Meet the Team
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MSc Candidate, Clinical Anatomy
Adam Exley, BSc
Adam completed his BKin at the University of Toronto and is now completing his MSc in Clinical Anatomy with funding from the SSHRC pathway through CGS-M. He is completing research titled "Anatomy of Sport Series: Enhancing Amateur Sport Performance and Preventing Injury Through Community Outreach", where he will examine how anatomy education influences performance and injury prevention in amateur rock climbers. Outside the classroom, Adam competes in track and field as a hurdler.

Graduate Research Assistant
KJ Uyeno
KJ completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Kinesiology at the University of Guelph-Humber and Master of Science in Applied Health Sciences at Brock University. She is currently completing her PhD in Kinesiology at Western University. Her project in the McLab is centred around understanding teaching assistants' experiences and perspectives on facilitating model-based human anatomy laboratories for first-year undergraduate students.

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Paula Kim
Paula is currently studying for a Bachelor in Health Sciences, with a Honours Specialization in Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University. At the McLab, her current research focus is in examining the effects of secondary education in anatomy-related subjects and exposure to student-led anatomy programs on students' examination outcomes in undergraduate anatomy courses. With this research, she hopes to be able to recommend evidence-based methods that support better outcomes in undergraduate introductory anatomy courses. She has also aided a PhD Candidate in the School of Health Studies as they explored the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure on the resilience of children. She's had the opportunity to recruit, transcribe, and perform qualitative coding for the PROTECT Study. Her future research interests are to continue studying anatomy-related topics, as well as to look into the determinants of health and health-related outcomes for the paediatric age group.

Undergraduate Student
Sai Jaladi
Sai is entering her fourth year of the Health Sciences Honours Specialization program at Western University. Her interests center around patient care, meaningful patient-provider interactions, and research that enhances both clinical and educational experiences. She is currently involved in a qualitative analysis project examining integrated care pathways for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal conditions, where we explore how care coordination in the current healthcare system affects patient outcomes. She also contributes to the SAFE-U study as a qualitative analyst and assistant moderator. In this project, we are exploring the extent to which university students in Canada adhere to the Government of Canada’s (2024) individual public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. At the McLab, she will be working as a work study placement on a project investigating how country of origin—specifically domestic versus international student status—shapes approaches to learning in anatomy. Through this, she aims to better understand how diverse educational and cultural backgrounds influence learning, with the goal of improving equity and support in health education. These experiences continue to inspire me for more research that can meaningfully impact patient experiences and healthcare education.
Alumni

Lina Nasir Kadir, MSc, BSc
Lina completed her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph in 2022, where she was introduced to the study of anatomy. She was able to further her knowledge in this field of study while also being introduced to teaching as a passion. She completed her Master's at Western University under the Clinical Anatomy Program, which has furthered her passions for anatomy, teaching, and research. Her project in the McLab involved investigating the impacts of different types of drawing activities on spatial abilities and whether they can be used as tools in anatomy classrooms to improve students' spatial abilities.

Logan Brown, BSc (Kin)
Logan completed a Bachelor of Science with an Honours Specialization in Kinesiology. His academic interests are deeply rooted in his passion for anatomy, and he is particularly interested in exploring the factors impacting learning in anatomy using the Student Approach to Learning (SAL) framework. Logan will be completing a senior research project under the supervision of Dr. McWatt, focusing on an inter-programmatic comparison of SAL among the anatomy courses offered in the Faculty of Health Science's programs.

Sarah Allen, BSc (Kin)
Sarah completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Her research experience includes projects at the Waypoint Research Institute within the Waypoint Center for Mental Health Care, where she focused on youth mental health and factors contributing to repeated perpetration of domestic violence. In addition to her research, Sarah has been involved in mental health advocacy through volunteering with Community Living London. Here, she organized and facilitated weekly lifestyle and wellness sessions, incorporating her passion for music to promote mental well-being. Sarah's academic journey in Kinesiology sparked her fascination with anatomy and physiology early on. She is now collaborating with Dr. McWatt and his graduate research team to explore neurofeedback and biofeedback measurements of attentional engagement and mind-wandering during anatomy learning.

Emily Dietrich, MSc, BMSc
Emily completed her Master of Science in Clinical Anatomy degree in April 2024, during which she worked with Dr. McWatt on a study exploring perceptions on alternative assessment and grading in graduate anatomy education. Emily has presented her work at various national and international conferences, including the American Association for Anatomy's Anatomy Connected 2024. Through this project, Emily developed her skills in scientific research, specifically focusing on qualitative methodologies. Prior to her time working under Dr. McWatt, Emily completed her Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree with an honours specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and a minor in Dance at Western University. She plans on utilizing the experiences she gained during her time in the McLab to support her as she pursues a career in healthcare.

