The strOKe Lab is led by Brodie Sakakibara (PhD), Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. We are located at the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCDPM) at UBC’s Southern Medical Program in Kelowna, BC.
Our team consists of undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, research assistants, lab coordinators, and students in professional programs including Undergraduate Medicine and Masters of Occupational Therapy in addition to persons with lived experiences.
If you are interested in joining our lab please reach out to Brodie Sakakibara through email at brodie.sakakibara@ubc.ca, or our lab team through email at ok.strokeresearch@ubc.ca or by phone at (250)-807-8222 to learn what opportunities await!
Brodie Sakakibara, PhD
About
Dr. Sakakibara completed his doctoral training in the UBC Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences focusing on theoretical bases of behaviour change in individuals with mobility disability and contemporary measurement methods. Upon completing his PhD in 2013, he pursued postdoctoral training in the Faculty of Health Sciences, SFU, and Department of Physical Therapy, UBC. In this work, he focused on chronic disease self-management and telehealth in people with stroke and cardiovascular disease, intervention development, and clinical trial methodologies.
He is currently an Associate Professor with the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and an Investigator with the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. He is a former Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar (2018 to 2023) and is currently a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada National New Investigator (2023 to 2026).
Research
Dr. Sakakibara dedicates 80% of his time on research focusing on chronic disease self-management and prevention, health-behaviour change, and virtual health/rehab in people with stroke, cardiovascular disease, and multiple chronic conditions.
His clinical research focuses on chronic disease self-management, and empowering patients with chronic conditions to better manage their long-term health and well-being, beginning at the hospital/rehabilitation-to-community transition of care.
His health services research focuses on the use of consumer technologies to optimize access to and delivery of chronic disease management and prevention health services to people in their homes and communities.
Current Staff and Students
Jacob Bosancich
Jacob is a PhD student in the University of British Columbia’s Rehabilitation Sciences program and a registered Occupational Therapist. His research focuses on the integration of technology in rehabilitation, particularly the applications of artificial intelligence and virtual reality in clinical practice. Jacob is especially interested in how AI can be leveraged to personalize stroke rehabilitation interventions, enhancing motivation and outcomes for patients. His work explores the gap between emerging technologies and practical, evidence-based rehabilitation strategies. Jacob’s clinical work as an Occupational Therapist has been focused on mental health, psychosocial treatment, and cognitive remediation. Outside of work, Jacob is an outdoor enthusiast who loves skiing, biking, and spending time in nature with his friends and family.
Mehak Dhaliwal
Mehak is a second-year Science undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia Vancouver, hoping to study neuroscience and immunology. She is interested in neurological conditions, and the ways in which they affect social cognition and self-perception. She is currently a volunteer research assistant with the TRAIL study. Outside of lecture halls and the lab, Mehak can be found reading, binge-watching her latest Netflix obsession, or exploring new hidden cafes and restaurants in Vancouver with her friends.
Sarah Friesen
Sarah is currently an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan completing her Bachelors of Science degree with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Biology.
Nicole Ketter
Nicole has recently finished working on her Masters in Rehabilitation Science, focusing on the management and prevention of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in Canada. She previously completed her BSc in Biology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and biking around Kamloops on traditional and unceded Secwepemc territory. Within her role of Operations VP in TEC, she helps with administration, finances, and coordinating events with fellow members.
Dianne Kim
Dianne is currently an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan completing her Bachelors of Science degree with a Major in Psychology and Minor in Biology.
Jennifer Monaghan
Jennifer is a person with lived stroke experience and acts as a patient partner in education. She is also a proud patient advocate within various community groups alongside contributing to the March Of Dimes Foundation.
Kenneth Noguchi, PhD
Dr. Noguchi is a postdoctoral fellow. He completed his PhD at McMaster University, examining the effects of power and strength training on stroke recovery. His research interests are in exercise-based stroke rehabilitation, psychometric evaluation of health measures, and physical activity participation in people with disabilities.
Isabelle Rash
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 virtual rehabilitation for mobility after a stroke.
Elise Wiley, PhD
Dr. Wiley is pursuing her post-doctoral fellowship in both the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Management (co-supervised by Dr. Jennifer Davis) at the University of British Columbia, in the area of chronic disease self-management after stroke with a particular focus on health resource utilization and sex-based considerations. Dr. Wiley is also the study coordinator on the TeleRehabilitation with Aims to Improve Lower extremity recovery post-stroke clinical trial (TRAIL-RCT). Dr. Wiley holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Miami. Elise completed both her Master’s of Science and PhD at McMaster University in the School of Rehabilitation (supervisor, Dr. Ada Tang), where she developed a profound interest in conducting research aimed at improving stroke recovery.
Jill Williamson, PhD
Dr. Williamson completed her PhD with the Faculty of Medicine at UBC Vancouver, conducting her training at the BC Centre for Disease Control. Jill’s research focused on the molecular epidemiology and pathophysiology of emerging infectious diseases and their impacts on public health. Jill is driven by a commitment to equitable and innovative research practices that democratize knowledge – bridging the gap between the lab and the patient population to create meaningful, positive impacts. Born and raised in Vernon, BC, she eventually returned to the Okanagan with the growth of UBC Okanagan, joining the Stroke Research Lab in 2023. In her current role, she facilitates, advises, and mediates the lab’s research practices to promote collaborative agendas, patient-centred approaches, and community-engaged initiatives. Jill also manages the Okanagan site for multiple clinical research trials on post-stroke rehabilitation, in partnership with the national CanStroke Recovery Trials platform. Furthermore, Jill values the opportunity to mentor and learn from early-career trainees and students as they embark on their academic journeys. When she is not working Jill can be found on the water or in the mountains; sunshine or snow.
Michelle Yang
Michelle is a PhD student at University of British Columbia’s Rehabilitation Sciences program. Her research focuses on areas of chronic disease prevention and management, health promotion, and telehealth delivery. Currently, her research involves developing interventions to support the self-management in stroke patients. Outside of her studies and research work, Michelle also likes reading, playing video games, trying different food places, and going for walks and taking landscape photos in areas she explores on her walks.
