Meet the staff involved in the development, management, and coordination of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and affiliated projects.
Dr. Kim Schmidt
Research Director, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Kim Schmidt is the Research Director of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging at the University of British Columbia, where she leads research strategy, partnership development, and centre operations to advance interdisciplinary aging research. Since joining UBC in 2015, she has held a range of research management and strategic roles spanning life sciences, population health, and team-science development.
Kim played a central role in establishing the Leong Centre as a Faculty of Medicine and Senate–approved research centre, and continues to guide its growth by supporting investigators, securing funding, and building training and educational programs. With an interdisciplinary academic foundation—BA (Hons) in Psychology and MSc in Neuroscience from UBC, and a PhD in Biology from Western University—she focuses on strengthening research ecosystems that accelerate discovery, foster collaboration, and improve healthy aging across the life course.
Jamie Vanden Broek
Research Coordinator, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Jamie Vanden Broek is the Research Coordinator for the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, where she supports the activities of the Centre, including research, event coordination, communications, and administration.
Jamie completed her Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Science at the University of British Columbia, specializing in Pharmacology and Genomics, with a particular interest in understanding and treating cancer. She also studied the history, rhetoric, and sociology of health.
Prior to joining the Centre, Jamie’s work focused on health equity, community engagement, and health education for older adults. Jamie brings experience in mixed-methods research, grant writing, research administration, and knowledge translation. She has experience in health and science communication, education, and partnership development, with particular interest in community-engaged research and supporting underserved communities including women, people with disabilities, and cultural minorities.
Smruthi Ramachandran
Project Manager, Canadian Microbiome Mapping Initiative
Smruthi is the Project Manager for the Canadian Microbiome Mapping Initiative (CMMI), a large, trans-disciplinary research program with the primary goal of developing an integrated multi ’omics platform to investigate the biological mechanisms and pathways by which the microbiome influences health and disease.
Smruthi completed her BSc in Biology and MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Her research focused on mHealth tools, physical activity, and behaviour change techniques to support people with osteoarthritis self-manage their symptoms.
Previously, she worked with the Kobor Lab, Arthritis Research Canada, and other health science settings in different capacities to plan clinical trials, research health outcomes, and disseminate data. Smruthi brings experience in developing grant proposals, stakeholder management, and executing large-scale projects to coordinate diverse research teams and achieve project goals.
Irvin Ng
Bioinformatician and Data Analyst, Canadian Microbiome Mapping Initiative
Irvin is a bioinformatician and data analyst for the Canadian Microbiome Mapping Initiative (CMMI), where his work focuses on multi-omics data integration and using computational methods to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying healthy aging.
Irvin holds an MSc in Bioinformatics from the University of British Columbia, where he leveraged machine learning to predict disease trajectories in pediatric Crohn’s disease, and a BSc. in Biomedical Physiology from Simon Fraser University, where he studied biomarkers for hiPSC-cardiomyocyte differentiation.
Irene Shih
Program Coordinator, GerOmics NSERC CREATE
Irene Shih is the Program Coordinator for the NSERC CREATE GerOmics training program that addresses health and longevity challenges through interdisciplinary training from experts at UBC and the University of Victoria, along with industry and government partners. Irene supports day-to-day development, administration, and delivery of program activities.
Irene completed her BSc in Molecular, Cell, Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles before going on to earn her doctorate in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her multidisciplinary research interests span from bacterial proteolysis to genome restructuring during aging/disease to decarbonizing the textile industry through biocatalysis. She is passionate about strengthening collaborative research environments that enable scientific discoveries for societal and environmental impact.
Devyani McLaren
Communications and Social Media Assistant, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Devyani McLaren is a M.Sc. student in Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, with a research focus in affective haptics — exploring how to design haptic technologies that provide better emotional support. As the Communications and Social Media Assistant at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, Devyani manages the Centre’s digital presence, sharing the latest research and advancements in aging-related health with the public. Devyani brings experience from her leadership as Co-President of the UBC Neuroscience Association, where she managed social media platforms and event promotion. She has also worked on designing user-centered health technologies, particularly involving older adults, and is passionate about making complex scientific findings accessible and engaging.