People

Principal Investigators
Research Associates
Research Analysts
Research Coordinators
Research Assistants
Student Research Assistants
Alumni

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Principal Investigators

 

 

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Research Associates

Dr. Herbert Chan

Research Associate

Dr. Herbert Chan is a research associate with Dr. Jeff Brubacher at the Department of Emergency Medicine and an associate member of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation. His research interests include emergency department visits, road traffic trauma surveillance, and alcohol/drug impaired driving.

Dr. Somayeh Momenyan

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Somayeh Momenyan is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UBC. She brings extensive expertise in longitudinal, survival, and spatial data analysis to her role. Currently, Dr. Momenyan serves as the lead data analyst for studies investigating recovery outcomes following injury, utilizing data from the Road Trauma Outcome Study and the Active Transportation Injury Circumstances and Outcomes Study.

Dr. Sarah Simmons

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Sarah Simmons is a postdoctoral research fellow in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine. She received a PhD in psychology from the University of Calgary in 2020. Her research interests are in transportation human factors, including topics such as drug- and alcohol-impaired driving, distraction, and vulnerable road user safety. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, cooking, gardening, computer programming, board games and motorcycling. She is currently conducting a pilot study on “Visual Perception & Attention While Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis (DUIC)”

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Research Analysts

Shannon Erdelyi

Statistical Analyst

Shannon is a statistical analyst in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine. She works primarily on road safety research, including road trauma surveillance, evaluations of new traffic policy, and crash risk associated with impairing substances.

Lulu Pei

Statistical Analyst

Lulu is a statistical analyst with the Department of Emergency Medicine. She recently graduated with a Master of Biostatistics from UBC, primarily investigating statistical applications to the field of human nutrition. Lulu is currently working on a project investigating the association between cycling infrastructure and risk of cyclist collision with a motor vehicle, using spatial analysis techniques. She also assists with the National Drug Impaired Driving Study and the Road Trauma Outcome Study.

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Research Coordinators

Bianca Boicu

Research Coordinator

Bianca is a research coordinator working with Dr. Jeff Brubacher at the Department of Emergency Medicine. Her projects are Medical Cannabis Study and Impact of Sleep on Driving Safety using driving simulator. She has a Master of Science in psychological research from KU Leuven, specializing in decision making. Her research interests include fatigue- and cannabis-impaired driving. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, hiking, and exploring new cities.

Lina Jae

Research Coordinator

Lina is a research coordinator with the Department of Emergency Medicine. She graduated with a Master of Science in Public Health from McGill University. Lina is currently working on the Circumstances on Active Transport Injuries Study (CATI). She is interested in building a safe environment for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclist. She enjoys hiking in the summer and snowboarding in winter.

Mai Hayashi

Research Nurse

Mai completed a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Thompson Rivers University and worked as a registered nurse and a research coordinator at Interior Health. Currently she is working as a research nurse at the Vancouver General Hospital Emergency Department under Dr. Jeff Brubacher. She coordinates and works with different Emergency Department research teams at VGH. She is a lead coordinator for the RAFF4 study, which compares two medications to treat acute atrial fibrillation in emergency departments.

Mayesha Khan

Research Coordinator

Mayesha manages the Crash Risk after Cardioverter-defibrillator Implantation (MVC-ICD) study led by Dr. John Staples. This study uses health and driving records to examine crash risk among ICD patients in BC. She has a Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from Concordia University, specializing in substance use in young adults. Some of her research interests include risk factors associated with trauma and addictive behaviours.

Sneha Yadav

Research Coordinator

Sneha Yadav is a Clinical Research Coordinator working under National Drug Driving Study led by Dr. Jeff Brubacher at the Department of Emergency Medicine Research at Vancouver General Hospital. She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional with a Master’s in Biotechnology from Nottingham Trent University, UK where her project involved use of Nanotechnology in the detection of Cancer. Her past research projects involved therapeutic areas like Oncology, Metabolism and Endocrinology and Biopharmaceuticals. She is passionate about continuously conducting researches which aims to help people live longer, healthier and have better lives by improving healthcare and well-being of individuals and families.

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Research Assistants

Ariel Cheung

Research Assistant

Ariel is a research assistant working on the Driving Simulator Study. She completed her BA (Hons.) in Psychology with a minor in Criminology at Simon Fraser University. Her research interests include executive functions, neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD, autism), health behaviours, and health promotion. In her free time, she enjoys Thai boxing, cooking, and volunteering.

Coco Jiang

GIS Research Assistant

Coco is a Research Assistant with the Department of Emergency Medicine. She graduated with a Master of Science in Public Health from University of British Columbia. Coco is currently working on the Circumstances of Active Transportation Study. Her expertise spans public health research, epidemiology, and geographic information systems. She is particularly interested in using diverse analytical approaches to inform real-world health improvements. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting and Thai boxing.

