My research team consists of PhD and Masters students, research staff, and Work Learn students.
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PhD and Masters Students
Isabelle Rash (PhD Student)
Isabelle comes from a product management background, with experience in market research, agencies, and R&D management. She is passionate about bringing these skills to the health sector and merging industry creativity with academia’s rigor. Isabelle is currently a PhD Student in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Brodie M. Sakakibara and Dr. William C. Miller. Her PhD research focuses on enhancing the delivery of telerehabilitation for mobility after a stroke.
Himani Prajapati (PhD Student)
Himani is a PhD candidate in the MATTERS Lab at the University of British Columbia. She is a Neuro-physical therapist with a deep interest in integrating clinical practice, research, and lived experience to improve rehabilitation outcomes. Her current research focuses on developing and evaluating adaptive yoga interventions for people living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Rooted in collaboration with individuals with lived experience, her work explores how mind-body practices like yoga can be adapted to meet diverse physical abilities while supporting autonomy, self-efficacy, and long-term engagement.
Gordon Tao (PhD Student)
Gordon is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia in the Rehabilitation Sciences graduate program with Dr. William C. Miller supervising. He completed his BSc in Life Sciences at Queen’s University and his MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences at McGill University. Gordon is passionate about the role of assistive technologies in supporting independence and improving quality of life. His research interests include digital media and virtual reality applications for health as well as stakeholder-driven evaluation of assistive technologies. His doctoral research focuses on the design of digital games for rehabilitation.
Pegah Derakhshan (PhD Student)
Pegah Derakhshan is a first-year PhD student in Rehabilitation Science under the supervision of Dr Bill Miller and Dr Ben Mortenson. Pegah completed her medical degree in Iran, and her research focused on patients with spinal cord injury.
Brittany Pousett (PhD Student)
Brittany Pousett is a Certified Prosthetist and a PhD student in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Under the guidance of Dr William C Miller and Dr Crystal MacKay (at Queen’s University), she is pursuing her passion for bridging the gap between research and clinical practice in the field of rehabilitation. Her research focuses on the lives and experiences of individuals with limb loss, specifically how psychosocial adaptation to amputation impacts community participation and well-being. She aims to empower and support individuals with limb loss to engage in activities that are meaningful to them. When not pursuing research, Brittany enjoys adventurous outdoor activities with her husband and kids, including skiing/snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding and camping.
Research Staff
Ethan Simpson (Research Coordinator, University of British Columbia)
Ethan is the Research Coordinator for Dr. Miller at UBC. He completed his BSc in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Exeter before his MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences at UBC. He enjoys spending time with friends and can often be found engaging in outdoor activities.
Aditya Dhariwal (Research Assistant, University of British Columbia)
Adit is doing a combined major in Chemistry, Math and Life Sciences. He is interested in how technology integrates with rehabilitation. Outside of research, you can find him playing sports with his friends.
Jayden Singh (Research Assistant, University of British Columbia)
Jayden is a fourth-year Kinesiology student at UBC. He is interested in research on spinal cord injuries and new technologies in that field. After university, He is looking to get into a career in rehabilitation. In his free time, he likes playing sports and watching movies.
Eric Jin (Research Assistant, University of British Columbia)
Eric is a third-year Kinesiology undergrad at UBC and is hoping to pursue a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Having worked with people with spinal cord injuries in PARC and GF Strong, his interest lies in effective rehabilitation, increasing accessibility, and making physical activity something for everyone. Outside of research, he loves being a nerdy compsci TA, playing volleyball, and fencing!
Michael Zhang (Research Assistant, University of British Columbia)