Brains of the BRAIN Lab

Jessica Booth, BSc

Clinical Research Coordinator, CLAIRVOYANT

Jessica is a recent graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioural Neuroscience. She is passionate about innovating research and pushing the boundaries of current medicine. As a researcher, she hopes to increase the translational power of psychiatric research into safe and effective novel pharmacotherapies. She is currently fascinated by the psychedelics renaissance occurring in Canada and investigating how psychedelics can impact several psychiatric disorders in positive ways. Outside of work, Jessica is an active hiker, and runner and loves being involved in her community organizations.

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Laura Schmid, BA 

Assistant Research Manager, Coordinator for Red Fish (formerly BCMHA) & Heartwood Studies, Research Trainee

Laura completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is interested in better understanding 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. In her free time, she loves to draw and spend time outside

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Max Hemmerich

CAPU RISE Study Coordinator

Max is a fourth-year BSc student in the Behavioural Neuroscience program at UBC. He is currently coordinating CAPU RISE study, examining the effects of cannabinoids on delay discounting, and conducting a concurrent validity analysis of a physical and psychological health survey in a concurrent disorder population. His research interests include the development, treatment, and cognitive deficits associated with mood and substance use disorders, and he is pursuing graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. He loves to cycle, hike, eat, sleep, read, and make music in his spare time. linkedin.com/in/max-hemmerich/

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Arnima Singh

HRI Study Coordinator

Arnima Singh is a third-year student at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Science. She is pursuing a Combined Major in Science. Her research interests include neuroimmunology, mental health, and intervention measures. She hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. During her free time, she can be found at aesthetic cafes studying, a pretext for justifying an unhealthy amount of coffee.

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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.

Priya Johal, BA (Hons)

Research Assistant, Former Honours and Directed Studies Student (Psychology)

Priya recently completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Honours) at the University of British Columbia and did her senior thesis and Directed Studies project with the BRAIN Lab. Her research interests include understanding the relationship between traumatic experiences and substance use motivations, patterns, and treatment outcomes. She is currently involved in ROAR CANADA and AVATAR and is working on manuscripts for publication. Outside of the BRAIN Lab, Priya is working with a research team testing a mobile app intervention for people living with bipolar disorder. In her free time, Priya enjoys reading novels, watching movies with friends, and learning more about outer space.

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Rachel Dunn

Honours Student (Psychology)

Rachel is a fourth-year undergraduate in the Honours Psychology program at UBC. For her third-year thesis, she studied the influence of age on impression formation and she is currently working in the B.R.A.I.N. lab as a Research Assistant on the ROAR CANADA project and the MED1 project. She plans to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology and her research interests include the intersections of spirituality, psychopathology, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. In her free time, she enjoys laughing with friends, being in nature, and cuddling her cat.

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Suzanne Paddinge, BA

Directed Studies Student (Psychology), Research Assistant

Suzanne recently completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Simon Fraser University and is pursuing a Masters of Counselling Psychology and Art Therapy at Adler University.  Her research interests focus on informed consent and relational autonomy in research.  She is currently involved in CARES and the Patient Oriented Research Team.  In her free time, Suzanne enjoys time with her kids, painting, and spending time near the ocean.

 

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Sarah Munoz-Violant, BA

Research Trainee, Lead Research Assistant for S&R

Benyamin Zargar, BSc

Lead Research Assistant for ROAR Knowledge Hub and Communications

Benyamin is a medical student (MD1) 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/.

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 Bianca Biacora, BSc

Lead Research Assistant for Design

Bianca is a graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Systems. Her research interests include the influence of emerging technologies on human cognition and behaviour, particularly cyberspace self-perception and learning. As a member of the Communications and Design team, she hopes to inspire excitement for learning about how the mind works by making research accessible and engaging to the public. Combining her passions for Psychology and Linguistics, she plans to pursue graduate studies in Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology. Beyond academics, Bianca enjoys watercolour painting and solving escape rooms with friends.

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Liam Gorsuch

Lead Research Assistant for ROAR at Red Fish

Liam is a third-year undergraduate student at UBC, pursuing a BA Honours degree in Psychology, and is currently completing his third-year Honours thesis with the B.R.A.I.N Lab. His research interests include anxiety disorders and childhood trauma, as well as the impact of substance use on cognitive functioning. He is the lead research assistant for the ROAR CANADA study at Red Fish Healing Centre, and hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys photography, gardening, and spending time with family.

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Sahi Hajirawala, BSc

Lead Research Assistant for CEASAR

Sahi is a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Microbiology & Immunology program at UBC. His research interests include how the gut microbiome interacts with the brain, childhood trauma, and developmental neuroscience. In his spare time, Sahi enjoys working with youth as a mental health and youth advocate. You can find him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/sahihajirawala/.

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Harmanpreet Ranote, MD

Senior Research Assistant

Harman is a medical graduate from Christian Medical College, India. He currently works on CEASAR, CAPU survey and ROAR CANADA projects. His research interests include mental health and disorders, substance use, the opioid epidemic, concurrent disorders and mental health and substance abuse interventions. He likes to de-stress in his free time by reading and listening to audiobooks, hiking and exploring different parts of British Columbia. You can find him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/harmanranote.

