Swasti Arora

youth assessor
I completed my BA in Psychology in 2015 at Dalhousie University, where I went on to work as the Lab Manager for an Attention and Cognitive Neuroscience lab. Our research involved the optimization of attention testing measures and understanding how social and clinical variables can influence attention. I feel strongly about helping students reach their full potential and have worked in several teaching roles at Dalhousie, as well as on research projects focusing on survey design and psychometric improvements to student feedback. Outside of academia, I have experience working with non-profits in applied roles with diverse populations. I currently serve as the Editorial Assistant for the journal Experimental Psychology.
 My research interests include better understanding cross-cultural factors that influence mental health, and how we can better support diverse communities. I am excited to be part of FORBOW to work towards these goals and learn from a fantastic team!

In my spare time, I enjoy playing board games, D&D, going camping and hiking, singing, and spending time with my family, friends, and many pets.

Nicole Stinson

TIDE PROJECT COORDINATOR 
I graduated from McGill University in 2019, where I studied Biology and Linguistics. During my undergrad, I worked in a lab manipulating DNA fragments in support of a study investigating evolutionary rescue. Prior to joining FORBOW, I taught science and robotics in middle schools, then worked in clinical research for a radiation-oncology unit in Montreal.
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I’m now the research coordinator for the TIDE project, an offshoot of FORBOW aiming to establish indicators for differential success in initial treatment plans for youth diagnosed with depression. I’m excited to work on a study dedicated to improving mental health through effective treatment. In my free time, I like biking around Halifax, going down Wikipedia rabbit holes, and spending time with friends.

Daniel Murage

GRADUATE STUDENT
I am a Master's student with a BSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University. During my undergraduate studies, I worked at Butler Hospital as a research assistant, where I conducted behavioural research on depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis. My passion for mental health research has led me to FORBOW, where I am keen on pursuing research at the intersection of speech and imaging.
 
In my free time, I love reading, listening to music, and swimming. I've mostly seen the beauty of Nova Scotia on social media, so I am looking forward to exploring it in real life. 

Rebecca Kahn

YOUTH ASSESSOR
I graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts & Science in Honours Cognitive Science in 2017. Since the beginning of my degree, I have been involved in a variety of psychological research, with topics ranging from attention to dreams to schizophrenia. In addition to a general interest in psychology, I’ve been especially interested in improving the mental health of youth for as long as I can remember. I’m excited to work as a youth assessor for FORBOW, as I love being able to connect with participants while also taking part in research that can help prevent future mental health problems.

​In my free time, I like to sew, read contemporary fiction, and cook. As a relatively new transplant to Halifax, I’m still enjoying acquainting myself with all of Nova Scotia’s beautiful nature spots.

Dara Liu

YOUTH ASSESSOR
Before joining FORBOW, I graduated in 2020 from McGill University with a BSc in Psychology. During my undergraduate degree, I was a research assistant with a lab studying truth/lie-telling behaviours and eyewitness testimony in children. I also completed a thesis on the treatment of eating disorders. I am excited to be working with such a wonderful team and I look forward to meeting young people and their families as a youth assessor!

Ross Langley

GRADUATE STUDENT
I graduated from Queen’s University in 2021 with my Honours Degree Life Sciences, with a specialization in Biomedical Discovery. I joined FORBOW in 2019 as a research student and have had the opportunity to work within the FORBOW speech project, where I have found my passion of identifying early indications of depression in youth speech. I began my Master’s in Psychiatry Research with FORBOW in 2021, and I am looking forward to continuing my research on speech and depression.
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Outside of the lab, I enjoy all team sports, reading, and taking my dog to new and beautiful locations around Nova Scotia.

Nitya Adepalli

GRADUATE STUDENT
I am a Master's student with a BSc in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour from McMaster University. I moved to Halifax last year to work with FORBOW studying genetic markers of mental illness. I really enjoy learning about how to predict mental illness.
 
In my free time, I love hiking, reading, volunteering, and doing yoga. I've explored lots of places all over Nova Scotia in the last year and I can't wait to see more!

Briana Ross

YOUTH ASSESSOR
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2021. I first became involved with FORBOW as an honours student studying social cognition in the offspring of parents with and without severe mental illness. I have always been intrigued by the ways with which we can promote development and mental wellbeing in children/youth. Joining the FORBOW team as a youth assessor has given me the opportunity to learn and develop clinically relevant skills to support my long term goals of working in child/youth mental health care.
In my free time I enjoy creative activities such as music, painting, and other types of art. I also enjoy staying active, going to parks with my dogs, and taking care of my plants.

