Lab Members

Lindsay Nagamatsu

Director

Biography: Dr. Lindsay Nagamatsu the Director of the Exercise, Mobility, and Brain Health Lab. She is currently an Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging. Her research program aims to transform and improve the health, well-being, and lived experience of older adults across Canada and beyond through lifestyle interventions that improve brain health, reduce dementia risk, and increase quality of life for our aging population. With a background in cognitive psychology, her expertise includes neuropsychological assessment in older adults and neuroimaging data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation (e.g., EEG, MRI). If interested in graduate student supervision, please email Dr. Nagamatsu at lindsay.nagamatsu@uwo.ca with your CV and unofficial transcripts.

Michelle Wong

PhD Student

Biography: Michelle Wong is currently a fourth-year PhD Candidate at Western University in the Kinesiology (Integrative Biosciences) program. Her research interests include exercise, cognition, mood, falls risk, and brain health using neuroimaging techniques. Her doctoral work investigates the relationship between falls and executive function in older adults using resting state EEG. Michelle is also currently a Researcher with Critical Care Western at LHSC, working with physicians and critical care fellows on clinical trials in the critically ill population. Outside of research, she enjoys weight-lifting, lemon pastries, and spends her downtime reading in the presence of her three cats.

Olivia Ghosh-Swaby

PhD Student

Biography: Olivia Ghosh-Swaby is a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar and currently completing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (SSMD), Western University. Her research interests include the impact of diet and metabolism on memory in obesity and whether exercise and anti-diabetic drugs can boost neuroplasticity and cognition. She is an advocate and public speaker for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in STEM and university athletics, speaking on the topic in over 15 news articles and 4 major speaking events. She is an executive member of the Schulich EDI Committees, and is a former graduate representative for the Neuroscience Graduate Program and the Robarts Association of Trainees. Outside of academia, she manages and operates the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Association and sits on Football Canada’s Diversity Task Force for women and BIPOC athletes. She has a unique student-athlete perspective that has allowed her to champion various initiatives on the student and athlete life for underrepresented groups.

Samantha Marshall

MSc Student

Biography: Sam is a second year MSc student in Kinesiology (Integrative Biosciences). She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BSc in Health Studies and minors in Gerontology and Psychology. Her master’s research utilizes mobile electroencephalography (EEG) to examine brain activity in real-world environments across younger adults, older adults (with and without a history of falls), and older adults diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. For her master’s work, Sam received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and a Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship in collaboration with the Parkinson Society of Southwestern Ontario. Sam will continue her education under Dr. Nagamatsu as a PhD student beginning Fall 2023.

Gianna Jeyarajan

MSc Student

Biography: Gianna is a first year MSc in Kinesiology (Integrative Biosciences) student. She graduated from McMaster University with a BSc in Life Sciences with a specialization in Sensory Motor Systems and a minor in Psychology. Her master’s research investigates cerebral hemodynamic and executive function changes in pregnant individuals in response to acute exercise. Fun fact: My favourite country that I’ve visited is Australia.

Jennifer Hanna Al-Shaikh

MSc Student

Biography: Jennifer is a first year MSc student in the Neuroscience graduate program who graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with an undergraduate degree in psychology, and minors in biology and sociology. Her research primarily focuses on investigating the associations between type 2 diabetes risk factors, hippocampal subfields, and executive function in older adults using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fun fact: In my spare time, I enjoy playing sports such as archery, tennis, and beach volleyball.

Raphael Gabiazon

MSc Student

Biography: Raphael is a first year MSc student in Neuroscience. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a BA Honours in Kinesiology. His master’s research examines the relationship between self-efficacy and memory performance while investigating relevant brain activations in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Raphael first got involved with the Exercise, Mobility, and Brain Health Lab during his Undergraduate Student Research Internship (USRI) in the summer of 2022 and has continued since. Fun fact: I enjoy most physical activities, reading, food trips, and outdoor hiking when in Vancouver!

Kabir Sodhi

Undergraduate Student

Biography: Kabir is a recent graduate of a BA (Honours) in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario. His undergraduate research examines the effects of acute exercise on cognitive abilities in younger adults within the Western community, under the supervision of Dr. Lindsay Nagamatsu. Through his initiative to promote this project, he has received the 1st place oral presentation award for the Western Student Research Conference 2023. Outside of the lab, he has been a music producer for the past five years and enjoys health promotion.

Miyu Takada Lien

USRI Summer Student

Biography: Miyu, a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Western Ontario, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with a specialization in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Awarded the Undergraduate Student Research Internship (USRI), she investigates the relationship between cortical thickness and diabetes in older adults, employing surface-based morphometry techniques, including FreeSurfer. Outside of the lab, she loves yoga, going on hikes, and exploring new countries!

Mausam Vadakkayil

NSERC USRA Summer Student

Biography: Mausam is a recent graduate of the Health Studies program (BHSc) from the University of Western Ontario, with an honours specialization in Health Sciences and minor in Bioinformatics. She is one of three recipients of the NSERC USRA award (2023) in the Faculty of Health Sciences; her research within the Exercise, Mobility, and Brain Health Lab focuses on investigating the association between cortical thickness and diabetes in older adults using surface-based morphometry methods. Fun fact: I’ve visited 13 countries (and counting!)