New Research Personnel
Welcome to our new research personnel!
Dr. Anurag Thatipalli MBBS MD is an International Medical Graduate from India. He graduated from Medical School in the year 2008 and subsequently pursued a three-year residency program in Forensic Medicine & Toxicology from the prestigious Osmania Government Hospital, Hyderabad, India (2009-2012). Soon after, He began a career as an Assistant Professor of Forensic Medicine at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, India, a renowned center for medical education and patient care. (From 2012-2015). Dr. Thatipalli moved to Canada in 2016 and cleared the Medical Council of Canada Licensing exams (LMCC Part1&2). He joined the Geriatric Mood Disorders Lab as a Research Volunteer in September 2019 to assist Dr. A. Vasudev’s Research Team. He wishes to pursue a residency in Psychiatry and sub-specialize into Forensic Psychiatry, to care for individuals with Mental Illness who have come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Jasmine Cakmak is currently a Master’s candidate in neuroscience at the University of Western Ontario under the co-supervision of Dr. Akshya Vasudev and Dr. Lena Palaniyappan. She joined as a member of the Geriatric Mood Disorders Lab at PIR and the Neuroimaging in Mental Illness Group at the University of Western in September 2019, assisting both labs as a part of her graduate work. Specifically, she is interested in the neuroimaging of glutathione in Late-Life Depression at 7-Tesla with Sahaj Samadhi Meditation as intervention. She holds a H.BSc in Biomedical Science from the University of Ottawa.
Emily Pak is a high school student completing her co-op requirements in the PEL (Partners in Experiential Learning) program. She joined the Geriatric Mood Disorders Lab at PIR as a student Research Assistant in September 2019. Emily assists Dr. Akshya and Kamini Vasudev with the Alternative Treatments to Help Late Life Depression study and Alternative Treatments to Help Post Traumatic Stress Disorder study. Her main roles are data entry and data verification.
Ryan Gulyaprak is in the 4th year of his second degree and is completing an Honours Specialization in Psychology. It is Ryan’s 6th year of undergraduate studies at King’s, as he has previously completed a double major in Criminology and Psychology. Ryan is working on the Alternative Treatments to Help Late Life Depression study with Dr. Imants Baruss and Dr. Akshya Vasudev.
Ryan is using baseline data and structural equation modelling statistics to find the strength and direction of the relationships between depression, anxiety, fear of falling and psychological well-being in the patient population. Many possible clinical implications could arise from the results of this study.
Janani Sathiaselan is a Volunteer Student Research Assistant in the Geriatric Mood Disorders Lab at The London Health Sciences Centre in London, ON, Canada. She joined the team of Dr. Akshya Vasudev and Dr. Kamini Vasudev in September 2019, and assists in studies involving alternative treatments including meditation and yoga for Late Life Depression and PTSD. She is currently completing her HSBsc at Western University.
Emily Angus is a new Graduate Research Assistant with the Mental Health Nursing Research Alliance at Lawson Health Research. In 2014, Emily graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Since then, she has worked as a Registered Nurse in Long Term Care, Nephrology and Cardiology. In 2017, Emily began working towards her Masters of Science in Nursing with an anticipated completion in 2021. Emily has a passion for Nursing and would love to pursue her PhD in nursing in the future. In her “spare” time, Emily likes to read murder mysteries and spend time with her friends, family and her dog, Ryder!
Lewis Mahon is from London and attended Acadia University. He has previous research experience with the Diabetes Clinical Research Trials Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and was recently the Assistant Director – Programs at YMCA Camp Queen Elizabeth, running the Outdoor Education program. He enjoys camping and reading.
Luciana Brown completed her executive MBA in 2015 and holds a post-baccalaureate diploma in Management, both from Athabasca University, Faculty of Business. She completed her Bachelor of Administrative Studies degree at York University in 2003. Luciana has many years of senior administrative and project management experience in Canada and the Middle East, and has worked in varied environments including teaching and community hospitals, government organizations and research settings.
Nellie Kamkar, H.BA., M.Sc., is a Research Coordinator and Project Developer at the Gait and Brain lab, primarily managing study logistics for the upcoming SYNERGIC 2 trial which will evaluate the benefits of a multitude of interventions on delaying dementia in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Nellie obtained an Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in 2015, as well as a Master of Science degree in 2017—both from Western University. Nellie has previously lead clinical trials at the University of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children, and Toronto General Hospital and has extensive experience with cognitive testing and neurological assessments including the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Nellie has a vested interest in understanding cognitive impairment and its concomitant neurological presentation across development.
Nattasha Clements is a Medical Secretary who began her career in a Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre in 2008. She became a part of the St. Joseph’s family in 2012, at which time she specialized in staff scheduling and Payroll. From there, she moved on to expand her skills in an outpatient department, where she assisted in the establishment of a Heart Failure Clinic in 2014. Nattasha joins the Gait & Brain lab as direct administrative support to Dr. Montero-Odasso. She looks forward to growing her experience and knowledge as she assists in his clinical and research work and provides assistance to his patients and fellow lab colleagues.
Julie Watson completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Western University. Her background is in advocating for and developing community partnerships among various under-serviced populations. She is a Peer Support Coordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, and has been with the organization since 2016. Julie is a Research Assistant in the RehabPsych Lab where she will be providing support to persons with neurological conditions accessing online mental health in order to help promote patient’s ability to self-manage their symptoms and improve overall well-being and quality of life.
Mitesh Chaudhary is completing the Computer Programmer Analyst Program at Fanshawe College. He is currently working at the RehabPsych Lab with Dr. Swati Mehta and Lawson ITS to develop a web platform to deliver online mental health services for persons with neurological health conditions including spinal cord injury, brain injury, and stroke. He enjoys spending his free time doing photography and learning about artificial intelligence.
Sara Husni was born and raised in London, Ontario. She completed her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences and Biology at Western University. Before joining the MHNRA team at Lawson Research, Sara previously conducted research on health policy, youth mental health and patient reported outcome measures (PROMS). As an avid volunteer, she has spent time supporting local initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and promoting mental wellness. Sara enjoys working with various populations and uses a holistic framework to promote resilience, agency and equitable access to care. During her spare time, Sara enjoys cooking, travelling and bingeing full seasons on Netflix in a single weekend. She is excited to join the MHNRA team this year!
Ivie Evbuomwan joined Research to Practice (R2P) Team in September as a new Research Coordinator and Implementation Manager for the SCI Quality Care Consortium which focuses on implementing best practices across SCI rehabilitation programs in Ontario. Her work includes improving health care for people living with spinal cord injury by facilitating the collaborative efforts of researchers, administrators, individuals with lived experience and clinicians through knowledge mobilization, evidence-based research and implementation science.