Advancing Knowledge to Action
from Cell to Community
School of Kinesiology & Health Science eBulletin | Winter 2026
Photo by Julien Tromeur on Unsplash
It's a pleasure to welcome you to this edition of the Kinesiology and Health Science eBulletin. After serving in a variety of positions within the School over the past 14 years, I am excited to step into the role of Interim Chair. This new chapter gives me the chance to see our School from a fresh perspective and to celebrate the incredible work being done by our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. I am eager to support our vibrant community as we continue to lead the way in understanding how movement shapes health—from cellular processes to broad societal impacts. Together, we are making a difference through groundbreaking research, innovative teaching practices, and meaningful community partnerships, and I look forward to sharing some of these inspiring stories with you in this edition.
This Winter 2026 eBulletin focuses on our remarkable students and alumni who inspire us within and outside of our classrooms. With dedication, curiosity, and care for others, Kinesiology and Health Science students and alumni are change-makers and leaders advancing positive social change from cell to community through physical activity and health science. Although this eBulletin highlights but a few individuals, their achievements reflect the strength that comes from all of our students' and graduates' diverse backgrounds and experiences, each story adding depth and pride to the School’s legacy of excellence. The School’s success is truly a testament to the accomplishments and accolades its learners earn every day, showing what is possible when passion for physical activity, health, equity, and inclusion is nurtured and celebrated.
As always, we welcome your feedback and your stories of creating positive change through physical activity and health sciences. Share them with us by emailing us at kinchair@yorku.ca. I hope the highlights below energize you for an exciting new year ahead.
Nicolette Richardson, PhD
Associate Professor and Interim Chair, School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health
School of Kinesiology & Health Science at a Glance
3,109
Undergraduate Students
166
Graduate Students
64
Full-time Faculty
$4M+
research funding secured by Kinesiology & Health Science researchers in 2025
Celebrating Our Students
Kinesiology & Health Science Students Move the World Forward
Meet some of our undergraduate and graduate students who are creating positive social impact through meaningful community engagement, award-winning knowledge dissemination, and ground-breaking research.
Fourth-year undergraduate students Sophie Portnoy, Abdulrahim Al-Humiqani, and Linda Tran are remarkable student-leaders with commitment to creating meaningful change on campus through student engagement and community building. Sophie is currently in a work-study position with the School as a Special Projects Assistant, as well as a Marketing Coordinator for KAHSSO, where her passion for art serves as a creative outlet to design engaging content and foster a welcoming, fun, and supportive student community. Abdulrahman’s record of community engagement and student advocacy reflects a sustained commitment to equity, mentorship, and campus life. Since his first year, Abdulrahman has been deeply involved in student leadership, beginning as a KAHSSO ambassador and course representative, before progressing to Ambassador Coordinator and ultimately serving as Co-President of the Kinesiology and Health Science Student Organization (KAHSSO). Linda is the other KAHSSO Co-President, having been an active member of the organization for years and supporting students through academic initiatives and student-focused events. Throughout her time at York, Linda has served as Vice-Chair of the Faculty of Health Student Caucus and Co-President of Discover You.
Aishin Ariana (1st year), Muyao (Summer) Zhang (2nd year), Kiana Hosseini (2nd year), Danielle Burnett (3rd year), Arjean Postrero (4th year), Jasmine Moore (4th year), Rose Sakhi (5th year), and Jodie Dela Cruz (1st year Master’s student) are part of a team called The Germinators, who have been piloting a students-as-partners process for creating land-based learning in partnership with faculty members within the Faculty of Health, with guidance from faculty member, Larkin Lamarche. They are currently piloting a learning activity for the course, Health Care Leadership (with course director, Lynda van Dreumel) and developing a series of activities called Landatomy (with course directors Nicole Ventura and Nicolette Richardson). The group will be submitting an abstract showcasing their work at the annual conference for the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and hope to officially launch the process in the Spring, called STUMPED, calling in any course director in the Faculty of Health interested in partnering with the Germinators for land-based learning.
