Brains of the BRAIN Lab - The B.R.A.I.N. Lab

Christian G. Schütz, MD, PhD, MPH, FRCPC

Lab Director

Christian is a practicing psychiatrist, a Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry, and the Research and Education Medical Manager at Red Fish (formerly BCMHA). He holds an MD from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany, a Ph.D. in Medical History from the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, and an MPH from John Hopkins University. He also completed a Fogerty-Fellowship at NIDA/NIH and DISCA-Fellowship at Yale University. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles and a dozen book chapters and has supervised more than 30 students across the globe in areas such as psychiatry, addiction medicine, and clinical neuroscience. His research interests include psychological and pharmacological interventions for individuals with substance use disorders, psychoneurobiological aspects of impulsive decision making, and substance use and concurrent disorders more general. Linkedin.com/in/christian-g-schütz-53171941/

Research Summary:

1. Understanding mechanism of relapse and impulsive decision-making to improve treatment of addiction and concurrent disorders.

2. Develop novel interventions focused on stimulant use disorder (includes habitual retraining, rIFG based TMS, integrated psychotherapy/psychedelic intervention)

3. Develop a more comprehensive integrated mind/brain-based sound concept of motivation and decision making.

Please note: Dr. Schütz receives many lab-related inquiries by email. For a faster response, please also contact the research manager at sarah.munozviolant@ubc.ca

Prospective Students: Due to current lab funding constraints, Dr. Schütz is only considering graduate students with external funding.

Lab Manager

Sarah Munoz-Violant

Lab Manager

Sarah is a health researcher with a background in mental health and substance use disorders. She is interested in how digital solutions can be incorporated into treating dual diagnosis to improve access to care and treatment outcomes. Sarah’s research explores the implementation of various technologies in inpatient treatment centres for dual diagnosis, barriers and facilitations to substance use care access, and the role of family physicians in the continuity of substance use care. Before engaging in health research, Sarah worked as a front-line worker at a shelter for sex workers struggling with SUD and homelessness. Contact her at sarah.munozviolant@ubc.ca

Graduate Students and Residents

Asaly Skrenes, MEd

PhD Candidate (Clinical Psychology)

Asaly is a third-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student from the University of Edinburgh. Her research topic is on disclosure, sexuality, and resilience in male childhood sexual abuse, which is a collaboration project with UBC under Dr. Schütz. She completed a Masters in Psychology of Education from the University of Manchester. Asaly has worked on studies involving men’s help-seeking with UBC’s Men’s Health Research Program, as well as on projects with the University of Edinburgh—cognitive-emotional maturity in adolescents and sexual health. Currently, she is working on a systematic literature review on EEG and substance use disorder under the B.R.A.I.N. Lab. In her free time, Asaly enjoys exercising and playing sports, as well as traveling and learning languages.

Austin Lam, MD, BSc Honours

Psychiatry-Research Track Resident Physician

Austin is a Psychiatry-Research Track resident physician in the UBC Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine. He holds an MD from the University of Toronto and a BSc (Honours) in psychology with a minor in philosophy from McGill University. His research interests lie broadly in forensic mental health and concurrent disorders. Relating to addiction psychiatry, specific areas of interest include phenomenology of substance use disorders and insight deficits in addiction. He is also working with Dr. Tonia Nicholls in the Nicholls Lab as part of the Research Track. He maintains a strong interest in philosophy, literature, poetry, and history outside of work.

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=46NaxIAAAAAJ&hl=en

Karina Thiessen, BA, BEd

PhD Candidate

Karina is Neuroscience PhD Candidate. Prior to fast-tracking from the Master's program to the PhD program, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Education at UBC. Her research focuses on substance use and mental health disorders, including neuropharmacological effects of cannabinoids, early predictors of risky substance use, and treatment-related outcomes in people with severe concurrent disorders. Karina applies methodologies including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), cognitive testing, immunoassays, and quantitative analysis of participant-reported and clinical data. She has also received awards recognizing her research experience in clinical trials. In addition to her research in the B.R.A.I.N. Lab, she works as a clinical research and grant facilitator for the UBC MATRIX-N Research Excellence Cluster and as a neuroscience curriculum assistant for UBC Extended Learning. Karina currently serves on the UBC Neuroscience Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee. You can find her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/karina-t-3033981b8.