Kathryn Freeman

GRADUATE STUDENT & SLEEP STUDY FACILITATOR
I graduated from McGill University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Biotechnology. During my undergraduate degree I was a research assistant with the Gan-Or Lab located in the Montreal Neurological Institute where I validated genome-wide association study variants in REM sleep behaviour disorder and GBA-associated Parkinson’s disease. Upon graduation I achieved a place on the Dean’s Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research List for my diverse interests in research at McGill.

​My passion in both sleep and genetic research led me to FORBOW for graduate studies in my home province of Nova Scotia. I am ecstatic to pursue research that could materially improve patients’ lives. My research aims to identify sleep characteristics, physical activity levels and genetic variants which increase the developmental risk for severe mental illness. 
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When not working I also enjoy exploring the outdoors, cooking and staying active with my friends and family. I grew up as a competitive athlete in both alpine and water skiing which I also continue to enjoy on weekends

Anna Nazarova

GRADUATE STUDENT & Brain imaging facilitator
In 2018 I graduated cum laude from Leiden University in the Netherlands with my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. 
My original interest was in understanding the behaviour of children and seeking ways to help with their best psychological development. However, during the course of my studies I discovered the captivating yet complex nature of the brain. I shortly understood that my greatest research passion lies in the field of neuroscience and the developing brain. Thankfully, FORBOW has given me the opportunity to follow my path surrounded by a lovely team full of professional expertise and many amazing families!

During my spare time, I enjoy exploring this city as well as its surrounding nature, going to the gym, and working on a variety of creative projects.

Anna Minarik

Brain imaging and sleep study facilitator
I am in my third year of my Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience at Dalhousie University. I first became involved with FORBOW over the summer where I helped with the neuroimaging and sleep study component of FORBOW. Before working here, I was a Research Assistant at a Spinal Cord Injury Research Lab at the University of Alberta where I first became passionate about neuroscience and the human nervous system.

​In my spare time I coach youth in cross-country skiing, hike, and enjoy travelling. 

Mehri Sajjadian

postdoctoral fellow & data analyst
I am a data analyst and a researcher with a Ph.D. in applied mathematics.  As a theoretical mathematician, I always had a passion to apply my mathematical knowledge in improving individual’s life in healthcare system directly. Joining the FORBOW team gave me the opportunity to employ artificial intelligence to unravel the mysteries of mental illness.

Kelsey Villars

youth assessor
I have my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in developmental psychology from Emmanuel College in Boston, MA. I moved to Halifax shortly after graduating back in 2015. I have volunteered at a few different institutions and organizations soaking in as much knowledge and experience as I could. I've worked with people who come from many different backgrounds. Through it all I have been driven by the desire to improve peoples everyday lives. All of my experiences have lead me to FORBOW. I was very excited to hear about the work being done to help create ways that get to the roots of mental illness. I'm grateful to be able to be apart of a team and initiative that has the goal to improve peoples opportunity for wellness. 

Besides my passion for understanding and helping those around me, I enjoy many things including, snuggling with my dog, drives through the country, being by the ocean, and all things comfy-cozy.

Meg Stephens

youth assessor
My background is in healthcare and childcare. I graduated from the University of Nottingham, UK with a BMedSci and a BMBS. I have worked as an Early Years Educator and as a Junior Doctor. I am currently working towards completing my clinical examinations to return to medicine in Canada.

I am really excited to be a part of the FORBOW team, as working with children and their families is something I have always enjoyed. Looking at ways to identify risks early and promote the well-being of our future generation is an area I feel very passionate about.

I moved from the UK in 2017. My interests include photography, snowboarding, kayaking and exploring Nova Scotia with my husband and our two dogs. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to go on some exciting adventures around the world.

Cynthia Howard

youth assessor
My career began in Educational Publishing, where I worked on school and university textbooks for 12 years. When I decided it was time for a new direction, I began working as a research assistant at Dalhousie and I discovered a real love of research with children. I worked  in childhood literacy research at Dalhousie for several years. After that I worked in Autism and Rheumatology research before starting at FORBOW. I am thrilled to be a part of this great team, and am looking forward to meeting  young people and their families.
 
