Who we are
Our Team
Julie Rempel
Research Study Manager
Julie brings a diverse professional background in Nutrition, Psychology, and Public Health. Her work reflects a strong commitment to advancing scientific understanding and enhancing community well-being. With a passion for lifestyle medicine, Julie focuses on promoting health through sustainable, evidence-based practices. She is enthusiastic about applying her skills and experience to the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Lab, particularly in the research project "Daily Social Experiences and Health in Older Age."
Dr. Yoonseok Choi
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Yoonseok Choi is a Postdoctoral Fellow researching aging immigrants鈥� health care access and utilization using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. His work is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; 2025鈥�2028). Dr. Choi received his PhD in Psychology from the University of British Columbia. His research broadly focuses on culture, aging, and health, using longitudinal approaches such as daily life assessments.
Research Assistants and Graduate Students
Shivani Ratnayake
Research Assistant
Shivani Ratnayake has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Counselling and Human Development from 51社区黑料. She is a Research Assistant for 51社区黑料's Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Lab, for the Daily Activities, Social Events, and Health Study, in the Gerontology Department. Her interests are in understanding effective, psychological, healthy aging for older adults.
Mehrnaz Rezaei Darvishi
Research Assistant
Mehrnaz is a Research Assistant in a data management role at the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Lab at SFU, contributing to the DASH studies. She has a background in biomedical science research and holds an MA in Leadership in Healthcare from Trinity Western University, MSc in Biochemistry, and a BSc in Microbiology. Her academic background and research interests are grounded in understanding how biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence healthy aging and population health outcomes.
Fathima Azmiya
Research Assistant
Fathima Azmiya is a Study Coordinator for the COPE study and a Research Assistant for the DASH study at the Lifelong Health and Well-being Lab. She holds a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Master鈥檚 degree in Global Health. Fathima鈥檚 previous research focused on addressing Superbugs (AMR) and developing intervention policies to reduce CVD in low-middle income countries. She aims to bridge the gap between evidence-based research and Health Policy strategies that promote longevity and functional independence in later life, supporting the well-being and dignity of an aging global population.