Research project: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Cultural influences on pain and its management amongst patients in Sunayni Municipality, Ghana.

Charity Dayang is a young enterprising and dedicated healthcare giver full of commitment and passion in the discharge of health services to clients and or patients at large. She holds a first degree in Public Health Nursing from the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana. Charity is a Ghanaian by nationality and a Registered Public Health Nurse who has worked in different facilities and disciplines in the Ghana Health Service since 2010 with extensive practice in Caregiving. Her delight is to see her clients meet their desired goals, happy and relieved from pain of sickening.

To enhance her skills and service delivery, Charity enrolled in the MSc Kinesiology program at the University of Victoria for the 2024/2025 academic year. Her motivation is to deepen her knowledge and develop expertise to better support aging populations. As part of her studies, she is conducting research on pain management within Ghana’s population. 

Married with three children, Charity enjoys cooking, reading and surfing the internet. She is committed to integrating into new environments while contributing meaningfully to organizational goals and her personal growth.

Research project: How task learning in immersive virtual reality influences cerebral blood flow dynamics during repeated bouts of a novel movement task with relevance to motor recovery following brain injury and stroke.

Joseph Okyere earned a BSc in Sports and Exercise Science and an MSc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.

Joseph also brings applied experience in fitness and rehabilitation, having supported diverse populations, including individuals recovering from neurological injuries, in both clinical and community settings. His long-term objective is to integrate evidence-based approaches from kinesiology and nutrition into rehabilitation initiatives that optimize recovery, cognitive function, and quality of life for people living with brain injury and stroke.

Research project: Assessing Pain-Related Content Across the Faculty of Health with IASP Curriculum Guidelines

Daisy Wagenaar is a fourth-year Kinesiology student at the University of Victoria. She has a strong interest in both education and rehabilitation and brings experience working with a wide range of age groups, from young children to older adults. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in teaching and education. This project is providing her with an opportunity to engage in curriculum analysis and explore education from a new and insightful perspective.

Research project: Improving Persistent Pain Management Through Targeted Education in the Biopsychosocial Model & Pain Neuroscience

Melissa Roumanis holds an undergraduate degree in Athletic Training from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Driven by a passion for understanding the complexities of human movement and pain, they pursued a Master’s degree in Exercise Science at Concordia University, where her research explored the intricate relationship between movement, pain-related fear, function, and depression in chronic pain patients. Her thesis project culminated in a publication in the Journal of Pain Research titled “Chronic Pain Patients’ Kinesiophobia and Catastrophizing Are Associated with Activity Intensity at Different Times of the Day.”

With a strong foundation in research methodologies and data collection, Melissa has gained significant experience in academia, teaching at three well-established institutions across Canada. Her academic journey has not only refined their expertise but also fueled a deep interest in continuing research in the psychosocial aspects of pain. Currently, Melissa is engaged in research centred on the biopsychosocial model and pain neuroscience education in British Columbia.

Research project: Investigating how pain impacts ballet dancers in both injury recovery and career longevity.

Anastasia Gambill completed her undergraduate BA in Fine and Performing Arts at the Evergreen State College in 2000. In completing her degree, she studied dance (Ballet & Modern), martial arts (Capoeria and Pukulan), Butoh, a Japanese post WWII performance art, Pilates, and yoga.  Her studies also included experimental theater, anatomy, journalism and English literature, visual art, art history, and architecture.  Her post-graduate work includes administrative and leadership roles with some of the leading performing arts organizations on the west coast of the U.S, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and the Rogue Valley Symphony.  She earned instructor certifications with CorePower Yoga, BASI Pilates, and Balanced Body Pilates, and worked for sixteen years as an instructor and movement therapist. In 2019, she presented her therapeutic project for young adults with cerebral palsy at the U.S. National Convention of Pediatric Physical Therapists, later developing an online course. In 2023, she founded Bespoke Movement Arts, specializing in injury recovery, scoliosis, and trauma support. Anastasia is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Victoria to expand her practice, from the individual therapeutic work she has done in movement, to the larger context of scientific research and discourse. 

Research project: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Cultural influences on pain and its management amongst patients in Sunayni Municipality, Ghana.

Charity Dayang is a young enterprising and dedicated healthcare giver full of commitment and passion in the discharge of health services to clients and or patients at large. She holds a first degree in Public Health Nursing from the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana. Charity is a Ghanaian by nationality and a Registered Public Health Nurse who has worked in different facilities and disciplines in the Ghana Health Service since 2010 with extensive practice in Caregiving. Her delight is to see her clients meet their desired goals, happy and relieved from pain of sickening.

