Due to the natural transient nature of our research hub, we have many amazing people coming and going, whether from a work term, completing a degree, or participating as a visiting researcher. We wanted to keep a space to honour all of those who have worked with us to move the research forward!

Anjali Jagannathan

Social Media Team Lead and Engineering Team2023-2025

Anjali graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Kinetics and a minor in Psychology. She joined the MFM team in the spring of 2023 as a social media volunteer. Later that year, she took on the role of social media lead while also volunteering as a research assistant and helping with the manufacturing of lab devices. In the summer of 2024, she worked on an engineering tech project developing intravaginal silicone suction electrodes. Anjali is currently pursuing her masters degree in Health Informatics at Ontario Tech University, with a special interest in digital technologies, manufacturing, and product development. Outside of school, Anjali enjoys being outdoors, playing almost any sport, and reading everything she can get her hands on!

Silvia Saraiva

Master's Degree, School of Human Kinetics and Physical TherapistGraduated Fall 2024

Silvia Saraiva (she/her) received her BSc in Physiotherapy from Centro Universitário de João Pessoa (Brazil) in 2008. That same year, she moved to Canada and started working as a physiotherapist assistant. After a lengthy equivalency process, she became a registered physiotherapist in 2017. Since then, she has focused her practice in pelvic health physiotherapy and women’s health. Silvia is a Master’s student in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Dr. Linda McLean. Her research focuses on the effect of Hypopressive exercises on the pelvic floor muscles and intra-abdominal pressure. Silvia is passionate about educating, empowering and helping women.

Ilkay Cosķun

Visiting Research student and Physiotherapy Student (Turkey)Summer / Fall 2024

Ilkay Coskun began her undergraduate degree in physiotherapy in 2020 and joined the nutrition and dietetics department in 2022 through a double major program. She is expected to graduate from both in 2025. Her main area of interest is pelvic floor health, and she has a strong passion for research. In the summer of 2024, İlkay joined us as a volunteer, focusing on the awareness of pelvic floor knowledge among male and female patients. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in pelvic floor studies.

Kaylee Brooks

Ph.D, School of Rehabilitation 2024

Kaylee received her Bachelor of Science with honours in psychology from Queens University in 2015. She then completed her Masters of Science in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa in 2017 focusing her research on creating a model of characteristics that are predictive of successful physiotherapy outcomes among women with stress urinary incontinence. Having worked with Dr. McLean since 2014, Kaylee is currently working towards completing her PhD in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Ottawa with a focus on the neurophysiology of stress urinary incontinence in women. Outside of her research, Kaylee works in science communication, specializing in the creation of visuals to convey research and clinical practicie (www.brooksscicomm.com) In her spare time Kaylee enjoys kickboxing, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Maja Ilijevska

Master's in Physiotherapy, Memoire, School of Rehabilitation 20242023-2024

Maja Ilijevska received her Hon. BSc in translational molecular medicine in 2022 at the University of Ottawa. As part of her Master’s in Physiotherapy at the University of Ottawa, she is conducting her Memoire in the MFM Lab where she is focusing on the effects of tampon and pessary interventions in female runners with running-induced urinary incontinence.

Agata Krawczyk

Visiting Physiotherapist & Ph.D. Candidate - Fall of 2023

Agata Krawczyk is a women’s health physiotherapist from Poland. She received her BSc and MSc in physiotherapy from Medical University of Warsaw. Currently, she is a PhD student at the Doctoral School at the Medical University of Warsaw and works as a physiotherapist at St. Sophia Specialist Hospital in Warsaw. Her research project is about pelvic floor muscle function, pelvic floor dysfunction and diastasis recti abdominis in post-partum women. She visited the MFM Lab for 4 weeks in the Fall of 2023. Outside of her studies and work she likes to try different forms of physical activity, travelling and enjoying regional cuisine!

