Kirk Geier
Scientific Associate
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Kirk joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab in March 2025, where he coordinates and manages multiple ongoing studies. He received his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Toronto at Baycrest Hospital, using neuroimaging to investigate how the thalamus supports memory and cognitive control. In the BBP Lab, his work focuses on how individuals with anorexia nervosa learn and update reward associations. Outside of the lab, Kirk enjoys spending time in nature and exploring the world in its many forms.
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. His background is in vision neuroscience, focusing on visual agnosia and form perception. Nowadays, he uses fMRI and other psychophysical methods to understand the neural and perceptual mechanisms underlying body image disturbances in psychiatric disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia nervosa. He is particularly interested in applying principles from vision science to develop new ways of understanding and assessing body image disturbances.
Anand Barot
Clinical Fellow
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Dr. Anand Barot is a psychiatrist with comprehensive clinical experience in the assessment and management of a wide range of psychiatric disorders. He completed his MBBS and MD in Psychiatry, developing strong expertise in evidence-based diagnosis and treatment. His academic interests include obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and behavioral addictions. Dr. Barot is committed to integrating clinical care with research and education to advance understanding and improve outcomes in mental health.
Serenity (Fan) Shen
Research Analyst
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Serenity joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab as a Research Analyst in November 2025. She holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology concentration) from Columbia University, and a post-graduate diploma in Behavioral Science (accelerated) from George Brown College in Toronto. She spent a few years working in the Developmental Affective Neuroscience Lab at Columbia University, serving as the Level III MRI console operator responsible for MRI data acquisition for children and adolescents, and supporting data management tasks. Her research interests focus on brain-behavior relationships in neurodevelopment and clinical populations. In her spare time, she enjoys learning languages.
Joel Diaz
Doctoral Candidate
University of Toronto
Joel Diaz is a PhD candidate 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.
Kathy Zhang
Doctoral Student
University of Toronto
Kaixi Zhang is a PhD student in Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. She graduated from Macau University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy in Traditional Chinese Medicine and completed her Master's in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Macau. Before joining CAMH, she worked as a Research Assistant for one year at the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine in Macau. During her Master's studies, she conducted research using fMRI to investigate the mechanisms of emotion regulation deficits in subthreshold bulimia nervosa. Her research interests focus on using neuroimaging techniques to study the mechanisms underlying eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder, with the aim of developing novel intervention methods.
Sonia (Peiyun) Song
Research Co-op Student
University of Toronto
Sonia is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Scarborough, specializing in Psychology and minoring in Applied Statistics. She is currently completing a research co-op term with the BBP at CAMH, where she supports ongoing projects on eating disorders. Sonia has broad interests within psychology and is particularly curious about the intersection of cultural influences and eating disorders, as well as the use of neuroimaging and behavioral methods to better understand the human mind. She hopes to pursue a career that allows her to interact with people and contribute to improving their education and wellbeing. Outside of research, Sonia enjoys arts and crafts, exploring foods and fun places in the city, and video games.
Aishu (Aishvinigaa) Sathananthan
Research Co-op Student
University of Toronto
Aishvinigaa joined the Brain, Body and Perception Lab at CAMH as a Research Co-op Student. She is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Scarborough specializing in Psychology and minoring in Applied Statistics. She has a strong interest in clinical research and is eager to learn more about eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder and other important areas currently being studied at the lab. She is motivated by opportunities to contribute to research that seeks to improve mental health outcomes and promote individual well-being. Outside of research, she enjoys long drives and trying new foods.
DeeDee Ng
Student
University of Toronto
DeeDee Ng joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab at CAMH as a ROP Research Student in September 2025. She is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto pursuing a major in Psychology and Neuroscience, and a minor in Applied Data Science. Aspiring to become a clinical psychologist, she is interested in conducting clinical research and raising awareness on mental health disorders. Her motivation originates from the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders, driving her to explore the underlying neuropsychological mechanisms and potential treatment approaches. In her free time, DeeDee enjoys café-hopping and going to the gym.
Maya Rueda-Cohen
Student
University of Toronto
Maya joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab as a research opportunity program (ROP) student in the fall of 2025. She is in the third year of her undergraduate degree in the Psychology Research Specialist Program at the University of Toronto. With a particular interest in the research of psychopathology, its treatments, and its diagnostic methods, Maya hopes to explore her interests through her various lab experiences and thesis program. She is particularly interested in the ability of novel diagnostic tools to assess the underlying perceptual distortions associated with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, which is her primary focus at the Brain, Body, Perception Lab.
Sophie Williams
Student
University of Toronto
Sophie joined the Brain, Body, and Perception Lab as a research opportunity program (ROP) student for the 2025-26 academic year. She is in her third year at the University of Toronto specializing in psychology, majoring in cognitive science, and minoring in statistics. Sophie is interested in psychopathology and how various neurological and psychological illnesses impact cognitive functioning. In particular, she is interested in understanding how early-life disruptions to neurotransmitter systems may underlie these impairments and contribute to the development of disorders.
Sneha Philip
Psychomotrist
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Sneha Mary Philip joined the Brain Health Imaging Centre at CAMH as a psychometrist in September 2024. She is a mental health professional with over 6 years of experience in psychological assessment and therapy across hospital, academic, and community settings. Sneha holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Christ University, India, and is currently completing the required clinical supervision hours toward registration with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Her clinical work spans support for both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals, including those navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity-related challenges, relationships and body image concerns. At CAMH, she collaborates closely with multidisciplinary research teams, contributing her clinical insight to brain health research initiatives. Sneha’s therapeutic approach is integrative and client-centered, drawing on evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma-informed care. She is known for her enthusiasm, deep presence, and her ability to create meaningful connections with those she works with—anchoring her practice in empathy, collaboration, and respect for each individual’s unique journey.
