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Our Team

Meet our team of scientists, research staff, collaborators, and trainees.

Scientist

Amy McPherson

Dr. Amy McPherson
Principal investigator & lead of the ProFILE Lab. See Dr. McPherson's full Scientist Profile.


Research Staff

Emily Cox

Emily Cox (she/her), Research Coordinator

Emily is a Research Coordinator for the ProFILE Lab. She completed a Master of Science degree in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University in 2022. Emily’s interests lie at the intersection of children’s rehabilitation and critical disability studies, and she is committed to finding new and innovative ways for these fields to collaborate. Within the ProFILE Lab, Emily oversees the Canada-wide ‘We Are Sexual Too’ project, which connects organizations across Canada to collaborate and share expertise in disability and sexuality. Emily also works with Dr. Tim Ross in the EPIC Lab.


Trainees

Jenna Dimou

Jenna Dimou

Jenna is currently getting her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Student at the University of Toronto and will be doing research on sexuality in the ProFILE Lab. She has previously earned her Bachelor of Arts degree as well as her Master of Management at the University of British Columbia. She has developed a strong passion for making meaningful recreation accessible in her community. Some of her experience includes coordinating recreation programs for children in transitional housing fleeing domestic abuse, teaching inclusive swim lessons, leading aquafit classes for blind/low vision individuals, and supporting inclusive out-of-school care programs.

Krystalia Hatzinakos

Krystalia Hatzinakos

Krystalia is currently completing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto. Krystalia also holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Physical Education from UofT. Throughout her degree, Krystalia has had various opportunities to work and volunteer in rehabilitative healthcare settings through which she developed a passion for providing care to clients with diverse abilities. Krystalia has previous research experience exploring the mental health related experiences of youth in Toronto. Her current research interests lie in understanding the experiences of children and youth with disabilities and fostering more inclusive spaces and communities.

Madison Brown

Madison Brown

Madison is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto. She graduated in 2024 from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology, concentrating in Movement, Health, and Development. During her undergraduate degree, Madison was an avid volunteer for Movin' and Groovin', a physical activity program for children and youth with developmental disabilities. She is passionate about sharing her love for movement and creating opportunities for physical activity that support inclusion, confidence, and meaningful participation.

Sarah Winemaker

Sarah Winemaker

Sarah is a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy student at the University of Toronto, currently in her second year of study in the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute. She completed her undergraduate degree in Global Peace and Social Justice, where she developed a strong foundation in equity, advocacy, and inclusive education. Sarah’s research interests broadly include mental health, inclusion, and health promotion, with a focus on how occupational therapy can reduce barriers and support participation across diverse populations. Within the ProFILE Lab, Sarah is working with Dr. Amy McPherson on a graduate research project exploring effective sexuality education for youth with disabilities.

Lab alumni
Alexandra Rego

Alexandra Rego (she/her), Lived Experience Youth Mentor

Alexandra identifies as a physically disabled woman, and educator with a background in child development and educational assistance. She is also a strong advocate for the disability community. Her role is as a Lived Experience Youth Mentor on the “We are Sexual Too” project with Holland Bloorview. She hopes to create a safe space for youth with disabilities to come together to express themselves as individuals as well as create peer connections.

Francis Routledge

Francis Routledge (they/them), Lived Experience Mentor

Francis is a disabled educator and a knowledge translation professional with a background in neuroscience, cinema and media studies, and rehabilitation sciences. They have worked on several knowledge mobilization projects focused on youth disability, disability in sports, and belonging in community life. Francis draws upon their personal and professional experiences in creating a space for youth committee members to co-create meaningful knowledge translation materials that honour their lived experiences.

Revi Bonder

Revi Bonder

Revi is a third-year doctoral candidate in the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University, where her research focuses on compulsive overeating pathologies, particularly addictive-like eating. She holds an MSc in the same research discipline. At the Bloorview Research Institute Revi is a Research Coordinator within the ProFILE lab, and is involved in projects concerning weight, eating disorders, mental health, and sexuality surrounding children and youth with both intellectual and physical disabilities. Revi is passionate about expanding her research knowledge and perspectives through stakeholder-informed research, and hopes that her contributions can inform future developments for children with disabilities.

Madison Giles

Madison Giles

Madison Giles is a Research Assistant with the ProFILE Lab at the Bloorview Research Institute and a third-year doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto, as well as a Vanier-SSHRC Scholar. Madison is committed to conducting research in collaboration with community that examines the micro, meso and macro aspects of sexuality. Her research aim is to conduct rigourous, theoretical, ethical and innovative research that makes room for a multiplicity of lived experiences to better support the sexual wellness of groups who experience marginalization. Madison’s PhD project works with youth with physical disabilities to explore their embodied experiences as sexual beings. At the ProFILE Lab, Madison works on the Sexuality study and the Weight Management and Disability study.

Toni Lui

Toni Lui

Toni holds an MSW and is a registered social worker. She is a Research Coordinator for the ProFILE lab where she is currently working on a project looking at the feasibility of a solution-focused coaching model to foster healthy lifestyles in children and young people with physical disabilities. She is also involved in a project on the experiences of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families, as well as healthcare providers on the topic of health and weight management. Toni has extensive research experience at the Bloorview Research Institute including clinical trials for individuals with autism. She has also worked with individuals with physical and developmental disabilities in both clinical and community settings.

Meaghan Walker

Meaghan Walker  

Meaghan completed her MSc at the University of Toronto in Rehabilitation Sciences and completed her research in the ProFile lab, exploring how children with autism and obesity feel about weight and their bodies to inform weight related healthcare conversations. She is currently studying Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, while working in the lab on numerous projects pertaining to weight related conversations and priorities for children with disabilities, their families and health care providers. Meaghan is passionate about including children’s voices in research, specifically research pertaining to their care and treatment within healthcare.

Celeste Lumia

Celeste Lumia

Celeste recently completed her MSc at the University of Toronto in Rehabilitation Sciences, completing her research under the supervision of Dr. Amy McPherson in the ProFILE lab. Celeste’s graduate research focused on engaging young people with spina bifida using an arts-based research method to qualitatively explore the meaning of health and wellness to them. Celeste is now a Research Assistant with the ProFILE lab, and is involved in projects surrounding health, wellness, and sexuality.

Victoria Formusa

Victoria Formusa

Victoria is completing her MSc at the University of Toronto in Rehabilitation Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Amy McPherson in the ProFILE lab. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Development. Victoria’s graduate research focuses on exploring how wellness is implemented into Special Olympics Canada programs and practice activities using a mixed-methods research approach. Victoria is a Special Olympics Volunteer Coach and is passionate about integrating wellness promotion into Special Olympics programming.

Kyara Liu

Kyara Liu (she/her)

Kyara is an intern at the ProFILE lab. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at the University of British Columbia and is currently completing her last semester of her Master of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Her research interests are in gender-based violence prevention and the utilization of reproductive/sexual health services by underserved populations.