Trainees

Name Current Research Supervisor

Alexander Paish
PhD

Alex’s research focuses on examining the effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on upper and lower-limb muscles and nerves. Specifically, Alex aims to determine the impact of COPD on neuromuscular fatigue, neural excitability, and alterations to the corticospinal motor pathway in females and males.

Dr. Chris McNeil and Prof. Neil Eves

Ali Daraei
PhD

As part of the ULTRA team, Ali is investigating the effects of long-term endurance training on immunometabolism. His research focuses on understanding how 12 months of high-volume exercise can impact immune function through metabolic pathways. Ali aims to uncover the specific mechanisms behind exercise-induced adaptations in immune health and explore their potential as therapeutic interventions to improve health outcomes for individuals with various diseases.

Prof. Neil Eves and Dr. Graeme Koelwyn (SFU/HLI)

Andrew Steele
PhD

My research focuses on understanding how the brain regulates oxygen delivery during different physiological stressors. To achieve this, I plan to conduct three studies examining the effects of high altitude, changes in hematocrit, and exercise. These studies aim to uncover the mechanisms behind cerebral oxygen regulation under various conditions, providing comprehensive insights into how the brain maintains its oxygen levels.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Ayechew Getu
PhD

Ayechew is interested in the field of high-altitude physiology, focusing on how genetic factors and prenatal and developmental exposure to high-altitude hypoxia influence physiological responses to acute hypoxic conditions. His research aims to enhance our understanding of how individuals raised or previously exposed to high-altitude environments differ in their physiological responses to acute hypoxia compared to those without such exposure. This work could have significant implications for preventing and managing cardiopulmonary diseases, as well as for developing strategies related to high-altitude activities, including mountaineering and athletic performance.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Bryce Twible
PhD

With an applied approach, Bryce’s research focuses on sport-related neuromuscular function in elite hockey athletes. Specifically, he investigates mechanisms influencing inter-limb asymmetry, the impact of fatigue, and the relationship between neuromuscular function and sport-performance.

Dr. Chris McNeil and Dr. Brian Dalton

Bryony Curry
PhD

Bryony’s research focuses on the evolution of the mammalian heart. Specifically, Bryony is interested in understanding the morphology and function of the great ape heart, to i) support the healthcare of this taxa, and ii) to gain insight into the evolution of the human heart.

Prof. Rob Shave

Camille Galloway
PhD

Camille is interested in atrial fibrillation in athletes and cardiac adaptations in response to exercise.

Prof. Rob Shave

Cassidy Williams
MSc

Cassidy’s research is focused on the effects of chest wall vibration in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Prof. Neil Eves

Courtney Brown
PhD

Courtney’s doctoral studies have focused on physiological adaptations to free-diving. Specifically, she is interested in comparing the phenotypic differences in competitive free-divers, Indigenous diving populations who have been diving for >2000 years, and highly adapted marine mammals. Through this work she aims to better understand how humans are able to adjust to significant physiological stresses both acutely and long term.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Dr. Alex Patrician
Postdoctoral Fellow

Alex’s research focuses on how the human body responds and acclimates to different environmental stresses. From thermal extremes and temperature fluctuations to decreases in oxygen availability, at high altitude or during breath-hold diving. At lululemon, his postdoctoral research utilizes exercise and fluctuating environmental scenarios to better understand the interplay between thermophysiology and thermal perception/behaviour. Another passion of Alex’s is understanding the physiological (and pathophysiological) adaptations that occur in elite breath-hold divers.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Dr. Alexis Marcotte-Chenard
Postdoctoral Fellow

Alexis’s postdoctoral research centers on optimizing the non-pharmaceutical management of type 2 diabetes. Specifically, he uses various exercise modalities, a low-carbohydrate diet, and ketone supplements to reduce traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, he is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and the public through knowledge transfer initiatives.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Dr. Jodie Koep
Postdoctoral Fellow

Jodie’s primary research focusses on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular responses to exercise in children and adolescents, with a specific interest in the and modifying influences of sex, maturation, and fitness. Jodie is running an exercise training intervention supported by the Stober Foundation to determine the feasibility of mobile health technologies for prescribing high intensity workouts in adolescents, and the impacts on fitness and vascular health. She is also leading studies to determine the acute cerebrovascular responses during exercise and acute physiological stressors in children and adolescents compared to adults, to identify the regulatory differences in factors controlling cerebral blood flow in youth, and the healthy developmental trajectories across childhood development.