Stefanie Todesco, BA & BSc Honours

PhD Student

Stefanie is a 3rd-year PhD student in the Neuroscience program at UBC. She previously completed a BA& BSc in Cognitive Science (Hons) at Mcgill University. Stefanie began her degree as a Masters researching cognitive functioning in concurrent disorder inpatients at the Red Fish Healing Centre (See ‘Marshall’ project). This year, she fast-tracked into the PhD program and is developing a novel fMRI paradigm to assess spontaneous craving in cigarette smokers (See ‘SCANS’ project).

Stefanie can be found on Linkedin here: www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-todesco-a98bb1251

Coordinators

Laura Schmid, BA

Lead Coordinator for PHSA Studies, Research Trainee

Laura completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is interested in using network and hierarchical Bayesian modeling approaches to better understand patterns of substance use following exposure to traumatic events in childhood, as well as the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders and PTSD. Laura manages Dr. Schütz's studies at PHSA sites, including the Red Fish Healing Centre, Heartwood Centre for Women, and BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. As a result, she is involved in a variety of projects, although she is primarily working on ROAR CANADA. In her free time, she loves to draw and spend time outside.

Laura can be found on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/laura-schmid-163173133.

Sydney Penner

Assistant Research Coordinator & Research Trainee

Sydney completed her BA in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2022. In her degree, she explored psychopharmacology, clinical forensics and biopsychology. Her directed studies with the lab examined phase shifts in the circadian rest-activity rhythms of individuals with schizophrenia, opioid and stimulant use disorders. More recently, her research interests are in the psycholegal field, looking at the in-patient population of NCRMD individuals with concurrent disorders.

Sarah Munoz-Violant

Lab Manager

Zachary Allan, BA

Clinical Research Coordinator, Clairvoyant & Filament Projects

Zack completed his Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia with a major in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. He is interested in factors that contribute to the onset and progression of internalizing disorders, including stress-related biological processes and early life adversity. Zack coordinates the lab’s clinical trials on psilocybin assisted therapy for substance use disorders, including the Clairvoyant and Filament projects. He hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology. In his free time, Zack enjoys exercising, spending time in nature, and scuba diving.

Research Trainees

Liam Gorsuch

Research Trainee, Lead Research Assistant for ROAR at Red Fish

Liam completed his BA Honours degree in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. He conducted his third-year Honours thesis with the B.R.A.I.N. Lab, investigating complex post-traumatic stress disorder and overdose incidence among inpatients with concurrent disorders. His research interests include the intersection of psychology and the legal system, the dark traits, high-risk dyads, and protective factors such as positive childhood experiences and culture. He is also the lead research assistant for the ROAR CANADA study at Red Fish Healing Centre and a Research Coordinator at the Nicholls Lab. Liam intends to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Research Assistants

Benyamin Zargar, BSc

Lead Research Assistant for ROAR Knowledge Hub and Communications

Benyamin is a medical student (MD3) at Deakin University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a minor in History from Simon Fraser University. His desire for conducting research has prompted him to be involved in a variety of research namely clinical research, patient engagement, behavioural interventions for long-term management of chronic diseases, healthcare system design (General Surgery Learning Health System), and molecular targets for anti-cancer drugs. Alongside his sizzling passion for knowledge translation, he enjoys reading about ancient Near East mythology and political geography. You can find him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/benzargar/.

Logan Isfeld

Research Assistant

Logan is a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts student at UBC, completing a major in Psychology and a minor in Interpersonal Development. His academic and research interests include the neuropathophysiology, assessment, and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, he plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical neuropsychology. Currently, Logan serves as a research assistant on the ROAR CANADA project, where he conducts patient chart reviews. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with family and friends.

Logan Isfeld can be found on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-isfeld/

Yenah Byun

Research Assistant

Yenah Byun is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC pursuing a Psychology Honours and Nutrition minor degree. She is involved in clinical, forensic, and health psychology, working with Dr. Tonia Nicholls at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital and Dr. Jennifer Black in investigating the relationship between nutrition and psychology. Her research interests examine the emergence and treatment of psychiatric disorders, specifically through non-conventional treatments and therapies. At the B.R.A.I.N Lab, Yenah is a research assistant for the Clairvoyant Study, which investigates the efficacy of psilocybin treatment on individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder. In her free time, Yenah enjoys hiking, running, and photography.

