Developmental Neuroimaging Lab
Meet the Team
The Lebel Lab is a multidisciplinary environment that is rich in neuropsychology, neuroscience, imaging, language, and child development expertise.
Principal Investigator
Catherine Lebel, Ph.D.
My research uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study brain development in children and adolescents. Using a variety of MRI techniques, I study how brain structure and function change with age, or in response to treatments and interventions. I am specifically interested in how brain maturation and brain plasticity are related to cognition and behaviour, and how these relationships may be different in children with developmental disorders. The aim of my research is to better understand brain changes, with the ultimate goal of providing earlier identification and more effective treatments for children with developmental disorders.
I began my postdoc training in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab then became a research associate in this lab. I finished my Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany. My research is focusing on the implementation of resting-state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging on the brain development in preschool children and children with prenatal alcohol exposure, as well as infants who were born during pandemic. Besides work I am a fan of sci-fi movies and badminton.
Research Associate
Xiangyu Long, Ph.D.
Research Assistant
Mary Kate Hapin
Though I graduated with a Commerce degree, I have high interests in the psychology and neurology department. I also enjoy working with kids as my current research focus is cognitive development in children.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Jordan Chad, Ph.D.
I am a Toronto-based researcher affiliated with the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. My doctoral research examined mathematical modeling approaches to studying brain microstructure with diffusion MRI. With the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab, I am applying my analytical background to tackle questions related to adolescent brain development. I am particularly interested in the puzzle of why the brain's cortical gray matter seems to shrink during adolescence. I am investigating whether the adolescent brain's gray and white matter trajectories are coordinated in a region-dependent manner, in pursuit of devising a holistic model of how the brain changes during this period.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Courtney Gilchrist, Ph.D.
I joined the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab in 2025 as a postdoctoral fellow, relocating from Melbourne, Australia. I earned my PhD in Psychology from RMIT University in 2022 and subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. I’m interested in how early life events, particularly those occurring before birth, shape brain development. With Dr. Lebel, I am investigating how prenatal alcohol exposure affects brain structure in youth, and how these changes relate to mental health and facial characteristics.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Merv Singh, Ph.D.
I am a Postdoctoral Associate in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. I completed my PhD at Deakin University, Melbourne in 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Christian Hyde, where my doctoral research was focused on examining the relationship between white matter structural connectivity and the development of inhibitory control in children with and without ADHD. In my current postdoctoral role, I aim to build upon the skills developed during my PhD to investigate white matter structural development in children born preterm and with prenatal alcohol exposure using novel neuroimaging and behavioral analysis techniques. I am co-supervised by Dr. Signe Bray (Bray Neuroimaging Lab), where I’m primarily involved in the development of the Canadian Pediatric Imaging Platform (C-PIP), a multi-institutional project that aims to collect cutting-edge neuroimaging and behavioral data from children across Canada.
MSc. Candidate
Aliza Jaffer
I am a second-year undergraduate student in Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. My project focuses on identifying resting state functional networks and inter-network connectivity in infants and relating the findings to measures of maternal mental health reported during pregnancy. In my spare time, I love playing basketball, spending time with my friends and family, and travelling!
MSc. Candidate
Martina Min
I am an MD/MSc in Neuroscience student in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. I joined the lab in 2023 as an undergraduate student and completed my BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary in 2024. My research focuses on maternal distress (anxiety and/or depression) during pregnancy and children’s brain & language development. Outside of work, I love traveling, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family!
MSc. Candidate
Jamie Roeske
I recently graduated with my BSc (Hons) in neuroscience from UCalgary. I am now completing my MSc in biomedical engineering in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. My project uses three imaging modalities to investigate mismatches between the typical developmental rates of brain regions. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me consuming an excessive amount of lattes, working at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, or posting on my book blog.
MSc. Candidate
Taylor Groulx
Lab Manager
Bryce Geeraert, Ph.D.
I am fascinated by the brain and neuroscience. During my PhD, I used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the adolescent brain and how we learn to read. I’ve also found other opportunities to use brain recordings and brain stimulation methods to study the brain. Now, I’m using my broad background to support the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab’s research program, teach new students, and get the kids that participate in our research excited about the brain!
Research Assistant
Christina Haines, MSc.
I was born and raised Calgary, and earned my BSc and MSc in Neuroscience from the University of Lethbridge. My area of research focused on the brain areas involved in narrative understanding using movies and fMRI. I enjoy every opportunity to run MRI scans and hang out with our amazing participants and families. In my free time you will find me with a coffee and book in hand, or in the mountains with my husband and dogs!
Research Assistant
Sara Xue
I completed my BKin at the University of Calgary in 2023. Since then, my work at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, coupled with my prior neuroscience research experience, has strengthened my interest in the brain, mental health, and pediatric development. I operate a study looking at brain development and links to mental health, and it’s been lovely connecting with families and participants! Outside of work, you can find me playing badminton, taking spin classes, and updating my food blog (unofficial #1 brunch fan).
Postdoctoral Fellow
Kathryn Manning, Ph.D.
I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. I completed by PhD in the Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University under the supervision of Dr. Ravi S. Menon at the Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping at the Robarts Research Institute where I investigated the longitudinal effects of sports-related concussions and impacts. With Dr. Catherine Lebel I aim to explore the development of the young brain using multi-parametric MRI techniques combined with data-driven image analysis approaches. By relating these signatures of brain development with comprehensive clinical scores we aim to isolate differential trajectories that underlie compromised health and disease.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Xinyuan Li, MD, Ph.D.
I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. I completed by PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University in Montreal, under the supervision of Dr. Suzanne King and Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto. In my current research with Dr. Catherine Lebel, I aim to examine relationships between maternal stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, child brain structural and functional connectivity and child behaviours.
Ph.D Candidate
Mohammad Ghasoub
I am an International MSc student in Neuroscience. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology and minor in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta. My research focuses on white matter correlates of pre-reading abilities in typically developed children as well as children with prenatal alcohol exposure. In my free time, I enjoy traveling to new places, spending time with my friends and family, and listening to music.
MSc. Candidate
Chloe Scholten
My name is Chloe and I am a Master’s student in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab! Prior to starting graduate school, I completed my BSc in Exercise and Health Physiology at the UofC. My research focuses on understanding how prenatal alcohol exposure affects brain structure and how that relates to mental health outcomes in adolescents. When I am not in the lab or helping to take brain pictures in our MRI rocketship, you can probably find me volunteering with kids, sipping on a matcha latte, or at a Lagree class!
MSc. Candidate
Marybeth Harrod
Before graduate school, I completed my BSc (Honours) in Neuroscience at UCalgary. My research focuses on the impact of pre-pregnancy diet and maternal inflammation during pregnancy on children's intelligence, executive function, and structural brain network connectivity. Outside of the lab, I'm a big hockey fan and I love to crochet.
MHSc. Candidate
Sam Miller
Sam's research explores the relationship between positive parent-child interactions and healthy brain development in infants. Specifically, she is interested in the structural and emotional qualities of parenting and their contribution to optimal white matter connectivity. Sam hopes that the findings of this project may lead to early interventions to help improve parent-child relationships, to optimize brain development in children.
Undergraduate Volunteer
Emily Tran