Contributors: Fall 2025

Meet the IMS Magazine Fall 2025 Team

Graphic design by Nichole Zhou

Beatrice Acheson is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Peter St George-Hyslop at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CRND), where she investigates the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying microglial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease. When she is not in the lab, Beatrice is likely reading a book, attending a yoga class, or playing beach volleyball.

Instagram: @bea.acheson

Aria Afsharian is a second-year MSc student at St. Michael’s Hospital under Dr. Andras Kapus. His research focuses on cell biology, specifically the role of signalling proteins in the antiviral immune response. Apart from the lab, Aria enjoys drawing, reading and working out.

Tesam Ahmed is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Felsky at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Her research investigates the interaction between structural and functional brain changes and genetic factors to influence trajectories of psychosis in youth. Outside of the lab, Tesam loves to read, enjoy nature, and spend time with friends.

Jasmine Amini is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Drs. Daphne Korczak and Samantha Anthony at the Hospital for Sick Children. Her research interests lie in social media use and family functioning among youth with an acute self-harm or suicide-related concern. Outside of academia, Jasmine enjoys reading, volunteering, and exploring Toronto.

Twitter: Jasmine_amini9

Yalda Champiri is a second-year MSc student under the supervision of Dr. Fehlings at Krembil Brain Institute. Her research focuses on enhancing respiratory function following spinal cord injury. She enjoys spending quality time with her puppies and exploring new restaurants when possible.

Kevan Clifford is a PhD student in the IMS program, working under the supervision of Dr. Yuliya Nikolova at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. His research combines bioinformatics and neuroimaging approaches to characterize shared risk pathways between brain aging and psychiatric illnesses. Outside of the lab, Kevan enjoys trail running, photography, and a good book (preferably while curled up with his cat, Rauru).

Sara Corvinelli is a PhD student supervised by Dr. Jacques Lee at the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute. Her thesis is exploring innovative ways to improve delirium recognition for older people who seek emergency care. When she’s not researching, Sara enjoys ballet, nature walks, and spending time with loved ones.

Mia Feldman is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Isabella Caniggia at the Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute. They are studying the placental-maternal crosstalk in cardiovascular diseases of pregnancy. In their free time, Mia enjoys reading and exploring different neighborhoods in Toronto!

Grace Gibson is a second-year MSc student in the Biomedical Communications program studying to become a medical illustrator. She aims to work in patient-facing media and outreach focused on the LGBTQ community. In her free time, Grace enjoys reading books and painting.

Omar I. Hassan is an MSc student transferring to PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Fehlings. He studies neuromodulatory and regenerative strategies in spinal cord injury and has a particular focus on translation from laboratory to clinic. Currently his work is focused on restoring chloride homeostasis through repurposed pharmacological agents. Outside of the lab, he enjoys horology, falconry, and yapping over election politics.

Instagram: @omar_hassan1535

Vanessa Ip is finishing up their MSc working with Dr. Vicky Stergiopulos in General Psychiatry and Health Systems Division at CAMH. She is investigating the characteristics of forensic patients designated ALC in the last 5 years, the housing needs and preferences of this population, and their challenges and barriers to accessing housing. Aside from research, Vanessa has a passion for dogs, photography, and espresso.

Instagram/Twitter: @vanessaaip

Hamzah Khan is a fourth year PhD candidate working with supervisor and vascular surgeon Dr. Mohammad Qadura at St. Michaels Hospital. His research focuses on the discovery of novel protein plasma biomarkers for predicting adverse cardiovascular events in patients with vascular disease. Outside of research Hamzah is the Director of Pueblo Science, a not-for-profit organization that focuses on increasing science literacy and critical thinking in rural and underserved communities in Canada and abroad.

Josephine Machado is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Andrea Knight at The Hospital for Sick Children. Her research is focused on examining the neuropsychiatric impacts of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) through the study of brain-aging in children with the condition. Outside of research, Josephine enjoys reading, playing the piano, nature walks, and volunteering.

Lielle Ronen is a first-year MSc student in Dr. Andrew Sage’s Lab at the Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Labs in PMCRT. Her research investigates smoking damage in donor lungs to improve post-transplant outcomes using Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP). Aside from research, she loves painting, baking, running and trying local restaurants in Toronto. Lielle is also a member of our social media team.

Kowsar Teymouri is a fourth-year PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. James Kennedy at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Kowsar is investigating the role of the immune system genes in schizophrenia and how they are associated with different subgroups of schizophrenia. If not at CAMH, you can find Kowsar taking care of her son, running along the lakeshore, or creating content for her travel blog.

Twitter: @kowsar_teymouri

Priya van Oosterhout is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Yuliya Nikolova at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Priya is investigating how substance use disorders affect the way in which the brain ages, as measured by MRI data. In her free time, she enjoys trying new food, watching movies, or going on hikes.

Instagram: @priya.vo

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

Lizabeth Teshler (Lead) is a PhD student supervised by Dr. Brian Feldman at The Hospital for Sick Children. Her research investigates how to improve the clinical examination of musculoskeletal health for people with Hemophilia. Outside of research, Lizabeth loves biking, spending time outdoors, and exploring new cities.

Abigail Wolfensohn is a second-year MSc student in Dr. Mojgan Hodaie’s lab at Toronto Western Hospital. She is researching how the brain’s waste-clearance system functions in people with trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic facial pain condition. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, puzzles, trying new restaurants, and playing the piano.

Instagram: @abbywolfen

PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM

Katherine Guo is a second-year MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Shannon Lange at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Her work focuses on patterns of alcohol consumption and its related harms, aiming to better-understand the association between alcohol consumption and suicide mortality. Outside of her academics, Katherine spends her time working on various graphic design projects, taking photos, and exploring the wildlife in and outside of the city.

Nancy Kim is a second-year MSc student under the supervision of Dr. Amanda Boyle at the Center of Addiction and Mental Health. Her research focuses on neuroinflammation in different brain tumours originating from glial cells. She uses PET neuroimaging and histology studies to quantify neuroinflammation for early diagnosis and staging of these tumours. Outside of her research, she enjoys playing volleyball, exploring restaurants (mostly ramen places) and cafes (especially for matcha) near campus.