Meet the Trainee Members of our Cluster
Trainee Members
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Khadijat is a Ph.D. Candidate at Elaine Marieb College of Nursing. She is committed to helping hospitals and health systems build a culture of excellence that delivers exceptional patient-centered care. Khadijat obtained her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her research has focused on understanding the experiences of families experiencing stillbirth to improve health provider-patient communication, after-death care practices for stillbirth families, and social support for families whose babies have died.
Hello! My name is Zahra Shahriyari Afshar. I am a UBC Vancouver Undergraduate student specializing in Clinical, Forensic, and Health Psychology with a minor in Biology. I recently have embarked on my journey towards medical school in hopes of becoming an Orthopedic surgeon in the future. I am deeply passionate about the global health and humanities crisis and have founded and supported my very own Red Cross Club at my high school.
I am a student of Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. My training in global health, community health, and anti-oppressive methodologies allow me to engage respectfully with communities to build respectful, authentic partnerships with an emphasis on equitable outcomes. I draw on my experiences as an immigrant in Canada, while being mindful of my relative privileges and power dynamics in the spaces I navigate– both within and outside academia.
Iqra Akram is a PhD Scholar in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Her academic training includes a BSc (Honors) in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Arid Agriculture University, Pakistan and an MSc in Public Health from the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Iqra’s research interests span a wide spectrum, reflecting her diverse expertise. Her areas of focus encompass nutritional epidemiology, food and social eating, social determinants of health, and mixed methods research.
Saiful is starting his PhD at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. He is part of the FOCAL research team that is fighting against cervical cancer worldwide. His overall research goal is to improve women's health by contributing to the elimination of cervical cancer through the lens of prevention. He completed his Master of Science (MSc) degree from the University of Saskatchewan (USASK).
Melina is an Epidemiology Ph.D. candidate and research assistant at the University of Toronto. She is also a reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Undergraduate Research. Melina previously studied at the University of British Columbia, where she completed her B.Sc. in Biology (2018) and M.Sc. in Population and Public Health (2021). Melina has worked as a research assistant at the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research and the Human Early Learning Partnership, based at UBC.
Ravia is a second-year Master of Public Health student at the University of Waterloo. She has professional and research experience in health equity, digital health interventions, mental health, user-experience and design. She is also a Project Coordinator in research and development, on the futures innovation team at lululemon.
Sophie Arseneault is a long-standing advocate for health equity. Serving as a Board Director for Fòs Feminista's International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice, she supports youth-led approaches to regressive policies impeding on the health and well-being of vulnerable communities.
Research keywords: menopause, metabolic health, reproductive longevity, PCOS
Has earned a B.Sc in Midwifery and a master's degree in epidemiology with an endometriosis focus
My current research focuses on women’s heart and brain health in cardiovascular autonomic disorders. I primarily conduct research in patients with 1) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome; a chronic disabling disorder characterized by hemodynamic instability that primarily affects young females (90-95%), and 2) neurogenic orthostatic hypotension; a debilitating condition that affects older adults and people with neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease), neuropathies (e.g., diabetes), and neural injuries (e.g., spinal cord injury).@jacquie__baker
I am a second year PhD student in clinical psychology at UBC Okanagan, supervised by Dr. Susan Holtzman. Broadly, my research interests include: the role of self-compassion and mindfulness in mental health, emotion regulation, depression, and the impact of trauma and stress on formal and informal caregivers' mental health. In my previous roles as a registered nurse, I have worked extensively in the areas of mental and sexual health. I am passionate about reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues and advocating for increased access to mental health services in Canada.
Ashley A. Balsom is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Regina. She is also currently a SSHRC doctoral fellow. Ms. Balsom is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Gordon in the Women’s Mental Health Research Unit. She is interested in exploring evidence-based interventions adapted for women experiencing infertility, exploring women’s coping and resiliency when experiencing transitions in their lives, and exploring the influence of infertility on sexual function.
Chinmayi is a student pursuing neuroepidemiology and medical humanities at Columbia University in New York City. She is a researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Stanford Medicine with interests in cognitive neuroscience, brain injury, and stroke.
Kristianni is a PhD clinical psychology student at De La Salle University, Philippines. Her research interests are exploring the Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) experience among young adult Filipino women, resiliency, emotion regulation, and mental health of menstruating young adults with existing clinical disorders and exploring evidenced-based mindfulness for menstruating young adults. Outside of work, she is a photography enthusiast, loves traveling, and prefers coffee over wine.
