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 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 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 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, and the work was published in Anatomical Sciences Education in 2025. 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.

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 a role in healthcare consulting. She went on to pursue medicine at McGill University in 2025. 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 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. She began a collaboration with Dr. McWatt in 2021 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 worked as a clinical research intern at a Level 1 emergency department before beginning as a medical student and applying her passion for medical education to a career in medicine. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, sailing, and cooking.

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 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 went on to pursue medicine at the University of Alberta.

Magnus graduated from the McLab (formerly SEANLab) and McGill University in 2022 with a degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology before pursuing medicine at the University of Ottawa. 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 then took on a role as an executive member of the University of Ottawa Anatomy Interest Group (AIG). He is dedicated to enhancing anatomy education within the medical school community. The club's 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. He was also 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.

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 mutual love for anatomy, as well as their love for rival hockey teams, brought them closer together, and he really enjoyed his time at McGill! Abhi went on to pursue Dentistry at Université de Montréal, and is happy to be part of the McLab family!

Iris completed her Bachelor of Science in Honours Anatomy and Cell Biology in 2022 at McGill before pursuing medicine at the University of British Columbia (Class of 2026). Her research interests mostly revolve around quality improvement and education. She was  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 was 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 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. Joban is now a physician in ophthalmology and continues to be actively involved in both educational and clinical research.

Paula is a Bachelor in Health Sciences graduate, with an Honours Specialization in Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University.
 
At the McLab, her current research focus is in examining the effects of peer support learning  in anatomy-related subjects on students' examination outcomes and learning approaches 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.

Paula is currently a medical student at the Queen’s University School of Medicine. 

KJ completed her PhD in Kinesiology in Integrative Biosciences at Western University, Master of Science in Applied Health Sciences at Brock University, and Bachelor of Applied Science in Kinesiology at the University of Guelph-Humber. During her time at Western University, KJ was a teaching assistant for human anatomy courses and took an interest in understanding the teaching assistant perspective in hopes of developing strategies for improving both the teaching assistant experience and student learning experience. Her project in the McLab is centred around understanding teaching assistants’ experiences and perspectives on facilitating model-based human anatomy laboratories for novice undergraduate students. She presented this work at the Canadian Anatomy Research in Education Conference in 2026.

Erica graduated from the Honours Health Sciences program at the University of Western Ontario in June 2026. During her fourth year, she completed an independent study under the supervision of Dr. McWatt. Her project explored how first-year anatomy students use AI and whether these tools support or hinder their learning. Using a qualitative approach, she examined patterns in students’ AI use and identified best practices for effectively integrating AI into anatomy education. Ultimately, her research aims to provide anatomy students with guidance on using AI in ways that enhance their success in the course.

Sai is an incoming MSc student in Clinical Anatomy at Western, with a BHSc Honours in Health Sciences. Their research spans qualitative, quantitative, and scoping methods across health disciplines. They are currently working with Dr. McWatt on a project examining presage factors that influence students' approaches to learning and academic performance in anatomy. Specifically, they are exploring how diverse backgrounds, prior educational experiences, and cultural contexts shape whether students adopt deep or surface learning strategies. Research shows deep approaches consistently improve performance, but the presage factors that promote them are not fully understood. Their work aims to identify these patterns and inform pedagogical interventions that work with students' existing characteristics.

Outside of the lab, Sai works as a Personal Support Worker, grounding their research interests in actual patient care. They are involved in campus organizations and volunteer regularly. They also dance. They are interested in medicine and advanced clinical training, though their methodological experience has shown them many ways to contribute to healthcare.

Pearl Kapoor is a Bachelor of Health Sciences student at Western University whose research interests centre on the translation of evidence into improvements in healthcare and health sciences education. Her academic training in human physiology, health systems, and health policy has shaped a particular interest in how research can inform clinical practice, improve patient experiences, and strengthen the way future healthcare professionals are educated. Her current research examines learning strategies among undergraduate anatomy students, investigating how different approaches to studying influence knowledge retention, depth of understanding, engagement, and perceptions of academic performance. Through this work, Pearl is interested in identifying not only which learning strategies are most effective, but also the mechanisms that make them effective and how these findings can be applied to improve teaching practices within health sciences education. More broadly, Pearl’s research interests span health services research, healthcare quality improvement, and education, with a particular emphasis on work that bridges academic evidence and real-world practice. Her education and experience in patient-focused environments have reinforced her interest in questions that emerge directly from the challenges faced by patients, learners, and healthcare professionals.

Ashvin is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a Major in Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University. His current research focuses on understanding how undergraduate students use artificial intelligence to support their learning in introductory anatomy courses. Through this work, he is examining students’ AI use alongside their approaches to learning and self-reported academic outcomes, with the goal of identifying ways AI can be used to promote deeper learning in anatomy education. As part of his research experience, he has contributed to the collection and qualitative analysis of student survey data and has explored topics including artificial intelligence in education, trustworthy AI, and Student Approaches to Learning. Ashvin has been working with Dr. McWatt through Western University's Undergraduate Student Research Internship (USRI) program and will be continuing his research to further investigate the correlations between current AI use in anatomy courses and their correspondence to deep and surface approaches to learning.