Team Members

I am a cognitive and systems neuroscientist

investigating how multisensory processing impacts spatial and temporal perception, decision-making, and human movement in real, virtual and artificial intelligence created environments.   

My research has helped to identify key markers of disease and test the efficacy of therapeutic and rehabilitation efforts to combat disorientation, especially in differently-abled populations. My discoveries about vestibular perception have also led to practical applications in the calibration of virtual reality environments and motion simulators.

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/michael-barnett-cowan-b9b93a11

I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo with Dr. Michael Barnett-Cowan. I earned my PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Waterloo (2024) and an MSc from the University of Western Ontario. My research builds on expertise in eye tracking and visuomotor control, now focusing on cognitive and motor processes using multimodal sensors (HR, EEG, eye tracking, motion capture) in real-world and XR/VR environments.

I advance methods for integrating physiological and behavioural signals to improve the modelling, reliability, and generalizability of cognitive states (e.g., cognitive load) and complex skill acquisition. In collaboration with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), I aims to translate these insights into aviation applications, including data-driven pilot training, human performance monitoring, and optimized human–machine interface design.

I am a PhD researcher in the Multisensory Brain and Cognition Lab, where I study multisensory integration and how it shapes our perception of time. My current work focuses on how individual differences—such as experience in high-performance settings like eSports—affect multisensory temporal perception. I explore how training-based interventions, such as acute physical exercise or video game play, can refine the temporal binding window—the critical interval in which the brain fuses information from different senses. This line of inquiry holds promising implications for the development of cognitive enhancement protocols, particularly for populations affected by neurodegenerative conditions or age-related cognitive decline. 

My broader research interests lie in understanding how lifestyle-based interventions, especially physical activity, influence brain function, cognitive performance, and neuroplasticity across the lifespan. 

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nic-hobson-170a04110

I am a PhD candidate researching the neural mechanisms that affect cybersickess in virtual reality. I use psychophysical tasks such as the subjective visual vertical and the oriented character recognition task paired with exposure to nauseating commercially available virtual reality games to assess the role of sensory down weighting as a natural method the central nervous system uses to reduce cybersickess incidence.

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/siyavash-izadi

I am a PhD candidate studying the effects of aging on multisensory processing. I use psychophysical tasks such as temporal order and simultaneity judgement tasks combined with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to assess the role of decreased levels of the neurotransmitter GABA has on impaired perceptual decision making in the older adults.

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/viquar-unnisa-begum

I am a PhD candidate at the University of Tübingen, Germany where Dr. Barnett-Cowan is co-supervising my research. After completing my MSc in the MBClab I returned to Germany to study electrosensory processing in electric fish using neurophysiology recording and behavioural assessment and I am using psychophysical tools such as temporal order, simultaneity judgement, and reaction time tasks to assess the role of confidence in perceptual decision making.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolin-sachgau/

I am a PhD candidate specializing in sensory systems neuromechanics, with a strong background in human movement science and postural control. My research focuses on how the brain dynamically reweights sensory inputs for perception and balance. I am especially interested in how these processes vary between individuals and how they contribute to phenomena like motion sickness.

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/megan-goar-859816143

I am a MSc candidate investigating the role of the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) in virtual reality sickness (cybersickness). Using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate rTPJ activity, I aim to shed light on the relationship between sensory reweighting and cybersickness manifestation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-lynn-46b21120b/

I am an MSc candidate studying the sense of self and how our brain weaves together sensory information and identity beliefs to create the idea of “me.” I use virtual reality and motion capture to explore these questions through digital avatars. If you see a virtual reflection of yourself, what happens when the person looking back moves or looks differently than you do? How does that change the way you identify with it - and with yourself?

www.linkedin.com/in/dara-al-bakry-1b4269245!

I am a MSc candidate and varsity athlete interested in eye-tracking and athletic performance. Using a portable eye-tracking system I am analyzing tracking accuracy of baseball players during batting. I am adding objective batting measures to gain insight into eye kinematics and batting performance.

linkedin.com/in/klaus-erik-alexander-aplevich-666a061b9

I am a MSc candidate and researcher with Defence Research and Development Canada interested in the use of augmented reality in the Canadian Armed Forces. My work focuses on how depth perception and visual conflicts contribute to cybersickness when viewing 3D imagery. I pair assessments of visual function with subjective questionnaires and controlled exposure to 3D graphics in augmented reality. This approach allows me to examine how individual differences in depth perception influence discomfort and performance in immersive environments. The outcomes of this research will inform the design of AR systems to reduce cybersickness, improve user comfort, and enhance operational effectiveness. 

I am a BSc Candidate, and a pilot within the Canadian Armed Forces, interested in the study of aviation. I plan to utilize technologies such as motion capture, eye-and-head tracking, and simulators to help revolutionize the sustainable aviation industry. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/narein-chenthivelnathan/

I am a BSc candidate working in the Multisensory Brain and Cognition (MBC) Lab as an NSERC USRA recipient. I am currently developing my undergraduate thesis while contributing to ongoing research initiatives in the lab. My interests lie in the application of virtual reality to simulate real-world experiences as a tool to study multisensory integration.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/omer-hafeez-uw/

I am a BSc psychology candidate currently working towards completing my undergraduate thesis with the Multisensory Brain and Cognition Lab. I got involved with the MBC lab as part of an undergraduate research apprenticeship and have been helping with ongoing research since then. My personal research interests lie in using psychophysical paradigms to try and elucidate the connections between perception and cognition, and potentially how different cognitive / emotional states can influence multisensory integration. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shire-trider