Lab Members
Meet the dedicated researchers exploring the mysteries of brain rhythms and neural oscillations
Clayton Dickson, PhD
Professor & Principal Investigator
Clay did his undergraduate training at the University of Western Ontario and received his honours degree with Dr. Cornelius (Case) Vanderwolf in combined Physiology and Psychology in 1989. He moved back to his hometown of Calgary for his PhD which he completed with Dr. Brian Bland in the department of Psychology in 1994. He then performed post-doctoral studies with Dr. Angel Alonso at the Montreal Neurological Institute between 1994 and 1999 (and was also one of the handful of voters who prevented Quebec separation at the time). Following this, he went to Italy to conduct post-doctoral studies under Dr. Marco de Curtis at the National Neurological Institute (Carlo Besta) in Milan. While there, he also cultivated his love for Italian coffee, culture, soccer, and a certain Italian girl. Clay returned to his home province of Alberta in 2001 to take up a position as Associate Professor in the department of Psychology at the University of Alberta. Clay is currently an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Physiology and a member of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI) at the U of A and is an AHFMR Medical Scholar.
PhD Students
Mitchell Prostebby
PhD candidate
Neuroscience
My research focuses on understanding oscillatory brain activity during unconsciousness. In particular, I am interested in how brain waves propagate throughout the hippocampal formation and the cortex to help stabilize our memories into long term storage. When I'm not immersed in time-frequency analysis, I enjoy reading sci-fi, dungeon mastering for my friends, exploring the mountains, and playing music.
MSc Students
Abby Riesen
MSc Student
Psychology
I am a second year Master's student currently investigating the role of histamine in state transitions and regulation in the urethane model of sleep. Outside of the lab I am an avid trail runner and rock climber.
Cameron Turnbull
MSc Student
Neuroscience
I am an MSc student in Neuroscience studying the generation and propagation of sleep spindles using advanced signal analysis methods. My research focuses on developing and applying novel computational tools to better understand how brain rhythms emerge across different states of consciousness. Outside the lab, I enjoy backcountry skiing, cycling, reading, and listening to electronic music.
Lexi Stein
MSc Student
Neuroscience
I'm a second year MSc student in the Neuroscience program. I also did my undergrad in Honors Neuroscience with the Brain Rhythms lab, and I liked it so much I came back for round two. My project is investigating how THC, the main psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, alters neural oscillations during urethane anesthesia, which we use to model sleep-like brain states. Outside the lab I like hiking, playing music, and volunteering on campus.
Layan Fayad
MSc Student
Neuroscience
I am a first-year MSc student in Neuroscience and have been part of the Brain Rhythms Lab for two years, beginning with my BSc Honours thesis. My research investigates how cannabidiol (CBD), a sedative component of cannabis, influences brain state transitions during sleep-like stages. When I'm not in the lab, I'm usually lifting at the gym, baking, running, or perfecting my latte art.
Research Volunteers
Janna Elcehtry
Research Volunteer
I'm Janna Elcehtry, a fourth year undergraduate student, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biological Sciences. I'm currently pursuing an individual study in the Brain Rhythms Lab. My research interests focus on EEG-based brain activity, neural oscillations, and how rhythmic patterns relate to cognition and behavior. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to the gym, and exploring new places and cities.
Minahil Nasir
Research Volunteer
I'm a fourth-year BSc Psychology and Physical Sciences student at the University of Alberta. In the Brain Rhythms Lab, I work on the brain lactate project, focusing on temperature-slope figure creation, data consolidation and analysis to characterize state alternations under urethane anesthesia. My research interests include sleep and cognition and translational mental health. Outside the lab, I enjoy strength training, boxing, baking, soccer, and hiking.
Afifa Shaukat
Research Volunteer
Afifa is a fourth-year undergraduate, double majoring in Psychology and Biological Sciences. She's currently having too much fun studying how signals propagate across the cortex. Beyond the lab, she tries to learn everything about everything and is interested in making the more niche scientific findings more accessible to the general public. She enjoys long meandering walks outside, spent marveling at the absurd wonder of being alive.