Hayden Peel
Postdoctoral Fellow
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Hayden Peel joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow in January 2024. He received his PhD in Visual Cognitive Neuroscience from La Trobe University, Australia, where he examined the neural and cognitive mechanisms of ‘form’ processing and its contribution to visual perception. Most notably, he did extensive work on the rare syndrome visual form agnosia. He seeks to further investigate these mechanisms and how they relate to perceptual distortions in other disorders of perception. In his spare time, he likes to climb boulders, explore, and play chess.
Darren Liang
Laboratory Manager
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Darren Liang joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in September 2022. He received his B.Sc. in psychology from the University of Toronto and the later M.Sc. from Western University. His work has varied in academia and industry spanning clinical research, statistics, and working with various neuroimaging techniques. Currently he is supporting the research at the Brain, Body and Perception Lab through administrative and project management. In his spare time, Darren enjoys exploring new places and keeping up with current events.
Jessica Qian
Research Analyst
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Jessica Qian joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Analyst in September 2023. She received her Bachelor of Health Sciences Degree from McMaster University and her Master of Science in Medical Science at the University of Toronto, with a background in genetic and neuroimaging techniques. Her primary research interests include neurobiological pathways involved in perceptional and attentional differences in BDD, as well as novel pharmaceutical options in psychiatry. Outside of her research, Jessica enjoys cooking, playing volleyball, and exploring the city with family and friends.
Katalin Groe
Research Assistant 2
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Katalin Groe joined the Brain, Body and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Assistant 2 in June 2024. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from University of Toronto, specializing in Psychological and Health Sciences. Broadly, she is interested in research that aims to advance our understanding of mental health disorders in order to improve clinical outcomes. This has led her to support a variety of research projects, including assessing the efficacy of brain stimulation treatments for individuals with Alzheimer’s and depression, as well as exploring emotional/psychological symptom assessment and management in solid organ transplant recipients. Currently, she is excited to explore how abnormal perceptual processing may play a role in Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), in order to lay the groundwork for future clinical studies to test perceptual training as a potential treatment for BDD. In her spare time, Katalin enjoys reading fantasy novels, hiking, dancing, and playing the guitar.
Joel Diaz
Doctoral Student
University of Toronto
Joel Diaz is a PhD student in Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. He graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Psychology and received his Master's in Data Science from Lewis University. Before joining CAMH as a practicum student, he worked as a Research Associate at the University of California-Los Angeles. He managed projects on topics such as the neural oscillatory mechanism of attention, value-based decision-making, and brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. His research interests are broad, but his focus is on psychophysiological measures and neuromodulation techniques in the study of attentional and perceptual processes.
Akansha Naraindas
Visiting PhD Student
University College Dublin
Akansha Naraindas completed her BSc in Psychology at Durham University in 2019, followed by an MSc in Mental Health from Kings College London in 2020. Her research interests surround body representation and cognitive neuroscience, particularly within psychiatric populations. Her current research looks at body based mental imagery and its relationship to body image disturbance and interoceptive awareness from early to late adulthood. She is especially fascinated by the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in spatial cognition research and its remarkable potential to investigate unique sensory bodily experiences within experimental contexts. She also has a strong interest in the translational potential of VR within clinical health especially surrounding psychiatric care.
Qian Liu
Visiting PhD Student
Central South University
Qian Liu joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab as a visiting student in January 2024. She is currently in her 4th year of pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, China, dedicated to researching the neural and psychological mechanism of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Qian Liu is currently focusing on the role of habenula in the pathological mechanism of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In her spare time, Qian enjoys dancing, drawing, traveling and photography.
Hayah Siddiqui
Research Co-op Student
University of Toronto
Hayah joined the Brain, Body and Perception Lab as a Research Student in 2024. She is completing her BSc in Psychological and Health Sciences at UTSC, and is passionate about pursuing clinical psychology and exploring various neuroimaging techniques. Previously, her research has focused on the use of virtual reality, as well as the comorbidity of personality and substance use disorders. During her free time, she likes to bake, hang out with her cat Kobe, and read every psychological thriller out there.
Victoria Gracie
Student
University of Toronto
Victoria Gracie is a Bachelor of Science student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double specialist in Psychology and Exceptionality in Human Learning. Her experience with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) has led her academic interests to focus on the etiology, neurobiological impacts, and treatment of BDD. She is also interested in best practices for supporting children with BDD in school systems. Victoria additionally volunteers with the BDD Foundation and the International OCD Foundation to raise awareness about BDD in the media. In her free time, Victoria enjoys modeling for charity fashion shows, writing essays for publications, and going on hikes with her rescue dogs.
