Wang, Undergraduate Student, Neuroscience, UTSC
Kevin Li, Honours B.Sc.
Athen Lau, Master of Psychological Medicine

Friends & Collaborators

Caitlin Clements University of Norte Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
Clara Freeman Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Kristin Gainey University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Tiffany Jenzer Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo
Aislinn Sandre Western University, London, ON, Canada
Anna Weinberg McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Min-Jeong Yang Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA