BRAIN Lab

Dr. Theone Paterson

Lab Director,  Associate Professor

Dr. Paterson is interested in improving our understanding of the interplay between neurocognition and psychosocial functioning, and predicting real-world health outcomes in aging and chronic illness groups. Her research examines important outcomes such as medication adherence in individuals with chronic illnesses, and explores the utility of emerging cognitive measures, such as those evaluating everyday cognitive abilities in the prediction of real-world outcomes. Aims of this work are to translate basic research to clinical settings through design and implementation of screening measures with utility in diverse groups, as well as to develop psychological and cognitive programs aimed at improving real-world outcomes.

Clinically, she is trained as a lifespan neuropsychologist, and her practice has focused on neuropsychological assessment and differential diagnosis in children, adolescents, adults and older adults in the context of traumatic brain injury and experienced trauma, and in adults and older adults in the context of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. You can view her Neurotree here.

Jamie Knight, PhD

Dr. Jamie Knight, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Theone Paterson’s lab at the University of Victoria. With a background in Lifespan Developmental Psychology, her research focuses on olfactory health as an early, non-invasive indicator of neurodegenerative risk, exploring how the sense of smell can inform cognitive aging research and open new pathways for early detection and prevention.

Sanjit Roy, M.S.

Sanjit Roy is a Ph.D. candidate in the Social Dimensions of Health program at UVic. He is presently on leave from his position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Sciences, University of Dhaka. Sanjit has 14 years of professional experience (full-time and part-time) in the public and private sectors (Bangladesh, Canada, and the U.S.). Some mentionable career profiles include academic faculty, research, office administrator, and office manager positions. He has a strong background in quantitative research (B.Sc. and M. S. in Applied Statistics, University of Dhaka), and also has some experience using qualitative methods. Sanjit’s research interests include healthy aging and the quality of life of older adults, the use of administrative databases for policy-relevant research, population health, and social dimensions of health. His PhD dissertation aims to create a comprehensive profile of elder abuse among Canadian veterans using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) data. He has been awarded several awards from the UVic (UVic Graduate Award, Corrine Lowen Memorial Award in Social Dimensions of Health, Ian Evans Graduate Scholarship, University of Victoria Retirees Association (UVRA) award, etc.). He has also won the RUTH A. Gardner Research Award 2020 from the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation. Sanjit has 15 publications in different national and international peer-reviewed journals.

Maddie Gregory, MA

Maddie is a PhD candidate in the Clinical Neuropsychology program. She is currently working on her dissertation research on resilience in unpaid caregivers of people living with dementia, primarily funded by the Alzheimer Society of Canada and the Eldercare Foundation. Read more about the study here. You can find her recent publications on Google Scholar.

Morgan Schaeffer, MSc

Morgan is a PhD candidate in the Clinical Neuropsychology program. Broadly, he is interested in the interplay between neurocognition, psychosocial functioning, and chronic illness. For his MSc thesis project, Morgan used secondary data to investigate the influence of BIG-5 personality traits on the development of specific dementia syndromes in older adults. He is currently a Research Assistant on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Cognitive Functioning Study. You can find his recent publications on Research Gate.

Cian Dabrowski, MS

Cian is a second year PhD student in the Clinical Neuropsychology program. She holds a B.A. in psychology from The Ohio State University and an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University Maryland. Her past research involved improving outcomes for TBI patients admitted to the ICU. She is currently working on multiple projects, including assessing individuals for cognitive impairment after COVID-19. Cian is broadly interested in exploring physiological and neuropsychological factors of trauma exposure, as well as ways in which people can be resilient in the face of stress and chronic illness.

Alison Chung, BA

Alison is a second year Clinical Neuropsychology master’s student. She is broadly interested in neurocognitive and psychosocial predictors of health in older adults living with dementia, chronic conditions, and neurodegeneration. For her master’s thesis, she is using secondary data and longitudinal structural equation modelling methods to investigate the influence of psychosocial factors on the relationship between Parkinson’s disease symptoms and cognition.

Zoë Gilson

Zoë is a first-year master’s student in the Clinical Neuropsychology program. She is broadly interested in cognitive aging, dementia, and related disorders over time; more specifically, her research focuses on the implementation and clinical validity of interventions for cognitive decline in older adulthood, particularly involving modifiable lifestyle factors and health behaviours. For her master’s thesis, she will be piloting and exploring an mHealth psychoeducation intervention for older adults with subjective cognitive concerns that aims to prevent cognitive decline in later life.

Brett Krasman

Brett is a fourth-year psychology major at the University of Victoria, the Study Coordinator for the Family NSSI study in the Risky Behaviour Lab and Dr. Paterson’s Honours student for the 2025-2026 year. His interests in the field of psychology center around executive functioning and the broad array of disorders associated with difficulties in self-regulation and inhibition. Brett is passionate about exploring the intersections between mental health and self-regulatory dysfunction across the lifespan.

He is currently applying his interests through the UVic Psychology Department’s Honours Program, building a project focused on the use of mobile health applications as a means of delivering health and fitness behavioural interventions. Using user preference information, his project explores the overlap between the use of mobile health applications and user mental health, executive functioning, personality, and self-reported self-efficacy. Following graduation, he intends to pursue clinical psychological training to serve the public and help reduce the strain of self-regulatory disorders on individual well-being and daily functioning. 

Lucas Copp

Lucas is one of two Lab Coordinators for the BRAIN Lab. He is a BSc Biology and Psychology student at the University of Victoria. He is interested in pursuing a career in clinical psychology and is excited to learn more about psychological and neuropsychological research through his involvement with the BRAIN Lab. On campus, his favourite place to study is the basement of the Elliott Building. Outside of academics, Lucas enjoys playing guitar.