Nikita Yang
Student
University of Toronto
Nikita Yang joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a ROP Research Student in September 2024 as a third-year student pursuing a specialist in Psychology and a major in Neuroscience. She is interested in conducting research related to mental health disorders and was drawn to learning more about Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa due to her experience with toxic ballet culture which imposes unrealistic expectations on body image. In her free time, she enjoys dancing in a variety of styles, boxing, and cooking.
Rena Xu
Student
University of Toronto
Rena Xu joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH in September 2024. She is currently a Bachelors of Science Student at the University of Toronto pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Pharmacology. During her studies, she has developed an interest in investigating the pathogenesis of various neurological conditions. Her current research interests include using neuroimaging to better understand the neurobiological processes underlying psychiatric disorders. In her free time, Rena enjoys cooking, drawing, and going on nature hikes.
Wan-wa (Angel) Wong
Former Project Scientist
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Wan-wa (Angel) Wong joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in December 2021. She received her BSc and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. During her undergraduate and postgraduate studies, she actively participated in overseas internships in the Johns Hopkins University and the Massachusetts General Hospital. After completing her PhD study, she joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a Postdoctoral Fellow. She later joined Dr. Feusner’s lab in the University of California Los Angeles as an Assistant Project Scientist. Her research interests include cognitive neuroscience, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography and neuromodulation studies.
René Seiger
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
René Seiger joined the Brain, Body and Perception Lab at CAMH as a postdoctoral research fellow in November 2021. He received his PhD in Clinical Neurosciences from the Medical University of Vienna and in 2020 he joined the Karolinska Institute as a postdoctoral researcher. He utilizes structural and functional neuroimaging techniques and is currently working on projects related to gender identity and body perception as well as anorexia nervosa and anxiety/reward processing.
Sohom Dey
Former Doctoral Student
University of Toronto
Sohom Dey is a PhD student at the Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto. He received his BTech in Computer Science and System Engineering from KIIT University, India. Before joining UofT he worked as a Computer Vision Engineer at Claritas HealthTech, Singapore. While artificial intelligence and medical image analysis has been the main focus of his research, his interest in neuroscience developed from his research experiences at multiple research labs including Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Institute of Computational Biology at Helmholtz Zentrum München and McGill University. He has had many hobbies during different phases of his life, including martial arts, swimming, working out, playing guitar and few others. He loves travelling and is always down for weekend getaways!
Mara Derissen
Former Visiting Master’s Student
Maastricht University
Mara Derissen is a visiting master’s student from Maastricht University, Netherlands. She graduated from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, with a BS in psychology and is currently completing her master thesis and a research internship at the BBP lab. Her main research interest is to help improve our knowledge of neural and behavioural factors involved in maintaining psychiatric disorders. She is specifically interested in reward processing and anxiety perception in anorexia nervosa.
Alexis Strazds
Former Research Coordinator
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Alexis Strazds joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab as a Research Analyst in April 2022. She received a M.A. in Social & Personality Psychology at York University. Her academic work has focused on transgender-inclusive research methods and gender psychometrics. She is interested in statistics, programming, and data management. In her spare time, Alexis can be found cooking, playing board games, or thinking about fictional sports.
Elnathan Mesfin
Former Research Analyst
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Elnathan Mesfin joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Analyst in August 2021. She received her MSc. in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and her MSc. in Global Health from McMaster University. In addition to her broad research interests, she enjoys traveling, going for long walks with her two dogs, trying to learn how to play the piano, and watching Formula 1.
Khadija Hammawa
Former Research Analyst
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Khadija Hammawa joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Analyst in January 2022. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Toronto, double majoring in Neuroscience & Psychology. Throughout university, Khadija had her sites set on Medical School but later realized she had a great passion for innovation & bioengineering. Naturally, she took a strong interest in biotechnologies and healthcare informatics. Her main research interests are to understand how AI and Machine Learning models can be applied to neuroimaging to identify and possibly predict indicators of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Besides her newfound love for programming Khadija enjoys many hobbies including reading, traveling, weightlifting, fashion, and gaming.
Sameena Karsan
Former Research Analyst
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Sameena Karsan joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Analyst in February 2023. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from McMaster University, majoring in Kinesiology. Her academic and research work previously focused on the comorbidity of mental illness in individuals with ADHD and how mindfulness techniques can improve post-graduate mental health. She is interested in data sciences and how data can be leveraged to predict behaviours. Aside from her research interests, Sameena enjoys travelling, playing volleyball, and finding a good book!
Rutva Master
Former Research Analyst
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Rutva Master joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Analyst in May 2024. She received her Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree and her Master of Science in Neuroscience from Western University, with a background in fetal neuroimaging and functional connectivity analysis of the fetal language network. Her research interests include analyzing neuroimaging and behavioral data involved in perceptual and attentional differences in BDD and AN. Outside of research, Rutva loves to play volleyball, squash, swim, and travel!