Lexia Bao
Undergraduate Student
Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences
University of British Columbia
Lexia Bao is a fourth year undergraduate student at UBC. She’s currently a member of the Viau Lab researching stress-induced sex differences and will begin her co-op term at the lab in September.
Eunice is a Founding Member of the Coalition of African, Caribbean, and Black Nurses in British Columbia. As a health care professional (RN) who has worked in a materially under-resourced country in the Global south for several years, Eunice brings a passion for women’s health research. Specifically, she has worked as a counsellor for pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS and their partners which has piqued her interest in issues of nurse/patient empowerment in relation to achieving quality nursing care.
Dr. Benham is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences. Her research focuses on the interplay between endocrine disease, physical activity and cardiometabolic health.
She is currently a 5th-year graduate student working towards her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University under the mentorship of Dr. Heather Bimonte-Nelson. She is interested in the role of ovarian hormone changes across the lifespan in influencing the trajectory of healthy cognitive aging in females. Her current research uses rodent models to evaluate the cognitive and neurobiological outcomes associated with variations in the menopause experience, including surgical alterations of the reproductive tract.
Ayan Biswas is an undergraduate student with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Jadavpur University. Find Ayan on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Puja Biswas's research interests focus on understanding sex-difference in energy metabolism regulated by insulin-signaling pathway. Using Drosophila (fruit fly), Puja Biswas is doing her PhD study at Rideout Lab to better understand how males and females maintain their stored fat. Puja Biswas completed her BSc and MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. She completed her 2nd MSc from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, exploring fat synthesis pathways using mouse cell lines.
Naseeb Bolduc
Master's student
School of Population and Public Health
University of British Columbia
Naseeb is an MSc student at the UBC School of Population and Public Health. She previously completed an honours degree in philosophy at UBC, and is interested in questions related to values, justice, and health found at the intersection of public health and philosophy. Her thesis examines different perceptions of healthcare equity in the context of cancer care funding in British Columbia. She is currently assisting with the SSHRC Insight project “Distinct Concepts of Diversity and their Ethical-Epistemic Implications for Science”, lead by Dr. Daniel Steel at the W.
Jessica Booth is an Undergraduate Science student at the University of British Columbia studying Behavioural Neuroscience. She plans on testing and developing medication and medical procedures oriented to the betterment of women's health. Currently, she is investigating impulsivity in bipolar, stimulant users and gamblers to develop procedures for biological treatments. She hopes to continue her investigation in medicine and mental health to improve the standard of treatment for minority groups.
Alana Brown is a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Gillian Einstein. Alana strives to use her training in statistics, functional and structural neuroimaging, and neuroendocrinology to understand the effects of ovarian hormones on cognition, sleep microstructure, and brain health. She studies these factors in women with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgical removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to spontaneous/natural menopause.
Anna Brugulat-Serrat is a Ph.D in Biomedicine (mention of Cum Laude) and a Clinical Neuropsychologist. In 2019 she was selected as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity Brain of Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) based in the Memory and Aging Center (University of California, San Francisco). Currently, Brugulat-Serrat is a post-doctoral researcher in the Neuroimaging Research Group in the Alzheimer´s Clinical Research Program at the Barcelonabeta Brain Research Center.
Pia Campagna is a final year PhD Candidate in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuroimmunology Genomics and Prognostics group at the Central Clinical School, Monash University. Her doctoral work aims to improve personalised disease management and long-term outcomes for people with MS using genomics. This involves identifying pharmacogenetic biomarkers, epigenetic prognostic biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets that stop disease progression by characterising pregnancy-related epigenetic changes in women with MS.
Allison is currently completing her Ph.D. working under the co-supervision of Dr. Anita Cote (TWU) and Dr. Victoria Claydon (SFU). Allison completed a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Maryland and Master of Science in Kinesiology majoring in Exercise Physiology at Indiana University.
Michelle Carter is a PhD student at the UBC School of Nursing and a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatry at St. Paul’s Hospital. She aims to strengthen perinatal mental health (PMH) services to support the complex and evolving needs of birthing people and their families. Her focus is on the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based nursing care practices.
