Phillips Lab Team

Dr. Kelly Larkin-Kaiser, PhD

Dr. Kelly Larkin-Kaiser is currently an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and the Associate Director of the RESTORE Network at the University of Calgary. Dr. Larkin-Kaiser holds a PhD from the University of Florida in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and completed her Postdoctoral training at the University of Calgary in the Faculty of Kinesiology. Her training focused on investigating the functional and phenotypic neuromuscular adaptations that occur in response to injury, aging, and disease in both pre-clinical and clinical models. Dr. Larkin-Kaiser continues to be passionate about research endeavors centred around studying and implementing novel neurorehabilitation technology that ultimately improves patient care.

Dr. Audrey Simon, PhD

Audrey Simon is currently a Research Associate/Lab Manager in the Phillips Lab at the University of Calgary. Audrey completed a PhD at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization investigating bovine immune responses in the presence of Shiga-like Toxin 2 produced by E. coli O157:H7 through various vaccine trials and a bovine ligated-loop model. After her PhD, she did a brief postdoc at the University of Calgary characterizing the role of the enteric hormone GLP-2 in Crohn's patients. Audrey is actively involved with the mechanistic group within the Phillips lab coordinating day-to-day operations, ensuring smooth workflow and efficient resource utilization. Audrey brings a unique skill set and knowledge base to the Phillips lab ultimately striving to make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals living with spinal cord injuries.

Van Phuc Tan Le, BSc

Tan is currently a software developer in the RESTORE Network and Phillips Lab at the University of Calgary. He supports the development of software platforms, that help to improve the life of spinal cord injuries. He has two years of experience developing web and mobile applications. Continuing on growing and gaining in software, he hopes to work on building helpful software for healthcare in particular, and for the world in general.

Kamalpreet (Kam) Mundi, BSc

Kam is currently a software developer who works very closely with the Phillips Lab and RESTORE Network at the University of Calgary to help develop desirable software applications. Coming from a technological and human-centric design background, he continues developing and contributing to innovative solutions with the aim of providing further assistance as well as a better way to understand those dealing with spinal cord injuries. He completed his BSc in Computer Science with a specialization in Computer Graphics at the University of Calgary. Kam is looking forward to continuing work alongside the remarkable associates from the Phillips Lab and RESTORE Network.

Chih-Kai Chang MSc.

Chih-Kai is passionate and detail-oriented Research Technician specialized in preclinical small animal surgery. My surgical skills include parabiosis, myocardial infraction, spinal cord injury, laminectomy, craniotomy, spinal cord nano-injection, BP catheter cannulation, small animal physiology recording/ BP/ MAP/ HR / via AD instruments, Post-surgery care & monitoring.

Nathalie N. Mayah, BSc

Nathalie is a Backend DevOps Developer in the RESTORE Network and Phillips Lab at the University of Calgary. She ensures the software platform adheres to AWS best practices while contributing to projects that improve the lives of individuals with spinal cord injuries. Specializing in cloud security, automation, and CI/CD pipeline development, she focuses on building secure, scalable, and efficient cloud infrastructure. Her expertise in cloud platforms and DevOps best practices ensures reliability, compliance, and performance optimization in all her projects.

Dr. Jordan Squair, PhD, MD Student

Jordan is a translational neurophysiologist with specific interest in understanding sympathetic-cardiovascular control. He has gained experience and training using both preclinical and clinical models of research to translate his findings directly into the human reality. Jordan also deploys a number of computational approaches to better understand data and harness large data-sets. Recipient of the Banting Fellowship, Killam Fellowship, and Alberta Innovates Fellowship.

Dr. Wenbin Yang, PhD

Wenbin completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research and the University of Basel, where he studied memory formation in Drosophila, identifying distinct dopamine circuits for true and false memories. His postdoctoral research in the Phillips Lab at the University of Calgary investigates neurovascular coupling in spinal cord injury, using two-photon imaging to study blood flow and neural activity in the spinal cord. Wenbin aims to uncover mechanisms underlying CO₂-induced vasodilation and astrocyte-neuron interactions, with a translational focus on improving recovery after spinal cord injury. Recipient of the Eyes High Postdoc Fellowship.

