Meet the Team

Research Lab Lead

Dr. Nazanin Alavi

Dr. Nazanin Alavi is a staff psychiatrist and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Queen's University. With remarkable expertise in the field of digital mental health, Dr. Alavi's research focuses on advancing the understanding and application of innovative technologies in mental healthcare. One of her significant contributions, alongside her team at OPTT Inc., involves developing a stepped care model for treating mental health disorders using a machine learning algorithm that effectively identifies the level of care required by individuals. Furthermore, Dr. Alavi's passion lies in integrating online psychotherapy with various therapeutic techniques. For instance, she combines online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Ketamine to address treatment-resistant depressive disorders and discover tailored treatment combinations for each patient's unique needs.

Graduate Students

Niloofar Nikjoo

Niloofar is a dedicated and accomplished medical graduate from the Iran University of Medical Sciences. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and a strong drive for excellence. With her medical background she showcases a deep commitment to expanding her expertise. Her research interests lie in exploring the efficacy of electronic CBT as a preventive measure for relapse in individuals with alcohol use disorder. Niloofar's dedication to her work is further exemplified by her concurrent pursuit of a psychiatry residency, which provides her with invaluable practical experience in the field.

Carson Barnes

Carson Barnes is a recent graduate from Queen’s University where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Life Sciences. Carson has professional experience working in a clinical setting alongside physicians, where he gained exposure to patient care, the interpretation of medical assessments, and the application of neuroscience concepts in understanding health and disease. His research interests include psychotherapy and neuro-AI, clinical psychology, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). As a Master’s student under the supervision of Dr. Alavi, Carson is excited to deepen his understanding of the clinical applications of neuroscience, gain experience in digital mental health interventions, and contribute to bridging the gap between clinical practice and technological innovation in mental healthcare.

Undergraduate Students

Selina Park

Selina is a Health Sciences student at Queen’s University who joined our lab in 2025. She is passionate about exploring the intersection of digital mental health and health equity, particularly in improving access to care for underserved populations. Her past research experience in the consequences of mental health in elderly andv ulnerable populations brings an informed perspective on developing effective interventions to combat mental health challenges. She is interested in examining the role of technology in enhancing mental health literacy and improving access to healthcare. She is excited to contribute her skills and experiences to our mission of advancing accessible mental health solutions. 

Eileen Danaee

Eileen is pursuing her bachelor's degree in Health at Queen's University. With a strong passion for mental health advocacy, she has already made significant contributions to the field. In her high school, Eileen developed an innovative online gratitude-giving platform aimed at enhancing overall mental well-being. Since joining our lab in 2022, she aims to leverage her skills and knowledge to create online psychoeducation modules focusing on anxiety and personality disorders. Additionally, Eileen is eager to contribute to ongoing research investigating the effectiveness of psychotherapy for various mental illnesses.


Maya Campbell

Maya is pursuing a degree in Biology & Psychology stat Queen’s University.  She joined our research lab in 2025, inspired by her interest in child development and clinical psychology. Maya is an aspiring clinical psychologist with a focus on working with children. When she is not found in a lab, Maya volunteers as a crisis responder with the Kids Help Phone to pursue her interest in helping people in need.

Kadance Byron

Kadance is an undergraduate student at Queen's University, pursuing a double major in Gender Studies and Psychology. Passionate about accessible healthcare and fostering inclusive environments, Kadance understands the impact and importance that psychotherapy can have on individuals. Her experiences have fueled her commitment to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health treatment and breaking down barriers to therapy access. She believes that the lab’s research is a vital step towards making mental health care more inclusive and accessible. Eager to contribute to this mission, she joined the lab in 2024.

Joanna Feng

 Joanna is an undergraduate student at Queen's University pursuing a Health Sciences degree. Her volunteer work supporting palliative care residents and pediatric hospital patients at long-term care homes and hospitals drew her attention to the unique mental health challenges these underserved populations face. Moved by these experiences, Joanna was inspired to join the lab in 2025 in her second year and is poised to contribute to frontline psychotherapy research exploring AI applications and new e-CBT interventions for all mental health patients.  

Sharnujan Sivanenthira

Sharnujan, a Bachelor of Science student majoring in Life Sciences at Queen's University, joined our lab in 2025. His passion for mental health advocacy and research stems from his experience volunteering at Kingston General Hospital's Adult Mental Health Unit, where he actively supports patients. During the summer of 2024, he had the opportunity to volunteer at a family medicine clinic in Scarborough where he assisted in taking patient histories in a culturally sensitive manner. His interests lie in providing mental health care in a culturally appropriate way that is patient-centered. Sharnujan looks forward to giving back to his community by serving as a volunteer research assistant, using his knowledge and skills to support the mission of our lab. 

Mark Miller

Mark Miller is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, majoring in Biology. With research interests in early intervention and child-centred play therapy, he is passionate about reducing stigma and improving access to mental health care. He brings experience in child counseling from his time as a counselor at an international camp in Israel,where he supported youth in a diverse setting. Mark joined the QUOPL lab in2025 as a volunteer research assistant and is excited to contribute to projects that promote individualized treatment and innovation in psychotherapy and technology. He looks forward to learning from his colleagues and engaging in research that prioritizes equity and accessibility.

