My overarching goal is to investigate human cognition in a naturalistic environment using computational models. I use naturalistic stimuli in my studies because they contain rich and dynamic information, similar to what we receive in the real world. I hope that my research findings can be generalized to real world situations. Read more about naturalistic stimuli in my presentation on the difference between reductionist vs. naturalistic stimuli.
Currently, I am studying the decision making in spatial navigation in virtual reality, co-advised by Dr. Arne Ekstrom and Dr. Robert Wilson. Read more about why VR is naturalistic in my notes on Spatial Cognitive Map.
My undergraduate project on investigating the impact of time and event segmentation on episodic memory using movie stimuli, advised by Dr. Morgan Barense, was presented at Context and Episodic Memory Symposium and Lake Ontario Visionary Establishment.
Outside the lab, I enjoy working on projects at the intersection between cognitive neuroscience and machine learning. I am the EEG Machine Learning lead at the Neurotech University of Toronto for the 2022 summer project on the Brain–Computer Interface speller app that spells desired letters on a virtual keyboard using P300 signal.
If you are interested in my work, or want to collaborate on a project, please feel free to contact me by email.
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Spatial cognition |
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Naturalistic stimuli |
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Computational models |
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PhD in Psychology; Concentration: Cognition and Neural Systems University of Arizona | 2022 - Present |
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Research Assistant: Recurrent Neural Networks and Bayesian Knowledge Tracing iBlüm Learning Company | 2020 - 2022 |
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Honours BSc in Psychology; Minor: Biology and Anthropology University of Toronto | 2016 - 2020 |
Topics | |||
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# cognitive psychology; # spatial navigation | Computational Modeling of Path Integration and Landmark Navigation Using Immersive Virtual Reality Funder: University of Arizona Research and Project (ReaP) Grant Advisors: Dr. Arne Ekstrom and Dr. Robert Wilson |
Aug 2022 - Present |
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# developmental psychology; # meachine learning | Tracing Knowledge Mastery Through Time (Bayesian, Recurrent Neural Networks) Funders: National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), Scientific Research and Experimental Development Federal Program (SR&ED) Company: iBlüm Learning Company REVIEW |
Jun 2020 - Jul 2022 |
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# synthetic biology; # meachine learning | Plastic-degrading Enzymes Design (Multilayer Perceptron, Transfer Learning) Funders: University of Toronto, Cell & Systems Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Human Biology, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Group: iGEM Toronto CODE WEBSITE |
Nov 2018 - May 2022 |
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# cognitive psychology; # episodic memory | Temporal Distance & Event Boundaries Affect Recall Richness Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Advisors: Dr. Morgan Barense and Dr. Bryan Hong SLIDES POSTER CODE |
Sep 2019 - Dec 2020 |
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# organizational psychology; | Using Phone to Cope With Stressors at the Workplace and at Home Supervisors: Dr. Soo Min Toh, Dr. Xian Zhao POSTER |
May - Aug 2019 |
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# social psychology; # intergroup contact | Experimenter's Gender Affect Retrieval of Implicit & Explicit Attitudes Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Page-Gould SLIDES PAPER CODE DATA |
Mar 2017 - Apr 2019 |
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Best Presentation Award, Years 1-2 7th Annual Psychology Graduate Student and Post-doc Data Blitz, University of Arizona |
2022 |
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University of Arizona Research and Project (ReaP) Grant Computational Modeling of Path Integration and Landmark Navigation Using Immersive Virtual Reality |
Nov 2022 - Nov 2023 |
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Face Perception: a Dual Process Model. Journal of Undergraduate Life Sciences |
Huang, Y. (under review). |
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Replicability of Two Classic Experiments in Social Psychology: Implicit Association Test and Imagined Contact. Inkblot: Undergraduate Journal of Psychology, 9 , 38-46. PDF CODE |
Huang, Y. (2020). |
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How do temporal context and event boundaries affect recall richness for Forrest Gump? Context and Episodic Memory Symposium, Philadelphia, PA PDF |
Hong, B., Tran, M.A., Cheng, H., Huang, Y., & Barense, M.D. (2020). |
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Testing retrieved-context models and event boundaries in naturalistic events. Lake Ontario Visionary Establishment, Ontario, Canada PDF |
Huang, Y., Cheng, H., Tran, M., Hong, B., & Barense, M.D. (2020). |
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To cope with stressors at the workplace and at home: phone use and its consequences. Smarti Gras, Ontario, Canada PDF |
Huang, Y., Zhao, X., & Toh, S. M. (2019). |
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Course: Drugs and the Brain [200 students] Teaching Assistant and Guest Lecturer on Psychedelics |
2023 Spring |
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Course: Psychological Measurement and Statistics [200 students] Teaching Assistant and Guest Lecturer on ANOVA |
2022 Fall |
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Graduate Representative Psychology, University of Arizona |
2022 - 2024 |
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Psychology Lecturer on Vestibular System Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Arizona |
2023 Spring |
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Society for Neuroscience |