ACHRI Trainee Association
ACHRI Trainee Association (ACHRITA) is an association for all ACHRI trainees (graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and postgraduate medical and clinical fellows).
Our Mandate:
To foster a sense of community among ACHRI trainees and postdocs, enhance training experiences and represent the interests of trainees.
We Aim To:
- provide academic and professional development opportunities to gain expertise through workshops and collaborations with other research institutes
- encourage trainees to become active community members through outreach and volunteer opportunities
- foster strong relationships among trainees through social events and networking
ACHRITA Executive Team
Meghan Maiani
President
Meghan is a registered occupational therapist whose clinical practice has been primarily in the area of neuro-rehabilitation. Meghan is a PhD Candidate in Dr. Adam Kirton’s lab. Meghan is studying the structural connectivity of the visual system in children with perinatal stroke, and how this correlates to functional vision in everyday life.
Bevin Wiley
Vice-President & Treasurer
Bevin is a second-year MSc student supervised by Dr. Kara Murias in the neuroscience program. Her research focuses on the use of non-invasive brain stimulation in children with ADHD.
Anamika Choudhary
Education Committee Co-Director
Anamika is a PhD student supervised by Drs. Morris Scantlebury and Cezar Gavrilovici. Her research focuses on the role of acid sensing ion channels in controlling the anti-seizure effects of the ketogenic diet in a pediatric epilepsy called infantile spasms.
Aliza Jaffer
Education Committee Co-Director
Aliza is an MSc student supervised by Dr. Catherine Lebel. Her research explores longitudinal brain and behavioural development in infants whose mothers experienced anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy.
Anna Bourgeois
Social and Community Outreach Co-Director
Anna is a second-year MSc student supervised by Dr. Adam Kirton. Her research is aiming to create a more engaging therapy using Brain-Computer Interface and Functional Electrical Stimulation for children with perinatal stroke.
Mashiat Zaman
EDI Co-Director
Mashiat is a PhD candidate in Dr. Tim Shutt’s lab, focusing on the study of mitochondria. His research is dedicated to uncovering mechanisms underlying rare genetic mitochondrial diseases by investigating mitochondrial dynamics and proteins.
Tiffany Bell
Elected Rep: Postdoctoral Researcher
Tiffany is a postdoctoral associate in Dr. Ashley Harris’ lab. Her primary research involves using magnetic resonance imaging to study brain chemistry in children. Through her research, she hopes to further understand the contribution of altered brain chemistry to neurological disorders, informing novel targeted therapies to aid management of these conditions.
Alam Randhawa
Elected Rep: Graduate Student
Alam is an MSc/MD student in the Leaders in Medicine program, supervised by Dr. Michael Esser. She is interested in maternal-child health, especially neonatal health and surgery. Currently, her research is focused on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
Founding Members
Areefa Alladin, Meghan Maiani, Conné Lategan, Anna MacKinnon, Bevin Wiley and Joanna Keough.
ACHRITA is a volunteer association comprised of ACHRI and Owerko Centre trainees and postdoctoral fellows. Their work is supported by generous community donations through the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.