Research Pathway
Currently, I am a postdoctoral research scientist in the Movement Recovery Lab at Columbia University in the City of New York, working with Dr. Jason Carmel. Our research is convergent to my PhD work, using spinal cord associative plasticity (SCAP) to improve fine motor recovery after spinal cord injury in rodents. My focus is on elucidating the understudied brainstem circuitry which could mediate the effects of SCAP in the rat, through anatomical, behavioral and physiological interrogation. A unique aspect of the lab is the complementary integration between animal and human clinical research, both working towards the goal of restoring fine motor function for patients with spinal cord injury - the top priority for patients. Please visit the lab website here to learn more about our exciting research!
From 2016-2022, I pursued fundamental neuroscience research with Dr. Christian Éthier's supervision at the CERVO Research Center in Québec City, Canada as part of the doctorate program in neurobiology at Université Laval. Our research focused on using paired associative stimulation (PAS) in animal models to further understand neural plasticity in the nervous system, and use leading techniques such as optogenetics (where brain cells are made responsive to light stimulation) and brain-machine neuroprostheses to potentially restore function after nervous system insult, an important goal for millions of people around the globe. Please visit the Éthier Lab website here to learn more about the work.
From 2013-2015, for my Masters Degree in Clinical Neuroscience, I worked on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research in Toronto. TBI is a major health problem in Canada. Around the world, millions of people each year suffer a TBI. The consequences can significantly impair quality of life for these patients. Individuals who suffer TBI come from all walks of life. Motor vehicle accidents, physical falls, abuse, and athletics are all potential sources of TBIs. The symptoms can be exceptionally debilitating. Current methods of diagnosis and prognosis rely on subjective report and overt neurological symptomatology, which may be suitable for more severe cases, but are not sensitive enough for mild TBI (mTBI), the most common type of injury. My previous research centred on finding non-invasive biomarkers for mTBI assessment and prognosis. Through this, the team hopes to develop objective standards for mTBI assessment that are quick and accurate, which can be used in tandem with subjective measures by the sidelines or by clinicians in a healthcare setting to assess the severity of concussion. I conducted this research under the supervision of Dr. Michael Cusimano at St. Michael's Hospital, in Toronto.
I was a member of the Injury Prevention Research Office (IPRO) at St. Michael's Hospital, a multidisciplinary team of research scientists, clinician-scientists and students guided by Dr. Cusimano who bring different areas of expertise together to understand the mechanisms, outcome, and societal impact of Traumatic Brain Injury, and to promote TBI awareness in North America and around the world. If you are interested, please visit the IPRO website here to learn more about their research.