BrainsCAN Fellows

BrainsCAN is bringing the world’s most promising early career cognitive neuroscientists to Western University through the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Training the next generation of researchers is a key aim of BrainsCAN, and its fellows are the engines of innovative research.

In fall 2017, the first set of fellows joined the program under the designation of a BrainsCAN Fellow or Postdoctoral Associate.

Learn about the BrainsCAN Fellows and their research.


Current BrainsCAN Fellows:
Olamide AdebiyiPriya Kalra, Emily Nichols, Ana Luísa PinhoAshley Schormans

Former BrainsCAN Fellows: 
Craig AllenJustine Cléry, Marta De FeliceSarah HayesChenxi HeBjörn Herrmann, Kaitlin LaidlawPan Liu, Cassandra LoweLiya Ma, Jie Mei, Daniel MillerAline MirandaMina NashedAmy ReicheltDavid Schaeffer, Nichole ScheererMojtaba SoltanlouKasey Van HedgerStephen Van HedgerEric Wilkey, Jeff Weiler, Yiming Xiao

Olamide Adebiyi
Olamide Adebiyi
BrainsCAN Fellow
PhD, Veterinary Physiology – University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
 

 Harnessing optogenetics to treat demyelination and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis

Supervisor(s): Dr. Tim Bussey, Dr. Ravi Menon
Research Information:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) leads to devastating impairments in cognitive functions due to loss of myelin and associated disruption of nerve conduction. Presently, existing treatments for MS are ineffective in treating the accompanying cognitive dysfunctions. Thus, effective treatment of this debilitating demyelinating disease represents an urgent unmet need. Recent findings indicate that remyelination can be stimulated by artificially-driven neuronal activity. Particularly promising is optogenetic stimulation (OS); a precise way to manipulate neurons with light by genetic introduction of light-sensitive proteins. Given that cognitive impairments are a major issue in MS, it would be of considerable interest if this strategy could be successfully applied to enhance cognition. Hippocampal glutamatergic neurons (HGNs) are excitatory neurons essential for learning, memory and attention. The disruptions in their numbers and density have been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS.My focus is to target HGNs via OS with the aim of improving cognition and promoting remyelination in MS. Our findings may be used to guide procedures using extant techniques such as MRI-informed deep brain stimulation of regions which could potentially accomplish the same cognitive rescue in a less target specific stimulation approach.
Priya Kalra
Priya Kalra
BrainsCAN Fellow
EdD, Human Development and Education - Harvard Graduate School of Education

The role of the medial temporal lobe in implicit learning: mechanisms and representations

Supervisor(s): Dr. Paul Minda, Dr. Laura Batterink, Dr. Marc Joanisse
Research Information:
Implicit learning—that is, learning without effort or awareness of what has been learned—plays an important role in many domains, including first language acquisition. There is increasing evidence that developing expertise or fluency in these domains involves not only the accumulation of information, but changes in the way that information is represented. For example, experts emphasize relevant features over irrelevant features and often use higher-order representations of the stimuli (such as “chunks”). However, the computational and neural mechanisms of these representational changes are not well understood. I will use a combination of behavioral, computational, and neuroimaging techniques to characterize these shifts. Understanding these changes in representation is critical to designing more effective methods of instruction and training. 
Emily Nichols
Emily Nichols
BrainsCAN Fellow
PhD, Psychology - Western University

Functional connectivity in fetal growth restriction: association with delivery times and long-term language outcomes

Supervisor(s): Dr. Emma Duerden, Dr. Sandrine de Ribaupierre

Research Information:
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition where the placenta stops growing late in pregnancy, limiting oxygen to the fetal brain. In the early stages of IUGR, blood flow is still being directed to the frontal lobes. Later, however, blood is directed to midbrain areas important for keeping the fetus alive. This redistribution referred to as ‘brain sparing’. Brain sparing can result in severe brain injury, with adverse consequences for cognitive function, including language. For these fetuses, early delivery can prevent death; however premature birth also comes at a cost. The neonatal ICU is a stressful environment, and preterm babies are at risk of both short- and long-term health issues. Objective measures to guide decisions regarding delivery time to maximize developmental outcomes are crucial to neonatal care in this population. My research aims to evaluate whether brain sparing is associated with decreased functional and structural connectivity in the language network in utero, and if connectivity measures are associated with language outcomes at 12- and 24-months. By using MRI-based methods to monitor fetuses at risk for IUGR, and following the developmental trajectory of the newborns, I aim to improve newborn brain health and cognitive outcomes, specifically later language development.

