The Paid Participant Studies List is hosted on the Psychology Graduate Student Council website. While most studies here are conducted in the Psychology Department, other departments recruiting participants are welcome to advertise.
Notice to Researchers: Researchers willing to advertise should note that as this page is accessible to the public, we cannot monitor nor guarantee the quality of data you may collect, particularly for online studies. To ensure the integrity of your data, we strongly recommend implementing additional quality checks within your study design.
Current Studies
We welcome both the general public and students to participate, and please check the eligibility requirements for each study.
Your participation in our studies is greatly appreciated! To ensure that the research results are accurate and meaningful, it’s important that you give your full attention and respond honestly to all questions. Please make sure to carefully read and follow the instructions provided in each study.
Last updated: December 5, 2025
Information Seeking on the Web (In-person)
Researcher: Alice Li (PhD student, Co-Investigator), Dr. Luanne Sinnamon (Principal Investigator)
Description: The purpose of this study is to understand how graduate students seek information on Google. Before the session begins, you will be asked to send in four Google searches that you are interested in (anything you would search in daily life, but not too personal). During the session, you will carry out two of your Google searches and one assigned search using the co-investigator’s laptop, think out loud on one of your searches, and take part in an interview about your Web search experience.
Eligibility:
To take part in the study, you must meet the following three criteria:
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Graduate students at UBC.
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Use Google as your preferred search engine.
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Comfortable being audio-recorded and having your search screen-recorded.
An eligibility screening will be conducted with a member of the research team.
Location: In-person at the UBC School of Information (470- 1961 East Mall).
Contact Information: Please email Alice Li at alicelii@student.ubc.ca to learn more and sign up.
Reimbursement/Time: This study will take up to 45 minutes in total and will be completed in 1 session. You will receive a $15 UBC Food Services gift card to thank you for your time.
Cerebellum transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study (In-person)
Researcher: Vivian Li (MSc student) and Dr. Lara Boyd (PI)
Description:Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive tool to study the human brain. Single and paired-pulse TMS protocols can measure brain excitability and connectivity, while repetitive TMS protocols can transiently make the brain more or less excitable. The Brain Behaviour Lab is conducting a TMS study to understand how the brain excitability and connectivity change following repetitive TMS over the cerebellum.
- Visit 1 (2 hours): You will complete some questionnaires and take part in a short TMS session for baseline measurements.
- Visit 2-4 (2.5 hours each, spaced at least 1 week apart): In these three sessions, we will deliver 3 different types of repetitive TMS. We will use TMS to map your brain excitability and connectivity both before and after the repetitive TMS.
Eligibility:
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Between ages 19-35 years
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Right hand dominant for most skills
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No known history of head trauma, major psychiatric diagnosis, neurodegenerative disorder, or substance abuse
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No TMS contraindications (e.g., cochlear implants, pacemaker, metal implants).
An eligibility screening will be conducted with a member of the research team.
Location: UBC Hospital Koerner Pavilion (2211 Wesbrook Mall), Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Vivian at ylvivian@student.ubc.ca or fill out the interest survey here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3NLgnSERTdC9C50
Reimbursement/Time: The study will involve a 15-minute phone call for confirming eligibility, and 4 visits to the lab that will be 2-2.5 hours each. Compensation will be provided for your time and transportation.
Cerebellum transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study (In-person)
Researcher: Vivian Li (MSc student) and Dr. Lara Boyd (PI)
Description:Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive tool to study the human brain. Single and paired-pulse TMS protocols can measure brain excitability and connectivity, while repetitive TMS protocols can transiently make the brain more or less excitable. The Brain Behaviour Lab is conducting a TMS study to understand how the brain excitability and connectivity change following repetitive TMS over the cerebellum.
- Visit 1 (2 hours): You will complete some questionnaires and take part in a short TMS session for baseline measurements.
- Visit 2-4 (2.5 hours each, spaced at least 1 week apart): In these three sessions, we will deliver 3 different types of repetitive TMS. We will use TMS to map your brain excitability and connectivity both before and after the repetitive TMS.
Eligibility:
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Between ages 19-35 years
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Right hand dominant for most skills
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No known history of head trauma, major psychiatric diagnosis, neurodegenerative disorder, or substance abuse
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No TMS contraindications (e.g., cochlear implants, pacemaker, metal implants).
An eligibility screening will be conducted with a member of the research team.
Location: UBC Hospital Koerner Pavilion (2211 Wesbrook Mall), Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Vivian at ylvivian@student.ubc.ca or fill out the interest survey here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3NLgnSERTdC9C50
Reimbursement/Time: The study will involve a 15-minute phone call for confirming eligibility, and 4 visits to the lab that will be 2-2.5 hours each. Compensation will be provided for your time and transportation.
Pilot Study – Pharmacogenomic Testing for People with Major Depression: Identifying and Developing Implementation Strategies (Online Study)
Researcher: Zeina Waheed (PhD Student) and Dr. Stirling Bryan (Principal Investigator)
Description: The aim of this study is to better understand how patients with depression would want to receive genetic testing that can help guide antidepressant prescribing. This type of genetic testing is known as “pharmacogenomic testing” and it provides information on how an individual may respond to different types of medications. We want to understand patient preferences on topics such as which healthcare provider orders testing and communicates results, likelihood of symptom improvement, cost of testing, and results turnaround time. This is the pilot testing phase of our study and your participation will help us improve our study design. After you express interest in participating, we will send you a link to an online survey.
- Background questions about yourself and your health.
- A series of questions where you will have to choose between two hypothetical options for pharmacogenomic testing.
- Post-survey questionnaire to understand your experience in completing the study.
Eligibility:
- Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged 18 years or older
- Resident of BC
- Diagnosis of depression at least once within their lifetime
- Fluent in English
- Exclusion Criteria:
- Moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment
Location: Online
Contact Information: If you meet the eligibility criteria, please email zeinaw@student.ubc.ca and include “Pilot Study” in the subject line.
Reimbursement/Time: This study consists of one online survey that will take around 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Following completion of the survey, to compensate you for your time, you will receive a 25$ (CAD) virtual gift card (your choice between Safeway, Amazon or Walmart).
Examining the Blur Paradox in Word Recognition
Researcher: Simrat Binning (Research Assistant) and Dr. Ipek Oruc (Principal Investigator)
Description: This study aims to explore how people recognize blurry words when viewed from different distances. Our goal is to understand how our visual system compensates for natural blur that occurs with distance. Participants will be asked to read blurred words on a digital monitor and identify them correctly.
Eligibility:
- Adults, 19 years of age or older
- Normal or corrected vision (please wear prescription glasses or contact lenses)
Location: In-person at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (home of ICORD) at Vancouver General Hospital (818 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC).
Contact Information: Please contact Simrat Binning at simratb1@student.ubc.ca to organize a time to participate.
Reimbursement/Time: This study will take 30-40 minutes and participants will receive an honorarium of $10 for the session.
