Lab Members

Annalijn Conklin

Principal Investigator l MPH, PHD (CANTAB)

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A former CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow (2014) and Gates Cambridge Scholar (2011), Dr. Annalijn Conklin is an assistant professor at UBC and leads a program of social epidemiology and metabolic outcomes research (SEMOR) to support healthy aging and reduce heart health inequities in women in Canada. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Conklin examines how broader social determinants, such as social ties or job loss, impact cardiovascular risk factors differentially for women and men.

Conklin’s training spans philosophy and biology at the University of Toronto (2002), life sciences at the University of Edinburgh (2005), history and ethics of public health at Columbia University (2007), and social epidemiology at both Cambridge (2014) and UCLA (2016). Conklin worked as an analyst in health policy and evaluation at RAND Europe (2007-11) in Cambridge, UK and and completed over two dozen projects for the European Commission, UK Department of Health, and other funders

Awards:

Gilciane Ceolin

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Post-Doctoral Researcher | MSc, PhD

Gilciane graduated in Nutrition and completed MsC (2018) and PhD in Nutrition (2022) at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, and completed a part of her doctoral studies at Centre for Neurosciences Studies at Queen’s University. Her training encompasses nutrition, aging, mental health, and data analysis.

Hadis Mozaffari

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PhD (C) | MSc

Hadis studied Nutritional Sciences in her Bachelor’s degree, and passed the fundamental courses across a comprehensive diversity of fields, which formed the stepping stone for her further education. During her Master’s program, Hadis devoted in-depth study to the association of nutrition, particularly dietary patterns and indices, with chronic diseases. The ability to investigate the latest questions in nutrition science fascinated her so much that she planned to continue to a PhD program as a step towards a future career in research. As a a PhD Student in Human Nutrition at the University of British Columbia, Hadis is examining the impact of dietary diversity on Type 2 Diabetes.

Sanaz Mehranfa

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PhD student | MSc

Sanaz graduated in Nutritional Sciences and then worked in clinical settings. Motivated by this experience, she pursued a Master’s in Public Health in Nutrition at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Currently, as a PhD student in Human Nutrition at the University of British Columbia, she is researching how changes in social connections impact healthy eating among older people.

Rana Madani

MSc student

Rana is a second-year MSc student in Epidemiology and Health Outcomes at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her journey here began with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences, also from UBC. Her research is centred on examining the longitudinal association between social connections and the risk of obesity in the aging population, with a special emphasis on gender disparities. Rana’s academic interests encompass the fields of obesity, the social determinants of health, and nutritional epidemiology.

In addition to my academic pursuits, Rana is passionate about the performing arts, actively participating in theater practice. She also enjoys staying active through hiking, experimenting with culinary arts, and exploring the vibrant city with family and friends.

Cristina Novakovic

Graduate Academic Assistant

Cristina graduated with a BSc in Biology from UBC. She is currently a first year Master of Public Health student in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. Her academic interests include gender disparities in healthcare and Indigenous health. Her work in the lab includes supporting multiple projects such as a scoping review on dietary diversity measures and a study examining the impacts of financial hardship on eating behaviours during COVID-19. During her free time, Cristina enjoys reading, practising pilates, and working on various creative pursuits including sewing, painting, and drawing.

Volunteers

• Nathanael Ip

Collaborators

Alumni