Danica Chang is a Medical Student at the University of Alberta, conducting clinical research under the supervision of Dr. Sofia Ahmed and Dr. Sandi Dumanski at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on contraception, sexual function, and reproductive health in young women with chronic kidney disease and aims to help improve clinical treatment in this high-risk population. Danica graduated in 2022 from the University of Calgary with a MSc in Medical Science and remains motivated to pursue her goals of becoming a leader in women’s kidney and reproductive health.
Shanzeh is a UBC Pharmacy student who is passionate about justice, advocacy and women's health research!IG: @sc_7801X: @therealshanzehc
Kayonne is currently a first year sociology masters student at UBC, working under the supervision of Dr. Gerry Veenstra. She completed her undergraduate training at McMaster University, where she received her B.Sc. in the Life Sciences and B.A in the Health Studies. Her research interests exist in the nexus between race, gender, class and health. She is largely interested in the social/structural determinants of health, and the interplay between social and health inequities.
Dr. Patricia Clement is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ghent University Hospital in Belgium. Her work focusses on the variability of perfusion of the healthy brain, including age and gender related differences. Currently, she is investigating the physiological fluctuations of perfusion in the female brain, throughout the natural menstrual cycle and when using hormonal anticonception.
I am a passionate Biotech student who has developed a deep fascination for immunology, infectious diseases, and pathobiology. Throughout my academic journey, I have discovered the complexity and the incredible potential of immunology to transform healthcare. This fascinationhas propelled me towards a career in biotechnology.
Exploring gender, relationship power equity and youth-engagement among young men and women growing up within HIV hyper-endemic settings in South Africa
I am a Master's student in the CELL program studying how maternal stress alters the activity of microglia during embryogenesis, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders.Publications:Collins, Q. P., Grunsted, M. J., Arcila, D., Xiong, Y., & Padash Barmchi, M. (2023). Transcriptomic analysis provides insight into the mechanism of IKKβ-mediated suppression of HPV18E6-induced cellular abnormalities. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, 13(4), j
Kathryn Corbett is a first-year resident physician at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. She is conducting research in women’s health among nephrology patients under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Dumanski. Specifically, her research is focused on better understanding sexual dysfunction in women with chronic kidney disease to inform the clinical discussion and management of these symptoms. Before coming to Calgary, she completed her medical school training at the University of Toronto and earned an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University.
My long-term research goal involve the development of a comprehensive understanding of key brain mechanisms and how their alterations contribute to mental disorders. My academic training and research experience to date have provided me with an excellent background in behavioral neuroscience in both preclinical and clinical settings. As an undergraduate at Sapienza University, I conducted research on the efficacy of novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment of Rett syndrome behavioral and physiological alterations in rodent models, under the supervision of Dr.
Jordyn is a first-year Master's student in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine awarded a CIHR CGS-M award at the University of Alberta. Working under the supervision of Dr.Taniya Nagpal, Jordyn is passionate about understanding health stigma from lived experiences in pregnancy especially among marginalized populations such as women of colour. Her current thesis will focus on exploring urinary incontinence-related stigma among women of colour and understanding how this may be an unspoken barrier to effective treatment options.
Tabitha Craig is a PhD student in the Cerebrovascular Health, Exercise, and Environmental Research Sciences (CHEERS) Laboratory at the University of Victoria. Her research focus is on the impact of sex hormones on cerebrovascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness in response to environmental and physiological stressors.Twitter: @Tab_craig2
Julia Dahlby is a physiotherapist and PhD student at the University of British Columbia. After five years of treating patients with mild traumatic brain injuries, she took her passion for neurological rehabilitation back to academia and joined Dr. Lara Boyd's Brain Behaviour Lab in 2021. Funded by CIHR, her research focuses on the underrepresentation of females and women in stroke research, and furthering our understanding of how rehabilitation interventions may need to differ for the different sexes and genders.Twitter - @JuliaDahlbyPT
Hallie Dau, MPH is a PhD student at the at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. Her research focuses on the impact of cervical cancer on women and families in low- and middle-income countries. She is supervised by Dr. Gina Ogilvie. Hallie previously completed her MPH at the George Washington University where she focused on global maternal and child health.
Miguel de la Flor García was graduated in Veterinary Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid. During his degree, he collaborated with the Departments of Genetics and Physiology and did internships at the “National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research” (INIA) and the “Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research” (CIBMS). Moreover, he delved into the developmental neurobiology field during his final degree project.