Examining the Blur Paradox in Word Recognition
Researcher: Simrat Binning (Research Assistant) and Dr. Ipek Oruc (Principal Investigator)
Description: This study aims to explore how people recognize blurry words when viewed from different distances. Our goal is to understand how our visual system compensates for natural blur that occurs with distance. Participants will be asked to read blurred words on a digital monitor and identify them correctly.
Eligibility:
- Adults, 19 years of age or older
- Normal or corrected vision (please wear prescription glasses or contact lenses)
Location: In-person at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (home of ICORD) at Vancouver General Hospital (818 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC).
Contact Information: Please contact Simrat Binning at simratb1@student.ubc.ca to organize a time to participate.
Reimbursement/Time: This study will take 30-40 minutes and participants will receive an honorarium of $10 for the session.
Perceptual Grouping in Children (In-Person)
Researcher: Dr. Hee Yeon Im (Principal Investigator)
Description: We are looking for participants to take part in a study that investigates perceptual abilities in children. In this study, participants will be asked to do a quick visual assessment, and then play a simple video game in our lab that involves drawing circles using a digital pen and a tablet.
Eligibility: We’re looking for children 7-12 years of age with healthy vision.
Location: Opthalmology Lab at BC Children’s Hospital (4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC)
Contact Information: If you’d like to participate, please email us at opthalrl@cw.bc.ca with the subject ‘Clustering Study’
Reimbursement/Time: It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 70 minutes. An honorarium will be provided.
The bWell Cognitive Care Platform: A pilot feasibility study in healthy participants
Researcher: Dr. Trisha Chakrabarty (Principal Investigator)
Description: Individuals with depression suffer from problems with cognition (for example, problems with memory, attention and processing speed). In collaboration with the National Research Council Canada, we have developed the bWell Cognitive Care Platform for Depression (called ‘bWell’), a set of games that are presented in virtual reality which are specifically designed to aid people with depression. We would now like to try bWell assessment both in individuals with history of depression, and in healthy individuals with no history of depression, or other psychiatric/neurological disorders. Our aim is to see whether bWell is engaging, enjoyable and usable, and the data gathered from healthy individuals will be compared to data gathered from individuals with depression.
Your participation would involve an initial screening assessment over the phone to determine your eligibility, a preliminary interview held over Zoom (40-60 minutes), a cognitive assessment session using the bWell virtual reality program and computerized cognitive tests (2.5hrs) and an EEG recording/MRI scan session (2.5hrs)
Eligibility: You may be eligible to participate if:
- You are between the ages of 19 and 65
- You are able to follow written and verbal instructions in English
- You do not have history of any psychiatric disorder
- You do not have any significant neurological disorders, head trauma, or other unstable medical conditions which may adversely impact cognitive functioning
- You do not have any physical mobility issues that limit arm or neck movement
Location: Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3).
Contact Information: Please email vrstudy.bwell@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive a $90 honorarium for participation in the assessment session (2.5hrs) and the MRI scan/EEG recording (2.5hrs), as well as reimbursement for all travel costs.
The bWell Cognitive Care Platform: A pilot feasibility study in patients with depression
Researcher: Dr. Trisha Chakrabarty (Principal Investigator)
Description: Individuals with depression suffer from problems with cognition (for example, problems with memory, attention and processing speed). In collaboration with the National Research Council Canada, we have developed the bWell Cognitive Care Platform for Depression (called ‘bWell’), a set of games that are presented in virtual reality which are specifically designed to aid people with depression. Our aim is to see whether bWell is enjoyable, engaging and useful to help reduce cognitive issues for those with depression.
Your participation would involve an initial screening assessment over the phone to determine your eligibility, a preliminary interview held over Zoom (40 minutes-1hr), a cognitive assessment session using the bWell virtual reality program and computerized cognitive tests (2.5hrs), an EEG recording/MRI scan session (2.5hrs), and 8 weeks of repeated sessions (1hr sessions, twice a week for 8 weeks)
Eligibility: You may be eligible to participate if:
- You are between the ages of 19 and 65
- You have a history of depression and/or are currently experiencing mild symptoms of depression
- You have noticed cognitive difficulties (for example, problems with concentration, attention or memory) in your day to day life
- You have never before received a diagnosis of a neurological disorder (e.g. Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Dementia) or suffered a serious head injury/concussion
- You do not have any physical conditions that limit your neck (ability to turn your head) or arm mobility
Location: Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3).
Contact Information: Please email vrstudy.bwell@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive a $200 honorarium for participation in the assessment session (2.5hrs), MRI scans/EEG recording session (2.5hrs) and 8 weeks of repeated sessions (2 sessions per week, 60 minutes each), as well as reimbursement for all travel costs.
Food Preparation Study
Researcher: Joey Manaligod and Dr. Rebecca Todd
Description: The Motivated Cognition Lab at the University of British Columbia is currently recruiting participants for a study exploring how emotions are experienced in everyday tasks. This will involve preparing a simple snack. You will be asked to fill out questionnaires and wear a small sensor around your waist. The total time commitment length for the study is 1-1.5 hours. Participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Eligibility:
- Must be over 19 years of age
- Must be fluent in English
- Must be located in Metro Vancouver
- Must be comfortable being video recorded
- No severe food allergies or dietary restrictions
If you are interested in participating, please complete the pre-screening survey found here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e4cBsjze95Ehzuu or email Joey at mclab@psych.ubc.ca
Location: UBC Vancouver
Contact Information: To learn more or participate, please contact Joey at mclab@psych.ubc.ca
Compensation: Receive $20 for participating. Transit and parking costs also covered separately.
Canadian-based racialized Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (2SGBTQ) men’s suicidality – an online photovoice study
Researcher: Calvin C. Fernandez (Student Investigator), Dr John Oliffe (Principal Investigator)
Description: Interested participants can contact the student investigator, and will be invited to a 15-minute Zoom pre-interview meeting to i) assess their eligibility, ii) receive briefing about the study and consent details, and iii) review safety measures while participating in the study. Eligible participants will subsequently complete a sociodemographic form and be invited to take and submit 5 to 10 digital photographs that best illustrate their strategies, including strengths and challenges for dealing with suicidality. They will then undergo individual Zoom interviews with the student investigator, using the submitted photographs to illustrate, narrate and/or discuss their experiences of suicidality.
Eligibility: Only those who: i) self-identify as a racialized 2SGBTQ man, ii) aged 19 and above, iii) currently live in Canada, iv) can speak and understand English, and v) have experienced suicidal ideation, planning and/or attempt more than a year ago will be eligible to participate in the study.
Location: The submission of digital photographs and individual interviews will be conducted online.
Contact Information: To participate, contact Calvin Fernandez at calvin.fernandez@ubc.ca
Compensation: Participants who complete all steps of the study will receive a $100 e-gift card from any Canadian store of their choice.
Time Commitment: Participants are expected to spend approximately 15 minutes for the pre-interview meeting, and approximately 1 hour for the individual interview. Additional time may be required e.g. time taken to take photographs which may vary between participants.