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Abigail Yuen, BA (Hons)

Research Assistant

Abigail is a recent graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in psychology and a minor in philosophy. She has a background in forensic, clinical, and social clinical psychology, having worked in various positions with Dr. Tonia Nicholls, Dr. Paul Hewitt, and Dr. Toni Schmader. At the BRAIN lab, Abigail is a research assistant for the ROAR CANADA study, where she works on-site with patients at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. Her specific research interests include personality disorders, psychopathy, and evidence-based psychotherapy. Outside of work, Abigail’s hobbies include taking pictures of her cat, hiking scenic trails, and singing in the Vancouver Youth Choir.

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Alessia Risi, BSc

Research Assistant

Alessia is a second-year Doctor of Pharmacy student at UBC. She previously completed her BSc at McGill University, majoring in Pharmacology. Her research interests include drugs of abuse, addiction, and mental health with a focus on pharmacotherapy and optimization of patient care. Before joining the B.R.A.I.N. Lab, Alessia has been involved in research regarding the reversal of opioid toxicity and precipitation of opioid withdrawal in patients treated with naloxone in Vancouver emergency departments. Alessia currently volunteers as a research assistant on the ROAR CANADA Study and CAPU Clinical Study. In her free time, Alessia enjoys playing basketball, movie nights, and spending time with family and friends to de-stress.

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Alyssa Turcott

Lead Research Assistant for CARES at Red Fish

Alyssa is a fourth-year undergraduate student completing a double major in Biology and Psychology at UBC. In addition to her involvement with the B.R.A.I.N. Lab’s ROAR study, she works as a research assistant with the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Program to understand and improve the life experiences of people with traumatic brain injuries. Her research interests include the influence of TBIs on caregiver well-being and the relationship between mental illness and substance use disorders. Alyssa’s favourite pastimes include experimenting with vegan baking, exploring Vancouver’s trails, and searching for new cafés to try.

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Alyx Hewlett, BA

Research Assistant

Alyx has recently obtained their Bachelor of Arts in psychology from UBC. They are taking a small half gap-year to work in labs before continuing their studies at a graduate level, with the hopes of attaining their Ph.D. and working in the field of either LGBTQ+ youth counselling or criminology. Their research interests include mental health, addiction, personality disorders, and forensic psychology. When they aren’t studying, you can find them playing video games, hanging with their friends, playing D&D, or writing.

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Andromeda Karimi

Research Assistant

Andromeda is a third-year student pursuing a BA in psychology and mathematics at UBC. Their specific interests fall into neural correlates of gender development and cognitive development such as impulsivity, perception or sensation. They hope to remain in academia in the field of cognitive neural prosthetics as well as the use of neural networks in data mining.  In their free time, they enjoy video games, often streaming story/adventure games for their friends to experience whole worlds together!

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Bessie Guo

Research Assistant

Bessie is a third-year Bachelor of Science student in the Behavioural Neuroscience program at UBC. Her research interests include mental health and disorders, motivation, and cognition. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in scientific communications. Whenever she’s free, she enjoys hiking, painting, listening to audio drama podcasts, as well as creating animations.

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Curtis Holt-Robinson

Research Assistant

Curtis is a third-year undergraduate student at UBC, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology. His research interests are focused on impulse control and how individuals may resist engaging in instantly gratifying, and often addictive, behaviours. Curtis is currently working in the Insight Study within the B.R.A.I.N. Lab and hopes to implement research procedures that pose minimal risk to involved participants. Further in his academic career, he aspires to obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and offer psychotherapy in private practice. Curtis’s hobbies include playing and umpiring softball, performing on-stage improv, and swimming at the UBC Aquatic Centre.

Jovin Khehra

Research Assistant

Jovin is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Biopsychology and Pharmacology in the Integrated Sciences major at UBC. His research interests include studying the neural mechanisms that form the basis of psychiatric illness and addictive behaviours. He is also interested in the ways pharmaceutical interventions and psychedelic therapy can be used to influence psychopathology and improve patient outcomes. He is currently a research assistant with the B.R.A.I.N. Lab and will be involved in research projects at Red Fish (formerly BCMHA). In his free time, Jovin enjoys collecting and listening to vinyl records, and his favourite self-care activities include going on bike rides and watching The Office.

Katy Yang

Research Assistant

Katy is a third-year undergraduate student at UBC pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Health and Society. She is particularly interested in studying the relationship between neurological processes and physical health outcomes amongst individuals diagnosed with brain and addiction disorders. She hopes to invest her time into further developing research literature and clinical treatments for these vulnerable populations through further pursuance of graduate studies. In the lab, she is part of the HRI team. Outside of the lab, Katy enjoys travelling, hiking, spending time with friends, and taking walks around Stanley Park.