Prof. Ali McManus

Dr. Madden Brewster
Postdoctoral Fellow

Madden’s research focuses on the regulation and adaptations of the human body when exposed to both natural and human-driven environmental stressors (e.g. pollution, high altitude, diving). Her current postdoctoral fellowship project, supported by WorkSafe BC, aims to assess the effects of wildfire smoke on cardiorespiratory health. She is working alongside the BC Wildfire Service to detect potential cardiorespiratory changes in their crew members across two seasons of wildland firefighting.  As global climate change is predicted to exacerbate future wildfire activity, she hopes to continue this work to develop effective intervention strategies from both an occupational and public health perspective. Madden’s other research interests include high altitude physiology and the mechanisms which contribute to vascular dysfunction and disease in low- and highlander populations as well as the physiology of breath hold diving in elite free divers. Madden is also a research sub-team lead involved in the Lululemon FURTHER project, an all-female ultra-marathon with various physiology-related research initiatives.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Dr. Mathew Debenham
Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Debenham’s postdoctoral studies primarily focus on motor unit health in spinal cord injury patients, with the overall goal of improving patient functional outcomes following nerve transfer surgeries.

Dr. Brian Dalton, Dr. Chris McNeil, and Dr. Michael Berger

Dr. Stephen Wright
Postdoctoral Fellow

Stephen’s research aims to elucidate processes through which the heart, lungs, and vasculature interact, and how their integrated function facilitates or limits exercise capacity. His program spans the health spectrum from athletic and untrained healthy adults to those with chronic heart and/or lung conditions and uses non-invasive and invasive techniques to quantify heart, lung, and vascular function. His postdoctoral work is focused on the impact of breathing mechanics on ventricular function during exercise in older adults. Stephen also serves on the editorial boards for the Canadian Journal of Cardiology & CJC Open.

Prof. Neil Eves

Dr. Tara Fortino
Postdoctoral Fellow

Tara’s research is dedicated to restoring connectivity lost due to spinal cord injury through innovative transplantation techniques aimed at improving sympathetic function. Dr. Fortino’s current work utilizes human induced pluripotent stem cell technology to differentiate cells into specific, excitatory, interneurons for transplantation. This approach aims to restore descending input to sympathetic preganglionic neurons after thoracic spinal cord injury, thereby improving cardiovascular function.

Dr. Chris West

Dr. Tony Dawkins
Postdoctoral Fellow

Tony’s postdoctoral research is centered around cardiovascular remodeling in health and disease. Using non-human primates as a model, one stream of Tony’s postdoctoral research examines how the social environment influences cardiovascular health and aging, and explores the underlying mechanisms, with the ultimate goal of informing human health research. Tony’s program of research also builds upon his graduate work to further examine the acute and chronic cardiovascular adaptations response to exercise, with a particular interest in the right ventricle, heart-lung interactions, and functional capacity.

Prof. Rob Shave

Ella Harness
MSc

After taking many metabolism focused courses throughout her undergrad, she chose to join EMIL to learn more about the implications of lifestyle within metabolic diseases.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Eric Bennett
MSc

Eric’s MSc study will focus on the effect of normobaric hypoxia and different postural demands on cortical and spinal excitability. Specifically, how excitability changes standing as compared to sitting. 

Dr. Brian Dalton

Garett Jackson
PhD

Garett’s masters research focused on changes in immune cell recruitment and mobilization in response to acute submaximal aerobic exercise in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, the response of these cells to an updated physical activity guidelines exercise bout for individuals living with both paraplegia and tetraplegia. Garett’s PhD work involves exploring and characterizing extracellular vesicle phenotype, size, concentration, and micro-RNA content in individuals with respect to sex differences, in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and whether these can be altered using chronic exercise in healthy young adults.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Jake Winkler
PhD

Jake is currently investigating the impact of nutritional interventions on Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) remission and immune cell function. In particular, he is looking at the preference for either a low-calorie or low-carbohydrate diet for T2D remission in a year long patient-centred, community-led implementation trial in BC’s Interior region. He will look at immune cell function before and after the intervention to understand how the immune system responds to real-world dietary changes and medication deprescription.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Jiawen Lim
MSc

Jiawen’s MSc study is focused on heart-lung interactions and she is looking specifically at the the effects of lung volume on central hemodynamics of the heart.

