Sukhmani Kaur Saggu

Sukhmani Kaur Saggu is a Canadian neuroscience researcher and interdisciplinary advocate known for her contributions to student leadership, community outreach, and academic publishing. A graduate of the University of Alberta, she has contributed to research in neurodevelopment and sensory cognition.
Early life and education
Saggu earned her Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta in 2024. During her undergraduate studies, she focused on neuroscience, student mentorship, and creative outreach linking music and health. She was awarded a number of distinctions, including the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, and the ATI Music Award in Ethnomusicology.
Research career
Saggu's research integrates cognitive neuroscience, brain connectivity, statistical learning, and the impact of music on mental health. She began her research work in the Visual Attention and Social Processes (VASP) Lab, contributing to a project on intentional binding and time perception.
Her honours thesis, completed under the supervision of Dr. Jacqueline Cummine, examined the relationship between cortical thickness and statistical learning using MRIs and volumetric brain segmentation techniques. This work contributed to publications in journals Brain Structure and Function and the Journal of Neuroscience Research. under Dr. Carmen Rasmussen in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Alberta as part of the interdisciplinary MILE research group, which includes contributors from the Faculties of Education and Medicine, and international collaborators, where she was a listed team member contributing to the Canadian adaptation and expansion of the program. Math Interactive Learning Experience (MILE) program is an evidence-based math intervention originally developed for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder . Her work involved supporting the classroom-wide implementation of MILE, which emphasizes self-regulated teacher learning through interactive math instruction. She conducted qualitative and quantitative research to assess the program's impact on teacher self-efficacy and student performance, and presented findings at the 2024 Paediatrics Research Day at the University of Alberta.
Community and Interdisciplinary Contributions
Saggu has been actively involved in interdisciplinary arts and ethnomusicology programming outside of her research roles. She contributed to the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology, where she supported programming focused on music, cognition, and intercultural dialogue. In 2022, she participated in the Borderless Flows: Improvisatory Interactions Across Asia, Africa, and Beyond conference, a University of Alberta initiative showcasing artistic collaboration across cultures.
Publications
* Saggu, S.K., Huynh, T., & Cummine, J. (2025). An Examination of Cortical Thickness Relationships within the Reading Network of Adults. Brain Structure and Function.
* Prem, P., Saggu, S.K., Boadu, A., et al. (2025). Neuroanatomy of Visual and Auditory Statistical Learning: A Volumetric Account of Cortical and Subcortical Regions. Journal of Neuroscience Research. Prepublication.
* Nisbet, K., Kotiw, A., Huynh, T., Saggu, S.K., et al. (2024). Differential Grey Matter Structure of the Pars Orbitalis, Triangularis, and Opercularis in Individuals with Dyslexia. Journal of Neuroscience Research.
Awards and Honors
* Canadian Association of Principals Leadership Award (2019)

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