Meet our Team!

Alysha recently graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science Specializing in Psychology and a Science Research Certificate. She previously conducted research in the Alberta Brain and Cognitive Development Lab assessing executive function in preschool aged children and in the Attention Perception and Performance Lab where she focused on finding new ways to mobilize EEG experimentation outside of the laboratory. Alysha also works with youth who have experienced severe trauma, assisting them in overcoming their trauma through therapeutic cognitive processing.

In the NEURO-detect Lab, Alysha's main project is Brainchild. She is working to improve this neuropsychological outcome database to better identify neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents.

Contact Info

Alysha Rajaram
Research Assistant
Email: arajaram@ualberta.ca

Christine is an undergraduate student in the Microbiology and Immunology program at the University of British Columbia. Her first exposure to academic research was through the Heritage Youth Research Summer (HYRS) Program in 2015 at the University of Alberta. There, she worked with Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) to investigate the role of the NANS gene in a rare genetic disease that led to neurological defects and analyzed the eIF4E-3 protein, which interacts with a tumour suppressor protein in the central and peripheral nervous system.

As a current member of the NEURO-detect team, Christine is employing an advanced neuroimaging technique known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to determine if there are microstructural differences in the brains of youth with poor recovery from concussion, and whether these alterations are associated with clinical variables such as post-concussive symptoms and cognitive performance. Christine has received funding through the VI Riddell Pediatric Rehab Program.

Contact Info

Christine Lo
Undergraduate Student
Email: christine.lo@alumni.ubc.ca

Dominique Bonneville is currently completing the final year of her B.A. Honours in Psychology undergraduate degree. Dominique joined the Neuro-Detect lab in May 2016 to work as a research assistant on the Treatment Preferences Survey study. She is now completing her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Brian Brooks and Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen investigating the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of sleep disorders following concussion in youth. Specifically, her project aims to examine the role that personality plays in adolescent's ability to participate in, adhere to and respond to therapy post-concussion. Therefore, this project investigates how personality differences among adolescents with a concussion can either hinder or improve their response to treatment.

Contact Info

Dominique Bonneville
Undergraduate Honours Student
Email: dominique.bonneville@ucalgary.ca

Jeshna is an undergraduate student currently enrolled in the Faculty of Nursing program at the University of Calgary. Jeshna’s first research experience will be in the NEURO-detect lab in which she will be investigating the role of psychosocial functioning on family burden with youth who experience slow recovery from traumatic brain injury. She has received funding from the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE).

Outside of the lab, Jeshna volunteers at the Peter Lougheed hospital as a friendly visitor and tutors’ math to youth. She is also actively engaged at the Shane Homes YMCA where she advocates healthy living.

Contact Info

Jeshna Kumari
Undergraduate Student
Email: jeshna.kumari@ucalgary.ca

Manpreet Sahota is an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Biological Sciences Program, majoring in Plant Biology and minoring in Women Studies at the University of Calgary. Manpreet’s passion for helping vulnerable youth comes from her eye-opening volunteer experience in the Pediatrics unit at Peter Lougheed Centre and her leadership role in UNICEF on Campus, a SU Club that aims to raise funds for disadvantaged children in developing countries.

Outside of the lab, Manpreet has started her term the 2019-2020 SU Faculty of Science Representative, where she plans to advocate for the needs of all science student in her faculty. For recreation, Manpreet can be seen playing badminton, volleyball, basketball, meditating at Sikh temples, spending time with her family or trying to find new ice cream shops in Calgary.

Contact Info

Manpreet Sahota
Undergraduate Student
Email: manpreet.sahota@ucalgary.ca

Maya is an Honours student in the Bachelors of Neuroscience program at the University of Calgary. She joined the NEURO-detect lab in May 2016 and has since worked with many advanced neuroimaging techniques to explore the long-term outcomes from pediatric concussions. Specifically, Maya has used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to explore the long-term differences in white matter microstructure of the corpus callosum in youth who have suffered from concussions. Currently, she is working on a project using arterial spin labelling (ASL), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) to examine the functional differences between males and females long after experiencing a pediatric concussion. Maya has received funding from both Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (AIHS) and the Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP).

Maya is very passionate about mental health advocacy and spends much of her time outside the lab volunteering with the Calgary Distress Centre where she offers support to those going through crisis. She also acts as the president of the Neuroscience Students’ Association at UofC. In her spare time, Maya enjoys spending time with friends, exploring the great outdoors and playing softball.