Tatiana de Bem Fretta

Visiting PhD Student - Fall of 2023

Tatiana de Bem Fretta graduated in Physiotherapy from the University of Ribeirão Preto in 2000. She has worked in the area of women’s health since graduating: “I love being a Physiotherapist. Rehabilitating through movement and improving patients’ function is very rewarding”. After graduating and working in clinical practice, she began her master’s degree in 2017 at the State University of Santa Catarina and discovered her love for research. Her doctoral research project deals with pelvic floor dysfunction in women after gynecologic pelvic cancer treatment, at the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto. Tatiana is also a representative of the Brazillian Association of Physiotherapy in Women’s Health (ABRAFISM) in the state of Santa Catarina. She was also a teaching assistant in women’s health before leaving to come to Ottawa as a visiting research student. Tatiana has been a team member on our project on pain associated with endometriosis and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). She is also carrying out a systematic review of conservative treatment of pain associated with endometriosis.

Salena Aggerwal

Undergraduate Team Member - Data Extraction and Analysis2023-2024

Salena has graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She joined the MFM Lab in May 2023 and contributed to our research endeavours, focussing on conducting an environmental scan to comprehensively analyze the standard of care for female athletes with urinary inconsistencies. She also helped with other data extraction and analyses within the lab. Outside of the lab, Salena enjoys horseback riding and creative writing.

Mary Ojo

Research Assistant; Thesis Student; Social Media Volunteer2021-2024

Mary graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences with theTechnologies and Innovations in Healthcare option at the University of Ottawa. She initially joined the MFM Team in February of 2021 as a research assistant. She later completed an honour’s thesis on the differences in pelvic floor muscle activation between women with and without vulvar pain with the guidance of Dr.Linda McLean and Dr. Flavia Ignacio Antonio. After wrapping up her thesis, she joined the social media team to assist in Instagram post creation and analytics review. During her free time Mary loves reading and completing puzzles.

Darian Allard

Social Media Co-Ordinator and Research Assistant2021-2023

Darian obtained her B.A. in psychology at uOttawa in 2022, and was a part of the MFM Lab Team from September 2021 to December 2023. She initially was a research assistant and worked on data collection and processing, and then became the lab’s first social media coordinator. Darian is now a research coordinator at the Bruyere Research Institute and is currently completing her masters in counselling psychology with the goal of becoming a psychotherapist. Outside of work and school, Darian loves travelling, art, going to the gym, and being outside.

Shainuka Kannathas

Research Assistant2022-2023

Karen Hakko

Undergraduate Team Member - Biomedical Mechanical Engineering2021 - 2023

Karen is a third year Biomedical Mechanical Engineering Student at the University of Ottawa. She joined the MFM lab team in 2021 as an undergraduate student working on various projects including Solidworks design, manufacturing research equipment as well as data collection and processing.

Carina Lyrette

Undergraduate Team Member - Health Sciences2022 - 2023

Carina joined the MFM Team in February of 2022 and volunteered as a research assistant on the hypopressive study. She then completed an undergraduate research project from September of 2022 to April 2023, working with the team on the validation and reliability of the BRUTS Questionnaire. Carina learned more about occupational therapy (OT) during a summer work experience, and is now very excited to be doing a master’s degree in OT here at the University of Ottawa!

Alina Danilova

Undergraduate Team Member - Chemical Engineering2022 - 2023

Alina completed two co-op terms at the MFM Lab. During her terms, she helped with the setup of the injection moulding system and fabrication of laboratory disposables, including electrodes and dynamometer arm covers. She also worked on a study evaluating the effects of different dynamometer arm shapes on the forces recorded. Alina is completing her bachelor’s in chemical engineering at uOttawa and is expected to graduate in December 2023.

Alexis McCreath-Frangakis

Undergraduate Team Member - Biomedical Mechanical Engineering2021 - 2022

Alexis completed one co-op term and two work terms at the MFM Lab. She worked as a research assistant under Catriona Czyrnyj, helping with the fabrication and imaging of phantom tissue. She also assisted in data collection and creation of data processing codes for the vulvalgesiometer, ultrasound, and dynamometer data. Alexis is currently completing her master’s in biomedical engineering at uOttawa and is expected to graduate April 2024.

