Katy Tam

Dr. Tam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. She received her joint PhD in Psychology from the University of Hong Kong and King’s College London, and her Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Dr. Tam’s research explores how people can navigate life more adaptively in a distraction-filled world. She investigates seemingly ordinary yet profoundly consequential aspects of daily experience—such as feeling bored, paying attention, finding meaning, and using digital media—and their impact on interpersonal behaviour and mental health. Her work integrates theoretical innovation with empirical rigour, employing a diverse range of methodologies, including experimental, longitudinal, experience sampling, behavioural, daily diary, measurement development, and qualitative approaches. In 2023, Dr. Tam received the Ig Nobel Prize for two of her first-author publications. The award honours research that first makes people laugh, then think, spotlighting imaginative work that sparks public interest in science.