I was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. Throughout my life, I have enjoyed learning about and from the world around me. As a first generation university student, I had limited insight into life in university and beyond, prior to starting my undergraduate studies at Queen's University. Nonetheless, I thrived in an environment that brought together people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and encouraged curiosity, overcoming challenges, and making a difference.
Health is a concept that is present in everyday life. This idea shaped my interest in human anatomy, physiology, and pathology, and led me to pursue a degree in life sciences. During this time, I developed a fascination for neuroscience and academic research. My passion for scientific discovery and clinical medicine ultimately led me to the MD/PhD program at Western University.
Career Goals
The nervous system affects all processes in the human body. In particular, the brain is responsible for our perceptions, actions, emotions, and thoughts. It is essential for human life, and disorders of the brain and mind can severely impact patients, their families, and society. Unfortunately, little is known about how the brain functions. The MD/PhD program will prepare me for a career as a clinician-scientist, where I hope to contribute to understanding the brain and improving the lives of people affected by neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Recent Publications
Chan JL, Koval MJ, Womelsdorf T, Lomber SG, Everling S (2014) Monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex deactivation reduces preparatory beta and gamma power in the superior colliculus. Cereb Cortex Epub: doi:10.1093/cercor/bhs154.
Chan JL, DeSouza JF (2013) The effects of attentional load on saccadic task switching. Exp Brain Res 227:301-309.
Adam R, Isabella S, Chan JL (2015) Insight into motor control and motor impairment from stroke and beta oscillations. J Neurophysiol Epub: doi:10.1152/jn.00098.2015.
Chan JL, Kucyi A, DeSouza JF (2015) Stable task representations under attentional load revealed with multivariate pattern analysis of human brain activity. J Cogn Neurosci Epub: doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00819.
Chan JL, Kucyi A, DeSouza JF (2015) Oculomotor system. In: Brain Mapping: An Encyclopedic Reference, vol. 2 (Toga AW, ed), pp483-488. Oxford: Elsevier.
