JCURA Projects 2025

Kyla Elliott, a dedicated fourth-year Nursing student from Tsartlip, a proud community within the WSÁNEĆ territory. Driven by a passion for healthcare and a deep connection to her roots, Kyla is committed to serving her community. Her studies focus on providing compassionate and culturally sensitive care, reflecting her understanding of Indigenous health perspectives. With a strong foundation in both academic knowledge and lived experience, Kyla aspires to make a meaningful impact on the well-being of her people.

Dara Gan is a fourth year Nursing student at the University of Victoria with interests in health care access, health systems, and patient advocacy.

Sabrina (she/her) is a proud queer person with partial settler roots; her ancestors came to what is now known as Canada from England, Scotland, and Germany. Currently living on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, she is a fourth-year Public Health and Social Policy student with a focus on Indigenous health. Passionate about dismantling systemic barriers in health and social services, she aims to continue supporting reproductive justice through research and advocacy. In a time of rising hate rhetoric, Sabrina is committed to uplifting and advocating for her 2SLGBTQIA+ community, working toward a future of dignity and equitable care for all.

Annika Little is entering her fourth year of a BSc in Psychology at the University of Victoria. Her passions include medicine, neuroscience and overall mind and body health and well-being. Outside of academics, she enjoys rock climbing, golf, cross-stitching and coaching field hockey. Annika hopes to pursue further education and a career in healthcare following graduation in 2026.

My name is Kira Peary, I am in my final semester of the BSc Kinesiology program and am a captain of the varsity women’s rugby team. In addition to my athletic endeavors, I am currently completing my honours project in the cerebrovascular health exercise and environmental research (CHEERS) laboratory where I have found a passion for investigating female physiology. I have gained hands on research experience with vascular ultrasound, blood analysis, and research skills which will help me as a I pursue a future in the medical field.

Linnea is a fourth-year BSc Biology and Psychology student with a Neurobiology concentration. She has always been interested in neuroscience, and first joined the Tremblay Lab in the fall of 2023 as a directed studies student. Over the past year, she has been working on a research project examining the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on neurodevelopmental processes, specifically focusing on the roles of microglia, the brain’s immune cells. Outside of school, Linnea loves spending time outdoors, knitting sweaters, and cooking. After graduating from UVic, she hopes to travel lots and attend graduate school.

Emir is a 5th year Neurobiology student conducting an honours project in the lab of Dr Brian Christie. He grew up in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where he lived for the first 16 years of my life before moving to Prince George for 2 years. He has lived in Victoria since 2020. Outside of research, he is active in his community as a lifeguard/swim instructor, as well as participating in many basketball leagues around Victoria. After graduation, Emir will be pursuing further education, either in the form of a Doctorate in Pharmacy at UBC, or a masters program for neurobiology.

My name is Lindsey Andrew, and I’m a fourth year Honours political science major with a minor in philosophy and a certificate in Germanic studies. I have been fascinated with US politics and the popularity of Donald Trump since he first entered the political arena in 2015. I believe that a democracy cannot function without an informed electorate, which is what motivated me to pursue this project. When I’m not studying politics or news media, you can find me writing fiction, crocheting, hiking, or baking.

Ashley Bihis is in her fourth and final year completing an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in French at the University of Victoria. Under the supervision of Dr. Midori Ogasawara, Ashley’s undergraduate thesis investigates the nexus between state surveillance and human rights violations within Xinjiang’s “re-education” camps. Her research interests include securitization, public policy, and inequality.

Bio

Hi! I am a fourth-year political science honours student, with a minor in history, who focuses on military history in conjunction with feminist approaches to international relations. My honours thesis analyzes the role multiple perpetrator rape played during the Vietnam War and what this means for our conceptualizations of wartime rape. Hopefully, I can pursue this research area further in graduate school and eventually possess a PhD. I would love to be an expert on these topics one day. External from my academics, I enjoy drinking iced mochas, seeing friends, and occasionally visiting military museums with my dad.

My name is Catharine (she/her). I grew up in Ottawa on the unceded lands of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Peoples. I am in the last semester of my BA in Geography (Honours). I enjoy playing violin, being outside, bouldering, watching films, eating new foods, and all things plants. This project has renewed my interest in practicing law. Before applying to law school, I want to travel, become more involved in mutual aid, and explore different subjects such as philosophy, surveillance and technology, and queer ecologies.

