Research Team

Graduate Students

Samantha Shang, PhD Student

Email: shang.x@queensu.ca

Area of research: I am a 4th year PhD candidate 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).

Claire Wei, MSc Student

Email: 22mc62@queensu.ca

Area of research: I am a 2nd year MSc 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 first year MSc 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 first-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 Fellow

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.

Undergraduate Students

Caleb Park, Project Leader, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a third-year Health Sciences student at Queen’s University. This is my second year working as a research assistant. I am excited to be able to expand my knowledge and understanding of the diversity of culture and how it impacts cognition. After completing PSYC 100, I became very interested in culture and how it impacts our development, emotions, and judgement. I also became very fascinated with learning how culture can impact one’s mental health. I am planning on pursuing a career in healthcare (possibly as a psychiatrist). I am a big fan of soccer and enjoy watching and playing it whenever I get the chance! I also love trying new recipes, meeting new people, and working out at the gym.

Noor Ajel, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am in my fourth year of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. This year will be my third year working at the lab and I look forward to continuing to develop more of my skills in the research field. Culture has always been an interesting topic for me, especially when it comes to its influence on cognition and decision-making. I am also very excited to explore more of its effect on child development. Outside of my studies, I enjoy cooking, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

Raquelle Martinez, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a fourth-year psychology student at Queen’s University and I am currently completing my undergraduate thesis under the supervision of Dr. Ji. This is my second year working as a research assistant in the lab, and I am specifically interested in how culture, alongside our personality dispositions and implicit attitudes, influence decision-making and communication.  Outside of school, I love to spend my hours running or in the gym. Using the knowledge I have gained from this lab, I plan on pursuing graduate school in psychology as well as a career in forensic psychology!

Kaiwen Tee, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I’m a third year Psychology (BScH) student! As an immigrant myself, I am really interested in studying how different cultures/upbringing affect one’s cognitive processes and cross-cultural interactions. I enjoy spending time with my friends and re-watching sitcoms in my spare time!

Hillary Andru, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a second-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 the way we make decisions and interact with others. I love my schoolwork, but in my spare time, I enjoy volunteering, journaling, swimming, and dancing. This is my first year in the lab and I am excited to learn lots from the team!

Eric Abraham, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a second year Arts student majoring in Psychology. I am interested in the field of Forensic psychology, with a focus on Social Psychology as a basis to understand behavior, cross-cultural differences and cognition. This is my first year working as a research assistant for the culture and cognition lab. I look forward to learning the intricacies of research in this area, as well as developing a wide array of skills through this experience. Furthermore, I am excited to learn more about the way in which culture and cognition intersect to influence behavior. Outside of my studies, I am a soccer enthusiast, and thoroughly enjoy everything related to music.

Juliana Eberschlag, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: I am a fourth year Queen’s Arts student majoring in Philosophy and studying Commerce on the side. I am especially interested in all things cognition and consciousness, as well as social psychology as it relates to international relations. While still undecided about my next steps, I am currently hoping to continue with academic research at the intersection of psychology, global economics, and philosophy. I am privileged to be involved with the culture and cognition lab this year, as I believe it is a perfect stepping stone toward widening my horizons and gaining a deeper understanding of the inner workings of research.

Molly Robertson, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Molly and I'm a fourth-year Psychology major who is one of the 501 students doing my thesis under Dr. Ji. I'm especially interested in social psychology and love learning more about romantic and familial relationships, friendships, and how to promote wellbeing. After undergrad, I hope to travel and pursue a Master's in Social Work. I'm super excited to be part of the C&C lab as I grew up in Thailand before moving to Canada, so I feel very lucky to be able to study cross-cultural differences on a variety of topics. Outside of the lab, I love going to workout classes, singing and playing guitar, baking, and working at my part-time job as a barista in Kingston.

Julia Wang, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: As a Chinese-Canadian, I am very interested in the intersection of culture and psychology. I feel deeply empowered by honoring the cultural value systems that everyone is uniquely defined by. I think one of the biggest steps in dismantling oppression is to honor the cultures and stories of people through their own lens. People are like poetry, and I believe cultural psychology helps us to truly see the people it intends to serve.

Natalie Yang, Undergraduate Student

Area of research: My name is Natalie, and I’m in my 3rd 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!