
Faculty and Staff
The faculty and staff of the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience are are made up of members of the Departments of Psychology, Cellular & Physiological Sciences, and Zoology.
Steven Barnes![]() Director | Professor of Teaching | Co-Founder of the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience Steven J. Barnes (he/him/his) is well-regarded for his work related to online learning technologies (e.g., the Tapestry Project; see tapestry-tool.com), student mental health and wellbeing, and bipolar disorder (BD). Steven is deputy co-lead of the Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial issues in BD (CREST.BD; see crestbd.ca), a BD research and knowledge exchange network which received the 2018 CIHR Gold Leaf Prize for Patient Engagement, Canada’s most prestigious recognition for patient engagement in research across all health disciplines. Read moreDepartment: Psychology |
Vanessa Auld![]() Professor | Co-Founder of the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience
My research program investigates the roles that glia play in the development and function of the nervous system. Glia are known to fulfill a number of important functions during nervous system development. Glia help guide axon guidance, separate axons bundles in nerves and finally wrap and insulate their associated axons and nerves. The molecules and mechanisms that mediate these roles of glia are not well understood. Yet knowing how glia function is important given the essential role that glia play in the nervous systems of all animals. Any mutation or disease that disrupts glial cell function or development results in disruption of nervous system function and can lead to paralysis or death of the animal. Read moreDepartment: Zoology |
Tim O’Connor![]() Professor | Co-Founder of the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience I am interested in the functional analysis of transmembrane and secreted Semaphorins in the developing nervous system. We also examine the mechanisms that underlie directed cellular motility. My lab is currently working on three main projects: (1) Intracellular signaling during neurite outgrowth and sprouting, (2) Identification of small molecules that stimulate neurite outgrowth and regeneration, and (3) Examination of the role of semaphorins during embryonic development. Read moreDepartment: Cellular and Physiological Sciences (CPS) |
Hagar Goldberg![]() Sessional Instructor Dr. Hagar Goldberg is a neuroscientist, educational and leadership consultant. She is driven by her passion for neuroscience dissemination and supporting students harnessing their neuroplasticity to maximize their learning and growth. Her multidisciplinary work combines methods and theories from neuroscience, psychology, education and group facilitation. In her research and teaching, she explores the behavioural and neuronal mechanisms of human learning, neuroplasticity, neurodiversity, empathy, and creativity. Read moreDepartment: Psychology |
Ryan Bouma![]() Undergraduate Neuroscience Program Manager and Academic Advisor
Department: Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience |
Nicole Jenni![]() Graduate Neuroscience Curriculum Assistant
Nicole is a PhD candidate in the Behavioural Neuroscience program. She completed both her BSc and MA in Psychology at UBC. Nicole’s research focuses on characterizing cortico-striatal and amygdalar circuits that control different aspects of appetitvely motivated behaviours, from simple reward learning to more complex forms of decision-making such as decisions related to reward uncertainty, or risk. Read moreDepartment: Psychology |
Achol Jones![]() Senior Neuroscience Curriculum Assistant
Achol is a 4th year undergraduate in the Neuroscience program studying cognitive and behavioural neuroscience. She is passionate about cultivating supportive and engaging learning environments through the application of neuroeducation and educational psychology in teaching, curriculum development, and research projects. Driven by lifelong learning and a strong desire to provide care and support to the community, Achol hopes to pursue Medicine and continue discovering the wonders of the brain and body. Read moreProgram: Neuroscience |
Elena Greenall![]() Senior Neuroscience Curriculum Assistant
Elena is a 4th year undergraduate student in the Neuroscience program, specialising in cognitive and behavioural neuroscience. She shares her passion for science communication by developing curriculums for all ages, from elementary to university students. Elena also works in neuroscience research, where she explores the role of the dopaminergic system in decision-making and impulsivity. Read moreProgram: Neuroscience |
Kiara Sun![]() Junior Neuroscience Curriculum Assistant
Kiara is a 3rd year student in the Neuroscience program with an emphasis in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. Her research interests include decision-making, autism, consciousness, and neuroplasticity. Passionate about supporting the learning of undergraduate students through curriculum development and implementation, Kiara strives to develop novel teaching and learning techniques that emphasize bottom-up and interdisciplinary methods for acquiring and understanding knowledge. Read moreProgram: Neuroscience |
Liisa Galea![]() Professor | Co-Founder of the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience
Dr. Liisa Galea is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and a member of the Centre for Brain Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is also Health Advisor to VPRI, Lead of the Women’s Health Research Cluster and a Scientific Advisor for the Women’s Health Research Institute. Her research investigates how sex hormones influence brain health and disease in both females and males. The main goal of her research is to improve brain health for women and men by examining the influence of sex and sex hormones on normal and diseased brain states such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease. Read moreDepartment: Psychology |
Alumnus – Alireza Kamyabi![]() Graduate Research Assistant, Curriculum Development
I am driven by the challenge of describing and understanding how the nervous system functions. The brain is one of the least understood organs in the body and also one of the most interesting ones to study. It’s often described as the last frontier of science, so it’s exciting to take part in discovering how our nervous system works. Read moreDepartment: Graduate Program in Neuroscience |
Alumnus – Zoe Lin![]() Work Learn Program Assistant, Front-End Web Developer and Graphic Designer
I am interested in the design of smart systems, most particularly, in deceptively simple systems that behave intelligently and robustly. I am driven by my passion for understanding and consolidating the often conflicting intersections between the values and frameworks of technology and society, addressing the types of issues this tension can produce, from unintuitive UX to serious ethical concerns. Read moreProgram: Cognitive Systems |