Yasaman Jabbari

Not considering graduate supervision for the 2026 intake.

Research

My research examines how individuals learn, adapt, and maintain cognitive and emotional functioning across the lifespan, with a focus on aging, mental health, and applied learning environments.

I investigate cognitive aging, attention, spatial navigation, and multisensory integration through lab-based tasks and immersive virtual reality (VR) environments. This approach enables the study of complex, high-demand scenarios, such as driving and divided attention, while supporting the development and evaluation of VR-based training tools for use in education, clinical care, and rehabilitation.

I also examine how mindfulness-based practices promote mental health, emotion regulation, and academic performance, particularly in student and aging populations. My goal is to advance research that informs evidence-based interventions and practical solutions for cognitive and emotional well-being.

My postdoctoral research in the Department of Computing and Software, where I used VR modules to study attention and learning in dynamic, real-life scenarios.

Education

• B.A. (French Literature), Department of Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Shahid Beheshti University
• B.A. (Psychology), Department of Psychology, York University
• Ph.D. (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour), McMaster University
• Postdoctoral Research Training (Brain Health & VR-Based Intervention), Departments of Kinesiology and Computing & Software, McMaster University

Selected publications

Jabbari, Y; Al-Mosawi, F.; Sefain, A.; Yi, D.; Christoforou, A.; Heisz; J.J. (Submitted, 2025) The Paradox of Mindfulness: Balancing Its Role in Alleviating and Intensifying the Mental Health Effects of Discrimination. Mindfulness.

Jabbari, Y.; von Mohrenschildt, M. (submitted, 2025). Motion Cues and Field of View in Virtual Truck Driver Training Under Crosswinds: Effects on Driving Control, Simulator Sickness, and User Experience. Transportation Research Record.

Jabbari, Y.; Gottlieb, M.; von Mohrenschildt, M.; Lee, Kristen Arnold; M.; Shedden, J.M.; Sherbino, J. (Revision submitted, 2025). The Impact of Driving versus Undistracted Listening on Podcast Knowledge Acquisition and Retention Using a Driving Simulator: A Randomized, Cross-over Trial. PLOS One.

Jabbari, Y.; von Mohrenschildt, M. (2024). Evaluating the effects of motion cues in virtual truck driver training. Transportation Research Record, 0(0).

Heber, A., Testa, V., Groll, D., Ritchie, K., Tam-Seto, L., Mulligan, A., Sullo E, Schick A, Bose E, Jabbari Y, Lopes J.& Carleton, R. N. (2023). Glossary of terms: A shared understanding of the common terms used to describe psychological trauma, version 3.0. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy and practice, 43(10-11), S1-S999.

Jabbari, Y. (2022). Route Navigation and Driving: Role of Visual Cues, Vestibular Cues, Visual Spatial Abilities, Age and Mood Disorders (Doctoral dissertation).

Jabbari, Y., Kenney, D. M., von Mohrenschildt, M., & Shedden, J. M. (2022). Testing landmark-specific effects on route navigation in an ecologically valid setting: a simulated driving study. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7(1), 22.

Jabbari, Y., & Cribbie, R. (2022). Negligible interaction test for continuous predictors. Journal of applied statistics, 49(8), 2001-2015.

Jabbari, Y., Kenney, D. M., von Mohrenschildt, M., & Shedden, J. M. (2021). Vestibular cues improve landmark-based route navigation: A simulated driving study. Memory & Cognition, 49(8), 1633-1644.

Kenney, D. M., Jabbari, Y., von Mohrenschildt, M., & Shedden, J. M. (2021). Visual-vestibular integration is preserved with healthy aging in a simple acceleration detection task. Neurobiology of Aging, 104, 71-81.

Davidson, H., Jabbari, Y., Patton, H., O’Hagan, F., Peters, K., & Cribbie, R. (2019). Statistical Software Use in Canadian University Courses: Current Trends and Future Directions. Teaching of Psychology, 46(3), 246-250.