Scholars – Building 21

Scholars

8 Years
12 Cohorts
180+ Scholars

Community Members

Collaborative digital idea lab helping communities collaborate and solve problems effectively

BA East Asian Studies and Sociology

Analyzing the challenges and multiplicities of first-generation student experiences

BA IDS and East Asian Studies

Money and Corruption: What Is it About Money that Allows it to Corrupt

BEng Mechanical Engineering

Open-Access Hackathons for Research Topics

BASc Cognitive Science

Meta-Analysis on the Behavioral Correlates of Personality

BASc Cognitive Science

The Cognitive Phrased in the Physical

MA Human Development

Revolutionizing Teacher Training in Quebec

Sarthak Mendiratta

BSc Physics and Computer Science

Developing a universal symbolic language to map diverse religious cosmologies and conceptions of reality

BA Economics & Political Science

Issues in current music revenue models and alternatives to these models

Victoria Macheroub Kramer

BA Economics & Maths

Discovering the connections between neurodivergence and entrepreneurship through narrative interviews

BLUE Residency

BASc Cognitive Science

Analyzing the psychological effects of digital labor on human workers

Alvaro Iturralde Zurita

PhD Communication Sciences and Disorders

TOSI Open Science Fellow

Creating a virtual research space for students outside academia

Exploring freedom in self-organizing natural and social systems

Investigating ethical implications of archival research on a historic Spanish manuscript

Christian Denis

Beat-making using the entrainment of phase oscillators with memory as samples

Claudia Baptista Claros

PhD Information Studies

TOSI Open Science Fellow

What are the cybernetic principles of metasystems?

BASc Cognitive Science

Investigating the essence of rules and randomness

Creating a documentary to discuss abuse in Quebec's foster care system

Isabella Chiaravallotti

PhD Plant Science

Leveraging AI to translate genetic markers into actionable insights for crop breeding

Liliane Murdoch

BA English, Cultural Studies & Communications

Surveying tooling in music composition and its influence on translating abstract ideas into song

Martina Calçada Kohatsu

Crafting "contemplative reading for children" to cultivate emotional regulation through bodily sensations

Mohamad Hosein Danesh

PhD Computer Science

Developing autonomous robots for space environments to navigate and conduct scientific experiments

Mohamed Debbagh

PhD Bioresource Engineering

Pioneering digital plant representation inspired by Neural Radiance Fields encoding

Devising curriculum for primary school Eklavyas (have-nots) students in India

BEng Mechanical Engineering

Crafting a map that captures storytelling across geography, time, and degrees of global warming

TOSI Open Science Fellow

Building a platform to promote professionals whose disciplines intersect art and science: the Art-Scientist

Exploring wisdom's applications in complex decision-making contexts

PhD Educational & Counselling Psychology

TOSI Open Science Fellow

Developing strategies to critically assess scientific methodologies

MA Digital Humanities

Studying the "vibe" of AI and the nuances of human experience

PhD Mechanical Engineering

Modelling lupus using Peircean biosemiotics

Sébastien Avakian

Quantifying emergent properties of soccer through collective player motion analysis

Tatiana Becerra

PhD Educational Studies

TOSI Open Science Fellow

Stories from and with the land: Expanding conceptualizations of literacy and knowledge-making along rural communities in northern Colombia

Community Members

Adapting sovereignty to 21st Century realities

Brianna Blackwell

Building a Python game to empower literature students with programming skills

Enhancing academic publishing through alternative incentive systems

Hamidah Oderinwale

Streamlining data provenance: documenting data origins and processes to replicate machine learning research

Irene Newman Jimenez

Establishing the behavioral, habitual, neurological underpinnings of Othering

What does a good data future look like and how do we get there?

Investigating fungi's capabilities for waste management and bioremediation

Mapping creative evolution by exploring personal shifts from poetry to prose

Exploring the interplay between cognitive science and the legal system

Examining relationship between mathematical reasoning and emotional intuition

Studying the symbiotic relationship between bodily movement and abstract cognition

Natalia Popovska

How do communities heal? Incorporating local traditions in transitional justice

Souren Vahdatfarimani

Writing a novel exploring existence through lives of characters living in Iran

Victoria Macheroub Kramer

Discovering the connections between neurodivergence and entrepreneurship through narrative interviews

BLUE Residency

Alex Nicholas Chen

BASc Cognitive Science

Using phenomenology to understand digital life

Antoine Poulin & Ève-Marie Marceau

PhD Mathematics & BA French Literature

Exploring mathematical models to detect the sublime in poetry

MSc Integrated Program in Neuroscience

Journeying through eggplant dishes in Montreal's restaurant scene: Unveiling authenticity and cultural ownership

