Deanne Tak On Wah

About Me

Welcome to my space. I'm Deanne (they/them) and I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at The University of Western Ontario. I am studying reading development using both behavioural and fMRI neuroimaging analyses with the hopes of providing insights on both reading ability and disability.

Outside of research, I am an OCT certified teacher and reading remediation interventionist. Having experience teaching children with mild to severe reading difficulties, I hope to bridge the gap between reading research and teaching practice.

I did my undergraduate degree at McMaster University in Honours Biology with a Minor in Psychology. I then moved to London, Ontario and completed my MSc in Psychology with Dr. Martin Kavaliers and Dr. Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp on a rodent model of Autism Spectrum Disorders using behavioural testing. Realizing my interest in supporting the growth of children with exceptionalities, I moved to Toronto to become a primary school educator. I worked with the Toronto District School Board, York Region District School Board, and the Dr. Jackman Institute for Child Studies for a short while before I decided to come full circle and do research that will hopefully impact the lives of children with exceptionalities.

These days, I am inspired by my PhD supervisor, Dr. Marc Joanisse, and his depth of knowledge in reading sciences and his steadfast desire to learn. I am inspired by Dr. Louisa Moats for her approach to teaching reading by combining principles of linguistics with phonics. I am also inspired by the APM Reports reporter, Emily Hanford, who so courageously shed light on the state of reading education.