ACHRI Trainee Association

Anamika Choudhary

President

Anamika is a PhD student in the Department of Neuroscience, 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. 

Omar Kinawi

Vice-President & Treasurer

Omar is a PhD Student supervised by Drs. Mary Dunbar and Adam Kirton. His research focuses on understanding how infant sex influences the characteristics and timing of symptoms in newborns with arterial ischemic stroke using volumetric MRI analysis. 

Tahereh Rashnavadi

Education Committee Co-Director

Tahereh (Tara) is a postdoctoral researcher supervised by Dr. Pierre LeVan. Her research focuses on neuroimaging, brain connectivity, and artificial intelligence in epilepsy, using simultaneous EEG and fMRI to better understand brain networks and neurological disorders. 

Asha Octoman

Education Committee Co-Director

Asha is a Master's student supervised by Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta. Her research focuses on the early-life gut mycobiome (fungi), investigating how specific fungal species utilise and modify lipids in human milk and infant formula, and how these interactions may influence lipid bioavailability during infancy. 

Armaan Toor

EDI Co-Director
Armaan is a MSc student supervised by Dr. Chunlong Mu. Her research focuses on investigating the gut-brain axis and the role that the gut microbiome in neurodevelopmental conditions, specifically for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

Edeyan Omoweh

EDI Co-Director
Edeyan’s research, supervised by Dr. Rita Henderson, focuses on the intersections between traditional and indigenous birth practices and neonatal mental health. She explores how institutional processes and intersectional factors converge to increase or decrease maternal mortality rates, with implications for the wellbeing of children, families, and communities. 

Riya Chitroda

Communications Director

Riya is a Master's Student supervised by Dr. Signe Bray. Her research uses longitudinal functional MRI (fMRI) data to characterize brain development in children, from infancy to adolescence, with a focus on developing a neural maturity index.  

Courtney Gilchrist

Social and Community Outreach Co-Director

Courtney is a postdoctoral fellow supervised by Dr. Catherine Lebel. Her research uses a multi-modal MRI approach to characterize brain development in the context of early life events, with a particular focus on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). 

Aditi Ilangovan

Social and Community Outreach Co-Director

Aditi is a MSc student supervised by Dr. Kara Murias. Using Fragile X syndrome as a model, her work examines gaps in communication and care delivery to inform the development of practical, co-designed knowledge translation tools that improve access and coordination across healthcare systems.

Nathaniel Noblett

Elected Rep: Postdoctoral Researcher

Nathaniel is a postdoctoral researcher supervised by Dr. Jiami Guo. His research is focused on understanding how primary cilia, small cellular “antennae”, conveys signals to influence the development and function of the mouse cerebral cortex. Outside of the lab, Nathaniel is interested in policies that improve capacity building in science. 

Fernanda de Marzio

Elected Rep: Clinical Fellow

Fernanda is a clinical research fellow supervised by Dr. Kara Murias. Her research focuses on the neurocognitive outcomes of pediatric critical illness, particularly ADHD symptoms and executive function in children following intensive care. Outside of her research, Fernanda is passionate about fostering collaboration in pediatric healthcare and improving support for children and families affected by critical illness. 

Valeriya Dontsova

Elected Rep: Graduate Student

Valeriya is a PhD student supervised by Dr. Jane Shearer. Her research explores the gut-brain axis, with a focus on how the gut microbiota influences seizure activity in an animal model of pediatric epilepsy.