Meet the Team
Current Members at the Child Health and Physical Activity Laboratory
Faculty, Lab Director
Dr. Trish Tucker
Dr. Trish Tucker is a Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy and the Director of the Child Health & Physical Activity Lab at Western University. Dr. Tucker’s expertise are in the broad areas of health promotion, physical activity, and childhood obesity prevention. Her primary area of...
Post-Doctoral Associate, Adjunct Professor
Dr. Brianne Bruijns
Dr. Brianne Bruijns serves as a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab in the School of Occupational Therapy. She completed her MSc ('18) and PhD ('21) degrees in the field of Health Promotion at Western University, and...
Post-Doctoral Associate
Dr. Sophie Phillips
Dr. Sophie Phillips is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Child Health & Physical Activity Lab at Western University. Sophie received her PhD in Public Health in 2022 from Durham University, UK. Sophie’s PhD research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School...
Affiliate Investigator
Dr. Leigh Vanderloo
Having received her PhD in Health Promotion from the University of Western Ontario in 2016, Dr. Vanderloo’s area of research focuses on the objective measurement of young children’s physical activity levels and sedentary time. Her research interests also extend to the...
Affiliate Investigator
Dr. Matthew Bourke
Dr. Matthew Bourke is a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, Australia, and an Affiliate Investigator in the School of Occupational Therapy, Western University. Matthew was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab between 2022-2023, where...
Post-Doctoral Associate
Dr. Hannah Coyle-Asbil
Dr. Hannah Coyle-Asbil is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab. She completed her BSc ('19) in Biomedical Science and MSc ('21) in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. Hannah then pursued a Cotutelle PhD, funded by NSERC, Mitacs...
OT Reg. (Ont.) & Post-Doctoral Associate
Dr. Leah Taylor
Dr. Leah Taylor is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Child Health & Physical Activity Lab at Western University. Leah completed her PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Health Promotion; 2026), alongside a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (2025), both through Western University's...
Combined MPT/PhD Student
Aidan Loh
Aidan is pursuing a combined Master of Physical Therapy and PhD through the Department of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Clinical Kinesiology at Western, where he first joined the Child Health and Physical...
Master's Student
Kyra Hollins
Kyra is a Master’s student in the Health Promotion stream of the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program as Western University. Prior to attending Western University, Kyra completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology (Honours) at Brock University in 2024, as well as a Health...
Research Volunteer & KMb Assistant
Sheri Kim
Sheri graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) Honours degree. She has dedicated her undergraduate years exploring various healthcare settings including emergency medicine and chronic care to develop a holistic comprehension of health’s impact...
Research Volunteer
Erin Isabelle Coles
Erin is a second-year kinesiology student at Western University and a member of the Women’s Flag Football team. With six years of experience coaching gymnastics and working with children ages 1 to 16, Erin has developed a strong commitment to fostering active lifestyles and is...
Research Volunteer
Zoe Autumn Mainville
Zoë is a third-year undergraduate student at Western University, specializing in Honours Kinesiology. Having grown up as a competitive athlete, she has recognized firsthand the value of physical activity and its crucial role in the various stages of development. Zoë aspires to pursue a...
Research Volunteer
Emily Sussex
Emily Sussex is a fourth-year student at Western University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Criminology. She has extensive experience working with children in active settings, providing her with a strong foundation in children’s health and physical activity. Through her...
Research Volunteer
Stavroula Aggelonitis
Stavroula Aggelonitis is a third-year student at Western University pursuing an Honours Specialization in Family Studies and Human Development and simultaneously pursuing a certificate at Ivey in Purpose-Driven Leadership. Having grown up playing soccer and other sports...
Research Volunteer
Khushveer Kaur Punia
Khushveer is a third-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University, working towards an Honours Specialization in Rehabilitation Sciences. Through her volunteer experiences in rehabilitation settings, she has developed a strong interest in...
Research Volunteer
Scott Wong
Scott is a fourth-year undergraduate student enrolled in Kinesiology with an Honours Specialization in Clinical Kinesiology. Scott is an aspiring paediatric physiotherapist who hopes to support children in their rehabilitation to live an active and fulfilling life by promoting...
Research Volunteer
Leah Ducharme
Leah is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Western University pursuing an Honours Specialization in Rehabilitation Sciences. She has developed a strong interest in health, wellness, and fitness, and hopes to pursue a career in occupational therapy. Through her working with...
Research Volunteer
Vanko Umasuthan
Vanko is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an honours specialization in Biochemistry. Having grown up playing sports, he has developed a strong appreciation for the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle. From his experiences volunteering with the...
Work-Study Student
Ashiga Surendiran
Ashiga is a 4th year Western University student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Health Sciences. With a strong interest in child health, disability, and healthcare, Ashiga has gained research experience exploring quality participation among young children with...
Research Volunteer
Josie-Ella Di Maria
Josie-Ella is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the faculty of Schulich School of Medical & Dentistry, pursuing a double major in Physiology and Interdisciplinary Medical Science. She is interested in physiology, anatomy, wellness, and physical activity. Through her...