Dr. Jordan Lee, PhD

Jordan completed his PhD at the University of Guelph, studying how the sympathetic nervous system regulates cardiovascular function during exercise in humans. His research in the Phillips lab will use preclinical animal models to investigate whether spinal cord stimulation can cause neuroplasticity and repair of sympathetic neurocircuitry controlling blood pressure following spinal cord injury. In the clinical setting, Jordan will also investigate whether long-term spinal cord stimulation can restore sympathetic control of blood pressure in people with spinal cord injury.
Recipient of Libin Fellowship, Brain Create Fellowship and Alberta Innovates Fellowship

Dr. Saqib Saleem, PhD

Dr. Saqib Saleem is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Calgary with Dr. Aaron Phillips. He holds a PhD from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in Biomedical Engineering. He has also been working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Otago, New Zealand. His research specialization lies in the development of advanced statistical and computational signal-processing techniques for analyzing human physiological datasets.

Dr. Jacquie Baker, PhD

Jacquie is a Postdoctoral Fellow with a research focus in cardiovascular autonomic disorders. Prior to starting her fellowship, Jacquie completed her PhD at the University of Western Ontario studying brain autonomic network impairments in patients with orthostatic hypotension. Her current research integrates baroreflex and chemoreflex interactions as a method to the investigate underlying pathophysiology in cardiovascular autonomic disorders, and to test novel therapies geared toward improving blood pressure and heart health. To amplify the translational facets of her research, Jacquie is acquiring expertise using pre-clinical research techniques tailored to her overarching goal of advancing cardiovascular health. Recipient of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Canadian Cardiovascular Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Libin Cardiovascular Postdoctoral Fellowship in Women’s Cardiovascular Health, an NSERC Brain Create Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the Royal Society of Canada’s Alice Wilson award given to an outstanding female entering a career in research.

Donovan Smith, MSc

Donovan completed his BSc (Hons) in Biomechanics at the University of Calgary in 2019, where his research project helped develop a computer model of rabbit tibiae that could predict failure under mechanical loading. During his BSc, he developed a keen interest in neuroscience, and chose to pursue his MSc in Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Calgary. For his thesis, Donovan examined ipsilesional arm impairments in subacute stroke survivors, quantifying motor impairments and the factors that influenced them. After defending his thesis in January 2022, he started his PhD in Clinical Neuroscience in the Phillips Lab. Donovan is currently involved with both the preclinical and clinical aspects of the lab, with the overarching theme of his work being the restoration of blood pressure stability following spinal cord injury through novel technologies. Recipient of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Scholarship, NSERC Brain CREATE - PhD Funding, and Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship.

Ryan Miller, MSc

Ryan is a graduate of the Sensorimotor Neuroscience specialization (MSc) from the University of Calgary. In the Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab, his research focused on how the nervous system adapts to unpredictable environments. Ryan used state of the art robotics technology, augmented reality, electrophysiological and metabolic measuring systems throughout his projects. He is now a doctoral researcher at the Phillips Lab. The goal of Ryan's current work is to develop technologies that restore blood pressure responses and motor function in individuals living with spinal cord injury. Recipient of SCNIP, NSERC, CGS-m, AGES, Kertland Family Doctoral, NSERC-CREATE Brain Create scholarships, Biomedical Engineering Excellence Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Scholarship, and Spinal Cord, Nerve Injury & Pain Graduate Scholarship.

Alex Wang, BSc.

Alex graduated from the Chemical Biology co-op program at McMaster University. He has a background in synthetic chemistry and nanoparticle delivery to solid tumors. Prior to joining the Phillips Lab, Alex worked as an imaging technician at the STTARR Innovation Centre, within the University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario. Currently, his research focuses on sympathetic modulation to improve cardiovascular outcomes.
Recipient of the Distinguished Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship.

Julien Rimok, BEng, MSc

Julien is passionate about finding ways to improve the well-being of people with spinal cord injuries. Coming from a background in engineering, neuroscience, and data science, he hopes to combine knowledge from these fields to develop novel technologies, which leverage brain-computer interfaces, to help those with spinal cord injuries regain autonomy in their daily lives. Recipient of the Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CIHR).

Arjun Shyam, BSc

Prior to pursuing the BME Graduate Program at the University of Calgary, Arjun graduated with a BS degree in Biomedical Engineering from San José State University (SJSU). As part of his undergraduate capstone project, he optimized the design of a paper microfluidic device for the colorimetric assay of serum creatinine. During his senior year at SJSU, he moonlighted as an intern at a medical device startup called Simple HealthKit (SHK). Arjun is eager to collaborate with his peers and mentors at the Phillips Lab and develop disruptive medical devices that enhance the quality of life for patients suffering from spinal cord injuries. Recipient of the HBI Brain CREATE Graduate Award.