In my free time, I love hiking and kayaking in the summer, and Pilates in the winter. I am a voracious reader with a particular love of the literature of the Victorian era.

Sheri Rempel

youth assessor
I graduated in 2002, with a B.Sc honours in Psychology from the University of Victoria and in 2006 with a MSc.A in Communication Sciences and Disorders from McGill. I am a certified and registered Speech-language Pathologist with 15 years’ experience, working with children and adults. Aside from working with youth and their families in FORBOW, I am the Research Coordinator of the Vocal Mind Project. We are studying the speech and language aspects of adults with and without mental illness. The aim of this project is to better understand the relationship between the way people feel and the way they speak.

Outside of working at FORBOW, I am a 500hr Registered Yoga Teacher, and I enjoy teaching various yoga classes within Halifax. In my spare time I love to stay active, read, volunteer, and spend time with my friends and family.

Tammy Lamb

youth assessor
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Prince Edward Island and have worked in research since 2011. Over the past 6 years, I have had the opportunity to work for Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University, and Mount Saint Vincent University. During my time with these schools, I was fortunate to work on many different studies, investigating language development and acquisition, and social and emotional well-being. The FORBOW study seemed like a natural fit for me and I am excited to be a part of this remarkable team.

In my spare time I enjoy playing softball, watching movies, and road trip adventures exploring this beautiful province with my husband.  

Vlad Drobinin​

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
I am excited to be a resident of this beautiful city and a researcher with this innovative study.

My work with FORBOW gives me the unique opportunity of studying how the young brain develops. Please see the video to find out more about how we do that!

I’m also interested in rectangles. We use rectangles of different sizes every day. These include cellphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. The types of things that we do with our screens matter. My goal is to find out how technology affects humans.

In my spare time, I enjoy photography, technology, reading, movies, meditation, and a stroll by the harbour.
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Shannon Blois​

youth assessor
I graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 2014 with my Honours Degree in Psychology. During my time at SMU, I worked on various research projects which really opened my eyes to the value of experimental psychology. I began working with the FORBOW team in June 2014 as a Research Assistant. In May 2016, I started a new position as the Research Psychometrist for Dalhousie’s Department of Psychiatry.

Currently, I work full time as a psychometrist for Dr. Pure & Associates, a private practice clinic based in Dartmouth, NS. I continue to work on a casual basis for the FORBOW team. I always look forward to my days at FORBOW! 
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When I am not working, I enjoy being active and outdoors. My interests include: hiking, canoeing, fishing, and exploring new places! I also love spending time with my family, friends, and pets (two dogs, a cat, and lots of fish).

​Jill Cumby​

research manager
As a mental health nurse, I am interested in learning how we may help youth who are at risk of developing a mental illness.

When I was a teenager, my career plan was to help youth in many ways. I wanted to work as a high school teacher and guidance counsellor. I did teach for a while, before going into mental health nursing. I completed my undergraduate nursing degree from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. I then returned to my home province of Newfoundland to complete my master’s in nursing at Memorial University. I have worked as a mental health nurse in Halifax since 2000. Outside of work, I love to sing, practice yoga, do aquafit, as well as spend time with family and friends.

Barbara Pavlova

investigator
I am a clinical psychologist, cognitive-behavioural therapist and researcher. I want to find out why some people develop anxiety disorders and whether we can prevent it. I am testing a new way of helping parents not to pass anxiety on to their children. I am also interested in the interplay between mood and anxiety. I am looking at whether effectively treating anxiety reduces the risk of depression and other problems.

Rudolf Uher​

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
I am a psychiatrist and a researcher. I believe that we should do research that really matters and improves lives.

I came to Nova Scotia to take the opportunity offered by the Canada Research Chair Program. In my work here, I am studying how to help young people develop mental well-being and avoid mental illness. This work builds on my earlier training in medicine and psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital in London, UK, and in Prague, in the Czech Republic. In my earlier training, I noticed that adults with mental illness often experience only limited improvement, even with the best available treatment. I often wondered if we could make a bigger difference by working with people when they are younger, when the brain and body are developing.

With my colleagues in Halifax, London, Boston, and elsewhere, I am studying whether we can predict what treatment works best for whom. I am grateful that as a researcher I can help advance knowledge and as a clinician I can put in into practice. When I am not working, I enjoy hiking, observing wildlife, and taking photographs.
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