Nikol Rybolov

ROAR Heartwood (Lead Research Assistant)

Nikol is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, pursuing a Bachelor in Psychology with a Minor in Health and Society Studies. She is the lead research assistant at one of our concurrent disorder clinical sites, a part of the ROAR CANADA project; Heartwood Centre for Women. While, she is also completing her undergraduate thesis project related to overdose rates in the concurrent disorder population with past TBI (traumatic brain injury) experience. During her undergraduate degree Nikol developed her research skills working with countless UBC Neuroscience projects, including Misokinesia in the Attentional Neuroscience Lab and an international Scuba Diving and Emotions project during the year of 2023. Outside of the lab, Nikol loves to cycle, run, and any other activity related to the outdoors. You can find her on Linkedln at: http://linkedin.com/in/nikol-rybolov-756743171

Amanda Suyanto, BA.

Research Assistant

Amanda is a graduate at the University of British Columbia where she completed her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology and a minor in Creative Writing. While currently being active on both the BRAIN Lab at UBC and the Mah Lab at BC Children’s Hospital, she plans on continuing her academic career by pursuing graduate studies with a focus on Cultural Psychology. Assigned to the ROAR Study and starting off with in-person data collection at both Red Fish Healing Centre and Heartwood, she now conducts patient chart reviews for Heartwood participants. Outside of academia and research, Amanda enjoys reading fiction novels, boxing, and travelling.

Mya Froese

Research Assistant

Mya is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Psychology. Her research interests surround the intersection of social and clinical psychology, including the development of socially based treatment methods for psychological disorders. She hopes to attend graduate school for clinical psychology or public health. She is assisting with the ROAR study at Red Fish Healing Centre and is currently conducting her fourth-year honours thesis with the lab examining the epigenetic effects of adverse childhood experiences. In her free time, she enjoys seeing new films and spending time in the city with friends and family.

Mya can be found on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mya-froese

Wendy Cheung, BSc

Lead Research Assistant

Wendy received her BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience at UBC. Her research interests include clinical and biological factors influencing the severity of mental disorders, as well as the physiological effects of substance use on the cognition of healthy individuals and psychiatric patients. She is currently working on the CAPU RISE and ROAR study in the B.R.A.I.N. lab, hoping the findings can help better understand the motivation behind drug addiction and find more effective ways to help people struggling with addiction. Wendy wishes to integrate research throughout her future education no matter what path she pursues. In her free time, Wendy likes to play instruments, swim, and write creative stories.

Aishwariya Sharma

Research Assistant

Aishwariya is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience. Her academic journey so far has led her to develop research interests in neurological, developmental, and mental health disorders such as autism, depression, and addiction. Within the BRAIN Lab, Aishwariya is assisting the Marshall Study at Red Fish Healing Centre as a research assistant and she is also the Communications lead at the lab. Aside from her academic interests, she also is passionate about music, connecting with nature, exploring new parts of the world, and trying new foods. After graduation, Aishwariya hopes to attend graduate school and pursue a career in healthcare or medicine to deepen her understanding of the human brain and its complexities, ultimately working to improve the lives of individuals affected by neurological and mental health disorders.

Molly Hsu

Research Assistant

Molly is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, majoring in Honours Psychology and minoring in Critical Studies in Sexuality. Molly is a research assistant on the ROAR CANADA project at the Heartwood Centre for Women, and her research interests include addiction, mental illness, and sexual health, particularly in minority populations. She is also working on her honours project in the lab, which centres on the intersections between concurrent disorders, sexual minority status, and risky sexual behaviour. In her free time, Molly enjoys baking, crocheting, and running.

Nick Pham

Research Assistant

Nick is a fourth year undergraduate student at UBC pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. He is interested in the mechanisms behind motivated behavior, specifically relating to substance use and addictions. He is also interested in the societal roles of drugs, including their historical context, associated stigma, and the factors influencing people's choices to use or abstain. He is currently assisting with the Filament project investigating the efficacy of psilocybin assisted therapy in treating substance use disorders. After finishing his undergraduate degree, he plans to take a year off to explore the world and then pursue a medical degree. In his free time, Nick enjoys swimming, snowboarding, and DJing.

Nick can be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgpham/

Lab Alumni