Meet the staff involved in the development, management and coordination of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging.
Dr. Kim Schmidt
Research Director, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Dr. Kim Schmidt is the Research Director of the Centre and is responsible for providing comprehensive strategic oversight and management in all areas of program development and administration.
Kim completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her MSc in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. She completed her PhD in Biology from Western University in London, Ontario, followed by a NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at Simon Fraser University in the Department of Biological Sciences.
Prior to working as the Research Director of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, she worked as a research manager at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and a science and grant writer at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital. Kim has a great deal of expertise in life science research and research management and several years of experience in laboratory science, strategic planning, research facilitation, scientific and grant writing, and knowledge translation.
Adithya Vishnu Kumar
Research Coordinator, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Adithya graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience in 2022, and currently serves as the Research Coordinator for both the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and Kobor Lab. Prior to working in this position, he gained experience in clinical and behavioural research through his work as a Research Assistant in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine for the COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network, a national research initiative to standardize diagnostic and treatment decisions for patients with COVID-19, as well as in biochemical research examining sex differences in the stress response as a Research Assistant for the Viau Lab in the UBC Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences.
Emily Wong-Abdul
Communications and Social Media Assistant, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Emily is a 3rd year undergraduate student at UBC pursuing a double major in Environment and Sustainability and Urban Studies, and is responsible for monitoring and updating all of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging’s official social media channels. She is passionate about community involvement and enhancing her experiences through exploring new opportunities to further enhance her skillsets. Outside of school and work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, going for runs and bike rides.