Principal Investigator

Dr. Puterman, Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology at UBC, is the director of the FAST Lab. He has been investigating the negative impact that chronic stress has on well-being and health. His research highlights that many of these negative effects can be dampened or erased by leading a physically active lifestyle. Dr. Puterman is a Canada Research Chair and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar.

Co-Investigator

Dr. Chen, Associate Professor of Psychology at UBC, investigates the obstacles that people face while making friends and seeking social support from loved ones, and the health consequences of loneliness and interpersonal conflict. As Principal Investigator of the Social Health Lab, she is also developing interventions to promote social connection, with the goal of making a positive impact on people’s health. Dr. Chen is a Canadian Institutes for Health Research New Investigator and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar.

Study Lead

Hana (she/her) is a MSc student in the School of Kinesiology under the supervision of Dr. Puterman. She completed two undergrads in her home city of Halifax, Nova Scotia (sociology/psychology). Hana worked at a Sport and Conditioning gym and trained athletes focusing on improving not only their performance, but also their overall quality of life. Having played sports her entire life (her true love is volleyball), her main interests involve learning about the impact one’s psychological state has on athletic performance.

Study Lead

Luke (he/him) is a Ph.D. student in the School of Kinesiology under the supervision of Dr. Eli Puterman. Luke was a competitive swimmer for nearly 20 years and his athletic career has shaped his future research goals and has driven him to examine the relationship between athletes’ performance and their physical & mental health. A budding sport scientist, his research will involve the examination of psychophysiological mechanisms and models that predict the relationship between stress, performance, and health.

Graduate Research Assistant

Brook (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in the FAST lab. Brook has MSc degree from Western University in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and completed her undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences at Western University. Her research interests include exploring how adverse childhood experiences affect physical activity habits, and how chronic stress may impair physiological responses to physical activity. Brook grew up as a competitive dancer, and also enjoys running and hiking.

Study Coordinator

Brook (she/her) is a MSc. student in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Eli Puterman. She completed her B.A. (Honours) in Psychology at Brock University. Her research interests include the development of exercise interventions for physical and mental health, psychosocial determinants of health behaviour, and the integration of behaviour change interventions into the health care system. Brook figure skated competitively growing up, and enjoys exploring Vancouver via paddle board.

Our research assistant team is constantly growing and currently includes 18 trained exercise testers. They look forward to meeting you the day of your appointment!