Yunseo Choi

Yunseo, a Bachelor of Health Sciences student at Queen’s University, joined our research lab in 2024. Over the COVID-19 pandemic era, she grew interested in mental health and the implementation of an effective e-therapy tool. Yunseo’s volunteer role at the adult mental health unit at KingstonGeneral Hospital brings a unique insight into community mental health interventions. She seeks to make positive contributions to the team by seeking ways to improve technology literacy and treatment-seeking behaviours in populations prone to mental health conditions. 

Research Assistants

Pierre Ducharme Gauthier

Pierre is a Bachelor of Health Sciences student at Queen’s University. Joining the lab in 2025 as a research assistant, he continues to work at Providence Care Hospital, supporting a diverse patient population across multiple units. His nearly 6 years of experience with patients on units for palliative care, stroke rehabilitation, and adult mental health cultivated his passion for accessible, patient-centred care. Pierre’s interests are  neuropsychopharmacology and women’s health, with ambitions to decrease the continuing gender disparities in healthcare. He is thrilled to join a team striving to improve the accessibility of treatment for mental health challenges while investigating alternative methods of delivery for efficacious solutions.

Christina Holmes

Christina brings with her, expertise and passion for psychology and law. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Queen's University and is pursuing her studies by obtaining a certificate in. Christina joined our lab in 2021 and has since made remarkable contributions to our team. Her research interests revolve around cognitive behavioural therapy, specifically its application in treating depression and anxiety. Moreover, she is intrigued by the potential of therapy methods within forensic and correctional settings and is part of a study offering Online Therapy to Correctional Workers experiencing mental health disorders.

Jazmin Eadie

Jazmin joined the lab in 2021 with an unwavering passion for psychotherapy. With a background in psychology and concurrent education, she has acquired a strong foundation in understanding the intricacies of the human mind. Currently pursuing her master's degree in psychotherapy, Jazmin is deeply committed to making a positive impact on people's lives through her work. Jazmin envisions establishing a practice that combines psychotherapy and doula work, providing comprehensive support for individuals from fertility to the end of the first year, specifically focusing on mental health. Within our lab, Jazmin's expertise devotes her efforts to creating modules aimed at helping individuals conquer postpartum depression.



Past Members

Aaron Philipp-Muller (2020-2022)

Aaron completed his Master of Science in Neuroscience at Queen's University under Dr. Alavi's supervision. He was investigating the combination of Ketamine and Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Alex Knyahnytskyi (2020-2021)

During his work as a research assistant, Alex worked on the Corrections project.

Dr. Amir Shirazi (2020-2022)

Dr. Shirazi joined Dr. Alavi's lab as a MITACS postdoctoral fellow, and his research focused on using NLPin psychotherapy, to facilitate the therapy process, and to make streamlined processes personalized to each client's needs.

Amrita Pannu (2022-2023)

During her work as a research assistant in the lab, Amrita helped with multiple projects and also provided psychotherapy to patients.

Anastasia Shao (2020-2022)

During her work as a research assistant in the lab, Anastasia helped  with providing therapy feedback.

Dr. Anthi Stefatos (2020-2021)

During her residency at department of psychiatry at Queen's university Dr. Stefatos helped with editing online psychotherapy modules for addressing mood and anxiety disorders.

Ariana Yakuby (2020-2021)

During her medical school, Ariana helped with designing online CBT modules for addressing social anxiety disorder symptoms.

Athena Avdoulos (2022-2023)

Athena worked in the lab as a volunteer research assistant.

Dr. Caitlin Yee (2020-2021)

During her residency at department of psychiatry at Queen's university Dr. Yee helped with developing online psychotherapy modules for addressing depression in chronic pain.

Charmy Patel (2019-2022)

Charmy worked as the lab manager at  QueensOPL, where she helped to oversee the daily operations and ensure that all studies were conducted efficiently. Prior to her role as lab manager, Charmy was also a researcher at the lab, contributing to various projects.

Dawn Armstrong (2020-2021)

During her medical school,  Dawn helped with designing online CBT modules for addressing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress disorder.

Elnaz Moghimi (2021-2022)

Elnaz worked in the lab as a post-graduate fellow and worked on several research projects.

Maedeh Mir (2020-2021)

During her work as a research assistant in the lab, Maedeh helped  with providing therapy feedback.

Niloufar Malakouti (2020-2022)

Niloufar worked as a research assistant in the lab and work extensively on different studies, specifically Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She was also responsible for providing online CBT to patients suffering from anxiety and depression due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Payam Khalafi (2020)

During his work as a research assistant in the lab, Payam helped with developing online psychotherapy modules for addressing depression and anxiety in Oncology and Palliative Care patients and relapse prevention in substance use disorder.

Sarah Zhu (2021-2023)

Sarah worked as a research assistant in our lab starting in 2021, focusing on mental health research, including investigating electronically delivered cognitive behavioral therapy and online therapy for correctional workers. She was also actively involved in mental health advocacy through crisis line response and volunteering at Providence Care Hospital.

Paniz Khamooshi (2021-2025)

Paniz worked as a research assistant  starting in 2021, focusing on mental health research, including investigating electronically delivered cognitive behavioral therapy and online therapy

Dr. Shadé Miller (2020-2021)

During her residency at department of psychiatry at Queen's university Dr. Miller helped  with providing therapy feedback and developing online psychotherapy modules for addressing depression and anxiety in Oncology and Palliative Care patients.

Zara Abbaspour (2020-2021)

During her work as a research assistant in the lab, Zara helped  with providing therapy feedback.

Quratulain  Khan (2021)

Quratulain worked as a research volunteer in the lab.