Our Team

Arlo is a PhD candidate in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences at UBC. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Honours cell biology from UBC in 2015. His current research focuses on elucidating the function of unique interorganelle membrane contact sites in Sertoli cells of mammalian testes and how these contact sites may mitigate sperm release at the cellular level. For this work, he received the Alexander Graham Bell Graduate scholarship from NSERC Canada. His other academic training is in human gross anatomy, a subject he is involved in teaching extensively at UBC. Arlo brings to the SI Lab his expertise in cell and tissue morphology as well as in upper aerodigestive tract anatomy, which he is currently applying to our cross-species approach to swallowing rehabilitation in harbor seals.

Veronica is a PhD student at the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. She recently completed her clinical master’s degree in speech-language pathology, which included a thesis with Dr. Skoretz: “Determining the Feasibility of Assessing Salivary Biomarkers and Swallowing Perception in those with Sjogren’s Syndrome and Healthy Controls”. With the support of a BC Graduate Scholarship, Veronica started doctoral studies in September, 2019. Her research is focused on volumetric and compositional changes in saliva and how these changes impact swallow physiology and perception in disease and healthy conditions. Veronica remains involved in additional Si-Lab research projects and serves as a teaching assistant for various coursework at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. She has completed training in salivary bioscience at the University of California-Irvine’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, and has a diploma in linguistics from UBC and a BSc in biological sciences from the University of Alberta. 

Robyn is a student in the post-baccalaureate Diploma in Linguistics program at UBC. Currently studying psychology and linguistics, she aims to pursue a master’s program and career in speech-language pathology. She has a professional background working in communications and the technology industry, and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Victoria. Robyn joined the Swallowing Innovations Lab in June 2020.

Tahira is a clinical research professional; her role at the Si-Lab is to facilitate and support ongoing research projects. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology from the University of Victoria in 2014 and a M.Sc in neuroscience from Simon Fraser University in 2017. Her Masters research explored the neural correlates of the auditory steady state response in Down Syndrome-initiating her interest in the field of audiology and speech science.