Action error and observation in aiming movements
Researcher: Carrie Peters & Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology)
Description: Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate how watching someone else perform can help us learn and/or alert us to errors. We are interested in how watching actions of others impacts on processes related to performance and learning. In this research study, you will be asked to reach towards targets on a touch screen computer and will also watch videos of someone else also doing this task (ethics, H24-03388). This study is being run in the Motor Skills Lab in the School of Kinesiology (principal investigator is Dr. Nicola Hodges).
Eligibility: We are looking for individuals who are/have:
Location: 300A in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd)
Contact Information: If you meet the eligibility criteria, please email kin.msl@ubc.ca and include “Aiming observation” in the subject line. In your email, please include a UBC email address (if available), a phone number, and your availability over the next 2 weeks
Reimbursement/Time: It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 60-80 minutes. A $20 honorarium will be provided upon completion of the study.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted August 18, 2025.
Effects of transcranial electrical stimulation on perception and cognition
Researcher: Dr. Lawrence Ward (PI)
Description: This experiment will explore how people process visual stimuli. It will involve viewing and responding to visual stimuli presented on a computer screen. You will receive weak electrical stimulation on the scalp. Your eye movements will be monitored.
Eligibility: Must be 18-35 years old.
Location: The experiment will be conducted in the Psychophysics and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (Kenny Building)
Contact Information: Email Mehak Dhaliwal at wardlab (at) psych.ubc.ca to organize a time to participate.
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive $10.00 for each hour of participation. The study will take approximately 2 hours to complete on each of two separate occasions.
Social Perceptions and Life Experiences
Researcher: Gabrielle Ibasco (Graduate Student) and Dr. Jessica Tracy (Principal Investigator)
Description: In this study, we are interested in the social perceptions and life experiences of Canadian students. You will take part in a video-recorded focus group discussion with other participants (either in person or over Zoom, depending on your preference) about an assigned topic related to your life as a Canadian student. The session will be video-recorded strictly for data coding purposes, and will only be accessible by members of the research team. The discussion should take approximately 15 minutes. After the discussion, you will complete a final survey (10 minutes long) in the same lab session. Overall, the study should take about 25-30 minutes to complete.
Eligibility: Participants must be adult students (any level) who are Canadian citizens and fluent in English.
Location: Room 2512 (2nd floor), Emotion and Self Lab, Kenny Building, UBC Vancouver Campus [2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC] OR Zoom (link will be provided after completing the screening survey)
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please complete the screening survey at the following link: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6EA6kPUB1JNyT6m. For any questions, please contact the Emotion and Self Lab at emoselflab.study@gmail.com.
Reimbursement/Time: You will be paid $10 for participating in a ~30-minute study.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted September 5, 2025.
A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experience of Craving in the Context of Compulsive Overeating
Researcher: Laura Bickel (Graduate Student Investigator) and Dr. Rebecca Todd (Principal Investigator; Motivated Cognition Lab, UBC)
Description: We invite you to participate in our study investigating “what it is like” to crave and feel out of control around food, focusing on those attentional processes and emotions that are likely to generate and motivate compulsive overeating. The participation involves keeping a diary via a journaling app and journaling to open-ended questions for one week. You will also engage in an interview session that will be held at the end of the week.
Eligibility: In order to be eligible to take part in the study, you must meet the following criteria:
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Over 19 years of age
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Located in the Lower Mainland
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Fluent in English
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Access to a smartphone or laptop
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Willing to install the research journaling app on their mobile phone or laptop and commit to using it at least three times a day
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Comfortable with being voice recorded in interview sessions
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Willing to share their diary notes
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Able to commit approximately 4 hours for one week and a 45-minutes pre-study meeting
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At least one binge eating episode per week for the last 3 months. Binge eating is characterized by both of the following:a. Eating a very large amount of food within a 2-hour periodb. Feeling out of control during those binges
Location: The pre-study meeting and interview can take place at a mutually agreed upon location such as UBC campus, a community center with a private room in the Lower Mainland (or alternatively online via Zoom).
Contact Information: For more information, please email Laura Bickel at lbickel@mail.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: If you agree to participate, you will be asked to dedicate approximately 45 minutes for a pre-study meeting and 4 hours of your time for journaling activities and the interview session taking place over the course of one week. Participants will receive a gift card (28$) for one yoga session at YYoga or for the book store Indigo.
Study End Date: Ongoing.
A Tool for Designing Mid-Air Hand Interactions in VR (In-Person)
Researcher: Anika Sayara, Dongwook Yoon
Description: In this study, you will be trying out a cool Virtual Reality (VR) Prototyping Tool for Hand-Based Interactions using Meta Quest 3. After a brief orientation, you will take part in a guided design task where a member of the research team will provide you step by step instructions for creating and testing a hand based interaction in VR. Later you will fill out a short usability survey and take part in an open ended interview where you will be asked about your experience of using the proposed tool. The entire study will be completed in a single session of 60 minutes.
Eligibility:
- Be of age 19 years or older.
- Some experience in 3D, AR, or VR programming (whether you’re just starting out or an expert, all levels are welcome).
Location: ICICS (2366 Main Mall V6T 1Z4), Room 306A
Contact Information: For If you are interested in participating, please complete the survey:
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79786lMESgr1Jjg If you have any questions, you may contact Anika at sayanika@cs.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: $40 for an hour long session
Study End Date: September 6, 2025
Investigation of Interactive Affective Touch: Happraisal Substudy
Researcher: Preeti Vyas, Karon MacLean
Description: The Sensory, Perception, and Interaction (SPIN) Research Group in the UBC Dept. of Computer Science is looking for participants for a study investigating the sensing, design, and interpretation of emotive interactions with a small robot. We are looking for participants who experience mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. You will be compensated $15/hr ($10 for 30 minutes, $15 for 31-60 minutes) for your participation in a single session. We will ask you to interact with stationary and/or moving small zoomorphic robot prototypes. Before the study, we will ask you to complete a screening questionnaire. During the study session, we will ask you to provide us with personal, emotionally salient stories to be incorporated into the study protocol. We will record your bio-signals (heart rate, breathing rate, etc.) and ask you to describe the motions and perceived emotional content from such interaction, and/or ask you to talk about your experiences with animals and pets, and your process of emotion regulation. This study is part of a graduate student research project. Your interactions will be video recorded, given your consent.
The study will take place between August 11th to 31st 2025.
If you are interested in participating, please complete this screening questionnaire: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5myxmoFyOxOKQDQ
Responses received before 6th August will be prioritized.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at spin-studies@cs.ubc.ca
Eligibility: People 18 years or older; who experience mental health challenges like anxiety and depression
Location: X521, X-wing of ICICS Building, Department of Computer Science, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Contact Information: spin-studies@cs.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: $15 per hour, expected time to complete is 1.5 hr in-person session and screening and pre-study online questionnaire (~15 minutes).
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted July 30, 2025.
