Meet The Team
Dr. Melanie J. Sekeres, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2)
Assistant Professor
University of Ottawa
Graduate Students
Meenakshie Bradley-Garcia, B.Sc., M.Ed.
Fourth Year M.A.-Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Candidate
Meenakshie is a 4th year student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa. She obtained a Masters in Counselling Psychology (M.Ed.) and Bachelor in Science with Specialization in Psychology (B.Sc.) from the University of Ottawa. Meenakshie’s Ph.D. research under the supervision of Dr. Sekeres focuses on the influence of chemotherapy on cognitive and affective behavior in women with breast cancer and in mice. She mentors undergraduate volunteers and honours thesis students of the NML.
Kristina Munelith-Souksanh, B.Sc.
Second Year M.A.-Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Student
Kristina has completed a B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology (2021) and a B.Sc. in Psychology (2022). She is currently a Second Year MA-PhD Clinical Psychology. Kristina's project focuses on investigating potential memory network alterations important for episodic and autobiographical memory in women with chemotherapy-treated breast cancer using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Hamed Neveu Karimpour
First Year M.A.-Ph.D. Experimental Psychology
Hamed is a first-year student in the MA-PhD Experimental Psychology program at the University of Ottawa. He completed a B.Sc. (Hons) in Psychology at the University of Ottawa in 2023. His project involves the chemogenetic manipulation and transformation of the motor memory network in mice. He is also assisting Meena with a study designed to assess the impact of chemotherapy on the episodic memory in women with breast cancer.
Honours Thesis Students
Parker Hamilton
Fourth Year B.A. Psychology
Parker is a 4th year student completing an Honours B.A. with Specialization in Psychology. He is assisting with research at the Neuroscience Memory Lab under the supervision of Meenakshie. Parker's project focuses on episodic memory impairments following chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer survivors. Broadly, Parker's research interests include psychopharmacology, the effect of psychoactive substances on memory and executive function, and addiction treatment.
Taha Awan
Fourth Year B.A. Psychology
Hello! I’m Taha Awan (he/him), currently in my third fourth of a B.A in psychology. My position is that of an Honours Thesis Student participating as a research assistant in the Lab of Neuroscience and Memory, helping Meenakshie with analysis of neurocognitive assessments that were used to measure the impact of chemotherapy on episodic memory in women with breast cancer. I am interested in how cancer treatments impact memory, as well as how memory works and the processes behind it!
Chloé Cateaux
Fourth Year B.A. Psychology
Chloé Cateaux is a fourth-year student in the Honours B.A in psychology at the University of Ottawa. Currently, she is completing her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Sekeres and graduate student mentor Kristina. Her research interests include health psychology, psychosocial oncology, neuroscience, sleep and perfectionism.
Mitchell Lilley
Fourth Year B.A. Psychology
Mitchell is a 4th year honours student in Psychology. Within the Neuroscience and Memory lab he is completing his Honours Thesis revolving around chemogenetic manipulation and transformation of a motor memory network in mice. He is also assisting Meenakshie on a study designed to assess the impact of chemotherapy on episodic memory in women with breast cancer, through both administering and analysing neurocognitive assessments.
Research Assistants
Alexia Blick
Third Year B.A. Psychology
Hi, I'm Alexia (she/her)! I'm a third-year Honours B.A. Psychology student, also doing a Minor in Linguistics. I am a research assistant for Kristina Munelith-Souksanh and her study investigating how chemotherapy in breast cancer patients may affect episodic memory and recollection network processing. Generally, my research interests include, psychopathology, behavioural neuroscience, and atypical child development.
Amira Boukhelif
Third Year B.A. Psychology
Hi! I’m Amira, I’m a third-year student completing an Honours B.A. in Psychology. I am a research assistant at the Neuroscience Memory Lab under Kristina who I am assisting with her fMRI study that assesses the cognitive influence of chemotherapy on memory within breast cancer patients. Broadly, my research interests include neurocognitive disorders, traumatic brain injuries, memory, stroke recovery and the impact of pharmaceutical abuse on the nervous system.
Ashley Bossilkov
Fourth Year B.A. Psychology
Ashley is a fourth-year student currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Ottawa. She serves as a research assistant at the Neuroscience Memory Lab, where she is supporting Meenashkie in her research study that focuses on examining the impact of chemotherapy on cognitive functions in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Her research interests include health psychology, memory, neuroscience and child development.
Gabriela Haddad
Second Year B.Sc. Psychology
Hi, my name is Gabriela, I’m a second year Honours B.Sc. Psychology student. I am currently a research assistant at the Neuroscience and Memory lab where I help Meenakshie with her study on the effects of chemotherapy on memory in women who have suffered with breast cancer. In my later year, I would like to pursue my own research study in the effects of music on the development of cognitive abilities in children.
Isabelle Poirier
Third Year B.Sc. Psychology
Isabelle is a third-year student in the Honours BSc in Psychology at uOttawa. As a research assistant at the Neuroscience Memory Lab, she assists Kristina Munelith-Souksanh in her study assessing event memory and recollection network processing in breast cancer survivors. She in interested in pursuing research in cognitive neuropsychology.
Jane Archibald, B.A.
B.A. Psychology
Hi! My name is Jane Archibald (pronouns she/her/elle), and I am a research assistant at the Neuroscience Memory Lab. I have recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Currently, I help with the data collection and coding of an online study that looks at the relationship between chemotherapy and cognition in women with breast cancer. Areas of research that I’m particularly interested in include memory, future thinking, theory of mind, and cognitive development.
Julyane Gelinas
Fourth Year B.A. Psychology
Hi! My name is Julyane Gelinas (she/her), and I am just about to begin my 4th year in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program here at uOttawa. I love psychology, but I love the field of neuroscience even more. This has brought me to work as a research assistant under Kristina, in the Neuroscience Memory Lab. So far, I’ve worked on SOP’s, so many forms, and helped with piloting the study. I must say it feels great to get involved in something so important and engaging. My broad interests follow the neurology of several of our day-to-day behaviors, such as sleep, learning and memory, using neuroimaging to see the ways in which our brains function.
Marlies Chaters
Fourth Year B.Sc. Psychology
Hi! My name is Marlies! I am a fourth year student in an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Ottawa. I am a research assistant involved in Meenakshie's study on chemotherapy and its effects on memory. My research interests include neuroscience, motivations behind behaviour and child development!
Megan Bennett
Third Year B.Sc. Psychology
Hi my name is Megan Bennett and I am in my third year of Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Ottawa. I am a research assistant in the Neuroscience and Memory lab and I will be assisting Kristina Munelith-Souksanh in her research regarding the potential alterations in recollection network processing in breast cancer survivors who have received chemotherapy. I aspire to pursue a career in research and my interests include memory, cognition, behavioral neuroscience and child development.
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Radhika Grover
Third Year B.A. Psychology
I am currently a third-year Psychology student. I am also minoring in health sciences because, during my first year, I developed an interest in topics like health determinants, health equity etc. I am originally from India, but I moved to Canada 2 years ago for my international studies. I will be assisting Meenakshie Bradley as an RA with the behavioural study that she is working on. I feel honoured to be a part of this team.