Bea Calahong
Former Research Assistant 2
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Bea Calahong joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Research Lab at CAMH as a Research Assistant in May 2023. She received her Degree in Medicine from Cebu Institute of Medicine, Philippines and Research Analyst Certificate from Humber College. She has supported projects involving Depression and Substance Use Disorders. Her research interests revolve around understanding mood and anxiety disorders to help identify potential targets for treatment. Her hobbies include yoga, muaythai, reading and taking long walks.
Zeina Beidas
Former Research Assistant 2
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Zeina is a recent Psychology graduate from the University of Toronto. She is interested in studying the etiology, neuropsychology, and treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and co-morbid disorders and the re-emerging study of psychedelic substances, especially concerning their potential use in treatment. Zeina is simultaneously the lead research assistant at the Canadian Centre for Psychedelic Science. In graduate school, she hopes to explore the intersection between psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and the treatment of AN. In her free time, she likes to do yoga and listen to podcasts.
Madison Lewis
Former Research Co-op Student
University of Toronto
Madison Lewis is a Bachelor of Science student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a specialist in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Her academic work has focused on health disparities faced by women in North America and on the relationship between social media use and disordered eating in adolescents. Her past experiences, including her time spent working as a Peer Support Worker, have cultivated a passion for improved diagnostic techniques, treatments options, and outcomes in psychiatric care. When she is not studying or working, Madison can be found running her student-lead cat rescue initiative, going for long walks, or reading.
Alyssa Devine
Former Research Co-op Student
University of Toronto
Alyssa Devine is a Bachelor of Science student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a specialist in Psychology. With the rise of social media and increasingly strict beauty standards, she is particularly interested in how self-perception is altered by external manipulation, and how media plays a role in the etiology behind mood disorders, BDD, and anorexia nervosa. She advocates for accessible treatment and mental health awareness, especially after witnessing first-hand how those closest to her cope with different psychological disorders. She is still exploring her passion for clinical research in Psychology, and she hopes to make meaningful contributions to the field in the future. In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys crafting jewelry and crocheted accessories, and exploring aesthetic café spots across the GTA.
Chris Murphy
Former Visiting Practicum Student
Michener Institute
Chris Murphy is a visiting practicum student who started at the lab in January 2023. He completed a BSc in Medical Sciences at Brock University and is now completing an Advanced Diploma in Digital Health and Data Analytics from The Michener Institute at University Health Network, Toronto. Chris is currently studying obsessive complusive disorder (OCD) populations and builds machine learning models to assist with therapy adherence and patient outreach. He is also interested in statistics, data management, and psychadelic-assisted therapy. Chris has years of experience in industry, including cannabis manufacturing and R&D, laboratory medicine, and ESG reporting. Chris's personal interests include rock climbing, portaging, and attending live music events.
Vienna Mak
Former Student
University of Toronto
Vienna Mak is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Biochemistry and a minor in Chemistry. Because of her previous experience with an eating disorder, she developed an interest in understanding the etiology and underlying neural mechanisms of anorexia nervosa. Beyond her academic pursuits, she is a strong advocate for eating disorder awareness and the reduction of mental health stigma. Aiming to pursue a career in medicine, she is interested in taking a translational approach to apply research in advancing healthcare. In her spare time, Vienna enjoys weightlifting and cooking.
Eva Pereira
Former Student
Toronto Metropolitan University
Eva Pereira is a Bachelor of Arts student at Toronto Metropolitan University, pursuing a major in Psychology. During her undergraduate studies, Eva has taken an interest in body dissatisfaction, and how it can manifest differently across genders in relationship to degree of dysmorphic concern. Her passion for mental health has driven her to pursue a career in law, where she aims to address the legal and ethical challenges related to mental health care. By combining her background in psychology with a legal education, Eva aspires to influence mental health policies and advocate for the rights and well-being of individuals with mental health disorders.
Sadie Gilliland
Former Student
McMaster University
Sadie Gilliland is a Bachelor of Science student in the Honours Integrated Science Program at McMaster University. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she has developed a keen interest in Neuroscience and Psychology, focusing on the physiological mechanisms underlying mental health conditions. Sadie hopes to contribute to research that will enhance clinical outcomes and create a meaningful impact in mental health care, particularly among pediatric populations. She hopes to work on bridging the gap between scientific research and practical application, striving to implement solutions that address the unique needs of children and adolescents.
Marianne Rouleau-Tang
Former Volunteer
University of Toronto
Marianne Rouleau-Tang is a Bachelor of Science student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a specialist in Psychology and a major in Nutritional Sciences. Because of her experience with an eating disorder, she has developed an interest in identifying the factors that affect the development and maintenance of disordered eating patterns. She aims to contribute to the advancement of intervention strategies by exploring the effects of self-compassion and self-criticism on implicit associations of body weight in individuals with AN.