People

Dr. Chelsea Ekstrand, Principle Investigator
Chelsea is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. She completed her Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Saskatchewan, and her postdoctoral training at Western University. Before that, she received a B.Sc. in Psychology, also from the University of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on understanding how the brain processes the "real-world" by using naturalistic stimuli during neuroimaging to examine patterns of brain activity associated with complex cognitive processing. When she's not studying brains and coding, she can often be found walking her dog, Philly, and exploring the beautiful landscapes Alberta has to offer, or cooking elaborate meals with her partner, Matthew.
Email: [email protected], Twitter: @Chelsea.ekstrand, Google Scholar

Graduate Students
Joshua Craig
PhD Student
Josh is a Ph.D. student at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, where he also completed his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Neuroscience. His research delves into the complex effects of stress on the brain, particularly focusing on how stress alters perception and processing in the brain through the use of naturalistic stimuli to better understand real-world implications. An avid movie buff, Josh always has a top-notch film recommendation at the ready, whether it’s a classic or a hidden gem. Outside of academia, he enjoys unwinding on the golf course, staying active at the gym, or hitting the hockey rink.
Keva Klamer
PhD Student
Keva is a PhD student in the Department of Neuroscience at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. She completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Neuroscience also from the University of Lethbridge. Her research delves into how various facets of human experience (e.g., emotions, migraine status, psychological well-being levels, and somatic anxiety levels) influence complex cognitive processing. To do so, she conducts functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) studies while participants watch movies. When she’s not researching, she spends her free time doing yoga, pilates, reading, playing piano, and going on hikes with her partner, Devon. ​
Sara Asadi
 M.Sc Student
​Sara is a Master's student in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Her research focuses on applying Deep Learning methods to 4D fMRI data classification, bridging the fields of artificial intelligence and neuroscience. Currently, Sara is developing techniques to analyze brain activity patterns during naturalistic paradigms such as movie-watching, combining 3D CNN and RNN approaches to capture spatial and temporal patterns. In her free time, she enjoys watching series and sitcoms, reading philosophical and psychological books, listening to podcasts, and coloring.
Alireza Taheritorbati
M.Sc Student
Alireza is a Master's Student in the Department of Neuroscience at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge. He earned his B.Sc. in Psychology from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. His research utilizes Electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate neural activity during memory encoding, contrasting "real-world" active experiences with passive memorization tasks. Additionally, he explores age-related differences in memory performance. Outside the lab, Alireza enjoys playing and watching sports, exploring the scenic parks of Lethbridge, and cooking with his wife, Niayesh.
Niayesh Allahdad 
M.Sc Student
Niayesh is a Master's Student in the Department of Neuroscience at the Canadian Cantre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Psychology from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Her research focuses on investigating neural synchrony in romantic couples, the factors affecting it, and what makes it unique from neural synchrony in other dyads such as friends. She is interested in integrating neuroscience, psychology, and social studies. Other times, Niayesh enjoys reading books, spending time with friends, and photographing beautiful sceneries of Lethbridge alongside her husband, Alireza.
Jane O'Connor
M.Sc Student
Jane is a Master's Student in the Department of Neuroscience at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge. She graduated with a B.Sc. and B.Ed. in 2019 from the University of Lethbridge. Her research focuses on patterns of connectivity and neural regions associated with emotional memory recall. She is interested in the application of different neuroimaging techniques in behavioral neuroscience and psychological research.

Previous Masters Students
KiAnna Sullivan 
M.Sc
Christina Haines 
M.Sc

Previous Trainees

Leanne Watson
Leanne is currently completing her Master's in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta.
Piper Shamanaski
Kathleen Gonzales
Victoria Tremblay
Tina Dres
Amber Hansen
Rosie Costen
Andres Jimenez
Hannah Bouma
​Courtney Slaughter

Join us!
We are always looking for enthusiastic people to join the lab. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree with us please click the link below!

​CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience             
Science Commons            
4401 University Dr W    
Lethbridge, AB, Canada