Ana Luisa Pinho
Ana Luísa Pinho
BrainsCAN Fellow
PhD, Biomedical Sciences - University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Novel brain atlasing techniques to reveal cerebellar role in music cognition

Supervisor(s): Dr. Joern Diedrichsen, Dr. Jessica Grahn

Research Information:
Understanding the role of the cerebellum in human cognition asks for the functional mapping of its territories upon performance of a wide array of behavioral tasks. To this end, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has been used to measure brain activation related to specific behaviors as means to extensively characterize functional responses in the cerebellar circuitry. The overlap of the neural substrates across tasks can elucidate us about the contribution of the cerebellum to brain processes directly linked to elementary mental functions. Herein, we will adopt this cognitive-atlasing approach to investigate the interplay of the cortico-cerebellar circuits in the domain of music cognition. We will generate a large-scale task-fMRI dataset comprising both the Multi-Domain Task Battery—which covers a broad range of cognitive modules—and a new set of musical tasks dedicated to specifically assessing different music abilities. This resource will allow us to determine the common basis and relationship between music and general cognition as well as obtain a systematic picture of the involvement of cerebellar regions in these neurocognitive mechanisms. Moreover, the dataset will be made publicly available in dedicated neuroimaging repositories, in order to become the groundwork for the development of cognitive brain-atlasing infrastructures targeting the human cerebellum.

Ashley Schormans
Ashley Schormans
BrainsCAN Fellow
PhD, Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Western University

The Neural Basis of Audiovisual Temporal Perception: From Cortical Networks to Cellular Mechanisms

Supervisor(s): Dr. Brian Allman, Dr. Wataru Inoue

Research Information:
To form a coherent perception of the world around us, we are constantly processing and integrating sensory information from multiple modalities. In fact, when auditory and visual stimuli occur within ~100 ms of each other, individuals tend to perceive the stimuli as a single event, even though they occurred at separately. Although this integration of closely-timed audiovisual stimuli can offer certain behavioral advantages, an overly broad window of temporal integration can be problematic (e.g., in autism and schizophrenia), as information from truly separate events may not be perceived correctly. While recent studies in humans have suggested that the binding of audiovisual stimuli is regulated by neural oscillations, the brain circuits and cellular mechanisms that regulate the putative oscillatory activity subserving audiovisual perceptual binding remains unknown. Using our translational behavioural task in combination with optogenetics and in vivo electrophysiology, my research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which inhibitory neurotransmission finely controls audiovisual perception. Ultimately, these studies will significantly advance our understanding of the neuronal circuitry underlying audiovisual temporal perception, and will be the first to establish the role of interneurons in regulating the synchronized neural activity that is thought to contribute to the precise binding of audiovisual stimuli.

 

Former BrainsCAN Fellows

Craig Allen
Craig Allen
Stay-At-Home Parent

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019-2020)
Characterization and Treatment of Anxiety Induced Cognitive Impairments with Novel Cannabidiol/Terpene Combinations

Supervisor(s): Dr. Steven Laviolette

PhD, Psychology - University of Guelph
Justine Cléry
Justine Cléry
Assistant Professor
McGill University

BrainsCAN Postdoctoral Associate (2017 - 2021)
BrainsCAN Fellow (2021 - 2022)
Ultra-high field functional mapping of the multisensory integration network in NHPs
Supervisor(s): Dr. Stefan Everling, Dr. Ravi Menon, Dr. Stefan Everling, Dr. Andrew Pruszynski

PhD, Neurosciences and Cognition - Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, France
Marta De Felice
Marta De Felice
Research Associate
Western University

BrainsCAN Fellow (2021 - 2023)
Investigating the neurodevelopmental aberrations on hippocampal formation induced by adolescent THC exposure
Supervisor(s): Dr. Steve Laviolette, Dr. Walter Rushlow, Dr. Shawn Whitehead

PhD in Neuroscience - University of Cagliari (Italy)
Sarah Hayes
Sarah Hayes
Assistant Professor
University of Rochester Medical Centre

BrainsCAN Fellow (2020 - 2023)
Neuroinflammatory Regulation of Noise-Induced Auditory and Cognitive Impairment
Supervisor(s): Dr. Brian Allman, Dr. Shawn Whitehead, Dr. Wataru Inoue

PhD, Neuroscience and AuD, Audiology - University at Buffalo
Chenxi He
Chenxi He
Research Associate
Academica Group

BrainsCAN Fellow (2020 - 2023)
The impact of pediatric hearing loss on mathematics and underlying neural reorganizations
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Ansari, Dr. Blake Butler

PhD, Philosophy - Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Bjorn Herrmann
Björn Herrmann
Assistant Professor
Rotman Research Institute (Baycrest)
University of Toronto

BrainsCAN Fellow (2018 - 2020)
Assessment of neural pathway function for hearing
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ingrid Johnsrude, Dr. Brian Allman, Dr. Susanne Schmid, Dr. Edward Bartlett

PhD, Psychology - University of Leipzig, Germany
Kaitlin Laidlaw
Kaitlin Laidlaw
Financial Institution/Industry

BrainsCAN Fellow (2018 - 2019)

Uncovering the neural representations of the intentions that drive action, and the role of intentional action in social settings
Supervisor(s): Jody Culham, Mel Goodale

PhD, Psychology (Cognitive Science) - University of British Columbia
Pan Liu
Pan Liu

Assistant Professor
North Dakota State University

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2021)
The effect of attention bias training on adolescent internalizing problems: Neurobehavioral predictors and mechanism
Supervisor(s): Dr. Elizabeth Hayden, Dr. Marc Joanisse