Natali Ochoa

GIS Research Assistant

Natali Ochoa is a dedicated GIS Research Assistant working with Michael Branion on the study of pedestrian and cyclist accidents. With a Master’s degree in Information and Communications Sciences, Geographic Information Sciences, and Cartography, Natali specializes in managing spatial databases to ensure data accuracy and integrity. She has expertise in ArcGIS Pro, PostgreSQL, QGIS, Jupiter notebooks, and Spatial Analysis. Beyond her professional work, Natali enjoys pursuing her hobbies of photography, reading, and engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling.

Queenie Ng

GIS Research Assistant

Queenie Ng is currently working on the Circumstances of Active Transport Injury (CATI) as a GIS Research Assistant. She completed her BA in Environmental Design at Kobe Design University and is currently finishing up her MA in Smart Cities and Urban Informatics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is passionate about data visualization and research topics surrounding policy and community planning. In her free time, she enjoys basketball, surfing, and diving.

Renmart Buhay

Research Assistant

Renmart is a research assistant working on the National Drug Driving Study and Overdose Study led by Dr. Jeff Brubacher. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Physiology from Simon Fraser University. His research interests include implementation science, health promotion and addictions research. In his spare time, he likes exercising, longboarding and volunteering.

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Student Research Assistants

Ella Lowe-Ng

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Ella is a UBC Co-op student currently working as a research assistant on the driving simulator studies. She is in her third year studying Cognitive Systems and Computer Science at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests focus on how impairment affects driver behavior, performance, and safety outcomes, as well as how technology can be used to improve healthcare. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and squash, hiking local trails, and baking.

Brigitte Browett

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Brigitte is a research assistant with the Department of Emergency Medicine working on the Goals of Care and QueBIC studies. She is a fourth-year undergraduate Neuroscience student at UBC with research interests in hippocampal memory systems and the intersection of neurodegeneration and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Outside of work, she enjoys bouldering, watching 90s romcoms, and live music.

Cadence Parker

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Cadence is a research assistant working in the Emergency Department on the Circumstances of Active Transport Injury study. She is currently in her third year studying biology at UBC. Her research interests include advancing targeted therapies for breast cancer, exploring the comorbidities of mental health and addiction, and addressing sex biases in clinical research. In her free time, Cadence enjoys embroidering, reading, and trying new coffee shops with her friends.

Daniel Lee

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Daniel is a fourth-year Integrated Sciences student at UBC with an interdisciplinary focus in Microbiology and Pharmacology. He is currently a Co-op research assistant in the Department of Emergency Medicine, where he works on the Circumstances of Active Transportation Injuries (CATI) Study. His research interests include substance use and overdose, traumatic brain injuries, and the social and health consequences of addiction. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, woodworking, and exploring new foods.

Ivan Chow

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Ivan is a UBC co-op student currently working as a research assistant on the Circumstances of Active Transport Injuries study. He is in his fourth year studying Pharmacology at UBC and he is interested in gaining experience in clinical research. In his free time, he enjoys playing hockey and baseball, and singing pop music.

Matthew Xiao

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Matthew is a Co-op student working as a research assistant on the Goals of Care and QueBIC studies. He is in his third year studying Microbiology and Immunology with a minor in Data Science at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include public health and healthcare, particularly advancing equitable treatment for patients, and addressing systemic factors that may influence health outcomes. Some things he enjoys to do in his free time include cooking for his friends, learning new languages, and spending too much money on food with friends.

Nathan Ng

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Nathan is a Co-op Research Assistant working on the Goals of Care and QueBiC studies. He is a 4th year student completing a Bachelor of Science in Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences (CAPS) at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include lipid trafficking in molecular physiology and patient experience in the emergency department. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming and trying new restaurants.

Parmida Mortazavibeik

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Parmida is a Co-op student working as a research assistant on the Circumstances of Active Transportation Injuries (CATI) study at the Vancouver General Hospital Emergency Department. She is a fourth-year Biology student at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include mental health, brain tumour research, and cardiovascular disease, with a particular interest in improving early disease detection. In her free time, she enjoys discovering new cafés with friends, cooking, reading, and playing backgammon.

Victoria Zhang

Co-op Student Research Assistant

Victoria is a Co-op Research Assistant working on the Circumstances of Active Transport Injuries Study. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences (CAPS) at the University of British Columbia and has recently completed her third year of study. Her research interests include human physiology, injury prevention, and public health. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, trying new restaurants, and gaming.