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This list comprises the core staff involved with the day-to-day
operations of HELP. There are many other staff and researchers
who are working with HELP faculty affiliates on initiatives dedicated
to our mission to HELP children thrive.
Faculty
Clyde Hertzman - Director, Associate Director, Fellow & Canadian Research Chair
clyde.hertzman@ubc.ca
604-822-3002
Lori G. Irwin - Deputy Director
lori.irwin@ubc.ca
604-827-5395
Hillel Goelman - Senior Scholar, Director of CHILD Project
Hillel.goelman@ubc.ca
604-822-5232
Thomas Boyce - Professor of HELP & CCCHR
tom.boyce@ubc.ca
604-827-4465
Paul Kershaw - Assistant Professor
paul.kershaw@ubc.ca
604-827-5393
Brenda Poon - Assistant Professor
btpoon@interchange.ubc.ca
604-822-3560
Research Associates & Post Doctoral Fellows
Jayne Pivik - Honourary Research Associate
jayne.pivik@ubc.ca
Jennifer E.V. Lloyd - Post-Doctoral Fellow
jennifer.lloyd@ubc.ca
604-827-4456
Constance Milbrath - Research Associate
constance.milbrath@ubc.ca
604-827-4086
Ziba Vaghri - Research Associate
ziba.vaghri@ubc.ca
604-827-3159
Anat Zaidman-Zait - Post Doctoral Fellow
anat.zaidman@ubc.ca
604-827-5784
Jelena Obradovic - Post Doctoral Fellow
jelena.obradovic@ubc.ca
604-827-4068
Tammy Findlay - Post Doctoral Fellow
tammy.findlay@ubc.ca
604.822.8103
Core Admin Staff
Michele Wiens - Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives & Knowledge Management
mwiens@interchange.ubc.ca
604-822-2508
Genevieve MacMillan - Senior Operations Manager
genevieve.macmillan@ubc.ca
604-822-2604
Cheryl Rubuliak - Human Resources & Administration Manager
cheryl.rubuliak@ubc.ca
604-822-9238
Nina Levi - Senior Finance Manager
nina.levi@ubc.ca
604-827-4094
Amy Mullis - Communications Officer
amy.mullis@ubc.ca
604-822-0559
Sophia D'Amato - Event Coordinator (Currently on leave)
Anita Ng - Event Coordinator
help.events@ubc.ca
604-827-5755
Adrienne Lariviere - Finance Assistant
adrienne.lariviere@ubc.ca
604-827-5750
Sharon duChemin - Administrative Assistant
earlylearning@ubc.ca
604-822-1278
Research Units
ECD Mapping Unit:
Joanne Schroeder - Provincial Community Development Manager
joanne.schroeder@ubc.ca
604-827-5396
Jennifer Harvey - GIS Manager
jennifer.harvey@ubc.ca
604-827-4021
Gillian Corless - EDI Implementation Manager
gillian.corless@ubc.ca
604-822-1836
Michele Sam - Senior Aboriginal Researcher and Liaison
michele.sam@ubc.ca
604-822-9419
Brianne Grant - EDI Coordinator
brianne.grant@ubc.ca
604-827-5504
Neda Razaz-Rahmati - MDI Research Assistant
neda.razaz@ubc.ca
604-827-5504
Jay Douillard – Geospatial Technical Lead
jay.douillard@ubc.ca
604-827-4401
Jeremy Alexander - GIS Technician
jeremy.alexander@ubc.ca
604-822-1375
Anthony Smith - GIS Analyst - Cartographer
anthony.smith@ubc.ca
604-827-5388
Agata Stefanowicz - ECD Mapping Unit Research Assistant
agata.stefanowicz@ubc.ca
604-822-9402
Emilia Ristaniemi - GIS Cartographer
emilia.ristaniemi@ubc.ca
604-827-5390
Cristobal Cahis - Research Tech/Cartographer
cristobal.cahis@ubc.ca
604-827-5388
Child & Youth Developmental Trajectories Research Unit (CYDTRU):
Bill Warburton - Executive Director, CYDTRU
wwarburton@shaw.ca
Mari Pighini - Post-Doctoral Fellow and Research Coordinator
mpighini@interchange.ubc.ca
604-827-5513
Lisa Chen - Statistical Analyst
lisachen@interchange.ubc.ca
604-822-4652
Ruth Hershler - Statistical Analyst
ruth.hershler@ubc.ca
604-822-6765
Jacqui Boonstra - Statistical Analyst & Ministry Liaison
jacqui.boonstra@ubc.ca
604-822-0025
The CHILD Project:
Hillel Goelman - Senior Scholar, Director of CHILD Project
Hillel.goelman@ubc.ca
604-822-5232
Global Knowledge Hub for ECD:
Ziba Vaghri - Research Associate
ziba.vaghri@ubc.ca
604-827-3159
Population Data BC:
Marilyn Burgess, Database Programmer
marilyn.burgess@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-0061
Bo Green, Data Services Unit Consultant
bo.green@popdata.bc.ca
416-518-4542
Caitlin Hertzman, Lead, Data Sourcing & Communications
(currently on maternity leave)
caitlin.hertzman@popdata.bc.ca
604-827-5069
Bryony Mander, Lead, Communications
bryony.mander@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-8616
Suhail Marino, Lead, Data Sourcing
suhail.marino@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-8544
Brent Hills, Lead, Data Services Unit
brent.hills@popdata.bc.ca
604-827-5735
Anna Krasnova, Programmer Analyst
anna.krasnova@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-6218
Christy Lightowlers, Lead, Education and Training
christy.lightowlers@popdata.bc.ca
250-853-3285
Dr. Kimberlyn McGrail, Scientific Advisor
kim.mcgrail@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-8044
Nancy Meagher, Executive Director
nancy.meagher@popdata.bc.ca
604.822.1370
Jim Mintha, Lead, Systems and Security
jim.mintha@popdata.bc.ca
604-827-3378
Denise Morettin, Lead, Researcher Liaison Unit
denise.morettin@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-7213
Christina Sian, Programmer Analyst
christina.sian@popdata.bc.ca
604-822-8727
Harold Yip, Senior Programmer Analyst
harold.yip@chspr.ubc.ca
604-822-3947
Social Care & Social Citizenship (SC²):
Paul Kershaw - Assistant Professor
paul.kershaw@ubc.ca
604-827-5393
Early Learning Child Care Research Unit:
Lynell Anderson - Senior Researcher
lynell.anderson@ubc.ca
604-827-5399
Barry Forer - Statistical Analyst
bforer@interchange.ubc.ca
604-827-5782
BC Early Childhood Dental & Vision Screening Program:
Brenda Poon - Assistant Professor
btpoon@interchange.ubc.ca
604-822-3560
Amber Louie - Research Coordinator
ammlouie@interchange.ubc.ca
604-822-8765
Paul Holley, PhD - Research and Evaluation Manager
paul.holley@ubc.ca
604.827.4486
Chih-shen Owen Lo - Graduate Research Assistant
taipeiowen@gmail.com
Gene Expression Collaborative for Kids Only Study (GECKO) Project:
Stephanie Lam - Project Coordinator
stephanie.lam@ubc.ca
604-827-3426
Elizabeth Walker - Research Assistant
elizabeth.walker@ubc.ca
604-822-5492
Kristi Engle Folchert - Research Assistant
kristi.englefolchert@ubc.ca
604-822-5492
Jennifer Schneider - Research Technician
brainlab@sfu.ca
Human Brain Research Lab, SFU
John Gaspar - Research Technician
Human Brain Research Lab, SFU
Jasmina Memetovic - Research Assistant
jasmina.memetovic@ubc.ca
604.822.5492
Student Research Assistants
Martin Guhn - CHILD Project
guhn@interchange.ubc.ca
Profiles
Lori G. Irwin, PhD - Deputy Director of HELP
lori.irwin@ubc.ca
Lori is the Deputy Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership. She completed a PhD in Nursing and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Early Child Development, Learning and Population Health at the University of British Columbia. As part of her role as Deputy Director, Lori leads the work of the Early Child Development Project for BC using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). She also consults nationally with a team of researchers on population health measurement using the EDI. Her research interests include investigating the various child, family and community factors that influence children's early development and learning. Lori's interests also include initiatives related to creating a child rights monitoring framework for early child development for the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, international initiatives related to population-based monitoring of ECD, and structural/contextual factors (e.g. policy) that shape parenting practices both domestically and internationally.
Bill Warburton - Executive Director, CYDTRU
wwarburton@shaw.ca
Bill Warburton is Executive Director of the Child and Youth Development Trajectory Research Unit in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of British Columbia. He received his B.A. from Queen's University, M.A. from the University of Western Ontario and his Ph.D. from the University of London, all in economics.
Currently, he is a member of the Canadian Economics Association and a Director of the Canadian Employment Research Forum. He is former Director of the Economic Analysis Branch in the BC Ministry of Human Resources where he pioneered research using linked administrative data on health, education, welfare, child protection and incarceration.
His research focuses on factors that affect the developmental trajectories of children. Some recent examples include:
- The long-term impacts of placing children in foster care
- The impact of tightening access to income assistance on the high school drop out rate
- School readiness and performance on standardized tests
- The impact of anti-depressant exposure and mother's mood on birth outcomes
Thomas Boyce - Professor of HELP & CCCHR
tom.boyce@ubc.ca
W. Thomas Boyce, MD is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia, and is the Sunny Hill Health Centre BC Leadership Chair in Child Development in the Human Early Learning Partnership and the Centre for Community Child Health Research. He is also a Fellow of the Experience-Based Brain and Biological Development Programme, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. A social epidemiologist and developmental-behavioral pediatrician, Boyce's research addresses the interplay among neurobiological and psychosocial processes leading to socially partitioned differences in childhood disease. Studying the interactive influences of socioeconomic adversities and neurobiological responses, his work has demonstrated how psychological stress and neurobiological reactivity to aversive social contexts operate conjointly to produce disorders of both physical and mental health in childhood populations. A central goal of his work is the development of a new synthesis between biomedical and social epidemiologic accounts of human pathogenesis and an articulation of the public health implications of this synthetic view.
Paul Kershaw - Assistant Professor
paul.kershaw@ubc.ca
Paul Kershaw is an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia in the College for Interdisciplinary Studies and the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP). His research marries political theory with public policy analysis to investigate the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. As part of a strategy to integrate additional researchers from the social sciences and law into HELP’s network, Paul is coordinating a new research cluster organized around the themes of Social Care and Social Citizenship. For more information about this strategic research cluster, see his profile page.
Brenda Poon - Assistant Professor
btpoon@interchange.ubc.ca
Dr. Brenda Poon leads HELP’s Early Childhood Screening Research and Evaluation Unit. Brenda completed her doctoral work in Special Education at UBC and postdoctoral fellowship with HELP through a joint award from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Brenda is interested in research and evaluation related to early identification and early intervention for children with special needs, family-centered services, integrated child health information systems, as well as social determinants of children’s health and development over the lifecourse.
Jennifer E.V. Lloyd - Post-Doctoral Fellow
jennifer.lloyd@ubc.ca
Jennifer E.V. Lloyd is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Post-Doctoral Fellow. She earned her Ph.D. in psychometrics from the University of British Columbia in 2006. Jennifer's research interests fall into two broad categories: Research methodology and statistics (measurement, growth modelling, nested/hierarchical designs, test/survey design and development) and child health and development (early child development, population health, social determinants of health, developmental trajectories). Jennifer earned her B.Sc. in Psychology in 1998, and her M.A. in Educational Psychology in 2002, both from the University of Victoria. Jennifer was formerly employed at Edudata Canada, at the BC Ministry of Education, and in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom). Currently, she teaches multivariate statistics for UBC’s School of Nursing.
Constance Milbrath - Research Associate
constance.milbrath@ubc.ca
A Developmental Psychologist, Constance joined HELP as a Senior Researcher in 2006, moving north from UCSF where her focus was on developing and applying methodologies that blend qualitative and quantitative analyses in complementary frameworks. Her work in Psychiatry allowed for construct validation of psychiatric case formulations and she continues to work with a psychotherapy research group in San Francisco. More recently, she was part of a team in Pediatrics at UCSF studying cultural differences in adolescent models of (romantic relationships with the goal of identifying specific content-based as well as interactive strategies likely to be more effective in health promotion messages for these populations. Her interests at HELP are in the ethno-cultural determinants of early child outcomes for immigrant and aboriginal populations. She has published widely in the fields of clinical and developmental psychology.
Ziba Vaghri - Research Associate, International Research and Initiatives Program
ziba.vaghri@ubc.ca
Dr. Ziba Vaghri is a Research Associate responsible for the International Research and Initiatives Program. She began her career as a Registered Nurse and has had years of bedside and administrative experience. Her work as a health care professional in various countries has also given her a rich experience in working in multiethnic settings through which she has gained an appreciation of cultural diversity and has become conversant in several languages.
Through her years at graduate school Ziba has gained wide experience in conducting collaborative research, working with community professionals in a variety of disciplines. Her recently completed UBC doctoral research examined Vancouver preschoolers for low hair zinc so as to identify key nutritional and social factors that could serve to determine those groups most at risk of marginal zinc deficiency.
Ziba’s current interest lies in population-based monitoring of Early Child Development (ECD) in diverse parts of the world. She ascribes to the view that this could inform new initiatives in the various countries and provide direction to them in the framing of future policy around ECD.
Nancy Meagher - Executive Director, Population Data BC
nancy@popdata.bc.ca
Nancy Meagher is the Executive Director of the Population Data BC. With a Master's in Economics, Nancy has worked internationally in health policy research, hospital management, and pharmaceutical market research, bridging research and its application in policy, business or industry. Her technical experience comes from work as a management consultant, where she led complex, privacy-sensitive development projects for companies including Goldman Sachs.
Caitlin Hertzman - Data Sourcing & Communications Lead, Population Data BC
caitlin@popdata.bc.ca
Caitlin Hertzman is the Data Sourcing and Communications Lead for Population Data BC. With a background in non-profit arts administration, Caitlin looks after Population Data BC’s communications needs as well as the development of new data sources.
Lynell Anderson, CGA
lynell.anderson@ubc.ca
Lynell is a BC-based Certified General Accountant and a Senior Researcher within the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), an interdisciplinary collaborative research network of six BC Universities. HELP’s mission is to create, promote and apply new knowledge to help children and families thrive.
Bringing almost 30 years of financial consulting, volunteer and research experience to HELP, Lynell has worked with various levels of government as well as children, women, family and youth-serving organizations and advocacy groups. She has also taught Public Sector Financial Management for the CGA Associations of BC and Canada.
Lynell’s research interests include: public investment in early human development, with a particular emphasis on early childhood education and care; gender equality; public accountability and citizen engagement; community development and mobilization.
Lynell is a member of the Vancouver Foundation’s child, youth and family services advisory committee, a Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and a voluntary Treasurer for several non-profit organizations.
Amy Mullis - Communications Officer
amy.mullis@ubc.ca
As the Communications Officer, Amy provides support in the knowledge dissemination and knowledge transfer activities within HELP. Her responsibilities include coordinating the creation and production of both internal and external communications materials. She also assists with HELP events and public and media relations. Amy has a B.A. in Communication from SFU and has worked in both the public and not-for-profit sectors.
Gillian Corless - EDI Implementation Manager
gillian.corless@ubc.ca
With a background in strategic planning and project management, Gillian works with the Early Childhood Development Mapping Unit to ensure smooth implementation of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) in public and independent schools across British Columbia. Her key role on the research team is to facilitate accurate data collection. Gillian holds an MA in Geography from McGill University and has focused her career on qualitative research, community based planning, education and the well-being of children and families. She has worked in private, non-profit and public sectors, drawing from her experience working in developing regions of Canada. Her research interests lie in indigenous issues, specifically comparisons between Canada and the South Pacific and how culture, language and self-determination are connected to health and well-being.
Michele Sam - Senior Aboriginal Researcher and Liaison
michele.sam@ubc.ca
Michele A Sam is Ktunaxa, a cultural and linguistic isolate group to the world. She is the Senior Aboriginal Researcher and Liaison for HELP’s Early Childhood Development Mapping Unit. Her role is to provide leadership within HELP to ensure that the research needs of Aboriginal nations and communities are met. She works extensively with the Aboriginal Steering Committee, the HELP-EDI management team and the HELP Leadership Team. She has worked extensively across the country with many different indigenous nations in efforts towards good governance, sovereignty and rebuilding of nations as well as addressing issues of dysconscious racism. She has taught and worked across the life span.
Michel is a spirited writer, a visionary and a single parent of two children. In addition, she is the eldest daughter of eight children all of whom experienced the 60’s scoop. Michele was adopted at the age of three and raised as the youngest of seven children. She continues to work with her own people and others in telling the stories of social policy. In the telling of two sides, she endeavors to change our relationships with each other, transform the future and enact the vision of her nation: strong healthy citizens and communities.
Michele Wiens - Senior Manager, Privacy, Strategic Operations (Mapping) & Knowledge Management
mwiens@interchange.ubc.ca
Michele is a privacy officer and senior manager for strategic operations and knowledge management. As well, she is the acting manager for the Aboriginal Steering Committee, which is supported by HELP. She also maintains HELP's large database and library collection of items related to child development, socioeconomic factors and health. Michele has an MA in Epidemiology and Geography from UBC and is a regular sessional lecturer in the Geography Department at Simon Fraser University. Her health research and teaching experience spans 23 years. She is current completing an additional master’s degree in the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies.
Joanne Schroeder - Community Liaison Manager, ECD Mapping Project
joanne.schroeder@ubc.ca
Joanne is responsible for connecting with and supporting community coalitions in using the research information compiled in the ECD mapping project. She works very closely with the EDI research team doing training for teachers and summarizing results. Joanne has worked in the area of community development and strategic planning for many years. She is trained as a social worker and also has considerable front line experience in working with children and families. As well as her position with HELP, Joanne is currently the Provincial Advisor for the Children First ECD Community Capacity Initiative.
Jennifer Harvey - GIS Manager
jennifer.harvey@ubc.ca
Jennifer is responsible for managing the cartography team of the ECD Mapping Unit, mapping research, and providing leadership and training in community mapping. In 2006, Jennifer completed her M.A. in the Department of Geography and Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria. Her work experience includes transit planning, GIS in regional planning and public works, teaching assistant, and ECD mapping. Jennifer's research interests include healthy communities for people of all ages, specifically the connections between land-use and sense of community. Jennifer is a fan of public space, cycling, potlucks, and spontaneous dance parties.
Jay Douillard - GIS Cartographer
jay.douillard@ubc.ca
Jay provides GIS, Cartographic and web based interactive mapping to the Early Child Development Mapping Project. In 2004 Jay earned a BA in Social Geography from the University of British Columbia. Prior to working with HELP Jay worked as the Project Coordinator for CATCH's Community Dialogue project, a Multi-Stakeholder community based research project with aims to improve ECD in the Central Okanagan. Jay's research interests include the relationships between the built environment, social-economics and health, visualization of complex qualitative data, and web based cartography. When not stuck in front of a computer Jay is known to ride around on old British motorcycles and play guitar in Rock and Roll bands.
Lisa Chen - Statistical Analyst, CYDTRU
lisachen@interchange.ubc.ca
Lisa Chen is responsible with database 'scrubbing' and data management issues. She will do EDI analysis and provide school reports. Lisa Chen has an MS in Applied Statistics from University of Georgia and has been working at UBC as a statistical analyst for 14 years.
