Rishika Daswani, MSc
Clinical Research Assistant
Rishika holds an MSc in Pharmacology from the University of British Columbia, where she studied single-cell changes in preclinical models of fentanyl addiction. She is currently a Research Assistant at Resilience Biosciences Inc., supporting clinical research on natural health products for opioid withdrawal, while also contributing to youth mental health and addiction projects in the ACD Lab.
Negar Asgharipourzahmati
Associate Researcher
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Negar Asgharipourzahmati has been a Research Associate at ACD lab since April 2024. Recently, she earned her Registered Clinical Counsellor designation from the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). She is also responsible for working on two systematic review projects under the supervision of Dr. Michael Krauz. Before her role at UBC, Negar held the position of Associate Professor of clinical psychology at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran, where she contributed to academia and clinical practice for 14 years. With a strong background in clinical and academic settings, she is deeply committed to advancing mental health research, especially in the field of substance use disorders and concurrent disorders and also potential of serious games on reducing anxiety.
Andrea Wong Koo, BSc
MSc Student in Experimental Medicine
Andrea is a Master’s student in UBC’s Experimental Medicine program. She did her undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Science at UBC, majoring in Cognitive Systems (Cognition and Brain stream). Her interests include the usage of AI in providing health support, public health, neuropharmacology, and computational neuroscience. What drew her to ACD was her passion for the intersection between public health, technology, and clinical research in addressing substance use and mental health. She is also participating in research related to pharmacological treatments for cognitive deficits in neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
Ashley Lew, BSc
MSc Student in Experimental Medicine
Ashley is a Master’s student in the Experimental Medicine program at the University of British Columbia, focusing on treatment programs and health systems for youth with concurrent mental health and substance use disorders. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University. Supervised by Dr. Michael Krausz and Dr. Roberto Sassi, Ashley is passionate about improving access to care and enhancing systems to better meet the needs of youth with complex needs.