Kate Johnson is a fifth-year BSc Psychology student at the University of Victoria with a strong interest in Buddhist psychology, trauma, and resilience. Her research explores the concepts of saṃvega and pasāda—the emotional urgency for change and the clarity that follows—in Theravāda Buddhist texts and their relevance to personal transformation. With a background in counseling, harm reduction, and meditation facilitation, she is passionate about bridging psychological theory with contemplative practice. Kate’s work examines how existential insight can foster resilience and healing, particularly in trauma recovery. She plans to continue exploring these intersections in her future academic and professional endeavors.

Anna Lawrance is a BSc Psychology Honours candidate at UVic. For the past three years, she has conducted research in the Cognition and Brain Sciences section of her department. Supervised by Dr. Tarek Amer, her research investigates associative-memory structures in younger and older adults. After completing her bachelors, Anna plans to pursue graduate studies in cognitive neuroscience, investigating age-related changes in attentional control and their effects on implicit learning. Beyond research, she is passionate about creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for those interested in getting involved in research, helping them feel valued, capable, and confident in their contributions.

Olivia (she/her) is a fourth-year psychology student with a minor in linguistics. Olivia’s interests in the cognitive sciences are vast, and her current research is focused on the link between pattern separation and attention, using eye tracking technology. She has been involved as a research assistant in the Memory & Visual Attention Lab since Spring 2024. Outside of her academics, Olivia volunteers with the Victoria Stroke Recovery Association, working alongside a speech-language pathologist to facilitate communication groups for stroke survivors. Olivia aspires to pursue graduate school in Speech-Language Pathology, a career that combines her passions for brain and speech sciences.

Molly is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student completing her Honours psychology thesis. Her research interests focus on substance use cognitions, particularly addressing inequities, health behaviour change and promotion, and evaluating mental health interventions, such as microbiota modification. Molly’s community-engaged work emphasizes bridging individuals to existing resources or developing new ones, including interdisciplinary healthcare support, mental health education, and language acquisition for newcomers. She plans to pursue a career in healthcare, with aspirations to become a medical practitioner, clinical health psychologist, or health researcher and advocate.

Casey is a 4th-year geography honours student from north-central Alberta, with a lifelong passion for cold environments. Specializing in geomorphology and geomatics, she is currently studying Quaternary environments and has a keen interest in glacial landscapes. Her academic focus is on understanding the processes shaping these unique landscapes, and she plans to continue exploring similar fields in her future studies. In her spare time, she enjoys playing in the snow and road-tripping with a copy of British Columbia’s Roadside Geology.

Nia Rocca is a fourth-year honours sociology student at the University of Victoria. Her research explores young women’s experiences of hypersexualization and infantilization through experiences of girlhood online, shaping identity and self-expression within trend participation. Her broader interests focus on how media influences women’s experiences and self-perception, explored through qualitative methods. Nia will graduate in spring 2025 and plans to pursue a master’s degree in sociology to further her research.

Shannon Sherk is an undergraduate student in Hons. Sociology and Environmental Studies. Often described as a Jack-of-all-Trades with regards to their passion for combating the multidisciplinary impacts of climate change, Shannon is passionate about supporting resilient communities. Their studies focus on environmental justice and climate adaptation to disaster medicine and community healthcare. Currently a licensed Emergency Medical Responder, Shannon plans to pursue Primary Care Paramedicine this fall.

Bethany is a Honours political science student studying at the University of Victoria. While her JCURA project focuses on intimate partner violence policy, Bethany has a wide range of research interest including sports policy, gender, Canadian politics, and climate change. Anticipating her graduating in the spring of 2025, Bethany is excited to further her academic career as an MA student. In her free time Bethany enjoys running and volunteering and hopes to fuse her dual interest in physical literacy and political science in her future career.

Aria (she/her) is a fourth-year honours student in psychology. Her research interests include mental health stigma, qualitative research, and queer relationships. She works as a peer support worker for a mental health nonprofit and has been a member of the Healthy Relationships Lab at UVic for nearly two years. She hopes to pursue a career in mental health as a counsellor or psychologist in order to support the reduction of mental health stigma, provide services to those who face structural barriers, and create change in the mental health system.