RC RIC Staff

My aim is to further our understanding of how the brain allows us to learn, remember and interact with our environment. To this end, I use rodent models to test the role of particular brain structures or transgenic mouse models during a behavioural task. Leveraging the benefits of touchscreen technology and a translational approach, I hope to provide insight and therapeutic targets to improve cognition within healthy and clinical populations. My previous work includes examining the role of various nodes within the extended-hippocampal memory system during biconditional learning (B.A., McGill University), elucidating the role of the anterior thalamic nuclei in episodic(-like) memory (PhD, Cardiff University), and recording single-unit activity in subcortical brain regions while rodents forage for food in an open environment or climb a 3D structure to gain insight into how the brain maintains our sense of orientation and allows animals to navigate to goal locations (post-doctoral, Dartmouth College).

I combine in vivo state-of-the-art approaches in rodents to understand the circuitry underlying abnormal cognitive-related behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders.

Senior research staff in charge of following aspects: Designing/directing/executing research protocols involving small animals, related to genetic characterization and colony maintaining/managing, providing technical support to collaborators, on breeding strategies and molecular biology protocols, and providing training in relevant areas to lab members.

I studied both genetics and molecular biology at the University of Western Ontario, focusing on insect molecular biology and agricultural pest control. I studied RNA interference as a potential pest control technique as well as the relationship between multi-drug resistance (MDR) transporter expression and insecticide tolerance in both Colorado potato beetles and cabbage loopers. I am currently supporting the BrainsCAN Rodent Cognition Core and related labs by performing animal husbandry to provide research animals for various projects.

Maintains mouse lines for the RCC in addition to performing neurobehavioural touchcreen-based experiments with mice.