Kris Merrells has extensive experience in psychology research and teaching. They received an MA in psychology from Carleton University in 2016 and a BA (Honours) in psychology from the University of Winnipeg in 2014. Their thesis examined how loyalty, authority, and sanctity are moral matters using natural language analysis. They have held research positions at Carleton University analyzing legal decision-making and moral psychology, and conducted content analysis using linguistic software. Merrells has also taught psychology courses and seminars for university and high school students.