Ruth Hershler - Statistical Analyst, CYDTRU
ruth.hershler@ubc.ca
Ruth together with Lisa Chen coordinates the linked and longitudinal database development for HELP. She works closely with our inter-disciplinary, inter-university network of HELP Affiliates, and with government, hospitals and community organizations that have interests in HELP's research initiatives. Under the direction of Dr. Clyde Hertzman and faculty affiliates, she will be working to create longitudinal trajectories of health and development for defined populations of BC children, and will provide leadership in augmenting current databases and facilitating maximum data development and linkage. Ruth holds a Master's degree in Mathematics from McMaster University. She has been involved as a data manager and statistical analyst with Dr. Hertzman for the past 20 years.
Neda Razaz-Rahmati - EDI Coordinator
neda.razaz@ubc.ca
Neda Razaz-Rahmati coordinates tasks related to implementation of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) within British Columbia school districts. In 2006 Neda received her BA in Economics from Simon Fraser University. Neda’s research interests are international child development and population health.
Mari Pighini - Post-Doctoral Fellow and Research Coordinator
mpighini@interchange.ubc.ca
Mari continues to coordinate a population-based interdisciplinary study and has initiated her post-doctoral program of research on at-risk children and families. These projects are linked to HELP’s Child and Youth Developmental Trajectories Unit, or CYDTRU, and to The CHILD Project, and the Social Inclusion Project. Mari has recently completed her doctoral program on "A Multiple Case Study of Children and Families in the Infant Development Program of British Columbia," under the supervision of Hillel Goelman, Director of The CHILD Project, together with Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, and Marla Buchanan, at the UBC Faculty of Education. As a HELP post-doctoral fellow and CYDTRU Research Manager, Mari works closely with CHILD/HELP Affiliates, both Faculty at UBC and hospital based, as well as with the community organizations working in close partnership with HELP and CHILD, including the IDP of BC.
Stephanie Lam – Project Coordinator
stephanie.lam@ubc.ca
604-827-3426
Stephanie is the Project Coordinator for the Gene Expression Collaborative for Kids Only (GECKO) study led by Dr. W. Thomas Boyce. She graduated in 2008 from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science, having majored in Anthropology and Human Biology. Her previous research experience includes working at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH) at St. Michael’s Hospital with Dr. James Dunn. She has also worked as a research assistant for the Addictions Research Centre at Correctional Service Canada, with the Canada World Youth organization and as a piano teacher.
Since recently moving to Vancouver from Toronto, Stephanie has been busy enjoying the wonderful weather and beautiful surroundings of sea and mountains. When she’s not working, you will likely find her at a music festival, hiking, climbing, or eating sushi.
Elizabeth Walker – Research Assistant
elizabeth.walker@ubc.ca
604-822-5492
Elizabeth is a research assistant with the GECKO study, and she is also completing her master’s degree in children’s literature at UBC. She has a B.A. in English from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, and a teaching degree from the University of Edinburgh. Elizabeth has previously been an elementary teacher, having taught Grade 4 in England and Ontario. When she’s not studying or working at GECKO, she trains and competes in agility with her two rescue dogs, Nutmeg and Spratley.
Kristi Engle Folchert – Research Assistant
kristi.englefolchert@ubc.ca
604-822-5492
Kristi is a research assistant for the GECKO project. When she’s not working to better understand how kids thrive in their environments and lead healthy lives, she is playing soccer with her 3-year old son. Kristi’s background is in women’s and gender studies and psychology and she continues to be interested in issues around social justice.
Previously, she has worked for Easter Seals as a camp counselor and event coordinator, where she played with and cared for children and adults with various (dis)abilities. It was a very rewarding and challenging position.
Kristi is excited to be a part of the GECKO study at the Human Early Learning Partnership and its cell-to-society approach to understanding children’s development and health.
Jennifer Schneider – Research Assistant
brainlab@sfu.ca
Human Brain Research Lab, SFU – Masters Candidate
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