Lab Members

Director & Principal Investigator

Paul W. Andrews (pandrews@mcmaster.ca)

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Graduate Students

Maxwell Altman (altmanm@mcmaster.ca)
PhD Candidate

My research focuses on the development of an experimental paradigm for inducing depressive rumination. I am also investigating the unusual sensory experiences reported by bereaved individuals, and how these experiences help grieving individuals emotionally process their loss.

Courtney D. Aucoin (aucoic2@mcmaster.ca)
PhD Candidate

MSc. in Experimental Psychology, Central Washington University
BSc. in Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

My research interests focus on individual differences in depression and depressive symptoms. I have previous research experience in personality and with nonhuman primates.

Anmol Thind (thinda6@mcmaster.ca)
Master’s Student

BSc. in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, specialized in mental health at McMaster University.

I am interested in studying the adaptive properties of suicide and self-harm from an evolutionary lens. I aim to understand how these behaviours increased one’s fitness enough to be selected for by natural selection, when in modern day they are considered to be predominantly harmful.

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Undergraduate Thesis Students

Meg Carley (carlem1@mcmaster.ca)
Honour’s Thesis Student

Investigating the involvement of the serotonin system in Alzheimer’s pathology and implications of antidepressants in Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline

Senuki Dasanayaka (dasanays@mcmaster.ca)
Honour’s Thesis Student

My research focuses on the evolutionary correlates of psychological conditions such as depression and suicide. Specifically, I am investigating which evolutionary factors lead to the emergence of suicide ideation. I intend to use the knowledge I gain in this lab to develop effective therapeutics in the mental health field.

Jessica Hur (hurj1@mcmaster.ca)
Honour’s Thesis Student

Hi, my name is Jess, and I am a fourth-year Honours Bachelor of Science student in the Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (Mental Health Specialization) program. I am super excited to be completing my thesis this year in the EvoHealth Lab and Milliken Lab! I have always had a profound interest in mental health and cognition, and my thesis entails a combination of the two. I will be working on a project investigating working memory in depression while incorporating an evolutionary perspective.

Jayden Miller (millej68@mcmaster.ca)
Honour’s Thesis Student

Hello!! I’m a fourth-year student pursuing a combined honours degree in Arts & Science and Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour. My thesis explores the evolutionary foundations and sociocultural influences on body image and self-esteem. Specifically, I examine how social media amplifies contemporary beauty standards and their effects on self-perception, emphasizing the misalignment between these ideals and our evolutionary predispositions.

Shreya Sharma (shars142@mcmaster.ca)
Honour’s Thesis Student

Research interests: The evolutionary origins of mood disorders and relevance of depressive states to psychological development

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Former Students