Contact Info

Maya Sohn
Undergraduate Student
Email: maya.sohn@ucalgary.ca

Payton is an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program, majoring in Biomedical Sciences, at the University of Calgary. Payton’s first research experience will be in the NEURO-detect lab, where her project focuses on sleep disruption in youth who have slow recovery from traumatic brain injury. She has received funding through the Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) in Health and Wellness.

Outside of the lab, Payton volunteers with WeSwim Calgary, a non-profit organization that provides positive one-on-one swimming experiences for children with disabilities. She is also preparing to become an Orientation Leader at the University of Calgary in the fall. For recreation, Payton can be seen playing volleyball, softball, or exploring Calgary and its nearby lakes and mountains.

Contact Info

Payton Sayers
Undergraduate Student
Email: payton.sayers@ucalgary.ca

Shauna is an Undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Neuroscience program at the University of Dalhousie. Since joining the lab in summer 2017, she has been working on a collaborative project with the Sports Injury Prevention Research Centre at the University of Calgary to investigate dizziness in youth with a history of concussion. The aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the nature of dizziness symptoms, functional limitations, balance confidence, and associated rsfMRI findings in youth with persisting symptoms. Outside of the lab, Shauna acts as president of the Dalhousie Science Society and volunteers at St. Vincent’s Nursing home in Halifax during the school year

Contact Info

Shauna Bulman
Undergraduate Student
Email: shauna.bulman@ucalgary.ca

Trevor is an honors thesis student in the Bachelor of Neuroscience program at the University of Calgary. Prior to joining the lab in 2014, he was a student in the Heritage Youth Research Summer (HYRS) Program where he investigated neural plasticity in rodents. Since joining the NEURO-Detect Lab, Trevor has completed several projects examining the effects of concussion in youth using advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and arterial spin labeling (ASL). He has received funding through the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions, and the Integrated Concussion Research Program. 

Outside of the lab Trevor acts as president of Run for Little Ones, a non-profit organization which advocates for pediatric brain injury prevention and development of the neurocritical care unit at the ACH. He is also heavily involved with the undergraduate Neuroscience Students' Association which he serves as the current president. In his spare time, Trevor can be found exploring the Rocky Mountains, or playing volleyball or soccer. 

Contact Info

Trevor Low
Undergraduate Honours Student
Email: talow@ucalgary.ca

Vickie Plourde joined the NEURO-Detect lab in the fall of 2016 as a postdoctoral fellow in Pediatric Neuropsychology, affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine. She received funding support from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, the Cumming School of Medicine, and the Integrated Concussion Research Program (ICRP) at the University of Calgary. Since January 2017, her fellowship is funded by the Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions (Postgraduate Fellowship).

She completed a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a concentration in clinical neuropsychology at the Université Laval, in Quebec City, and an internship in clinical neuropsychology at the CHU Sainte-Justine, mother and child university hospital center, in Montreal. Her doctoral thesis was on the role of genetic and cognitive factors in the associations between ADHD symptoms and reading abilities in childhood and adolescence.

Her research interests consist in using a multidimensional approach to study children and adolescents with ADHD, learning disabilities, or who sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBI), mostly mild- mTBIs. In the area of pediatric mTBI (or concussion), she is interested in studying 1) short and long-term mTBI effects on brain, behavioural, psychological, neuropsychological, and academic functioning; 2) potential modifiers of mTBI outcomes (e.g., pre- post-injury ADHD or learning disabilities); 3) sleep interventions for adolescents with slower recovery from mTBI.

Publications

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Contact Info

Vickie Plourde, Ph.D.
Alberta Children's Hospital, Neurosciences Program, Office C2-122B
2888 Shaganappi Trail NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T3B 6A8
Office Phone: 403-955-5062
Email: vickie.plourde@albertahealthservices.ca
vickie.plourde@ucalgary.ca

A member of the NEURO-detect team since its inception in 2015, Zeanna has helped coordinate many aspects of the study. Prior to joining the lab, Zeanna completed her BSc. in Biological sciences and BSc. in Psychology at the University of Calgary. Zeanna's research has focused on studying risk factors of attention deficits after perinatal stroke, non-invasive brain stimulation (TMS) as a treatment in expressive dysphasia after childhood stroke and the effects of hydrocephalus on perinatal venous ischemic stroke.

Currently completing her MSc. in Neurosciences, Zeanna is studying the use of brain computer interfaces (BCI) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) to improve motor functioning in children with hemiplegia after perinatal stroke. Outside of the lab Zeanna works with the Heart and Stroke Foundation to facilitate support groups for children living with perinatal stroke as well as their parents.

Contact Info

Zeanna Jadavji
Research Assistant
Email:Zeanna.Jadavji@albertahealthservices.ca