Ismália De Sousa is a doctoral candidate in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, under the supervision of Dr. Sally Thorne, Dr. Sandra Lauck and Dr. Thalia Field.
Holly Dempster MSc
Medical Student
Holly Anne Dempster, BSc (Hon), MSc, is a medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (graduating class of 2021).
Alysha is a first year PhD student in Human Nutrition at UBC under the supervision of Dr. Tamara Cohen. Her research focuses on understanding the role biological sex and gender norms have on teens' dietary habits to create more inclusive food literacy program for youth. By creating more inclusive programs, all teens can be encouraged to adopt and maintain dietary habits that support life-long health. Alysha has a background in health promotion and epidemiology through the training of her Masters. She is also versed in metabolisms and nutrient needs from the training of her Bachelors.
I am a fourth year Behavioural Neuroscience (BSc) student at UBC. I currently work as a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Daniela Palombo at the Memory & Imagination Lab. We are exploring the lived experiences of women who have gone through IVF treatments and seeking to understand how the memory of negative fertility events can relate to aspects of psychological and relational well-being.
Aneet graduated with a MSc in Nursing from the University of British Columbia in December of 2022. She is now an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Joselyn Dionisio
Nagoya City University
Joselyn is a biologist interested in DOHaD and placental role during perinatal infections. She is currently completing her Master's degree at Nagoya City University, in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Science.@JoselynDionisio
Dollina completed her undergraduate studies in computing science and molecular biology & biochemistry at Simon Fraser University and is now a PhD student in bioinformatics at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests lie in developing computational techniques to analyze high-dimensional genomic data and identify biomarkers that tailor patient care. Her PhD research explores the potential utility of the vaginal microbiome individually and in combination with cell-free DNA for improved screening and detection of endometrial cancer.
Becky Donelon
Advanced Care Paramedic
Becky has worked and developed educational governance frameworks and regulatory legislation at provincial and national levels and currently holds a Manager role in licensing and compliance with Alberta Health. Obtaining her first paramedic credentials in 1980 as an EMT-A followed by Advanced Care Paramedic in 1997 she worked clinical practice in EMS ground, flight, and integrated fire/ems settings, eventually moving into clinical education leadership roles.
I began my education in this field with my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation degree (First Class Honors). Since then, I have developed my skills and knowledge by getting certified as an Exercise Physiologist (CSEP-CEP), specializing in applied women's physiology, and yoga teacher training. Currently, I am an MSc student at the University of Calgary, specializing in Health and Exercise Physiology. My project focusses on menstrual cycle tracking methods, machine learning/prediction analytics, femtech, and mHealth.
I am in the second year of my doctoral degree at the University of Victoria majoring in clinical neuropsychology. I completed my Master's of Science in Clinical Neuropsychology also at the University of Victoria in the summer of 2021. My interests are primarily in the effects of exercise and sports concussions on executive function, especially with my own personal experience as a university athlete (UNBC Timberwolves Women’s soccer). I hope to examine the role of estrogen and the menstrual cycle in elite female athletes' cognitive functioning throughout a season.
Alicia Duval is a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at McGill University, specializing in neuropsychology. Her doctoral research focuses on the impact of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes. She is particularly interested in exploring mindfulness-based interventions for individuals with PCOS.Twitter: @aliciamarieduval
Tarrah is a PhD Student in Translational Medicine (Department of Medicine) at Queen's University. She works in the Ormiston Lab and focuses her studies on understanding the mechanisms behind the sex paradox in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, a deadly disease that implicates the cardiovascular, pulmonary and immune systems. She previously explored sex differences in arterial stiffness for her MSc work in the Cardiovascular Stress Response Lab at Queen's University.
Linkedin: Dr. Keera Fishman
Originally from Nova Scotia, Erin graduated with an Honours degree in Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2020. She is now an MA student in the Clinical Psychology program at UBC. With a special interest in body image, her research largely focuses on discovering novel methods for improving sexual and relationship well-being in couples transitioning to parenthood and promoting evidence-based sexual education.
Elan Fortin-Eglitis
Undergraduate Student
Josephine as a researcher, is interested in broad areas like virtual reality in nursing education and practice, women's mental health, perinatal mental health, father's involvement in immigrant childbearing families, healthy behaviours of school-age children, neonatal pain relief, neonatal hypoglycemia, gender-inclusive language, and promotion of breastfeeding support. She actively takes part in knowledge translation and mobilization through National and International meetings and conferences. She is multi-linguistic and speaks Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Arabic.