To enhance her skills and service delivery, Charity enrolled in the MSc Kinesiology program at the University of Victoria for the 2024/2025 academic year. Her motivation is to deepen her knowledge and develop expertise to better support aging populations. As part of her studies, she is conducting research on pain management within Ghana’s population. 

Married with three children, Charity enjoys cooking, reading and surfing the internet. She is committed to integrating into new environments while contributing meaningfully to organizational goals and her personal growth.

Research project: Investigating the Effects of Contextual Modulations on Perceived Pain and Damage in Healthy Adult Populations.

Sophia Mastrangelo is an EPHE master’s student working under the supervision of Dr. David Kennedy in the Neurological and Pain Rehabilitation Lab at the University of Victoria. She did her undergrad at the University of Toronto in Kinesiology and is interested in neurological systemic rehabilitation, and understanding how the body modulates and perceives noxious stimuli. Her work at the University of Victoria pertains to how healthy individuals perceive and experience pain; specifically, how these perceptions can be modulated.

Research project: Patient Perspective on Neglect following stroke, a Qualitative Investigation

Negar Hassanzadeh studied at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy. She applied for a master’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Victoria with research interest regarding neglect following a stroke. She is currently studying patients’ experiences with neglect, how they comprehend neglect assessment tools, and how the effects of these tools aid in their recovery from their impairments.

Research project: How task learning in immersive virtual reality influences cerebral blood flow dynamics during repeated bouts of a novel movement task with relevance to motor recovery following brain injury and stroke

Joseph Okyere earned a BSc in Sports and Exercise Science and an MSc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.

Joseph also brings applied experience in fitness and rehabilitation, having supported diverse populations, including individuals recovering from neurological injuries, in both clinical and community settings. His long-term objective is to integrate evidence-based approaches from kinesiology and nutrition into rehabilitation initiatives that optimize recovery, cognitive function, and quality of life for people living with brain injury and stroke.

Research project: Sensorimotor perception and multisensory integration using augmented reality

Zara Mousavi is a Master’s student in Kinesiology at the University of Victoria. She holds a BSc from Shahrood University of Medical Sciences and has an interdisciplinary background in kinesiology, exercise physiology, and health research.

Her research focuses on sensorimotor perception and multisensory integration using augmented reality to examine human perception and movement.

Zara also has applied experience in exercise and health settings and has worked with diverse populations across fitness and clinical environments.

Research project: Experiences of Stroke and Clinicians with Spatial Neglect: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Anna Golovkina is a fourth-year kinesiology student at the University of Victoria. She graduated from Victoria High School and holds a dual Dogwood Diploma. Anna works as a community support worker, assisting clients in their recovery from brain injuries and supporting them with instrumental activities of daily living. She is passionate about pursuing a career in occupational therapy, with a focus on stroke rehabilitation. Currently, Anna is conducting a qualitative systematic review on the experiences of patients living with spatial neglect and the clinicians who assess and treat the condition.

Research project: Assessing Pain-Related Content Across the Faculty of Health with IASP Curriculum Guidelines

Daisy is a fourth-year Kinesiology student at the University of Victoria. She has a strong interest in both education and rehabilitation and brings experience working with a wide range of age groups, from young children to older adults. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in teaching and education. This project is providing her with an opportunity to engage in curriculum analysis and explore education from a new and insightful perspective.
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Research project:Motion Capture and Data Analysis of Pain Perception and Damage in Healthy Adults

Evan Quan is a fourth-year student at the University of Victoria studying kinesiology. He is interested in using technology and software to investigate topics regarding human health. Currently, Evan utilizes software tools such as Vicon Nexus, OpenSim, and Python to quantify the differences in gait patterns based on different walking conditions. His project is under the supervision of master’s student, Sophia Mastrangelo. Evan aims to work as a physiotherapist, hoping to build off his experience in the research lab to bring more sophisticated and practical testing protocols to the general population.

Research project: Effect of Virtual Reality Sessions Before Sleep on Pre-Sleep Pain and Sleep Quality in Chronic Pain Patients

Jadin Sjoquist is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the University of Victoria’s Kinesiology program. His relevant prior volunteer experience, as a research assistant in the NPR lab & as a physiotherapist’s assistant in a neurological rehabilitation clinic, has fostered an intrigue in the multifaceted mechanisms influencing the experience of both acute & chronic pain. Ultimately, this resulted in his decision to pursue an honours research project investigating the effects of pre-sleep immersive virtual reality on both pre-sleep pain & sleep quality in a chronic pain population. Jadin hopes this research project can contribute to improving the quality of life of chronic pain populations, through the possible use of an accessible and cost-effective therapeutic modality. In his future, Jadin aspires to pursue a career in healthcare through further studies in a Medical Doctorate program, and he hopes his prior experiences can bring a comprehensive & compassionate understanding of pain to his clinical methodology.