BASc Drama and Theatre & Molecular Biology

Researching brain variances, evolutionary advantages, and artistic career inclinations in dyslexia

Christian Denis

Procedurally generating musical sounds, notes, and rhythms

BASc Cognitive Science

Understanding the Self beyond Cartesian cognitive science

PhD Anthropology

Surveying the Politics of Sound in ancient central Mexico using archeological evidence

Lucy Ferneyhough

BASc Cognitive Science

Studying the limitations of objectivity and the value of subjective information

Madalina Patron

BSc Cell Biology and Anatomy

Examining how communities of practice shape students' agency, autonomy, and long-term careers

Mari Shishikura

PhD Integrated Program in Neuroscience

Recording emotions more precisely through diverse art mediums

PhD Integrated Program in Neuroscience

Establishing a concept of the self: from neurons to coming-of-age narratives, ego dissolution to end-of-life transitions

Valérie Bourassa & Hannah Derue

PhD & MSc Integrated Program in Neuroscience

Cordelia Dingle Fellows

Using AI to translate chronic pain experiences into immersive VR representations

BSc Computer Science

Building an individual language model to study effective communication

MSc Integrated Program in Neuroscience

Using machine learning to separate and transcribe vocals in acapella songs

Community Members

BSc Earth System Science

Documenting "textures of everyday life" in Montreal via ethnographic film

Ezelbahar Metin

BA Sociology and Psychology

Investigating the mystery of daydreams and "collective daydreams"

Irene Newman Jimenez

BASc Cognitive Science

Building environments of love in classrooms

BASc Cognitive Science

Investigating variations of how people experience mental life

BA French Literature

Examining women's poetry for intergenerational trauma's imprint and its reflection in scientific metaphors

Kristofferson Brice

SCS Information Technology

Finding tools to navigate artistic development and self-expression

Liliane Murdoch

BA English, Cultural Studies & Communications

Exploring how creative disciplines enrich individual and community experiences

BASc Cognitive Science

Developing a novel approach for dream collection and optimal representation

Teegan Nordstrom

BASc Cognitive Science

Equipping students with systems thinking to address pressing social and environmental challenges

Victoria Macheroub Kramer

Probing the implications of the current mass extinction and possible pathways for regeneration

BLUE Residency

Agnès Totschnig

BSc Math & Computer Science

Examining the factors which allow mathematicians to enter a state of flow for math education

BA French Literature & East Asian Studies

Understanding poetry and the limits of language in the context of migration and the Asian diaspora in Quebec

BSc Math & Computer Science.

Exploring the unique properties of Decentralised Autonomous Organizations in online organizational structures

Darius Valevicius

MSc Neuroscience

Creating a virtual environment that learns about and influences cortical brain rhythms

BEng Software Engineering

Designing a self-driving car that will navigate in an environment simulating a miniature smart city

BA English Drama and Theatre & Art History

Investigating touch-based engagement in performance: intersections between theatre and cognitive science

BASc Cognitive Science

Exploring cognition in intrinsically vs. extrinsically motivated individuals

What are the limits of the analogies between quantum and classical worlds?

Prateek Pravin Humane

BSc Honours Computer Science

Programming mergeable NFTs

BA Economics & Mathematics

Utilizing complementary currencies to incentivize knowledge sharing, collaboration, and volunteering

BSc Biochemistry

Studying human aging and the prospect of immortality through the utilization of artificial intelligence

Trisha-Mae Capistrano

Exploring the neurobiological mechanisms underlying trauma and resillience

BASC Anthropology & Biology

Creating a science magazine that reintroduces narrative, style, voice, and illustration into scientific writing

Xingti Olive Liu

Unveiling the mysteries of intuition: its nature, neural basis, and role in decision-making.

BSc Neuroscience

Building a prototype of a Brain-Computer Interface for communication using EEG signals and eye-tracking

BASc Cognitive Science

Developing a comprehensive personality theory that explains who we are and how we become who we are

Zhuo Charles Li

Seeking a "first philosophy" through an ontology of emotions

Émile Chamberland

Exploring fungi intelligence through parallels with human and natural systems

BLUE Summer Internship

What are the foundational pillars that would hold up against the challenges of the future?

