I am a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Lethbridge. I study how gut health affects brain health and mental health.

My MSc was in evolutionary biology and parasitology. I have a PhD in gastrointestinal sciences and immunology. My postdoctoral studies are at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, where I research the gut-brain axis.

My research questions include:

How does acute and chronic gut inflammation affect the brain? Which regions are affected? Why are some regions more vulnerable than others? How does this alter animal behaviour? Can it be remediated by non-psychoactive cannabinoids? By psilocybin? What is the role of mitochondria in driving gut inflammation-induced behavioural changes in the brain? What role does tryptophan metabolism have in gut-inflammation induced changes in the brain? What role do gut microbes play in driving these changes in brain structure and function?

I am passionate about teaching, mentorship, community outreach, science communication, and of course research!