PhD, Communication Sciences & Disorders - McGill University
Cassandra Lowe
Cassandra Lowe

Lecturer
University of Exeter

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2022)
Determining the neural circuits underlying excessive food intake in adolescents and young adults
Supervisor(s): Dr. J. Bruce Morton, Dr. Lindsay Bodell

PhD, Public Health and Health Systems - University of Waterloo
Liya Ma
Liya Ma

Assistant Professor
York University

BrainsCAN Fellow (2017 - 2019)
The Neurobiology of Autobiographical Memory and Emotion Socialization in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ryan Stevenson, Dr. Elizabeth Hayden

PhD, Neuroscience - University of British Columbia
Jie Mei
Jie Mei

Assistant Professor
University of Tokyo

BrainsCAN Fellow (2021 - 2022)
On neuromodulation-aware deep learning: A multi-level investigation
Supervisor(s): Dr. Yalda Mohsenzadeh, Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo

PhD, Psychology - Vanderbilt University
Daniel Miller
Daniel Miller

Assistant Professor
University of Illinois

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2021)
Validation and application of structural markers of auditory cortex to study crossmodal plasticity
Supervisor(s): Dr. Blake Butler, Dr. Ali Khan

PhD, Medical Neurosciences - Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Aline Miranda
Aline Miranda

Assistant Professor
Federal University of Minas Gerais Brazil

BrainsCAN Fellow (2021 - 2021)
Targeting the epichaperome to improve cognitive deficits in mouse models of synucleinopathies
Supervisor(s): Dr. Marco Prado, Dr. Vania Prado

PhD, Neuroscience and Neuroinflammation - Cleveland Clinic, Lerner Research Institute
Mina Nashed
Mina Nashed

Senior Medical Writer
INVIVO Communications

BrainsCAN Fellow (2020 - 2022)
Examining the effects of prenatal THC exposure on prefrontal-hippocampal interactions and long-term cognitive development
Supervisor(s): Dr. Steven Laviolette, Dr. Daniel Hardy, Dr. Walter Rushlow

PhD, Medical Sciences - McMaster University
Amy Reichelt
Amy Reichelt
Senior Lecturer / Emerging Leadership Fellow
University of Adelaide

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2020)
Defining nutritional influences on neural network structure and function across development
Supervisor(s): Dr. Lisa Saksida, Dr. Ravi Menon


PhD, Behavioural Neuroscience - Cardiff University 
David Schaeffer
David Schaeffer
Assistant Professor
University of Pittsburgh
 

BrainsCAN Fellow (2018 - 2020)
Ultra-high field functional mapping of oculomotor networks in NHPs
Supervisor(s): Dr. Stefan Everling, Dr. Ravi Menon

PhD, Neuroscience - University of Georgia
Nichole Scheerer
Nichole Scheerer

Assistant Professor
Wilfrid Laurier University

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2022)
The impact of sensory-motor control of speech on social communication and development in children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders across the lifespan
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ryan Stevenson, Dr. Janis Cardy, Dr. David Purcell

PhD, Neuroscience - Wilfrid Laurier University
Mojtaba Soltanlou
Mojtaba Soltanlou

Assistant Professor
University of Surrey

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2021)
How do we know 'two' but not 'three' means '●●' objects? Neural correlates of symbolic number knowledge in preschoolers
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Ansari, Dr. Marc Joanisse

PhD, Neuroscience – University of Tübingen
Kasey Van Hedger
Kasey Van Hedger
Research Faculty
Clinical Neurological Sciences (CNS), Western University


BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2023)
Examining striatal-mediated cognitive function in patients with substance use and obsessive-compulsive disorders
Supervisor(s): Dr. Penny MacDonald, Dr. Ali Khan, Dr. Adrian Owen

PhD, Psychology - University of Chicago
Stephen Van Hedger
Stephen Van Hedger
Assistant Professor
Huron University College


BrainsCAN Fellow (2018 - 2020)
Facilitating speech intelligibility through auditory perceptual training
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ingrid Johnsrude, Dr. Laura Batterink

PhD, Cognitive Psychology - University of Chicago
Jeff Weiler
Eric Wilkey
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University

BrainsCAN Fellow (2019 - 2022)
Executive functions of numerical information in single-subjects at 7-Tesla
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Ansari, Dr. Ravi Menon

PhD, Neuroscience - Vanderbilt University
Jeff Weiler
Jeff Weiler
The Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity
Parkwood Institute

BrainsCAN Fellow (2017 - 2019)
Compensatory cortical plasticity following induced spinal dysfunction
Supervisor(s): Dr. Andrew Pruszynski, Dr. Tamar Makin

PhD, Kinesiology - Western University
Yiming Xiao
Yiming Xiao
Assistant Professor
Concordia University


BrainsCAN Fellow (2017 - 2020)
Investigating the impacts of genetic mutations on disease progression and surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease
Supervisor(s): Dr. Terry Peters, Dr. Ali Khan

PhD, Biomedical Engineering - McGill University