Jackie is a PhD candidate in UBC’s Graduate Program of Neuroscience. From an early age, she was deeply involved in physical activities, including gymnastics and dance, which sparked a long-standing interest in how body and brain work together. This curiosity led her to complete both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, where her research focused on how exercise influences mood and cognition in children. Building on this foundation, Jackie’s current research—conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tamara Vanderwal at BC Children’s Hospital—uses functional MRI to study how the brain develops during childhood and adolescence. Her work asks questions such as: What patterns of brain activity make each person unique? How do these patterns change as children grow up and develop social skills? To address these questions, Jackie’s thesis examines how the stability of children’s brain patterns, and the similarity of these patterns to peers, relates to social and emotional development. This research helps us understand how the brain matures alongside the major social changes that occur during childhood and adolescence, from developing friendships and becoming part of larger social circles to gaining independence from parents. Jackie conducts her research primarily with the Naturalistic Neuroimaging Lab at BC Children’s Hospital. Students interested in assisting with this research should contact Dr. Vanderwal. Outside of the lab, Jackie enjoys eating good food and spending time outdoors with her husband, three dogs, and daughter.