Ana Brennan

M.Eng - Biomedical Engineering2020 - 2022

As of April 2022, Ana successfully defended her MASc thesis, titled: “Design and Bench Validation of a Mechanical Intravaginal Dynamometer Mechanism”.

Ana is currently working as a Sustainment Engineer with WOW tech group.

Megan Vandermolen

M.Eng - Biomedical Engineering2020 - 2022

Megan successfully defended her MASc thesis, “Semi-Automated Detection of Bladder Neck Funnelling and Measurement of Posterior Urethrovesical Angle in Females” in April 2022.

Megan is currently working as an Analyst with Indigo Books.

Dr. Catriona Czyrnyj

Ph.D Biomedical Engineering2014-2021

Catriona obtained her B.A.Sc. in 2014 in Mechanical Engineering and worked in the MFM Lab since November 2015, where she completed her Master’s thesis in 2017. Catriona pursued her PhD in Biomedical Engineering under Drs. Linda McLean and Michel Labrosse, and her research focused on biomedical imaging, tissue mechanics, and biomechanics of the female urogenital system. Cat defended her thesis in 2021.

Cat is currently working as an R&D Engineer with Baylis Medical Technologies and teaches as a sessional lecturer in the Department of Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Maxine Speers

Undergraduate Team Member - Biomedical Mechanical EngineeringCo-Op Student 2022

Maxine is currently a 4th year Biomedical Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Ottawa. She joined the team as a co-op student in 2022 to assist in the development of data analysis programs along with the fabrication and repair of research equipment. Outside of the lab, Maxine enjoys biking and rock climbing.

Dr. Rachel Luo Qiu

Visiting Researcher - Medical Doctor & PhD Student2020 & 2021

Rachel.Luo Qiu received her medical degree and residency training at the second affiliated hospital of kunMing Medical University. She then completed her Physiatrist training at the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as the department of Neurology of the HuaShan Hospital of FuDan University in 2011. In 2021 Rachel was a doctoral student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her doctoral study focus was on understanding the relationship between cerebral blood flow with neurodevelopmental disability in preterm infants. With a background in electroneurophysiology and ongoing interest in the neurophysiology of incontinence in women, she came to work with Prof.McLean to further research in understanding urethral sphincteric and pelvic floor neurophysiology.

Dr. Joanna Reeves

Visiting Researcher - Postdoctoral Fellow - 2020

Jo completed her PhD in biomechanics at the University of Salford, UK on the effect of foot orthoses on muscle activity and morphology, foot biomechanics and skin sensitivity. During the latter part of her PhD Jo was based at the University of Guelph. In that time she was involved in a collaborative project with the University of Salford investigating how mechanoreceptors on the sole of the foot respond to loads similar to those experienced in walking and another study on the influence of texture on joint position sense. Fine-wire EMG of the tibialis posterior was a fundamental part of Jo’s PhD thesis and she explored some of the methodological issues with fine-wire electrodes in a short term post doc with Dr. McLean. With a background and interest in gait and clinical biomechanics, Jo was also involved in the work on running-induced stress urinary incontinence in women that Marie-Ève Bérubé was conducting.

Beatriz Martin Arranz

Visiting Researcher - PhD Candidate - 2019currently a Professor and Researcher at La Salle Madrid University

Beatriz Arranz received her Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy in 2013 at the University of Alcalá (Spain). She continued to do an International PhD in Health Science, which focused on research, teaching, and clinical aspects of the Physiotherapy in Women’s Health Research Group (Spain). Her research focused on the evaluation of the abdominal muscles in the postpartum period using electromyography and ultrasound. This brought Beatriz to Canada in 2019 to do a visiting research stay in Dr. McLean’s lab, and in 2020 she successfully defended her PhD. Beatriz is currently a professor and researcher at La Salle Madrid University and a collaborating researcher at the University of Alcalá.

Merrill Pappin

Research Assistant2017 & 2018

Merill joined the MFM team following her graduation from the Bachelor of Health Science program at the University of Ottawa. She continued to work with the MFM team through her first year of her Master’s of Physical Therapy from Queen’s University. We wish her the best with her career as a physiotherapist.