2024 DONALD O. HEBB DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION AWARD WINNER: DR. DEBRA TITONE

The following is excerpted from the letter Dr. Penny Pexman wrote for Dr. Titone's nomination for the Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award

Dr. Titone is Full Professor of Psychology and Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Language & Multilingualism at McGill University. She recently served as Associate Vice President Research at McGill (2021-2023). Dr. Titone is a world leader in the field of psycholinguistic research, with a specific focus on multilingualism and reading. As a Tier-2 CRC (2003-2013), Full Professor since 2014, and Tier-1 CRC (2019-2026), she has conducted ground-breaking work on the cognitive mechanisms of language processing – particularly in figurative language and bilingualism – that has had significant impact in the research community and beyond. She has published more than 100 peer reviewed articles in psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience that have been cited over 8500 times, including publications in top-tier journals (e.g., Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition; Journal of Experimental Psychology: General; Neuropsychologia; Brain & Language; Emotion; Psychology & Aging; Journal of Neuroscience; PNAS; Bilingualism: Language & Cognition). Moreover, her work has been continually supported by the major agencies that fund Canadian research. She has been funded by NSERC since 2003, and has held SSHRC grants as well as provincial grants in Quebec (FRQNT). She currently leads a FRQSC Team grant from Quebec that funds the Montreal Bilingualism Initiative, which supports research infrastructure for a group of world-class language and cognitive science researchers in Montreal.

Dr. Titone is a true thought leader, driven by deep curiosity and a strong commitment to advancing the discipline. She continues to push the boundaries of her research – developing and incorporating new techniques, identifying and pursuing new avenues for translation and application, and providing new interpretations of important human cognitive functions that change the research landscape. In short, she has led and continues to lead psycholinguistic research in new and interesting directions. Importantly, her research is fundamentally interdisciplinary, integrating theoretical ideas and principles from not only cognitive psychology, but also social psychology, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience.

Dr. Titone makes extraordinary efforts to promote science and psychological research within Canada. She has played key roles at Canadian funding agencies, journals, and professional organizations. She currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. She has served on CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC granting evaluation panels. She has organized numerous symposia and workshops within Canada, including methodological training sessions. In addition, Dr. Titone served as the CSBBCS Executive as a member-at-large. Her remarkable leadership record in Canadian cognitive science was recognized in 2019 when she received the CSBBCS Richard C. Tees Distinguished Leadership award.

Dr. Titone is a strong leader and role model for many in our community, and has been a highly effective mentor for numerous trainees, especially those from under-represented groups in STEM. A particular noteworthy example of Dr. Titone’s dedication to the advancement of Canadian psychology is her role as co-founder of Women in Cognitive Science – Canada (WiCSC). Dr. Titone’s foundational role in WiCSC reflects her strong commitment to making our discipline as inclusive as possible. In recognition of her excellence as a research mentor, Dr. Titone received the “Women in Cognitive Science Mentorship Award” at the 2012 Women in Cognitive Science/Psychonomic Society conference and the “Feminist Mentoring Award” from the Section of Women and Psychology at the 2017 Canadian Psychological Association conference. The award recognizes “supervisors who have promoted the advancement of their students through exceptional mentoring”. In addition, she has been nominated (multiple times) for departmental and university excellence in teaching and graduate supervision awards.

Dr. Titone is an outstanding scientist, mentor, and leader in her field, and clearly deserving of the D.O Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award.