The impact of stimulus complexity on learning and behaviour (in-person study)
Researcher: Dr. Helen Lu (postdoc) & Dr. Alexis Black (PI; School of Audiology & Speech Sciences, UBC)
Description: We are interested in how adults perceive and understand new languages. Participation in this study involves two parts. During the training phase participants hear a language constructed for this study for 2 to 45 minutes. Then we will ask you some questions about these sounds (approximately 5 minutes). Finally, participants are asked to complete a language background questionnaire (approximately 5 minutes).
Eligibility: You must be a native speaker of both English and Cantonese with no known speech, language, or hearing disorders.
Location: Friedman Building (2177 Wesbrook Mall), Room 438, UBC.
Contact Information: helens.lu@ubc.ca (please put “Paid Study Participation” in the subject line to ensure your email does not get lost)
Reimbursement/Time: This study takes up to 1 hour and participants will be compensated $10 per 0.5 hour.
Stress, Cognitive Control, and Repetitive Negative Thinking
Researcher: Dr. Joelle LeMoult (PI, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Lab), Ellen Jopling and Bronwen Grocott (Co-investigators), Puloma Gupta (Study Coordinator)
Description: This study involves the following three components:
- Task 1: Online (approximately 30 minutes) One day before the in-person laboratory session, you will be asked to complete a short online survey about your feelings, behaviours, and thinking patterns.
- Task 2: In-Person Laboratory Session (approximately 2.5 hours) You will be invited to come to our laboratory at the University of British Columbia to complete two computer tasks and two different verbal tasks. During these tasks, we will measure psychophysiological variables, such as heart rate and skin conductance, using a non-invasive procedure. During this session, you will also be asked to provide saliva samples at 5 time points, for the purpose of examining your salivary cortisol.
- Task 3: Online (approximately 1 hour) You will be asked to complete short surveys about your feelings and behaviours 8 times a day for 5 consecutive days. To receive these questionnaires, you will be invited to download the ExpiWell application for iOS or Android, which would provide you with a notification for each questionnaire. You must complete 5/8 daily surveys to receive full compensation for this portion of the study. If you complete less than 5/8 surveys, you will be sent a notification reminder.
- OPTIONAL Task 4: Follow-Up Questionnaires You also have the option of being contacted to complete a brief survey 1 year after your laboratory visit. This portion of the study is optional. You will be sent an email reminder to complete the questionnaire if you consent to the follow-up.
Eligibility: 1) Participants should be above 18 years of age 2) Be able to read, speak and write in English 3) Have access to a cellular phone.
Location: In person at our lab located in UBC’s Douglas Kenny Building (2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4)
Contact Information: If you would like more information or wish to participate in this study, please email us at controlstudy@psych.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: You will receive $25 for the baseline questionnaire and first session and $15 for completing 5/8 of the daily at-home notification surveys, and you will be entered into a draw for a $50 Amazon gift card for the 1-year follow-up questionnaire you complete (Task 4).
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted July 8, 2025.
XR Technology to Support Students with Mood Disorders: Co-Developing a Research Agenda
Researcher: Dr. Trisha Chakrabarty (Principal Investigator)
Description: We are interested in recruiting students with lived experience of mood disorders to brainstorm how extended reality (XR) can be used to support post-secondary students with mood disorders. Participation in the study would involve completing a brief questionnaire (5-10 mins) and your attendance at two, 2.5 hour workshops at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH). Workshops will entail participating in brainstorming sessions, discussions and group activities. If you would like, you can also participate in an optional virtual reality(VR) demo at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.
Eligibility:
- currently enrolled in an undergraduate/post-secondary degree program or have graduated in the past 12 months
- self-identify as having lived experience with a mood disorder (depression or bipolar disorders) or have experience providing peer support to students with mood disorders
Location: The VR demo and workshops will take place at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3).
Contact Information: Please email Jenna Ramji (RA) at vrstudy.bwell@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Student participants will be provided an honorarium of $30/hour as a token of appreciation for two 2.5 workshops ($75 per workshop)
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted June 24, 2025.
Attention and Cognitive Control
Researcher: Sam Good (PhD Student), James Enns (PI), Paris Wang (RA), Alice Luan (RA).
Description: UBC Vision lab is currently recruiting healthy adults 40+ to participate in an attention study. You will be asked to play a computer “game” called the Combined Attention Systems Test (CAST). You’ll see simple visual cues and press corresponding keys on a keyboard to respond.
Eligibility:
- Healthy adults aged 40+
- Have normal or corrected-to-normal hearing and vision
- Have normal physical ability to use computer and keyboard
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Have not been diagnosed with cognitive deficits affecting memory or attention (e.g., short term memory deficits , ADHD)
Location: UBC Vision Lab, Room 3302 on the third floor of the Douglas T. Kenny Psychology Building. In some cases, we may be able to bring the study to you, please email for more information.
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please send an email to cast.study@ubc.ca. We will be in touch with further study information and scheduling.
Reimbursement/Time: The study is expected to take 60-90 minutes to complete. Compensation is 20$/hour giftcard to either Save on Foods or Amazon. Please let us know your preference.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted June 11, 2025.
Smartphone Application for Contingency Management in Opioid Use Disorder (Focus Groups)
Researcher: Dr. Pouya Azar (PI), Jane Kim (Primary Contact)
Description: This study aims to explore the perspectives of people who use opioids on how they would feel regarding a contingency management (CM) smartphone game for opioid agonist therapy (OAT). This study will involve in-person or online/virtual focus groups. Both will start with a demonstration of mock-up wireframes of the initial app design. Participants will be asked to verbally appraise the app and discuss preferences and suggestions for future development.
Eligibility: Participants must be on or have experience being on OAT for opioid dependence (methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, slow-release oral morphine) and use a smartphone that can support applications.
Location: Participants will join an in-person or virtual focus group discussion for approximately 60 minutes. In-person discussions will take place at Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre. Questions will explore experiences with OAT and how smartphone applications may impact their compliance.
Contact Information: Jane Kim, jane.kim2@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: $15 (1 hour)
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted June 3, 2025.
Spontaneous Craving and Neurophenomenology in Smokers (In-Person)
Researcher: Christian Schütz, PhD, MD, MPH, FRCPC (PI); Kalina Christoff, PhD; Stefanie Todesco, PhD Student
Description: The main purpose of this study is to assess a new method to study e-cigarette users’ experience of craving. To do this, you will be asked questions about your craving regularly while watching film clips.
Eligibility:
- Are between 21 and 35 years old at the start of the study
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Use e-cigarettes containing nicotine ≥ 5 (greater than or equal to) days/week for at least 1 year
- Can verify e-cigarette use status with a saliva test
- Willing to abstain from any nicotine use for ≥12 (greater than or equal to) hours prior to 2nd visit
-
Are not actively trying to quit or cut down on your level of e-cigarette use
- Are able to provide informed consent
- Are able to complete assessments in English
Location: If you agree to take part in this study, you will first need to complete an online survey to determine your eligibility. You may be contacted by phone or email to arrange completion of some follow-up questions (questions will be completed via phone interview). If you are then invited to and agree to participate in-person sessions, you will complete 2 in-person sessions at the University of British Columbia.