Catherine Wang, BSc
Cat completed her MSc in Public Health at McGill University, where she previously completed an undergraduate degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology. From 2021 to 2023, she worked with Dr. McWatt on a study exploring the intersection of visuospatial ability and student approaches to learning. This project culminated in a publication in Anatomical Sciences Education, a second place award for the Educational Platform Presentation Award at Anatomy Connected '22 in Philadelphia, PA, and the Early Career Anatomist Publication Award at Anatomy Connected '24 in Toronto, ON. Through this project, Cat built her foundation in scientific research, quantitative analysis, and critical thinking, which have been essential for her honours thesis in molecular genetics, public health research on reproductive rights in the US, and her current role in healthcare consulting. Alongside her studies, Cat has been actively involved in her community as a volunteer first responder, Red Cross-certified first aid instructor, and teaching assistant in anatomy. On weekends, you can find Cat exploring the outdoors through camping, cycling, and running!

Matilda Prentice, BSc
Matilda is a medical education researcher, outdoor enthusiast, and aspiring healthcare professional. She most recently graduated from McGill University with a BSc in Anatomy and Cell Biology and a minor in the Social Studies of Medicine. Since 2021, she has collaborated with Dr. McWatt on a qualitative medical education project jointly supervised by Dr. Nicole M. Ventura through the McGill University Institute for Health Sciences Education. This project investigated how a reduction in first-year McGill medical students' exposure to the in-person cadaver laboratory affected perceived learning outcomes and professional development. Matilda currently works as a clinical research intern at a Level 1 emergency department. She aims to apply her passion for medical education to a career in medicine. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, sailing, and cooking.

Susmitha Sreekanth
Susmitha is currently in her third year of Health Sciences at Western University. She always had a strong passion for both the sciences and healthcare, which motivated her to pursue this program with the ultimate goal of becoming a doctor. Alongside her coursework, she had a growing interest in research and wanted to explore that side of healthcare further. Intrigued by Dr. McWatt's area of study, she reached out to him to inquire about possible research opportunities, and was fortunate enough to spend summer 2024 working under his guidance. Over those months, she and Dr. McWatt focused on examining the concepts of transactional distance and presence within a blended anatomy course. This experience not only expanded her knowledge of anatomy and pedagogy, but also deepened her appreciation for the importance of research.

Isabella Xiao, BSc
Isabella graduated with a BSc. in Anatomy and Cell Biology in 2021 from McGill University, where she conducted research on the use of mixed reality to integrate medical imaging and cadaveric dissection for advanced anatomy education under Dr. McWatt. She is currently a medical student at the University of Alberta.

Magnus Rauch, BSc
Magnus graduated from the McLab (formerly SEANLab) and McGill University in 2022 with a degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology. Currently, he is a medical student at uOttawa. His experience collaborating with Dr. McWatt has fostered a deep passion for anatomy. During his first year of medical school, he observed that many students, and even some physicians, have limited anatomy training. He recently took on a role as an executive member of the uOttawa Anatomy Interest Group (AIG). He is dedicated to enhancing anatomy education within the medical school community. Initiatives include organizing weekly anatomy-lab review sessions for first-year students, developing dissection electives for first- and second-year students, and creating practice anatomy exams. Additionally, he is actively involved in two research projects: one focusing on anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in pediatric patients and another on grip strength and manual dexterity among surgical residents.

Abhishek Mukesh, BSc
Abhi had the opportunity to participate in a research project discussing the impact of online education during COVID-19 on the anatomy learning experience of medical/dental students. During his undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at McGill University, He had Dr. McWatt as a professor, but he also got to work with him as an Undergraduate Course Assistant, in the McGill University Summer Prosection Program, and in research. He says that their love for anatomy, as well as their love for rival hockey teams, brought them closer together, and he really enjoyed his time at McGill! He is now studying Dentistry at Université de Montréal, and is happy to be part of the McLab family!

Iris Guo, BSc
Iris completed her Bachelor of Science in Honours Anatomy and Cell Biology in 2022 at McGill and is currently in the MD Class of 2026 at UBC. Her research interests mostly revolve around quality improvement and education. She has been involved in numerous research projects during her time at McGill, including the assessment of collaborative learning communities in higher education and the comparison of reflections between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic medical students. Her honours project looked at the effects of early-life stress and sex on the lateralization of the basolateral amygdala-prefrontal cortex projections. During her time in medical school, she has been involved in two projects: the creation of Mandarin discharge pamphlets for general surgery patients, as well as the use of animated videos for radiation therapy patients.

Joban Dhillon, MD, MSc
Joban completed his undergraduate studies in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and his Master’s degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology from Western University. He joined Dr. McWatt’s lab in 2019 during the course of his medical training at McGill University, with a project studying the remote delivery of human anatomy curriculum implemented for medicine and dentistry students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Joban’s work investigated how the in-person and remote teaching of human anatomy influenced students’ perceptions, learning approaches (3P – presage, process, product model) and performance in the course. Currently, Joban is a resident physician in ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa and continues to be actively involved in both educational and clinical research.