People

Dr. Catharine Winstanley obtained a first class honours degree in Psychology and Physiology from the University of Oxford, and subsequently completed a PhD at the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Prof. Trevor Robbins. Her research focused on exploring the neural and neurochemical basis of different forms of impulsivity. As a post-doctoral researcher in the laboratory of Prof. Eric Nestler at UT Southwestern, she investigated whether manipulating intracellular signaling pathways can affect impulse control and cognitive function, and applied such knowledge to models of drug addiction.

In January 2007, Dr. Winstanley took up a tenure-track assistant professorship at the University of British Columbia where she has established the Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioural Neuroscience, and engages in university lecturing. She is currently a Michael Smith Early Career Scholar, and has received numerous awards for her research including the 2008 Wyeth Award for outstanding research in Preclinical Psychopharmacology. She also loves her cats, snowboarding, playing the piano, running, rock-climbing (badly) and drinking tea.

Lab Manager

Paul Cocker
Program of study: N/A
Current research interests: The effects of dopamine & serotonin on impulsive behaviour and the underlying neural pathways that mediate these effects
Future goals: Possibly PhD in neuroscience, possibly illegal alien
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Give me marmite and cheese and I’m set… although a sofa, tv, dvd player, some films and beers wouldn’t go amiss

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Graduate Students

Fiona Zeeb
Program of study: Ph.D. in Neuroscience
Current research interests: Pathological gambling, impulsivity (choice and action), and environmental enrichment
Future goals: The same “goal” we have every day Pinky…
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Coffee and all coffee related items, Kernel’s popcorn, a soccer ball, my cat, and a monkey

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Jay Hosking
Program of study: PhD in Neuroscience
Current research interests: Cost/benefit decision making, effort (cognitive vs. physical), and gambling rats
Future goals: Sobriety
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: My guitar, my Kindle, and Granville Island pale ale

Dominique Levesque
Program of study: MSc in Neuroscience
Current research interests: The effects of chronic lithium on impulsivity and cognition
Future goals: Being my own psychiatrist
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: It would have to be a large cage — a sunny beach, some girly cocktails, a kayak, a tennis court, and people to have coffee with

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Current Research Assistants

Jacqueline Ferland
Program of study: Psychology (BA)
Current research interests: The effects of environmental enrichment and social interaction on impulsivity
Future goals: Graduate school, a lot of research
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Green tea, St. Andre cheese and baguette, an MP3 player, a TV with my Twin Peaks box set, and a small garden

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Melanie Tremblay
Program of study: Psychology (BAHons)
Current research interests: Consequences of bilateral basolateral amygdala lesions on loss aversion, risk taking, and loss-chasing behaviour in rats
Future goals: Providing advancement in knowledge of the effect of psychoactive drugs on the brain and in the clinical population
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Bedding, a tube for hiding, brown paper, and some psychoactive drugs

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Previous Lab Members

Adeline Wong
Program of study: Psychology
Current research interests: The effects of an enriched environment
Future goals: To go on and complete graduate studies
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Modernized plumbing, electricity, computer with internet, cell phone, and my friends

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HaoSheng Sun
Program of study: Pharmacology
Current research interests: Understanding the neurobiology of various psychiatric disorders
Future goals: Attend graduate school and be like Catharine
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: TV(with cable) and snacks(preferably grape flavoured sugar pellets)

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James Benoit
Program of study: BSc.H. Integrated Science
Current research interests: Animal: pharmacological modulation of cognitive effort in rats. Human: neuroscience of social behaviour in virtual spaces
Future goals: graduate studies at Oxford University
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: computer, plasma TV, coffee machine, and duct tape

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Myia Archer
Program of study: BA Cognitive Systems - Cognition and Brain Stream
Current research interests: Motivation
Future goals: Possibly grad school
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Internet, Rock Band, Gatorade


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Hayden

Hayden Rubensohn
Program of study: BSc. Psychology
Current research interests: Getting Rich off Rats - aka Modeling Pathalogical Gambling in Rodents
Future goals: Work with MSF in Africa
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: 6 plastic tubes, 8 flashing light, 15 different tones and electrical stimulation of my nucleus accumbens


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Chris McKinnon
Role in lab: Summer Research Student
What I’m doing now: I am currently a third-year Medical student at the University of Cambridge, studying for an intercalated BA degree in Physiology and Psychology. Under the supervision of Adam Mar and Prof. T. Robbins, my Part II Research Project is investigating the role of prefrontal cortex sub-regions in economic value and decision-making preferences.
Future goals: With the aim of combining clinical research with a career in Neurology, I hope to enroll in an MD/PhD programme in the coming year.
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: Ratatouille DVD, Mr. Potato-Head and plenty of yam fries.

Tiana Vekic
Role in lab: Volunteer student Sept 2008-February 2009
What I’m doing now: 1001 things!
Future goals: To study great mysteries of the brain.
Items I would need in my environmental enrichment cage: MP3, my sketch book, boardgames, and an unlimited supply of chocolate covered almonds.

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