Prof. Neil Eves

Julia Hansen
MSc

Julia’s research is focused on using neural precursors unique to the central nervous system to regenerate axons after spinal cord injury. This research aims to utilize a cellular bridge to restore connectivity and improve cardiovascular function after spinal cord injury.

Dr. Chris West

Julian Jongkind
MSc

Julian’s passion for science lead him to graduate Queen’s University with a BHSc in 2024 at the age of 19. His other passions include classical piano, violin, and chess.

Dr. Chris West

Justin Monteleone
MSc

I am interested in the brain and exercise.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Kate Sansum
PhD

Kate is interested in investigating how physical activity, sedentary time and exercise influence vascular health in children and adolescents. Her first study, supported by NASPEM’s Marco Cabrera Student Research Award, is investigating the effect of 1 hour of sitting on lower limb vascular function in children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, she is involved with an exercise training study to determine the feasibility of using mobile health technologies for training adolescents, and the impact this could have on fitness and vascular health. Finally, she is working on a project investigating the acute cerebrovascular responses to exercise and hypercapnia in children and adolescents, compared to adults.

Prof. Ali McManus

Katherine Taylor
MSc

Katherine’s research includes applying blood flow restriction to the lower limbs to identify the muscle metaboreflex during dynamic exercise. Specifically, looking at how this system responds to incremental exercise at high-altitude and its difference between females and males.

Prof. Glen Foster

Kyla Coates
PhD

Kyla’s current research aims to explore alternative therapies to improve health and exercise tolerance in clinical populations that are limited in their ability to exercise. Her thesis projects use passive heat therapy to improve cardiovascular health and exercise tolerance in people with chronic lung disease. On the side, she is investigating the time-course and magnitude of vascular adaptation that can occur from a year of long-distance triathlon training.  

Prof. Neil Eves

Lauren Maier
PhD

Lauren is interested in how the brain responds to a lack of oxygen, both in healthy humans exposed to high altitudes and in clinical models of hypoxic brain injury from disrupted blood flow (e.g., heart attack). Her PhD will explore sex differences in the response and recovery to brain hypoxia. Current understandings and treatments are largely based off research in males, which can lead to ineffective care for females. Lauren hopes to expand this knowledge to improve outcomes and explore potential mechanisms underpinning sex differences in brain physiology. Lauren is also involved in research at Vancouver General Hospital to describe the physiology of circulatory arrest, which may have important implications for organ donation research.

Prof. Phil Ainslie and Dr. Mypinder Sekhon

Liam Stewart
PhD

Liam is focused on applied exercise physiology, with his PhD thesis aimed at characterizing the physiological adaptations that occur during a year of triathlon training in exercise-naïve individuals. His research will provide critical insights into how coordinated adaptations across multiple physiological systems enhance exercise performance. In addition to his research, Liam is committed to teaching and aims to foster a strong interest in exercise physiology among the next generation of scientists and practitioners.

Prof. Neil Eves

Liisa Wainman
PhD

Liisa’s research interests include exercise and therapeutics for autonomic function in neurological disease. Her doctoral work aims to characterize the effects of acute intermittent hypoxia exposure on cardiovascular function in high-thoracic and cervical spinal cord injury.

Dr. Chris West

Maddie Coyle
MSc

Maddie’s research interests include studying sex-based differences in respiratory physiology, specifically in diaphragmatic perfusion. Her research will focus on diaphragm blood flow changes during exercise, and how these changes differ between males and females.

Prof. Glen Foster

Mary Fossey
PhD

Mary’s research focuses on the effects of spinal cord injury on the heart on a physiological-to-molecular spectrum. Currently, Mary is more specifically investigating the effects of spinal cord injury on the heart transcriptome and testing the efficacy of emergent cardiovascular therapies on modulating cardiac gene expression.

