Tara Cooper-Dubé
PhD Student
University of Victoria
“Jamie offered me the opportunity to develop my research skills while she was finishing her PhD. She taught me how to conduct literature reviews and gave me the responsibility to clean data for a project she was working on, which gave me practical experience in the research process. She connected me to others at UVic and introduced me to Andrea Piccinin, who later became my Master's supervisor.”
Tara is driven to contribute evidence of social determinants of health in her work on the neighbourhood determinants of healthy aging. Currently, she is working towards developing her dissertation. While she develops the theoretical direction of her PhD, she is working in the Office of the Public Health Officer, in the epidemiology team, on developing case-finding algorithms for monitoring substance use disorder in the province.
Research assistant · 2022
Natalia López-Bago Cid
MSc Student, Speech-Language Pathology
University of British Columbia
“Jamie sparked my interest in the connection between our senses and cognitive abilities, which has been invaluable in my work supporting people with sensory sensitivities. She taught me that mistakes are simply opportunities to learn, and her endless support has shaped me into a better researcher, student, and community member.”
Natalia has been working as an Educational Assistant and a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant. She will begin her Master's degree at UBC's School of Audiology and Speech Sciences (SASS) this September. As a future SLP, she intends to provide bilingual English-Spanish services to support Canada's growing Spanish-speaking populations. She is committed to a holistic, family-centered approach that prioritizes growth within the clinical setting and the broader community.
Research assistant · 2019–2021
Mara Gilbert
RCC-Qualifying Clinical Counsellor
“Jamie had a profound positive impact on my research skills and my confidence as a researcher, but what meant the most to me was her unconditional support throughout the entire process. Jamie celebrated every single milestone, validated the challenges I encountered, and approached every one of my setbacks with understanding, which made me feel genuinely supported.”
Mara is currently completing the final stage of her counselling practicum, and will be registering as a clinical counsellor in 2026. Her work is driven by a desire to help individuals develop a more informed, compassionate, and positive relationship with the challenges they face. Rather than viewing difficulties as something to "get rid of" or "overcome", she wants to support people in building empowerment and resilience.
Research assistant and directed research student · 2020–2023