Meagan Smith, BSc

Meagan holds a BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience from the University of Winnipeg and completed her Honours thesis in the Biomechanics of Balance and Mobility Lab at the University of Manitoba. Meagan is passionate about improving the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries and aims to develop innovative solutions that align with their healthcare priorities. Meagan works within both the preclinical and clinical divisions of the Phillips Lab and coordinates the HEMO Trial, a pioneering study aimed at addressing hemodynamic instability in individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries. Meagan’s work is driven by a strong commitment to translating scientific discoveries into meaningful improvements in patient quality of life. Recipient of the CIHR-Canada Graduate Scholarship, Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship, and the Spinal Cord, Nerve Injury, & Pain Graduate Award.

Omar Hassan

Omar is a third-year undergraduate student in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary. His interest in finding treatments for patients facing neurological injuries compelled him to join the Phillips Lab. He strives to further his understanding of cardiovascular physiology, neuroscience, and research methods. In the Phillips Lab this summer, Omar is investigating the complex interaction of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, to help discover treatments for people living with spinal cord injuries. Omar is grateful for the opportunity to work with the skilled and dedicated Phillips Lab team.

Rafael Sanguinetti, BHSc (Honours), MD Student

Rafael is a medical student at the University of Calgary. He joined the Phillips Lab in 2019 as a volunteer research assistant and has since gained a strong passion for neuroscience, cardiovascular science, and clinical research. During his time in the Phillips Lab, Rafael has completed three undergraduate summer studentship projects and defended his honours thesis in 2023—where he explored the optogenetic treatment of neurogenic shock following a spinal cord injury. He has gained extensive research skills and opportunities to participate in multidisciplinary work. Two-time recipient of the O’Brien Centre Summer Studentship Award.

Holly Hnatiuk

Holly completed her BSc in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary in 2023. She is currently a medical student at the University of Calgary. Through her studies, she gained a passion for neurotechnology and spinal cord injury research, and she was thrilled to have the opportunity to explore these interests in the Phillips Lab as a summer student. Holly also completed her undergraduate honors thesis in 2023, where she investigated the neuron subpopulations involved in blood pressure regulation. She has greatly enjoyed working with and learning from the members of the Phillips Lab team.

Ashish Chiluveri

Ashish is a third-year undergraduate student in Exercise and Health Physiology at the University of Calgary. His interest in the cardiovascular effects of spinal cord injury led him to join the Phillips Lab as a volunteer research assistant in 2023. Since then, he has developed a strong passion for exploring the intricate connections between the neurological and cardiovascular systems. This summer, Ashish will be investigating the morphological changes of the heart in response to spinal cord injury. He is grateful for the opportunity to expand his research skills and collaborate with the Phillips Lab team. Recipient of the BrainCreate Undergraduate Summer Studentship Award.

Marcus Tso, MSc

Marcus Tso is currently a medical student at the University of Calgary and was a Research Associate in the RESTORE Network. His previous training focused on lymphatics, skin inflammation, and immunofluorescent microscopy. Marcus completed an MSc in the Phillips lab, pioneering the development of a novel close-loop electrical and optogenetic stimulation system for controlling blood pressure in real-time following acute spinal cord injury. Recipient of NSERC BRAIN CREATE Scholarship, UCalgary Graduate Studies Scholarship, FGS Master's Research Scholarship, and CIHR Canadian Graduate Scholarship.

Dr. Anthony Incognito, PhD

Anthony was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary with Dr. Aaron Phillips and is currently an Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Prior to joining the Phillips Lab, he completed his PhD at the University of Guelph and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary with Dr. Richard Wilson and Dr. Keith Sharkey. His research focuses on understanding how the baroreflexes and chemoreflexes work to maintain blood pressure and blood chemical status within optimal levels, and how these reflexes can become impaired in disease states. The end goal is to develop new clinical therapies aimed at restoring autonomic reflex function in hopes to improve functional outcomes and quality of life in affected patients. Recipient of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Dr. Elaine Soriano, PhD

Elaine's immediate research interest is to develop neurotechnological solutions for autonomic dysfunction following spinal cord injury. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne with Dr. Gregoire Courtine. In addition to her involvement in clinical studies, Elaine also executes preclinical experiments that involve understanding the mechanisms of epidural stimulation and harnessing this knowledge to develop next-generation neuroprosthetic. Elaine was awarded the Governor General's Gold Medal for her outstanding academic achievements at the graduate level at the University of Calgary. Recipient of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Scholarship, Libin Scholarship, Mitacs Globalink and Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship.

Kira Grewal

Kira completed her Master’s in Neuroscience in the Phillips Lab after having completed her combined degree program (CMMB & Sociology) in the spring of 2021. Her research interests lie in understanding how epidural electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can control blood pressure. The Phillips Lab has developed a new medical therapy known as the “neuroprosthetic baroreflex” which stabilizes blood pressure in people with spinal cord injury.