Catie is a medical student at the University of British Columbia. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of McGill.
Romina is a PhD student in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto and CAMH under the supervision of Dr. Liisa Galea in the Laboratory of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology. Broadly, Romina wishes to investigate reproductive periods and the neurobiological underpinnings that increase stress vulnerability and depression in females, and subsequently their offspring. Her research focus is on postpartum depression (PPD) and whether immune modulations improve antidepressant efficacy in a rodent model of PPD and increase stress resilience in offspring.
Avonae Gentles
Graduate Student
I am a second-year MSc student in Community Health Sciences (health services research) at the Cumming School of Medicine, UCalgary. My research focuses on mental health outcomes for caregivers of youth with neurodevelopmental and substance use disorders though the lens of social/structural determinants and health equity. I have lived experience as a caregiver and as a front-line community health worker in a high-acuity setting.
I am a graduate student researching sport-related concussion in female athletes through neuroimaging and clinical outcomes with consideration of hormonal contraception and hormone levels.@BrynaGoeckner
Alexa is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Jenna Gillen in the Exercise, Nutrition and Health Lab. Her research focuses on understanding how exercise and nutrition can be used to improve cardiometabolic health in women, and mitigate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Alexa is currently undergoing research to help characterize the long term exercise improvements in pre- and post-menopausal women.
My primary research investigates the influence of ovarian hormone deprivation on brain health. I study memory, and its relationships to sleep disruption, oxidative stress, and brain structure, in middle-aged women with prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgical removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to spontaneous (natural) menopause. This is a group of women who experience an abrupt, early decline in ovarian hormones and are at a high-risk for developing later life Alzheimer’s Disease.
Kelly is a PhD student in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences program, at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Her research focuses on women’s experiences of the healthcare system, as both providers and receivers of care. As an Ontario Women’s Health Scholar (2022), Kelly has been recognized for her rigorous qualitative research on women first responders, as well as her previous and future potential as a women’s health researcher.
Harman is a second-year Master of Public Health student interested in centering capacity bridging between underserved communities and researchers to reduce health inequities. She is passionate about amplifying the experiences and voices of individuals with intersectional identities in health research so that these folks can meet their health and wellbeing needs.
Nabilah is an MSc student at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She recently graduated with a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on the route of post-menopausal estrogen administration and cardiovascular risk. Nabilah hopes to become a leader in women's cardiovascular health research and improve patient outcomes.
Amané is a first-year M.A. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan, supervised by Dr. Maya Libben. Her undergraduate thesis, completed at McGill University, examined the effects of voluntary emotion regulation on the postauricular reflex, a psychophysiological measure of the appetitive response. Amané’s Master’s research will investigate the ways that technology and e-mental health can increase accessibility to eating disorder services and treatments.
Sarah Harris is an endometriosis researcher and freelance journalist. She has done her BA in Journalism & Sociology from Cardiff University and is currently completing her Masters in Public Health at the University of Nottingham. She is soon to begin her PhD which will examine factors that contribute towards delayed endometriosis diagnosis. She also regularly writes about issues related to women's health for national and international publications.
Clare Heggie is a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick and the Research Coordinator for Wellness Within, an organization that supports women and gender diverse people who have experienced criminalization. She has been involved in a number of research projects focusing on the sexual and reproductive health experiences, needs, and outcomes of incarcerated and criminalized people, and is currently coordinating a project examining abortion and contraception access in prisons.
Carina was trained in psychology and holds a PhD from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, in which she focused on white and gray matter brain alterations in patients with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a syndrome associated with a 30% risk to develop schizophrenia in adult life. In this and other projects, she cooperates with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory (PNL), Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA.
Orli Hellerstein
Undergraduate Student
Dr. Hippman is a postdoctoral research fellow with the BC Women's Reproductive Mental Health Program, the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and the University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing. Her fellowship is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Health Research BC, the Killam Trusts, the University of Calgary Eyes High Program, and the BC Women's Health Foundation, and her research work is additionally supported by generous gifts from an anonymous donor and iA Financial Group.
I am a PhD student in the UVic Behavioural Medicine Lab. My dissertation is on the promotion of tailored physical activity among postpartum individuals with lumbopelvic pain.