Contact Information: Please contact our research team at brainlab.scans@ubc.ca to express interest or for questions/concerns.
Reimbursement/Time: Session 1: 1 hour; $20; Session 2: 1.5 hours; $30
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted May 20, 2025.
Investigation of the Biological Markers of Major Depression (OPTIMUM-D) (In-person)
Researcher: Research coordinators, Dr. Raymond Lam
Description: This study involves standard treatment for depression and randomization into placebo groups. Patients will be treated by a psychiatrist for 12 weeks with an antidepressant medication approved to treat depression. The study will involve a total of 8 in-person visits over 12 weeks.
Throughout the visits, the study will involve 2 x Collection of blood (Baseline, Week 8) 2 x Stool Sample Collection (Baseline, Week 8) 2 x Urine Collection (Baseline, Week 8) 2 x Electroencephalography (EEG) (Baseline, Week 8) 1 x Electrocardiography (ECG) (Screening only) 8 x Clinical assessments done by a psychiatrist (at each week study visit)
Eligibility: Are between 18-65 years of age. Have been diagnosed with depression or suspect you may have depression, and are currently feeling depressed. in activities, change in appetite, poor sleep, fatigue, low self-esteem, and poor concentration. Are willing to take a standard antidepressant medication as treatment for your depression. Are willing to undergo blood/lab tests and brain scans.
Location: UBC Mood Disorders Centre (2nd floor), 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
Contact Information: Research coordinator, Lam.MDDResearch2@ubc.ca/604-822-7804, https://app.reachbc.ca/project/study/356
Reimbursement/Time: To be discussed/12 weeks
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Apr 25 2024.
Visuomotor Adaptation
Principal Investigator: Nicola J. Hodges
Study team / Co-Investigators: Beverley Larssen, Carrie Peters, Matthew Scott
Description
Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate processes used in visuomotor adaptation. The mechanisms underlying motor learning (physical practice and observational practice) will be examined in this project. Participants will be expected to learn how to reach accurately to visually-presented targets by physically moving in a modified environment. This study is being run in the Motor Skills Lab in the School of Kinesiology by principal investigator Dr. Nicola Hodges.
It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 60-90 minutes. This time may be across one or two consecutive days. A $15 honorarium will be provided upon completion of the study.
Eligibility:
We are looking for individuals who are/have:
Between ages 18-50 years old
Right-hand dominant for most skills
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
No existing injury to the right hand
No known physical disorders or injuries that impede full body movement
No known neurological disorders
Must be able to understand instructions written and spoken in English
Location: War Memorial Gym, 6081 University Blvd, Vancouver BC
Contact Information: A resume is not required to partake in the study, we simply ask that participants meet all the qualifications listed. If you meet these qualifications, please email kin.msl@ubc.ca and include “VMA study” in the subject line. In your email, please include a UBC email address (if available), a phone number, and your availability over the next 2 weeks.
Reimbursement/Time:
It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 60-90 minutes. This time may be across one or two consecutive days. A $15 honorarium will be provided upon completion of the study.
Study end date: Ongoing. Posted June 19 2024.
The neurodevelopmental trajectory of youth with anorexia nervosa: A Canada-wide longitudinal multi-modal imaging study (in-person)
Researcher: Dr. Jennifer Coelho (UBC, local PI), Dr. Linda Booij (Douglas Mental Health Institute, PI)
Description: The aim of the study is to investigate brain processes in a large sample of youth with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), and reversibility of AN-associated brain changes in remission. Participants will complete questionnaires at 4 time points and undergo an MRI scan and clinical interview at the start of the study, and after 12 months.
Eligibility: Youth 12-18 years old of any ethnicity, gender, or sex, who are in good physical health with no mental health problems or a personal/family history of eating disorders. Youth must not have any MRI contraindications (e.g. no orthodontic braces, pacemaker, stents etc.). Eligibility screening will be conducted with a research assistant.
Location: BC Children’s Hospital (4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC)
Contact Information: Please email edresearch@bcchr.ca and a research assistant will be in contact with you.
Reimbursement/Time: Participation involves four appointments:
- Appointment 1 (in-person): MRI scan, questionnaires, and interview
- Appointment 2 (virtual): Questionnaires
- Appointment 3 (virtual): Questionnaires
- Appointment 4 (in-person): MRI scan, questionnaires, and interview
Participants will receive $60 for appointments 1 and 4, and $25 after completing the questionnaires at appointment 2 and 3. In total they will receive $170 for their participation.
Perceiving Objects and Events A (in-lab)
Researcher: Jasmindeep Kaur, Dr. Joan D. Ongchoco (PI)
Description: You will be asked to do computer-based tasks that will involve responding to shapes, images, and/or tones using the keyboard and mouse. This study will take place at Kenny 1202. You can knock and the researcher will come out to get you set-up!
Eligibility: 18 – 35 years old, normal or corrected-to-normal vision, fluent in English. Should be able to do computer-based tasks.
Location: Room 1202 (ground floor), Douglas T. Kenny Building 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Contact Information: To participate, please email Jasmindeep Kaur at jkaur59@student.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take 60mins and the participant will be paid CAD $15
Human Attention in Information Visualization
Researcher: Professor Giuseppe Carenini (PI), Professor Leonid Sigal (Co-I), Ali Salamatian, Amirhossein Abaskohi, Wan-Cyuan Fan, Mir Rayat Imtiaz Hossain
Description: Researchers from UBC’s Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Computer Vision Lab are studying how people analyze charts and graphs to improve large vision-language models. We’re looking for UBC students to participate! The study involves tracking your eye movements as you view interesting charts and answer simple Yes/No questions about them.
Eligibility: Any UBC student with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing is eligible.
Location: The study takes place in the ICICS/CS Building room X460
Contact Information: You can reach out to alisalam@student.ubc.ca to schedule the session or use the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEi6glV8XGTBf2lvVl2hEYmhAbUbtasJGRrw2fYwmrst9isg/viewform
Reimbursement/Time: It takes about 1 hour, broken into three 20-minute stages with breaks in between. For each completed stage, you’ll receive $7, so you can earn up to $21 total.
Pointing Task II
Researcher: Veronica Dudarev, PhD, James Enns, PhD
Description: We are looking for people who are diagnosed with autism to participate in our study on the role of attention, motor coordination and cognitive control in social interactions. You will be asked to do a short computer task and fill out a questionnaire.
Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years of age and have normal vision (or corrected to normal vision).
Location: This is a lab study that takes place at the Vision lab, located in the Kenny building, 2136 West Mall, room 3302.
Contact Information: If you are interested please email Veronica Dudarev at vdudarev@mail.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take up to 30 minutes. You will receive $5.