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Lucia Forward

Research Assistant

Lucia is a fourth-year BSc student in the Behavioural Neuroscience program at UBC. Her research interests are focused on stress and anxiety, trauma-informed care as well as overdose and relapse prevention. Outside of the lab, she enjoys taking dance classes and performing in musicals and plays. https://www.linkedin.com/in/luciaforward/

 

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Maggie Milsom BA, DEDU, MEd

Research Assistant

Maggie Milsom is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She holds a Master’s of Education in counselling psychology specializing in vocational rehabilitation from UBC. Her research interests include psychodrama therapy and the various ways this modality can be applied to mental health. She is currently helping to provide assessments at Red Fish. In her free time, she enjoys boxing, judo, snowboarding and dancing.

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Ningjing (Chris) Sang

Research Assistant

Chris is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Commerce. She is interested in woman's health, particularly studying the relationship between drugs and physical health outcomes amongst individuals with mental health issues. Chris is currently on the HRI team. For future study, Chris would pursue a Master's degree in Woman's health or Health Psychology. Outside of the lab, Chris enjoys powerlifting, eating, reading novels, and spending time with loved ones.

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Paul Kee

Research Assistant

Paul is a recent graduate from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioural Neuroscience and a minor in Biochemistry. His research interests include immunological abnormalities in substance use disorders and depression, dysregulated catecholamine signaling in addiction, and epigenetic heritability for neuropsychiatric traits. In addition to his involvement with the HRI team, Paul is working as a research assistant for the BC Neuropsychiatry program In his free time, Paul likes to read Stephen King novels, explore new restaurants, and play chess with his friends.

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Tania Li

Research Assistant

Tania is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at UBC. Her research interests include the long-term health consequences of stress, mental health, and treatment interventions within clinical psychology. Currently, she is a research assistant working on the ROAR CANADA project in the B.R.A.I.N. Lab. In her free time, Tania enjoys reading, hiking, crochet, as well as spending time with friends and family.

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Taylor Zaidel

Lead Research Assistant for ROAR at Heartwood

Taylor is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts specializing in Honours Psychology. Her research interests include mental health comorbidities with a focus on depression, stress, and anxiety, as well as crisis intervention. She is a lead research assistant on the ROAR CANADA study at Heartwood. Taylor has also conducted research on adolescents with depression, suicidal ideation, and ADHD. In her free time she likes to do yoga, spend time with friends and family, and volunteer with the Kids Help Phone.

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Wendy Cheung

Research Assistant

Wendy is a third-year undergraduate student at UBC majoring in Behavioural Neuroscience. Her research interests include 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 study in the B.R.A.I.N. lab with hopes that 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.

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Alex Romanchuk

Research Assistant

Alex is a second-year undergraduate student at UBC pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy. Their research interests include neural circuits related to consciousness, eating disorders, and psychedelic therapy as a potential treatment of various psychopathology. Alex is currently involved as a research assistant with the ROAR CANADA project and the MED1 project. To destress, they love swimming in the ocean, cycling, and painting. 

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More Lab Members

Keenan Klassen | Medical Student

Aarya Tamrakar | BA Psychology student, University of British Columbia

Aksheen Chahal | Pediatrics Resident, University of British Columbia

Amelia Pellaers | BA Psychology student, Simon Fraser University

Amanda Lee | BA Psychology student, University of British Columbia

Andrea Hernandez | Zymeworks Research Associate

Andrew Li | MA Psychology student, University of British Columbia

Anisha Lehal | BA Psychology and Family Studies, University of British Columbia

Anurada Amarasekera | BA Psychology student, Simon Fraser University

Cara Johnston | BSc Human Kinetics student, University of British Columbia, Okanagan

Cindy Chang | Doctor of Medicine student, University of Calgary

Cindy Li | BSc Computer Science and Biology student, University of British Columbia

Christiane Wesarg | Clinical Psychology, Dresden, Germany

Clement Chui | Doctor of Medicine student, University of British Columbia

Danielle Co | Clinical Study Coordinator, Providence Health

Darya Skrenes | Family Medicine resident

Eliscia Sinclair | BA Psychology student, University of British Columbia

Friederike Albers | Clinical Psychology, Osnabrück, Germany

Grace Nie | Doctor of Medicine student, University of British Columbia

Hanie Edalati | Postdoc, McGill University

Javeria Irfan | PharmD student, University of British Columbia

Jennifer Multani | Health Sciences student, Simon Fraser University

Karla Glaweski | Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia

Kirsten Wesselow | BA Psychology student, University of British Columbia

Laura Labonté | Psychiatry Resident, University of British Columbia

Luce Calderon | BA Psychology student, Simon Fraser University

Maia Buschmann | Columbia University, New York

Mark Ng Shun | BSc Behavioural Neuroscience student, University of British Columbia

Matt Hanna | New School for Social Research

Marina Le | PhD student, Psychology, University of British Columbia

Michelle Zhang | Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia

Paul Cocker | Postdoc, Cambridge University

Rachel Kardal | Law student, University of Calgary

Sara Vazirian | Family Medicine Resident, University of Western Ontario

Stephen Lee-Cheong | National University of Ireland