BEng Software Engineering

Nakiya Noorbhai

BSc Computer Science

BSc Biochemistry

BASc Cognitive Science

Émile Chamberland

BLUE Residency

Anna Brandenberger

Quantum Computing: Finding explicit protocols for efficient online erasure of quantum registers

Brandon Kaufman

BA English and History

Reimagining diary films: A creative project to envision experimental cinema in 2050

BA History and Political Science

Exploring the purpose and resilience of Montreal's Chinatown for Asian communities

MSc Biochemistry

Envisioning community safety beyond police and prisons

BSc Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Creating a community platform connecting non-traditional artists with industry players

MEng Electrical and Computer Engineering

Creating a skill mastery platform for software development

BSc Neuroscience

Exploring machine learning in music therapy for enhanced therapeutic outcomes

Investigating memories and dreams through indigenous narratives, films, and discussions

Mir Abdullah Al Rakib

BA Political Science

Reimagining democracy in 2050: Ranking nations based on effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness to citizens

Nogieru Eghobamien

BEng Bioresource Engineering

Exploring blockchain solutions to combat corruption in Nigeria

Renatha Giramahoro

MSc Public Health

Supporting community resillience and improving education systems in refugee camps

BA Gender, Sexuality, Feminist and Social Justice Studies

Cordelia Dingle Fellow

Producing a podcast series to tackle Canada's housing crisis and homelessness

BLUE Residency

Winter

Alexander Dieplam

MA Religious Studies

Investigating "discipline" in Buddhism

Creating workshops to ground social work language in embodied practices

BA Economics and International Development Studies

Analyzing urbanization's impact on death practices to promote sustainable and culturally sensitive practices

Christian Gonzalez-Capizi

BASc Physics & Philosophy

Creating computational agent-based simulations to investigate rational constraints on moral values

Cordelia Dingle

BA Environment & Geography

Envisioning a post-consumption city: Montreal 2070

Harnessing VR to communicate ongoing historic treaties in Ontario

BA Anthropology & Political Science

Investigating Tibetan self-immolation: navigating pain, space, and collective memory

Unveiling the dynamics of urban planning and policy in the refugee camp-city space

Summer

BASc Cognitive Science

Integrating quantitative models to understand opinion dissemination in social networks

PhD Mining and Materials Engineering

Employing wave mechanics for quantifying uncertainties in mining businesses

Alexander Dieplam

MA Religious Studies

Investigating "discipline" in Buddhism

Amit Ben-Eliyahu

Creating conversation formats to navigate charged and sensitive topics

BASc Cognitive Science

Championing the potential of interdisciplinary studies using systems thinking

BA Economics & International Development Studies

Rethinking Kenya's refugee camps to break the cycle of perpetual limbo

BA Computer Science

Raising awareness about depression to cultivate understanding and effective support

Claudia Raihert

BA Linguistics & French Literature

Designing experiments to understand feature hierarchies in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Florestan Brunck

MSc Mathematics

Innovating mathematics education through films, novels, games, and puzzles

Galih R. Suwito

PhD Mining and Materials Engineering

Employing wave mechanics for quantifying uncertainties in mining businesses

Kim Abi Zeid Daou

PhD Educational and Counselling Psychology

Redefining storytelling with nonlinear narratives in psychology, neuroscience, and art

BSc Biochemistry & BA Philosophy

Exploring Body-World Interactions: Perception, Influence, Agency

Finding "punctum" (experiential meaning) in the idiosyncratic through conscious observation and enactment

Exploring fractal structures in nature and society through photography

Building simulations to understand emergent computation using statistical mechanics

Fall

Adam Ghadi-Delgado

BSc Architecture

Crafting a manifesto for sustainable architecture: material cycles and material salvaging

BASc International Development

Exploring human-nature connection through an experimental film on societal conditioning

BA Economics and International Development Studies

Developing a proposal for refugee management in Kenya: a push for permanent settlement areas

BA Political Science

Proposing legal governance frameworks for AI

BA Anthropology

Sharing and recanting movements of resistance within Afro-Colombian culture

Daniel Korsunsky

BASc Cognitive Science

Understanding the phenomenology of humor appreciation: flirting with "what is real"

BSc Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Creating a vibrant community connecting non-traditional artists with industry players

BSc Environment

Analyzing Hebrew cantillation: exploring accent systems' evolution and their expressive intonation

Iseoluwa Akintunde

PhD Climate Finance Law and Governance

Identifying the most effective strategies for climate change communication in developing countries

Olubukola Alimi

PhD Chemical Engineering

Harnessing machine learning to understand Nigerian news media's impact on plastic pollution

Renatha Giramahoro

MSc Public Health

Supporting community resillience and improving education systems in refugee camps

BSc Biology and Biomedical Sciences

Analyzing scientific structures, systems, and signals

Similoluwa Ayoola

Championing gender-specific measures for achieving the zero hunger sustainable development goal in Nigeria

