Julia Schmidt, Principal Investigator
Dr. Schmidt is interested in understanding life after brain injury. Her goal is to learn more about changes in the brain after injury and throughout life, changes in daily life and social roles after brain injury, and programs that support people with brain injury to lead lives that are personally meaningful.
Dr. Schmidt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. She completed her BSc(OT) at the University of Alberta and spent over 10 years working clinically in brain injury rehabilitation. She earned her PhD at the University of Queensland, Australia, where she studied the effectiveness of video-based feedback interventions to improve self-awareness after traumatic brain injury. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia’s Brain Behaviour Lab, exploring changes in the brain’s physiology in youth who had concussions.
In her spare time, Dr. Schmidt likes being in the mountains with her family. She skis in winter, mountain bikes in summer, and enjoys trail running, baking, writing, singing in a choir, and listening to a good podcast year-round.
E-mail: julia.schmidt@ubc.ca
Current Lab Members
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Jade Witten
Dr. Jade Witten is a postdoctoral research fellow in the CEDAR Lab in GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. She is also a registered neuropsychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Jade completed her PhD in Psychology (September 2023) at Bangor University in North Wales, UK. Her thesis focused on emotion regulation tools for managing frustration and anger after brain injury. Jade is committed to neurorehabilitation research that aims to improve the wellbeing and quality of life of people living with a brain injury. She is also interested in research that supports caregivers of people with brain injury. In the CEDAR lab, Jade’s research interest is to understand the experiences of the caregivers of people with traumatic brain injury who are receiving peer support. Outside of the lab, Jade loves exploring new places and enjoying the outdoors, especially hiking, walking, cycling, and kayaking.
E-mail: jade.witten@ubc.ca
Graduate Students
Jasleen Grewal, PhD Student
Jasleen Grewal is a PhD candidate in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at UBC and a registered occupational therapist. Jasleen’s research is informed by her clinical experience. Her research focuses on investigating the feasibility of novel interventions in neurorehabilitation. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the feasibility of virtual reality interventions, as well as the experiences of clinicians and patients when using virtual reality. Additionally, Jasleen has a special interest in mental health rehabilitation and its relation to brain injury and substance use. In her spare time, Jasleen likes to read, bake and spend time with her puppy.
E-mail: jgrewa08@student.ubc.ca
Rinni Mamman, PhD Student
Rinni is a PhD student in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at UBC. Her interest in traumatic brain injury (TBI) started during her undergraduate days at the University of Nottingham. Rinni recently completed her Master’s degree in the CEDAR lab exploring social participation and self-identity after TBI. She continues to conduct research about life after TBI with the CEDAR Brain Injury Lab for her PhD degree. Outside of the lab, she loves to travel, read, and chill with her cats!
E-mail: rinni@student.ubc.ca
Janna Griffioen, PhD Student
Janna Griffioen is a PhD student in the CEDAR lab in GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Her current research interest in the CEDAR lab is evaluating the impact of a province-wide peer support program for people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. Janna completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour with a specialization in mental health and illness, with a certificate in business studies at McMaster University in Ontario. Janna’s undergraduate research projects ranged from the attentional blink to evaluating the neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV-2. Outside of the lab you can find Janna on skis, skates, surf board, or a bike.
E-mail: janna.griffioen@ubc.ca
Yenah Byun, Master’s Student
Yenah is a MSc student in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at UBC. She is working with the CEDAR Lab to explore the roles and responsibilities of peer support workers and examine how providing peer support influences their well-being, sense of identity, and purpose. Yenah completed her BA Honours in Psychology with a minor in Nutritional Sciences at UBC, where she conducted research with various marginalized groups to better understand how to support individuals who are underserved in society. Yenah is passionate about client-centred care and believes that rehabilitation support should extend beyond the clinical setting. Outside of the lab, you can find Yenah hiking in the mountains, running along the seawall, or exploring yummy eats in the city!
E-mail: yenah.byun@ubc.ca
Cayla Douglas, Incoming PhD Student
Cayla is an Occupational Therapist and a passionate advocate for increasing equitable access to health services across British Columbia. In 2015, she graduated from Grant MacEwan University which is located in Alberta with a Physical and Occupational Therapist Assistant diploma. Cayla worked in this role for 5 years while completing her hybrid Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies degree through the University of Calgary. In 2022, Cayla graduated and was successfully selected as an out of province student for the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the University of British Columbia. Her research areas include community accessibility, brain injury and youth MH&SU. Clinically, Cayla works within various areas of practice that include brain injury recovery, youth and adult trauma & mental health, fine motor and executive function within pediatrics and cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury. Additionally, when Cayla is not at the lab or working clinically you can likely find her at UBC supporting Occupational Therapy students within her clinical faculty role. Cayla brings diverse knowledge to the CEDAR Lab team and cannot wait to begin her PhD Rehabilitation Sciences in January 2026 to complete research alongside individuals living with a brain injury.
