Veronica Whitford

Research interests

• Developmental cognitive psychology/neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics

My research investigates language, reading, and neurocognitive performance across the lifespan, from early childhood to late adulthood.

I examine these processes across diverse populations with varying linguistic and cognitive profiles, including:

• Neurotypical individuals (who are either monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual)
• Individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental dyslexia)
• Individuals experiencing normative (healthy) vs. non-normative (pathological) cognitive aging (e.g., mild cognitive impairment, early-stage Alzheimer’s disease)
• Individuals with autoimmune, neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
• Individuals with mental health conditions (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)

My lab employs a multi-method approach that includes standardized assessments, behavioural measures, oculomotor measures (eye-tracking), and neurophysiological measures (electroencephalography/EEG).

My lab is committed to promoting equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in all aspects of our research and training environment. We strive to create a supportive and respectful space that values diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities. We actively seek to engage individuals from historically marginalized or underrepresented groups in psychology, and we are dedicated to fostering inclusive research practices that reflect and serve the diversity of the communities we study.

Education

• Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology) – McGill University
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience) – University of Western Ontario
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience) – Harvard University & Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Publications

Google Scholar Profile

Teaching

• PSYC 1013: Introduction to Psychology I
• PSYC 2703: Foundations of Biological Psychology (Online)
• PSYC 3213: Language Development
• PSYC 4773: Topical Seminar in Neuropsychology