Upasana Dasgupta

Creating a workshop series to communicate the importance of governing space, 30 years in the future

Ximena Ramirez Villanueva

BA Sociology & International Development Studies

Dismantling migrant incarceration: A prison abolitionist approach to US detention policy

BSc Physics and Environment

Understanding the impact of future narratives on behavior, health and capacity to sustain a society

BLUE Residency

Summer

Alireza Morsali

PhD Electrical and Computer Engineering

Designing a social network that addresses security, control over content, and freedom of speech

Exploring the emergence of novelty: from biological contexts to philosophical ideas

Christina Isaicu

BASc Cognitive Science

Understanding the significance of human relationships in inter-connected cognitive systems

Christopher Medary

BSc Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Promoting empathy for non-human neighbors by tracing ideological roots

Interpreting consciousness through parallels with X-ray crystallography

Guilherme Franzmann

Interpreting consciousness through parallels with X-ray crystallography

Hanna Osterwoldt-Pelletier

Conveying sublime, existential vertigo, and planetary unity via experimental video

BA Philosophy & Psychology

What is ideal education in the information age?

Jason Blakeburn

PhD Philosophy and Religous Studies

Building a VR worlds to represent Nothing: Plato's concept of the chora and beyond

Laura Gallo Tapias

Understanding listening as ethical and politcal encountering of others

Reconstructing the scientific foundations of astrology

Conveying sublime, existential vertigo, and planetary unity via experimental video

Mathilde Papillon

Understanding the Double Rigid Pendulum with Laban’s Dance Theory

BASc Cognitive Science

Exploring the boundaries and uses of memory

BA Anthropology

Investigating human-technology extension through sensory ethnographic film

Olivia Norrmén-Smith

B21 Spatial Design Plan: narrate the creative process through space

Sarah Hollyer-Carney

BA Geography & Art History

Analyzing transgender online communities as archives of experience, thought, and desire

Fall

BA Computer Science

Visualizing synesthetic experiences in Virtual Reality

MSc Bioresource Engineering

Developing a waterway-testing app that incorporates citizen science

BASc Cognitive Science

Writing a fictional narrative podcast series to communicate cognitive science

BA Industrial & Labour Relations

Empowering workers by harnessing Information Collection Technologies for collective action

Simone Tissenbaum

MA Education and Society

Incorporating physical movement in curriculum building

BLUE Residency

Alison Hirukawa

PhD Biochemistry

Visualizing data from Montréal honey bee hives through immersive VR

Avery Shoemaker

BA Environment and Development

Communicating environmental topics through diverse narrative forms: from fiction to installation

Cassiel Moroney

BA Computer Science

Translating spoken word into immersive VR experiences for alternative storytelling

BA Cultural Anthropology

Examining the cultural process of "becoming non-human" within cyber-social spiritual communities

BSc Liberal Physics & Math

Investigating representations of higher dimensions: 4D & 3+1D spaces in physics

BEd Secondary Social Science

Creating a video game to educate high schoolers on New France's early history

MA French Language and Literature

The creative aspect of censorship in human vs. computer-assisted translation

BCom Marketing and Management

Why Humans Skydive

MSc Computer Science

Creating a video game to educate high schoolers on New France's early history

BA Psychology & International Development

Investigating pain reduction strategies for women's health

BA French Language and Literature

The creative aspect of censorship in human vs. computer-assisted translation

Madeleine Hykes

BA Urban Studies

Visualizing disability's interaction with urban spaces via immersive art

Mercedes Garcia Holguera

PhD Biomimetic Design in Architecture

Advancing regenerative architecture: integrating ecology to optimize building resource use

Nathan Mousseau

BA Anthropology

Exploring modes of navigating and flourishing in the disorienting experience of our times

Sophie Strassmann

Investigating language diversity, extinction, and their impact on the global economy

Expanding quantum gravity: How discrete spacetime alters laws of physics and symmetry

PhD Music Composition

Gamifying Human-Computer Interaction for audiovisual performance

Join a program

Every semester, we run a cohort-based program that lets students of all levels and backgrounds pursue an idea of their own. We provide mentorship, a physical space, and a like-minded community to help them further their idea.

Community Member

Pursue your ideas with the Building 21 community

Semester-long residency to pursue a project of your own design

BLUE for Ocean Plastics (Winter 2025)

New paradigms to tackle the ocean plastics crisis with 4ocean

BLUE for Cancer Treatment (Winter 2025)

Radically improving outcomes in cancer treatment with Farcast Biosciences

More information

Anita Parmar
‍Co-director, Building 21

Ollivier Dyens
‍‍Co-director, Building 21