Dr. Chris West

Mina Kafashi
PhD

Mina’s doctoral research focuses on examining mesenteric vasculature autoregulation in naive and animal models with high-thoracic spinal cord injury. She investigates the role of the sympathetic nervous system in this process, as well as the interplay between the sympathetic nervous system, vascular resistance, conductance, and transduction. In the next phase, she will explore how hypoxia and hypercapnia impact these parameters in vivo and in vitro.

Dr. Chris West

Nadia Navarro
MSc

Nadia’s research interest includes investigating the diaphragm blood flow using contrast-enhanced ultrasound at different works of breathing. Potentially, these findings could be translated into clinical practice when treating patients with mechanic ventilation. Moreover, she is also interested in the effect of intermittent hypoxia and neural adaptation in spinal cord injury patients and its implications in the cardiovascular system as well as the physiological response to exercise at high altitude.

Prof. Glen Foster

Nina Geerts
MSc

Nina is interested in cerebral blood flow regulation and the mechanisms governing the central release of BDNF with exercise.

Prof. Phil Ainslie

Noah Pemberton
MSc

Noah’s research interests look toward investigating the effects of stretching on neuromuscular function and performance, and has a special interest in how this research can be applied in a sports science environment.

Dr. Chris McNeil

Paige Copeland
PhD

Paige’s PhD studies will focus on the effect of acute cannabis use on various facets of sensorimotor and cognitive activity. Further, she will focus on how these cannabis-induced effects may impact humans during different functional contexts, including fatigue and standing balance.

Dr. Brian Dalton and Dr. Chris McNeil

Phuong (Lisa) Ha
PhD

Lisa’s primary research focuses on the effects of high velocity contractions and postural demand on cortical and spinal excitability in males and females. She aims to examine fatigue-induced mechanisms on potential sex-related differences, and eventually hopes to extend her research across age groups. 

Dr. Brian Dalton

Quinn Malone
PhD

Quinn’s research interests include the effects of acute cannabis intoxication on human movement, the effects of dual tasking on balance control, sensorimotor integration, and the cognitive determinants of movement. He has also worked on determining the efficacy of various conservative approaches to treating chronic back pain, improving our understanding of the sensorimotor contributions to spinal manipulative thrust delivery, and is also proficient at computer programming.

Dr. Brian Dalton and Dr. Chris McNeil

Roderick Sandilands
MSc

Roddie’s research primarily focuses on the feasibility and efficacy of integrating brief movement breaks (termed exercise “snacks”) into real-world settings. More specifically, he is interested in the acute and chronic effects of exercise snacks on glucose control, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour among individuals living with type 2 diabetes.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Scott Thrall
PhD

Scott’s research examines how our autonomic nervous system responds and adapts when repeatedly exposed to low oxygen. By mapping changes in autonomic regulation through measurements of peripheral nerve activity and the function of the heart, lungs and vasculature, his PhD aims to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of hypertension in sleep apnea, as well as exploring the therapeutic potential of hypoxia and neural adaptation in spinal cord injury to translate to improvements in patient cardiovascular outcomes.

Prof. Glen Foster

Seth McCarthy
Postdoctoral Fellow

The focus of Seth’s postdoctoral research will be two-fold: 1) to determine the feasibility of real-world exercise snacks to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health in adults living with obesity; and 2) determine the impact of exercise intensity, pattern, and type on anti-inflammatory responses to exercise training.

Prof. Jonathan Little and Dr. Hashim Islam

Spencer Ursel
MSc

Spencer’s MSc research will examine how exercise, body composition, and dietary interventions impact the immune system and metabolic health. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how lifestyle factors collectively influence mitochondria, and consequently, overall metabolic function. This research could have significant implications for developing interventions tailored to enhance mitochondrial function, potentially aiding in the prevention and management of metabolic disorders.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Tasha Reiter
MSc

Since graduation she has been heavily involved in the exercise training world while gaining experience in the Shave Lab and joining the ULTRA study.

Prof. Rob Shave

Tori Bouck
MSc

Tori’s MSc research involves a pilot study exploring the efficacy and feasibility of an exercise training intervention consisting of brief, isolated bouts of vigorous exercise (“exercise snacks”) among individuals living with type 2 diabetes.

Prof. Jonathan Little

Yuan Ji
MSc

Yuan’s master’s research will explore the impact of low-calorie and low-carbohydrate diets on type 2 diabetes remission.

Prof. Jonathan Little