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 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 studying multisensory processing in gamers and non gamers. I am building online studies to assess performance of e-sports players. 

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 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 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 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 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/