Emily E. Bray, MA, PhD, CAAB
Director, BRAY Lab
Dr. Bray is an Assistant Professor of human-animal interaction in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Duke University and her PhD in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Prior to starting her current position, she was a post-doctoral research associate at the Arizona Canine Cognition Center and Canine Companions, the nation’s largest provider of service dogs for people with disabilities. Over the past decade, she has developed and implemented cognitive tasks in hundreds of dogs from both pet and working dog populations, forming the basis for projects ranging in scope from early maternal care to cognitive aging to understanding the contribution of genetics to behavioral traits. Since 2023, she is also credentialed by the Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. By building a comprehensive understanding of dog behavioral and cognitive health, she aims to enhance both canine and human welfare.
Her work on how dogs solve problems and interact with their world over their life course has been funded by nonprofits, including the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, as well as government agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institute on Aging, the Office of Naval Research, and the Department of Defense. Coverage of her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including the Washington Post, National Public Radio, CNN, the BBC, and Netflix.
For an overview of Dr. Bray’s research, please see her Curriculum vitae or visit one of her external profile pages: Google Scholar, ResearchGate.
contact: ebray@arizona.edu
Dara Jonkoski, BS
PhD Student
Dara Jonkoski is a graduate student in the CNS program within the Psychology Department at the University of Arizona. She earned her BS in Psychology from Georgia State University in 2024. At GSU, Dara was a member of the COMIC Lab, where she explored the cognitive abilities of capuchin monkeys, with a particular interest in studying metacognition.
Dara joined the BRAY Lab in 2024, and now focuses her research on canine development, specifically in how environmental and genetic factors play a role in raising successful working dogs, and exploring which factors aid in protecting the cognitive health of domesticated dogs overall.
contact: jonkoski@arizona.edu
Mia Toll, BS, BA
Research Coordinator
Mia graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and Bachelor of Arts in linguistics in 2024. Mia conducted research on moral developmental psychology at Boston College and assisted with moral psychology research at Brown University.
Mia is very interested in human-animal connection and intends to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology so that she can work in the field of animal-assisted therapy.
Mia is located in Santa Rosa, California, where she is the liaison between the BRAY Lab and its long-time collaborator, Canine Companions. When she is not testing dogs in Santa Rosa, Mia is hanging out with her own puppy, Honey, a miniature dachshund.
contact: miatoll@arizona.edu
Jenna Bryant
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Student
Jenna is a junior at the University of Arizona, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Criminology. She joined the BRAY lab as an undergraduate research assistant in the Fall of 2024. Jenna is excited to complete her Honors Thesis investigating the effects of different puppy-rearing models on hopeful service dog behavior and outcomes. She is also the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator for the University’s Canine Companions Collar Scholars club.
Alyssa Klensin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Alyssa is a senior studying psychological science at the University of Arizona. She joined the BRAY Lab as an undergraduate research assistant in the Fall of 2024. Alyssa is excited to apply her knowledge in psychology and research to help improve the success of service dogs.
Minho Lee
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Minho is a junior at the University of Arizona, majoring in Molecular Cellular Biology and minoring in Veterinary Science. He joined the BRAY Lab in the Fall of 2024 as an undergraduate research assistant. He hopes to better understand the behavior and cognition of dogs through his research experience, so that he can pursue his goal of becoming an effective veterinarian.
