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Meet the Team

Current Members at the Child Health and Physical Activity Laboratory

Faculty, Lab Director

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...

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Post-Doctoral Associate, Adjunct Professor

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 and is an Adjunct Professor 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...

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Post-Doctoral Associate

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...

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Affiliate Investigator

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...

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Affiliate Investigator

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...

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Post-Doctoral Associate

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...

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OT Reg. (Ont.) & Post-Doctoral Associate

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...

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Combined MPT/PhD Student

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...

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PhD Student

PhD Student

Myranda Hawthorne

Myranda is a PhD candidate in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program, specializing in Health Promotion at Western University. She recently completed her Master’s in Health: Science, Technology and Policy at Carleton University, exploring gender differences in...

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PhD Student

PhD Student

Bayley Inniss

Bayley is completing her PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the Health Promotion stream. Her background includes an HBA in Psychology and Gerontology and an MPH, both from Lakehead University. Bayley’s MPH research focused on strategies to reduce bacterial wound...

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Master's Student

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...

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Research Volunteer & KMb Assistant

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...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Esther Low

Esther is a 4th year Western student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. Passionate about working with children, Esther has gained experience as a youth skating coach, childcare educator, and tutor for students with learning...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Serena Gould

Serena is a third-year student at Western University pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology. Passionate about working with children, Serena has gained experience directing tennis camps and as a humanitarian aid volunteer, working with orphanages and...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Faith Virgina Vito

Faith Vito is a second-year kinesiology student at Western University, with a deep passion for child health and sports. Her extensive background in athletics, having played and captained three different sports teams throughout her youth, provides her with a unique perspective on physical...

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Research Volunteer

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...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Zoe Autumn Mainville

Zoë is a second-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...

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Research Volunteer

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...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Alejandra Covo

Alejandra is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Health Sciences with Biology at Western University. She has developed a strong passion for pediatric health through volunteer experiences supporting children with medical...

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Research Volunteer

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...

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Research Volunteer

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...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Alessandra Pascual

Alexandra is in her third year pursuing an Honours Specialization in Kinesiology. She is passionate about working with children and improving access to quality healthcare and supportive resources for families and children. Growing up in a small town has shaped her commitment to supporting...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Scott Wong

Scott is a third-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 physical activity in fun...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Hanna Park

Hanna is a third-year student at Western University working toward admission into the Accelerated Nursing program. Passionate about child health and development, she has gained extensive hands-on experience through roles such as camp counsellor and Early Childhood...

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Research Volunteer

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...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Kiana de Lima

Kiana de Lima is a second-year undergraduate student at Western University pursuing a degree in Health Sciences. Through her experiences as a swim instructor, mentor for children focused on healthy living, and childcare volunteer at a women’s shelter, Kiana has...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Grace Han

Grace is a first-year Honours double major in Psychology and Family Studies and Human Development at Western University. Having grown up involved in competitive sports, she developed a strong appreciation for the role of physical in supporting growth across different stages...

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Janet Chen

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Doa Elganga

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Vanko Umasuthan

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Ashiga Surendiran

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Research Volunteer

Research Volunteer

Josie-Ella Di Maria

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