E-mail: cayla.douglas@ubc.ca
Research Staff
Jeyah Cruz, Research Coordinator – University of British Columbia
Jeyah completed her BSc in Microbiology & Immunology at UBC in May 2025. She brings extensive clinical research experience, having contributed to projects in women’s health and infectious diseases. Motivated by a passion for public health, her research interests are in improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities among people with brain injuries through person-centered programs and interventions. She also values collaborating with people with lived experience to understand how to best support individuals with brain injuries. Outside of work, Jeyah enjoys cafe-hopping, bouldering with friends, and exploring hidden gems in the city!
E-mail: jeyah.cruz@ubc.ca
Caitlin Liang, Research Assistant – University of British Columbia
Caitlin is a second-year student with an interest in the intersection of traumatic brain injury and clinical research. She is particularly passionate about working with individuals who have lived experience and is eager to expand her understanding of how they navigate the challenges associated with traumatic brain injury. Her research interests also include exploring the relationship between acquired brain injury and the impact on mental health and cognitive function, having previous research experience on detecting neurodegeneration. Outside of the lab, Caitlin enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and baking.
E-mail: cliang1@student.ubc.ca
Clinical Research Associate
Nicole Gingrich, Occupational Therapist
Nicole Gingrich is an Occupational Therapist at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre specializing in brain injury rehabilitation. She completed her Masters of Occupation Therapy at UBC. Nicole’s capstone project explored determinants of social participation after stroke and was published in Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. In the lab, Nicole facilitates recruitment of participants from GF Strong and partners to co-develop clinically relevant interventions for people with brain injury. Outside her work, Nicole enjoys running, biking and outdoor adventures.
Past Lab Members
| Name | Role | Time | Next Steps |
| Kylie Yuen | Research Assistant | 1 year (2024-2025) | Kylie worked on her capstone project with the CEDAR Lab which investigated the training experiences of peer support workers for people with acquired brain injuries. She has recently been admitted to UBC’s Occupational Therapy Program starting September 2025. |
| Jodi Ferrer | Research Assistant | 3 years (2022-2025) | Jodi worked as a research assistant at the CEDAR Lab until she graduated with her BSc in Biology. Jodi now works full-time as an Occupation Therapy Assistant and aspires to pursue her Masters of Occupational Therapy. |
| Alyssa Turcott | Research Assistant / Research Coordinator | 4 years (2021-2025) | Alyssa worked at the CEDAR Brain Injury Lab for 3 years as a research assistant. After graduating from her BSc in Biology and Psychology, she started working full-time at the lab as a research coordinator. She has recently been admitted to Queen Margaret University’s Occupational Therapy Program starting September 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland. |
| Niloufar Benam | Master’s student | 3 years (2021-2024) | Niloufar completed her master’s studies in the field of Rehabilitation Sciences in 2023 analyzing brain activation patterns after TBI when completing dressing tasks. She continued her work in the CEDAR Lab as a Research Assistant and has been recently admitted to UBC’s Occupational Therapy Program starting September 2025. |
| Ruthine Kang | Research Assistant | 1.5 years (2021-2023) | Ruthine (RJ) worked as a research assistant at the CEDAR Lab until she graduated with her BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience. She received her Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at Trinity Western University, and continues her learning and passion for mental health rehabilitation. |
| Rebecca Tsow | Research Assistant | 3.5 years (2019-2023) | After graduating from the CEDAR Lab, Rebecca spent a year travelling abroad before starting her Master’s degree in Physiotherapy at the University of Alberta. She plans to continue exploring her passion for patient-centred conversations and care in her future work. |
| Anika Cheng | Research Assistant | 3 years (2019-2022) | Anika worked with the CEDAR Brain Injury Lab for 3 years as a research assistant. She completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and continued into the MSc of Occupational Therapy program at UBC. She looks forward to applying all the knowledge she has gained from this lab into her clinical practice, and working in the field of brain injury in the future! |
| Rochelle Chauhan | Master’s Student | 2.5 years (2019-2021) | Completing her Master’s degree inspired Rochelle to continue conducting research. She will continue working in research, potentially continuing on to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. |