Jacqueline’s research explores how the brain supports reading, language, and communication, with a particular focus on the sensory, motor, and neural systems that make literacy possible. She is interested in how these systems adapt with experience, development, and impairment, and how neuroscience can inform inclusive approaches to education and rehabilitation. 

Jacqueline finished her PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology in 2009 and her BS in Psychology in 2005 from the University of Saskatchewan. She moved to Edmonton in 2009 to join the University of Alberta as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Outside of lab, Jacqueline enjoys baking, biking, and spending time with her pets. She has two dogs and two cats!

jcummine[at]ualberta.ca [Faculty Page]

Amber is the resident audiologist at the faculty of rehabilitation medicine and also the research coordinator of the lab. She earned her MSc in Audiology from Dalhousie University, and her Bachelor of Engineering from University of Saskatchewan.

Praveen is broadly interested in the cognitive neuroscience of learning and decision-making, and in multimodal methods of neuroimaging. His thesis project investigates how the brain encodes transitional probabilities during statistical learning, its relationship to reading processes, and also individual differences in physiological predictors of performance. He is also developing an automated segmentation protocol for cranial nerve nuclei from brainstem MR images in the lab. Praveen joined the lab during his undergraduate studies after transferring to UofA from India. Outside of the lab, he enjoys photography, graphic design, and board games. Fun fact: he made this website :)

pprem@ualberta.ca [www.praveenprem.com]

Liliane attempts to positively shape the resource options available for adults with literacy disorders in Canada. Using the knowledge she acquired from earning her BSc in psychology and biology from the University of Alberta, she aims to create change and understanding in learning programs to make them more adaptable to an adult’s working life and daily needs, thereby making learning and skill acquisition more accessible. In doing so, Liliane strives to improve mental and social outcomes in individuals with literacy disorders by providing opportunities for those most affected to contribute their voices to research.

raftus@ualberta.ca [Website]

Hannah Farbin completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta in 2025, where her thesis examined the impact of oral somatosensory perturbation on reading and brain activity in children. This work sparked her interest in the developing brain and the neural processes involved in reading, and gave her experience with neuroimaging techniques, including fNIRS. Building on these interests, Hannah is now pursuing a master's degree in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Cummine. Her research further explores brain activity in children during silent reading, with hopes that her research can inform future approaches to assessing and treating reading and cognitive difficulties in children.

hfarbin@ualberta.ca   

Labiba Raisa is currently doing her MSc in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on using eye-tracking methods in measuring cognition; specifically the processes employed under differing cognitive loads, and how they differ amongst individuals with varying reading abilities. Labiba started designing her project during her undergraduate years and successfully completed pilot testing. She aims to expand on her project during her Masters towards better inclusivity and representation. Aside from her studies, Labiba spends the majority of her time with her friends and partner. She is a big advocate for mental health, and always believes in “filling your own cup first”.

labiba@ualberta.ca [LinkedIn]

Linette is interested in language as a component of human experience and its role in shaping cognition, emotion, and identity within clinical and rehabilitation contexts. Her current research explores how differences in language background affect emotional cognition and the resolution of emotional ambiguity, and what this reveals about language’s role in structuring internal experience. She is particularly interested in how disruptions to language may affect identity continuity and the ability to understand and express oneself. Outside of academia, she writes, bakes, and pursues language learning, currently advancing her Arabic and Italian while contemplating a third: Turkish.

anyiacha@ualberta.ca [LinkedIn]