Andrew Richards, a second-year PhD student supervised by Dr. Arthur Cheng, has been awarded the 2025 Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) Graduate Student Award – Poster Presentation (PhD level) at the annual conference in London, Ontario. His poster, entitled “Fueling the finish: Influence of intraworkout glucose vs fructose ingestion on neuromuscular function and endurance cycling performance,” was selected from a competitive pool of 15 nominees from across Canada. Judges recognized the novelty and potential impact of his research, his clear and effective communication during the poster session, his strong responses to questions, and the high quality and completeness of his dataset. This achievement also marks back-to-back CSEP Graduate Student Award wins for Dr. Cheng’s lab; last year, PhD student Luke Flewwelling received the 2024 award at the conference in Montreal, Quebec.
Given her commitment to helping athletes of all ages reach their full potential, Addison Kilfoyle is currently pursuing a Master’s of Fitness Science under the supervision of Dr. Roni Jamnik. Through her work, she combines academic expertise with hands-on experience to create meaningful opportunities for athlete development and community wellness. As an entrepreneur and founder of Breakaway Sports and Fitness, she works with several competitive sports teams, providing evidence-based strength, conditioning, and wellness programs. Addison transformed her garage into a fully equipped training space and has built it into a youth-focused fitness facility that helps young athletes develop a strong foundation for lifelong health, confidence, and performance.
Jodie Dela Cruz is a first-year MSc student supervised by Dr. Rebecca Bassett-Gunter. During her undergraduate studies, she served as Co-President of the Kinesiology and Health Science Student Organization (KAHSSO; 2024-2025), co-leading a First-Generation Panel and a Harm Reduction event in collaboration with the School’s Decolonization, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEDI) Committee. She also worked as a Peer Mentor Coordinator in the Faculty of Health, an experience that has shaped her interest in examining peer mentorship as an intervention to support students’ mental and physical health during her MSc. Jodie is currently a research assistant with Dr. Larkin Lamarche on the Land as Pedagogy project, which focuses on building sustainable capacity for decolonized, experiential learning. She also co-founded a student-led initiative funded by Agents of Change in supporting first-generation students at York University through events and shared resources.
Graduate student researchers from the laboratory of Dr. Ali Abdul-Sater at York University have been instrumental in bringing awareness about arthritis research to the community including other students and researchers, as well as healthcare professionals, and patients. Driven by a passion for understanding how the immune system regulates inflammation and arthritic diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout—Jasika Bashal, Azin T. Gilani, Mohadeseh Ahmadvand, Arafat Cham, Yifei Sun, Yitian Tang, and Ibrahim Ridany are committed to promoting public awareness of the diverse factors that influence inflammatory arthritis. Through engaging, lab- and clinician-led presentations, they highlight the genetic, lifestyle, environmental, nutritional, and exercise-based modulators that shape disease outcomes.
Excellence in Teaching and Research
Meet our Newest Faculty Members
Recognized as leaders in physical activity and health sciences education, research, and practice, locally to globally, our Kinesiology & Health Science faculty members are leading positive change from cell to community.
Thi Nancy Huynh, PhD is an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University. She serves as one of the course directors for the Integrated Physical Activity for Life (IPAL) program, where she teaches safety practices in kinesiology through a decolonial lens. Thi approaches safety as relational and holistic, encouraging students to integrate social justice into their practices to help repair harm experienced by vulnerable populations across the physical, social, and planetary environments in which they will work. Having her doctorate at the University of Toronto, her research focuses on adapted physical education, curriculum development, co-production, and creative methodologies. Her service is grounded in supporting youth from the Jane and Finch community.
