Faculty Bio
Dr. Sarah Thackray
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Dr. Thackray is originally from Guelph, Ontario and completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Guelph, majoring in Human Kinetics with a minor in Neuroscience. After spending a year teaching English in China, Dr. Thackray moved to Calgary to complete her Master of Science and PhD in Experimental Psychology with a focus in Behavioural Neuroscience. Her graduate research used genetic knockout mice to examine the role of zinc in the brain, specifically how it is involved in movement and the reward system. At St. Mary’s, Dr. Thackray is an Assistant Professor in Psychology and teaches Introductory Psychology (PSYC 201), Brain and Behaviour (PSYC 375), and the 2 Research Methods and Statistics courses (PSYC 312A & B). Outside of work, Dr. Thackray likes baking, walking around the city and mountains, and hanging out with her friends and 2 cats.
Specialization/Research Interest:
Research Methods and Statistics courses (PSYC 312A & B)
Drugs and Behaviour (PSYC 467)
Introductory Psychology (PSYC 201)
Brain and Behaviour (PSYC 375)
Education
PhD, Experimental Psychology, University of Calgary
MSc, Experimental Psychology, University of Calgary
BSc, Major: Human Kinetics, Minor: Neuroscience, University of Guelph
- Sandoval, K.C., Thackray, S.E., Wong, A., Niewinski, N., Chipak, C., Rehal, S., & Dyck, R.H. (2022). Lack of vesicular zinc does not affect the behavioral phenotype of poly (I:C)-induced maternal immune activation mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16.
- Moshirpour, M, Nakashima, A.S., Sehn, N, Smith, V.M., Thackray, S.E., Dyck, R.H., & Antle, M.A. (2020). Examination of zinc in the circadian system. Neuroscience, 432, 15-29. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.
- McAllister, B.B.*, Thackray, S.E.*, Garcia de la Orta, B.K., Gosse, E., Tak, P., Chipak, C., Rehal, S., Valverde Rascon, A., & Dyck, R.H. (2020). Effects of enriched housing on the neuronal morphology of mice that lack zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) and vesicular zinc. Behavioural Brain Research. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112336. *both authors contributed equally to the work.
- Thackray, S.E., McAllister, B.B., & Dyck, R.H. (2017). Behavioral characterization of female zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) knockout mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 321, 36-49.