Study End Date: Ongoing.
Movie Watching Brain MRI Study
Researcher: Tamara Vanderwal (PI), Daria Hammond (RA)
Description: Researchers at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute are seeking healthy children for a Movie fMRI Test-Retest Study. We are interested in testing a new method of MRI brain scan alignment in children. Participants will watch G-rated movie clips during an MRI brain scan and complete a series of tasks and games.
Eligibility:
- Children ages 6-12
- No neurological or psychiatric disorders
- Not taking any medications that affect the brain.
- Fluent in English.
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision.
Location: BC Children’s Hospital (4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC)
Contact Information: If you’re interested in and meet eligibility criteria, please contact movielab@bcch.ca or fill out our participant interest form (https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=CDE893KT739JPN3E).
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will first take part in a virtual screening session. If they are eligible, participants will complete 2 study sessions at BC Children’s Hospital, each about 3 hours long. They will receive $60 compensation, as well as an image of their brain.
Study End Date: October 31st, 2026.
Mandarin-English Cross-linguistic Connections (in-person)
Researcher: Prof. Molly Babel (PI); Chenxi Xu (PhD Student); Sarah Ong (Undergraduate student assistant)
Description: In this experiment, listeners will listen to Mandarin and English tokens and make judgments while their accuracy and response time will be measured. They will also fill in a questionnaire about their language experience.
Eligibility: Mandarin-English bilinguals with certain proficiency as described below are eligible to participate. No Chinese literacy is required.
Proficiency requirement: For both Mandarin and English, you can understand the main points of clear input on familiar matters. You can deal with topics that are likely to arise in social situations. For example, you can describe experiences, events, and your hopes and dreams.
Location: SpeechInContext Lab at Store Road Annex, 6368 Stores Road, UBC (next to Orchard Commons).
Contact Information: If you want to participate in this study, please fill in the sign-up form https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9MN9cjlH87iip3o or connect Chenxi Xu through xcx23xcx@student.ubc.ca. We will schedule a slot with you soon!
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take up to 60 minutes, and the participants will be compensated with CAD 15 in cash.
Study End Date: Ongoing.
Chronic pain experiences in autistic young people
Researcher: Dr. Katelynn Boerner (Lead Researcher), Dr. Tim Oberlander (Principal Investigator)
Description: Our research team at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia are looking to understand the perspectives of autistic children and young people who live with chronic pain. The study contains online questionnaires and an online interview. Youth can skip any questions that they don’t want to answer, participate with camera on or off, type answers in the chat if they prefer, have a support person with them, use any communication tool they are most comfortable with, and privacy will be protected throughout. Accommodations can be made for non-verbal and non-English speaking participants.
Eligibility: We are looking for youth who:
1) Have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
2) Have chronic pain (pain that has lasted 3 months or longer)
3) Live in British Columbia
4) Are between 13 and 25 years old
We are also looking for parents of autistic young people who live with chronic pain (25 years or younger) to take part in an interview study.
Location:Online
Contact Information: If you or someone you know might be interested in participating, please contact Jessica Luu at ASD&Pain@bcchr.ca or 604-875-2000 ext. 5445
Reimbursement/Time: Participating in this study will take about 1.5-2 hours. Youth will receive a $50 gift card for completing the study.
Study End Date: December 31, 2025.
Moderators of Performance in Varsity Athletes
Researcher: Ria Gill (student), Dr. Evelyn Stewart (supervisor).
Description: There are many variables that play into sport performance of university athletes: stress, sleep, nutrition, physical and mental health all factor into that tiniest sliver of advantage that defines a win. This survey examines what beliefs and behaviors a student varsity athlete possesses, and how those qualities affect performance in both school and sport. This study can be completed entirely online.
Eligibility:
- A varsity athlete competing in USPORTS
- At least 19 years of age or older
- Fluent English
Location: Online (RedCap). Please visit this link https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=8MD74F4XF8JHRDPC
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Ria Gill at riagill@student.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take 5 minutes. Participants will receive an honorarium in the form of a $10 gift card.
UBC Family Study
Researcher: Dr. Joelle LeMoult, Taylyn Jameson, Bronwen Grocott, Katerina Rnic, and Seon Hong
Description: Learning to regulate one’s emotions is an important part of growing up. In this study, we want to better understand how families and friends influence pre-teens’ emotional development and wellbeing. At this stage of the study, we are looking for pre-teens and their caregiver to come to complete some computer tasks and answer questions about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours during one remote Zoom session and one in-person session at UBC Vancouver.
Eligibility: Children aged 10-12 and their caregiver, speak English fluently, able to attend in person session at UBC campus
Location: Session 1 takes place via Zoom. Session 2 will take place in the Kenny Building on UBC Campus.
Contact Information: Email: familystudy@psych.ubc.ca; website + booking link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/familystudy/
Reimbursement/Time: Each of the 2 sessions will be between 2-3 hours, and families will be given a $120 honorarium for participation in addition to reimbursement of parking or bus fees for the in person session.
Understanding how older adults learn software tasks (in-person)
Researcher: Dr. Joanna McGrenere (Principal Investigator), Teerapaun Tanprasert and Manushree Singhania
Description: We are conducting a study to understand the learning behavior of older adults while informally learning and doing new software tasks. The study session will be about 1.5 to 2 hours long, where participants will learn some new tasks on a laptop provided by us and reflect on their learning experience. The study will be conducted in-person in Vancouver at UBC. The session will be audio/video recorded.
Eligibility:
We are looking for in-person individual participants who are:
- Age 55+
- Speaks English Fluently
- Ability to operate a computer (laptop or desktop, not a smartphone or a tablet)
Location: The study will be conducted at a quiet location at University of British Columbia,Vancouver.
Contact Information: If you meet the criteria above and are interested in participating, please fill this short screening survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4SWJ8sx55NPtihE For more information, please email ms3@student.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Each participant will receive 40 CAD honorarium (in cash or via Interac e-Transfer) for participating in the 1.5 to 2-hour session.
Everyday pain experiences in autistic young people (online study)
Researcher: Dr Tim Oberlander (Principal investigator)
Description: Our research team at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia are looking to understand the perspectives of autistic children and young people on pain. The study contains an online questionnaire and an online check-in survey to be completed 3 times a week, for 2 weeks. Youth can skip any questions in the questionnaire and the survey that they don’t want to answer, and privacy will be protected throughout.
Eligibility:
We are looking for youth who:
1) Have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
2) Live in British Columbia
3) Are between 8 and 25 years old
to participate in this study.
Location: Online.
Contact Information: If you or someone you know might be interested in participating, please contactASD&Pain@bcchr.ca or 604-875-2000 ext. 5445
Compensation: Participants who complete all steps of the study will receive a $100 e-gift card from any Canadian store of their choice.
Time Commitment: In its entirety, participating in this study will take about 5 hours.
Reimbursement: Youth will receive a $20 gift card for completing the questionnaire, and an additional $20 gift card for each week at least 80% of the check-in questions are completed.