Michael Robinson, PhD, CAT(C), ATC, is a sports medicine clinician, professor, and clinical researcher specializing in environmental monitoring, with a particular focus on Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measurement and heat illness prevention in athletic and occupational settings. His work advances the development of evidence-informed policies and interventions to mitigate heat-related risk in sport. Dr. Robinson has held numerous governance roles, including serving as President of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA). With a strong background in sport safety, concussion research, psychometrics, and artificial intelligence, he is committed to advancing athletic therapy globally through leadership, research, and collaboration.
Jonathan Michaels, PhD is a neuroscientist and assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University. His goal is to understand how the brain controls movement, from simple everyday behaviours like opening a door, to complex feats like playing piano. He is working to accomplish this goal through a combination of research in human behaviour, primate electrophysiology, computational modelling, and by building skilled artificial systems that interface with brains and environments. Following the completion of his PhD at the University of Göttingen with Hans Scherberger, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University with Krishna Shenoy, and then a postdoctoral fellowship at Western University with Andrew Pruszynski.
Brittany Intzandt, PhD, is an interdisciplinary neuroscientist and certified exercise physiologist, who investigates how physical activity and lifestyle factors influence brain health and resilience across adulthood. She earned her Ph.D. from Concordia University in 2022 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Sunnybrook Research Institute, focusing on sex differences in vascular and lifestyle risks for Alzheimer’s disease. Her work integrates neuroscience, kinesiology, and biostatistics, using advanced MRI, cerebral blood flow analysis, and multivariate modeling to explore interactions between exercise, sex, vascular aging, and neurodegeneration. She emphasizes sex-specific vascular and endocrinological patterns to promote personalized dementia prevention. In Fall 2025, she joined York University’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science, eager to collaborate on AI-driven precision medicine for equitable brain health in diverse populations.
Inspiring Alumni Creating Healthier Futures
For Brampton native and 2016 York University Kinesiology & Health Science graduate, Gavin Randhawa, the mentorship and training she received at York which laid the foundation for her journey into medicine. She applied her anatomy and physiology training throughout medical school and clinical rotations in Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic, forming enduring friendships through sports and new adventures. Passionate about supporting children and inspired by her experiences in the Adapted Physical Activity course, Gavin has taught, researched, and advocated for pediatric health, co-authoring a rare case report and presenting on youth safety and vaccine awareness. Now completing her pediatric residency at the University of South Dakota, she will soon begin her career in Salina, Kansas, continuing her commitment to supporting, advocating for, and protecting children.
Dr. Milad Modabber completed his Master's of Science under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Sergio and is an internationally recognized, double board-certified cornea, anterior segment, and refractive surgeon and one of Toronto’s leading ophthalmologists. As a clinician and educator, he has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to ophthalmology textbooks and has delivered lectures at major international conferences. He is a frequent voice in the media, championing public awareness around eye health and vision care as a spokesperson for the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Deeply committed to social responsibility, Dr. Modabber has led numerous humanitarian surgical missions, restoring vision in underserved communities across the globe. His efforts in global health have been honoured with the ASCRS Young Eye Surgeon International Service Grant and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Leadership Development Award. Rooted in his community, he remains dedicated to mentoring future healthcare leaders, advocating for equitable care, and contributing to initiatives that uplift the profession and society. Dr. Modabber is also the recipient of the 2025 Bryden Alumni Award at this year's York U Alumni Awards ceremony.
Following the completion of her Master's of Art degree under the supervision of Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst, Emerald Bandoles works to advance equitable access to STEM and utilizes her research background to amplify Filipino migrant workers' advocacy efforts. As the Senior Analyst for Evaluation and Impact at Visions of Science, she works to strengthen the data-informed evaluation systems to deepen program effectiveness and enhance long-term youth impact. Visions of Science' mission aims to advance STEM equity by engaging Black and other racialized youth from low-income communities across the Greater Toronto Area. Its overarching goal is to disrupt systemic exclusion that leads to under-representation in STEM education and careers. Beyond Visions, Emerald applies her research and knowledge mobilization skills to community organizing with Filipino migrants and Migrante Ontario. She is committed in bridging grassroots organizing with research/knowledge mobilization to push forward systemic change for and with communities.