Amanda Chambers

Amanda is one of two Lab Coordinators for the BRAIN Lab. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at San Diego State University. She is currently completing her MSc in Developmental Psychopathology at Durham University and hopes to pursue a career as a school psychologist. Amanda is excited to contribute to the BRAIN Lab while continuing to develop her interests in developmental and psychological research. Outside of academics, she enjoys water polo and Pilates.

Leah Brandemark

Leah is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She holds a wide variety of research interests and is currently assisting in a systematic review on the cognitive impacts of COVID-19. Outside of her studies, she enjoys baking and spending time with animals and friends.

Dylan Caldwell

Dylan is in his fourth year of his undergraduate in psychology with a minor in philosophy. He is currently assisting with data extraction for the COVID-19 and Cognition Systematic Review.  Dylan is planning to pursue grad-school in psychology and hopes to be able to give people better tools to help with their struggles surrounding mental health and addiction. His favorite things to do when not in school are climbing, skiing, running, and any adventure that brings him into the moment and takes him somewhere new.

Leah Derry

Leah is a fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science with Honours in psychology at the University of Victoria. She is working under the supervision of Dr. Paterson to investigate the relationship between subjective and objective cognition, as well as how different lifestyle factors may interact with the experience of self-reported subjective cognitive decline, in the context of early intervention for Dementia. She also works as a research assistant on a scoping review project that examines biological aging. Leah is interested in the areas of clinical neuropsychology and cognitive sciences and hopes to pursue graduate studies and a career in a similar field. During her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, cooking, and listening to music.

Marie-Jeanne Desage

Marie-Jeanne (MJ) is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a combined Biology and Psychology degree with a concentration in neurobiology. After graduating she hopes to work in healthcare, with a goal to become an occupational therapist specializing in paediatrics. In her free time she enjoys spending time outdoors, baking, and watching true crime documentaries.

Caleb Gardner

Caleb is a fourth-year psychology undergraduate at the University of Victoria. He is currently a research assistant for the Cognitive Impacts of COVID-19 study, and contributes through participant screening and data entry. Following his graduation from UVic, he plans to pursue a masters degree and career in clinical psychology. His primary interests include the ongoing treatment of mental health disorders, the accessibility of therapeutic services, and patient outcomes in a clinical setting.

Ava Gerritsen

Ava is a second-year undergraduate student completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Victoria. She is passionate about mental health and hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. In her free time, Ava enjoys playing guitar and piano, and spending evenings watching the sunset at the beach.

Hanna Gruber

Hanna is a fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in psychology. She is passionate about neuropsychology, and hopes to pursue a masters degree in child neuropsychology in the future. Outside of academics, she enjoys baking, paddle boarding, hiking, and ceramics.

Taleesha Hall

Taleesha is an undergraduate student in the mind and brain stream of the psychology program. She is hoping to pursue clinical neuropsychology in the near future. Taleesha is currently a research assistant on the Investigating Neuropsychological Consequences of COVID-19 on adults, and Examination of Associated Risk and Resilience Factors Study. She enjoys baking, baseball, animals and the outdoors.

Bridget Harris

Bridget is a third-year undergraduate student studying psychology at the University of Victoria. She hopes to pursue a masters degree in clinical or industrial-organizational psychology and is passionate about helping others. Outside of academics, Bridget enjoys climbing, reading, and spending time with friends and family. 

Chloe Hurst 

Chloe is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology with a concentration in neurobiology. Her interests include the cognitive and physiological effects of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury, and she plans to pursue medical school to become a neurologist. In her free time, she enjoys being in the outdoors, skiing, and playing music.

Anastasiya Ishchook

Anastasiya is taking a gap year abroad and starting her third year at University of Victoria in September. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. At the moment she is assisting with a research project revolving around the impacts of COVID-19 on cognitive function. Her plans for the future include completing a Master’s program and becoming a relationship therapist. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, brewing kombucha, and learning languages.

Lucy Johnston

Lucy is currently an undergraduate student in her third year studying psychology at UVic. She is very passionate about mind and brain research and is especially interested in how cognitive principles can be applied to enhance performance and overall well-being in athletes. She is hoping to continue her studies post grad and work towards becoming a sports and exercise psychologist. When she isn’t busy, you can catch her exploring the outdoors, cooking, and on the soccer field!

Trista Jung 

Trista is currently in her fourth year of completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at UVIC. She loves learning about neuropsychology and is passionate about the brain’s structural and functional organization, along with the reciprocal relationship between neural plasticity and its surrounding environment. She is curious about how the brain adapts and changes throughout an individual’s lifespan as a result of these influences. After graduating, she hopes to pursue graduate studies and earn a master’s degree in a similar field. In her free time, Trista enjoys going for walks, crocheting, and spending time with her dog.

Jasmeen Khella

Jasmeen is a 4th year undergraduate student studying psychology at the University of Victoria. She is currently researching social supports available for post-secondary students with ADHD. She is interested in clinical psychology and hopes to pursue a career in which she can work towards making society more equitable and accessible for everyone. She is currently working as a Behavioural Interventionist and in her free time, enjoys hiking, reading, and crafts.

Dawna Lotus

Dawna is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with focus on the mind and brain stream. She is currently assisting with a systematic review examining the impacts of COVID-19 on cognition. Her primary research interests are Multiple Sclerosis and Dementia. With a strong biology background, she is planning to pursue a master’s degree in medical neuroscience in the future.

Emily McCulloch, BSci

Emily finished her Bachelor of Science in psychology at Uvic in 2024, where she wrote her honours thesis on social media use and misinformation. She is a research assistant involved in various projects at the brain lab. She has previously assisted with the Impacts of mHealth App Use study, and currently helps manage the lab website and social media. In her free time, she enjoys decorating, singing, and yoga.