Baycrest

Karl Szpunar is Associate Professor of Psychology, Director Psychological Science Training and Principal Investigator of the Memory Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. He received his HBSc from the University of Toronto at Mississauga, PhD from Washington University in St. Louis and subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the Rotman Research Institute and Harvard University. Dr. Szpunar’s research currently focuses on developing a deeper understanding of: (i) the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support memory and future thinking, (ii) how mental representations of the past and future are used to support behaviours that range from the detection of imminent threat to far-sighted prosocial behaviours that benefit society and (iii) behavioural interventions that support attention and learning in educational settings. This work has been made possible by funding support from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the National Science Foundation, and has been recognized in the form of awards from the Association for Psychological Science (APS Rising Star Award) and the Psychonomic Society (Early Career Research Award). In addition to his theoretical contributions to the field of memory research, Dr. Szpunar and his students regularly present workshops to elementary, high school and university students in the greater Toronto area that serve to dispel myths about learning and translate research on the science of learning and memory into practical advice about study strategies.