
Dr. Siobhan Schabrun
Principal Investigator
I am the William and Lynne Gray Endowed Research Chair for the newly established Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity at Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, a Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at The University of Western Ontario and Director of The Human Pain Discoveries Lab. Before moving to Canada, I was a Co-Director of The Centre for Pain Impact at Neuroscience Research Australia. In collaboration with my research team, I pursue the discovery of biomarkers that can predict who will develop chronic pain – even before pain begins, investigate of the neurobiological mechanisms that cause some individuals to develop chronic pain while others recover fully, and develop and test of non-invasive brain stimulation treatments for chronic pain in musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. You can follow my work on Google Scholar.

Dr. Phivos Phylactou
Postdoctoral Researcher
I am currently a Post-Doctoral Associate at the School of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, conducting my research at the Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity at Parkwood Institute. I obtained my BSc in Psychology,
from Frederick University in 2019, where I graduated as the Valedictorian. In 2023, I received my PhD from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Cyprus University of Technology, where I worked in the Brain and Cognitive
Science Lab. My background in psychology made me curious about the neuroscientific basis of cognitive processes. Therefore, I am keen on investigating the neurologically healthy or damaged brain to discover basic neuroscientific
evidence about perception, memory, and attention, with the use of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, eye-tracking, brain imaging, and behavioral experiments.

Dr. Mulugeta Bayisa Chala
Postdoctoral Researcher
I am currently a Research Associate and CIHR-REDI Fellow at Lawson Research Institute / St. Joseph’s Health Care London in Canada. My current research project focuses on exploring integrated models of care for people with chronic musculoskeletal disorders in Southwestern Ontario Canada. I use a learning health system approach to understand, innovate, implement, and evaluate models of care to address the healthcare needs of people with musculoskeletal conditions in developed and low- and middle-income country settings. I am a physiotherapist by training with over 16 years of teaching, clinical, and research experience in Ethiopia. I was also a former faculty member at the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Gondar in Ethiopia. I currently hold an adjunct Assistant Professor position at the Department of Physiotherapy – Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia.

Dr. Arnaud Duport
Postdoctoral Researcher
After graduating as a physiotherapist in 2014, I practiced for several years before obtaining a Master’s degree at the Université de Picardie Jules Verne in 2018. During my studies, I had the opportunity to complete an internship at the Sherbrooke Research Center on Aging to perfect my knowledge in neurophysiology, and became passionate about the study and understanding of pain. In 2024, I obtained a PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke and the Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, under the supervision of Professor Léonard and Professor Hervé Devanne, and studied the impact of kinesiophobia on endogenous pain inhibition systems, motor control and corticospinal excitability. I have since been a postdoctoral associate at the University of Western Ontario, working on motor adaptation during the onset of pain under the supervision of Professor Siobhan Schabrun.

Emma Tassinari
Master’s Student
I have always been fascinated by the innerworkings of the brain and its neuroplastic properties. I joined the Human Pain Discoveries lab as a Master’s student after completing my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Neuroscience at Wilfrid Laurier University. I am particularly interested in chronic pain and its underlying processes. My goal for my research is to use TMS quadri-pulse stimulation as a novel approach to study homeostatic plasticity as a potential mechanism underlying chronic pain. In the future, I hope to continue this research and eventually study treatments that can modulate this.

Nafisa Diya
Master’s Student
I have an undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences, majoring in neuropharmacology, where I investigated the effect of a phenolic extract in mitigating Parkinsonism in paraquat induced PD-rat model. Currently I am working as a graduate student (MSc) on finding out the temporal and spatial characteristics of “EMG bursting” in individuals with or without low back pain. The study aims to provide useful insights on the corticomotor control of movement in health and disease.

Thu Pham
Master’s Student
I joined the lab as an undergraduate student looking to learn more about why pain persists in some individuals. My undergraduate project involved assessing corticospinal excitability in those recovered from acute low back pain compared
to those developed chronic pain. I am now pursuing a Neuroscience graduate degree looking at how acute pain modulates brain activity as measured by combined TMS-EEG.

Noran Al-Momen
Master’s Student
My undergraduate background is in cognitive psychology, as I studied the implications of traumatic brain injury versus traumatic injuries to the body (not including the brain) on cognitive functioning and quality of life. I’m currently
a first year masters student, investigating the relationship between homeostatic plasticity and environmental stress (i.e., pain). The goal of the study is to further understand the brain’s ability to balance neural change and stability
while exposed to salient, prolonged stress.

Soumiya Sivasathiyanathan
Undergraduate Student
I am a fourth-year student in the Honors Specialization in Neuroscience program. I am currently focusing on my thesis project on how TMS can ultimately help wean opioid addictions, a pervasive issue in the London community. I am keen to explore how my brain stimulation work in the Schabrun lab, and other wet and behavioral lab experiences, can contribute to my aspirations to solve such neurological conditions in the future.

Madison Henderson
Undergraduate Student
I am a third year undergraduate student in neuroscience. I am interested in the neural mechanisms underlying pain and different methodologies for measuring cortical excitability. Outside of the lab you can catch me at the gym, reading a good book or playing soccer.

Hashmeet Kainth
Undergraduate Student
I am an undergraduate student at Western University in the Department of Neuroscience, driven by a passion for self improvement and understanding the human brain’s potential. Outside, the lab, I find balance by lifting weights to challenge me self physically, playing the guitar as a creative outlet, recording podcasts, reading, meditating and spending time with my family.

Jefi Lin
Undergraduate Volunteer
I am a 3rd year Health Science. Fun Fact: I’m a food enthusiast.

Afreen Awan
Undergraduate Volunteer
Hi, my name is Afreen Awan, and I am a second-year Health Sciences student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Health Sciences. This year marks my first experience in research, where I will be working as a Research Assistant in Professor
Schabrun’s lab alongside Phivos. Our project focuses on exploring pupil size as a potential marker for neuroplasticity.

Henry Tong
Undergraduate Volunteer
I’m a first-year Undergraduate Medical Science student at Western University, volunteering in Dr. Schabrun’s Lab. I’m deeply driven to explore neuroscience and I am always eager to apply scientific discoveries to real-world contexts. Outside of academics, I enjoy powerlifting, running track, reading, and playing the piano.