Cannabidiol Adjunctive Therapy for Acute Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial (in-person study)
Researcher: Lakshmi Yatham (Principal Investigator), Shannon Reid (Research Coordinator)
Description: This study is examining whether cannabidiol (also known as CBD) is effective in treating episodes of depression in people diagnosed with bipolar disorder when added to their regular medications for 6 weeks. Participants visit the clinic for a screening visit and a baseline visit, as well as visits at week 2, 4, and 6 to complete clinical assessments with a study doctor, laboratory tests, and answer questionnaires. Eligible participants will receive either placebo (i.e. an inactive substance) or 200-600mg of CBD to take daily for 6 weeks. The assignment to placebo vs CBD group is random, and neither the participant nor the study staff will know to which treatment group the participant has been assigned.
Eligibility: Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate:
· Aged 19-70 years
· Diagnosed with bipolar disorder
· Currently experiencing depression
· Currently taking medication for mood stabilization (e.g. lithium, epival/valproate, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, and/or lamotrigine)
Individuals meeting any of the following criteria are not eligible to participate in this trial:
· Current or past month daily use of CBD/cannabis
· Have met criteria for an alcohol/substance use disorder within the past 6 months
· Are pregnant or lactating
Location: Mood Disorders Centre (2nd floor of UBC Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health), 2215 Wesbrook Mall
Contact Information: Please email or call the study coordinator at bipolar.research@ubc.ca or (604) 822-8045
Reimbursement/Time: The total time commitment required for the study is approximately 7-8 hours over 8-10 weeks, and participants will be compensated for their time and travel expenses.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Oct 31 2023
General Surface Touch Interaction Techniques using IR Halo Effect
Researcher: Ziyi (Kaseya) Xia (Contact, Graduate Research Assistant), Dr. Robert Xiao (PI)
Description: You will be asked to interact with projected graphical objects on some day-to-day surfaces and finish a series of virtual keyboard phrase typing tasks to help evaluate our system. Your hands will be recorded for further analysis during the interaction. We will also ask you for your impression of the interaction experience by filling out a survey.
Eligibility:
· Inclusion Criteria:
o 18-50 years old
o Be able to communicate in English
o Used mobile phone to type words regularly
· Exclusion Criteria:
o Blindness and Deafness
Location: ICICS 509x
Contact Information: Kaseya Xia (zxia0101@student.ubc.ca), 778-680-6770
Reimbursement/Time: Your participation will take approximately 1h and will be done in our lab in the ICICS building. You will be compensated $16 for your participation.
Study End Date: September 5th, 2024
Zoom Speed Dating Study
Social Media and Perceptions Study (SMAP)
Exploring the Perceptions and Health Impacts of Climate Change among LGBTQIA+ People (virtual)
Researcher:
Shelby Yamamoto (Primary Investigator), Sammy Lowe (Co-Investigator), Ishwar Tiwari (Postdoc), Sachit Gurung (RA), Nandia Shirchindorj (RA)
Description: The CHEER Lab is investigating the perceptions and health impacts of climate change amongst LGBTQIA+ identifying adults (≥18 years). We are interested in learning about the physical and mental health impacts of climate change.
Participants will join a virtual focus group discussion for approximately 60 minutes. Questions will focus on an overall discussion of climate change and health, personal lived experience with climate change, climate change information and resources, and climate hope and resilience.
We are looking for:
- LGBTQIA+ adults, who are 18 or over
- Living in British Columbia or Alberta
- Have access to the Internet
Designing cognitively accessible financial technology to support people as they age (in-person or Zoom design sessions)
Researcher: Dr Jiamin (Carrie) Dai, Postdoctoral Fellow, Co-Investigator, Dr Joanna McGrenere, Professor, Principal Investigator, Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia
Description: We are conducting a study to help design future financial technologies that are easier to use for older adults. Each design session will involve 2–5 participants to discuss fictional user profiles (personas) and critique and sketch features for online banking and digital payment scenarios. The design session will be audio-recorded. You will be asked to fill in a short background questionnaire at the end.
Eligibility: Older adults (aged 65+) and family members (spouses or adult children) who help with technology or banking, joining as pairs or individually
– Both have used online banking or digital payment at least once in the past year
– Both are able to read, write, and communicate verbally in English
We particularly welcome older adults:
– who are experiencing confusion or memory loss with aging
– who have been diagnosed by a medical professional with mild cognitive impairment or early-middle stage dementia
Location: The study will be conducted online (via Zoom) or in person at a place of mutual convenience in Vancouver (e.g., a community centre or a UBC research lab).
Contact Information: Dr Jiamin (Carrie) Dai, jiamin.dai@ubc.ca (preferred), 514-756-4580
Reimbursement/Time: $30 honorarium per person (in cash or via Interac e-Transfer) for joining a 1.5-hour design session.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted 30 May 2024.
Feasibility study of long-term light and ion therapy for maintenance treatment in depression (LIMIT-D) (In-person)
Researcher: Dr. Raymond Lam, Department of Psychiatry
Description: The UBC Mood Disorders Centre at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is now recruiting for a feasibility study exploring the use of two separate non-medication treatments, light therapy and ion therapy, as maintenance treatment in major depression. We are interested in exploring factors affecting the two treatments as maintenance treatments (to help prevent the return of symptoms) instead of medications in people with Major Depressive Disorders who wish to stop their antidepressant treatment.
Participation would include daily use of a bright light device or ion device provided by our clinic for 6 months, as well as regularly completing self-rated scales and meeting the study doctor for assessments. However, half of the treatment devices have been modified so that they are inactive (placebo). You have a 1 in 2 chance (like flipping a coin) of receiving an active or an inactive device.
- are 19-65 years old
- meet criteria for major depressive disorder (not bipolar disorder)
- are currently taking an antidepressant, with no dose change in the past month
- are interested in stopping your antidepressant
- are feeling well (no longer depressed), according to a clinical interview
- do not have a seasonal pattern of depressive episodes (seasonal affective disorder)
- do not have any other major medical or psychiatric conditions
- do not have a problem with substance use currently or within the past 6 months.
Location: UBC Mood Disorders Centre, at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Contact information: Rachel Leong, rachel.leong@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: $15 per visit (1-2 hours)
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted July 29 2024.
Genetic Architecture of Youth Anxiety (GAYA)
Researcher: Dr. S. Evelyn Stewart (PI)
Description: Anxiety disorders can significantly interfere with youth’s lives, so it is important to better understand how and why these disorders develop through mechanisms like genetics. To better understand the development of anxiety disorders among youth, we need to include larger samples of youth in current genetic research.
Participants in the GAYA study will complete questionnaires online, provide a DNA saliva sample, and play two phone games on the GAYA app.You can complete this study entirely at home if you wish, and you will be able to complete the study in less than 45 minutes.
Eligibility:
– 10-19 years of age
– Speak English
– Able to use a smartphone
Location: Online or at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please contact the study team at GAYA@bcchr.ca.
