Team Leads
Event Leads
Programming
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Wesbite Manager
Tara Kuhn
Tara is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Her research looks at how lifestyle factors promote health in aging population. Her doctoral thesis will look at promoting sleep in persons living with dementia. When she isn't doing research, Tara is reaching new heights while rock-climbing. Tara is one of the co-chairs for the SoAR planning committee.
Hajr Hameed
Hajr is a PhD student in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Her research aims to understand the complex relationship between gait and cognition to identify subclinical predictors of neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of research, Hajr enjoys spending time with friends, reading, and taking care of her pet bunny.
Kalsha De Silva
Kalsha is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences specializing in physiology and nutrition. Her research and doctoral thesis examines the chronic effects of psilocybin, a classic psychedelic, on food intake and the physiology of C57BL/6 maintained on a high-fat diet. In her spare time, she loves to cook, create and try dishes from around the world. Kalsha is one of the event leads for the SoAR planning committee.
Taronish Kotwall
Taronish Kotwall is a Master of Science student in the School of Public Health Sciences. She is a SoAR 2024 Event Lead. She is interested in treating the symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in older adults, while working in the Prevention Neuroscience Laboratory. Outside of school, she enjoys reading fiction, cycling, and swimming.
Hana Dakkak
Hana Dakkak is a registered dietitian and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences (Aging, Health, and Well-being). She is a Registered Dietitian working in Long-term Care (LTC). Hana completed her BSc with Honours Specialization in Nutrition and Dietetics, and her MSc in Foods and Nutrition (Internship Stream) at Western University in London Ontario. Hana is part of the Dining in Residential Care Team (DIReCT), Dementia Resources for Eating, Activity, and Meaningful Inclusion (DREAM), Wet your Whistle with Water (W3) research teams, and Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN) Validation study. For her research, Hana is examining swallowing problems and eating challenges among Older adults living in the community, especially those living with dementia.
Amy Matharu
Amy Matharu is a fourth year PhD Candidate in the Aging, Health and Well-being program within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. She holds a BSc. in Health Studies with a minor in Gerontology and specialization in Health Research from the University of Waterloo and a MSc. in Gerontology from King’s College London in the UK. Her current research interests include feminism, gender, retirement, sport, and aging and her dissertation work explores the retirement experience of competitive bodybuilders.
Huda Nasir
Hello! My name is Huda and I am a 4th year student majoring in Honours Kinesiology and Honours English with co-op. I have been working in the Brain and Body Lab led by Dr. Laura Middleton as a research assistant since 2021. I have also been working as an RA in the Mobilize Biomechanics Lab led by Dr. Monica Maly. I have been quite interested in gerontology research and am honoured to part of the SoAR executive team this year!
Cassandra Huynh
Cassandra is a master's student at the School of Optometry. Her research focuses on using computational and experimental methods to study anti-inflammatory compounds for ocular inflammation. Outside of school, she is interested in fashion and upcycling clothing. She looks forward to working with the SoAR committee in marketing and communications.
Alex Cocco
Alex is a first year MSc student in the Faculty of Health's Kinesiology department. He has been thoroughly enjoying his time in the program, after finishing his BSc in Kinesiology at Western University. He is a new member to the SoAR planning commitee. He enjoys biking and finding good deals on good food in his spare time.