Having recently completed his final year at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry and now pursuing a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Kamyar Sartipi is poised to make a meaningful impact in the field of dentistry as a dedicated and insightful practitioner. His academic journey is marked by notable accomplishments, including undergraduate research under the guidance of Dr. Parissa Safai and a publication that evaluates the stressful experiences of Syrian refugees in Canada, under the supervision of Dr. Hala Tamim. Drawing from his education in the Kinesiology and Health Science program, Kamyar is currently involved in research that aims to to improve dental access for refugees, recent immigrants, and individuals of lower socioeconomic status to influence policy changes that foster equity in oral healthcare.
Being exposed to diverse disciplines, from motor skill learning to international development in sport, gave Erik Robeznieks the building blocks and passion for pursuing a career in adaptive sports. As an undergraduate student, Erik was on staff with Wheelchair Basketball Canada and served as staff for Team Canada at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Following his undergraduate degree, Erik completed an MBA at Toronto Metropolitan University with a thesis on "Examining the Potential Inclusion of Adaptive Sports in the NCAA". Now, as the Associate Director of Adaptive Sports & Fitness at the University of Michigan, Erik leads competitive, recreational, and community-facing adaptive sport programs at the university. Under Erik’s leadership, several significant initiatives have taken flight including policy changes that address prominent socioeconomic and social barriers that people with disabilities experience in being able to equitably access physical activity.
Lauren Wolman completed her Masters and PhD (under the co-supervision of Drs. Jessica Fraser-Thomas and Yuka Nakamura) in the field of Cultural Sports Psychology. Lauren is a Course Director at York University and is owner of Up + Under Consulting, specializing in research, project management, grant writing and education in the areas of sport, wellness and community development. Prior to this, Lauren served as Manager of Research and Strategic Initiatives in EDI at Centennial College, where she has led transformational projects including disaggregated demographic data governance, survivor-centered policy reform, and institution-wide communications strategies that advance equity and belonging. In her spare time, Lauren is on the Board of Directors for Rugby Canada and is Chair of Governance and the Ethics and Integrity Committees.
Trained at York University’s Biomechanics Laboratory, Vince Di Bacco completed his PhD under Dr. William Gage, where he developed a smartphone-based system to study age-related changes in gait adaptability in real-world settings. This work advanced ecologically valid gait assessment and showed how a tool already in one’s pocket can enable remote monitoring of gait health. Now a Postdoctoral Fellow at McMaster University, Vince leads a multidisciplinary initiative to build comprehensive mobility profiles for osteoarthritis patients. He integrates patient-reported outcomes, in-clinic performance, and free-living wearable data to enhance triaging, track outcomes before and after knee replacement, and support personalized surgical decision-making.
Our Kinesiology & Health Science Family
Our Community is the Foundation to Our Success
Through their daily efforts to build a healthy place to learn, teach, research and work, our remarkable community is pivotal to the School's achievements in education, research, and leadership.
Former Kinesiology & Health Science faculty member Carol Wilson spearheaded a major fundraising initiative with the Islington United Church to honour Indigenous teachings and spirituality while embodying a commitment to reconciliation through public art. Created by Philip Cote, Nodymowin, of Moose Deer Point First Nation, the mural was unveiled at a blessing ceremony in September 2024. More can be learned about the mural here. This is but one example of Carol's many efforts to uphold her lifelong dedication to human rights, inclusivity, diversity, and broader social justice and reconciliation commitments. Learn more about Carol's remarkable career in the School and beyond.
Moving to Create a Healthier World For All
Photo by Julien Tromeur on Unsplash
York University recognizes that many Indigenous Nations have longstanding relationships with the territories upon which York University campuses are located that precede the establishment of York University. York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.