Reimbursement/Time: What participants will be paid $15 after completing the study. The study would take approximately 45 minutes to complete
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted April 10 2024.
Famous Faces in Focus: Athlete Portraits and Motor Embodiment (in person)
Researcher: Liz Kalenteridis (student lead), Nicola Hodges (Principal Investigator)
Description: Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate the influences of perception on our own motor system. In this research study, we examine motor reactions to images of famous tennis and soccer players.
Eligibility:
– Between ages 18-50 years old
– Identify as male
– Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
– No existing injury to the dominant hand and foot
– No known neurological disorders
– Must be able to understand and speak English
– Must be familiar with famous tennis and soccer players
Location: Room 300A, UBC War Memorial Gym. 6081 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z1 (http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428).
Contact Information: If you meet the requirements and are interested, please email lizkal@student.ubc.ca with “Famous Faces Study” in the email subject line. You will receive a pre-screen survey to complete prior to testing.
Reimbursement/Time: It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 60 minutes. A $10 honorarium will be provided upon completion of the study.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Apr 1 2024.
Healthy Lifestyle Intervention (in-person)
- You are between 18 and 40 years old
- You have no known significant health problems
- You are not currently participating in a health intervention
- You do less than 1 day of weekly moderate exercise
- You are right-handed
- You have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Career Development in Recovery Study
Researcher: Dr. Robinder Bedi
Description: Eight in-person group counselling sessions involving discussions on career development for individuals with a history of problematic substance use.
Eligibility:
- Participants will be adults, defined as being at least 19 years old.
- Participants must have previously experienced problematic substance use, but no severe problems with substances in the last year.
Location: Online. Participants must be located in BC or Alberta.
Contact Information: If you meet the requirements mentioned above, please email bedi.lab1@ubc.ca to indicate interest. Alternatively, you can leave us a message at 604 822 8953 or complete this contact form:https://bit.ly/CareerStudyContact. A researcher will contact you to provide more information about the study and to obtain information to determine eligibility (takes approximately 20 minutes).
Reimbursement/Time: Up to $160 upon completion of a set of questionnaires before, after, and at 3-months and 9-months after the groups.
Study End Date: Ongoing until July 2026. Posted Mar 16 2024.
Computational principles of motor skill (In-person)
Cognition Under Tension: A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experience of Being In & Out of Control
Researcher: Laura Bickel (Graduate Student Investigator) and Dr. Rebecca Todd (Principal Investigator; Motivated Cognition Lab, UBC)
Description:
We invite you to participate in our study investigating “what it is like” to feel in control and out of control around food, focusing on those attentional processes and emotions that are likely to generate and motivate restrictive eating and compulsive patterns of overeating. The participation involves keeping a diary via What’s App and journaling to open-ended questions over three weeks. You will also engage in three interview sessions that will be held at the end of each week.
Eligibility: In order to be eligible to take part in the study, you must meet the following criteria:
– Must be over 19 years of age
– Must be fluent in English
– Must be located in Metro Vancouver
– Must have access to a smartphone or laptop
– Must have What’s App installed on your mobile phone or laptop and commit to using it at least three times a day
– Must be comfortable with being voice recorded in interview sessions
– Must be willing to share your What’s App diary notes
– Must be able to commit approximately 3 hours per week for 3 weeks (a total of 9 hours) and a 30 minute pre-study meeting
– Must experience at least one binge eating episode per week
Location:
The journaling may take place on UBC campus, at participant’s home or in the field. The interview sessions will take place either on UBC campus, via Zoom, or at participant’s home.
Contact Information:
For more information, please email Laura Bickel at lbickel@mail.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time:
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to dedicate approximately 9 hours of your time for journaling activities and interview sessions taking place across three weeks (3 hours per week). Participants will receive a gift card (28$) for one yoga session at YYoga or for the book store Indigo.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 28, 2024
Social networks of adults 50 years and older in BC
Researcher: Primary Investigator- Dr. Carolyn Szostak
Directed Studies Student- Siu Lin Rodriguez
Description: Researchers from UBC Okanagan are interested in learning more about the social networks of adults 50 years and older. We hope to gain insight into the social connections that make up the social networks to help us better understand how to improve the quality of these relationships and, hopefully, enhance people’s well-being.
Eligibility: –
2. Do you live in BC? We are looking for people who live in rural/remote AND urban/semi-urban communities within BC.
3. Do you have a mental health concern, such as symptoms of depression, anxiety, or problems with drug or alcohol use?
If you answered yes to these questions, you are eligible to participate.
Location: To participate, please click on the following link: https://bit.ly/SocialNetworks2023
Contact Information: If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact: Harshita Gupta (harshi11@student.ubc.ca)
Reimbursement/Time: Survey participants will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a chance to win one of five prizes!
Most people are able to complete the survey in about 1.5 hours. The exact time will depend upon how many people are in your social network.
Sensorimotor Control and Adaptation of Voluntary Movement (In-person)
Researcher: Gregg Eschelmuller, Annika Szarka, Nick Butler, Tim Inglis (Co-I), Hyosub Kim (Co-I), Romeo Chua (PI)
Description: We are conducting studies to examine the use of vision and limb position sense in movement control. We are interested in how we prepare, control, and adapt our voluntary movements. In this study, you will be asked to make reaching movements in response to visual targets. Your primary goal will be to make target-directed reaches under a variety of sensory conditions. A computer-controlled motion analysis system will be used to monitor eye and hand movements. Visual and position sense stimuli will be presented via visual displays and muscle vibration.
Eligibility: You may be able to participate if:
- Age 18-40
- Have normal or corrected vision
- No known neurological disorder
Location: Room 202, Osborne Ctr Unit 2, 6108 Thunderbird Blvd, UBC Vancouver Campus
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please send an email to pmd.lab@ubc.ca. We will be in touch with further study information and scheduling.
Reimbursement/Time: The study consists of one session of testing, approximately 60-75 minutes. Participants will receive a $10 honorarium for participation.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 3 2024.
The Social Communication, Historical Experiences, Memory and Affect (SCHEMA) Study for Men
Researcher: Dr. Connor Kerns (PI), Dr. Daniela Palombo (Co-PI), Dr. Jason Rights (Co-PI), Dr. Veronica Dudarev (Collaborator)
Description: We would like to invite autistic and non-autistic young adults to help us better understand the relationship between social and emotional processing and well-being in young adulthood. This is a three-part study that includes one in-person visit at UBC (1-2 hours) and two online sessions (45 minutes each).
- Part 1: Approximately 5 days prior to your scheduled in-person visit (study part 2), you will be asked to complete some online questionnaires at home.
- Part 2: The second part of the study will involve a testing session at our lab. During this session, you will complete an online questionnaire about your emotions and some cognitive tasks, including one that involves a computer-based eye tracker. Please note that one of the cognitive tasks will involve some images that may be disturbing or upsetting.
- Part 3: For the third part of the study, you will be asked to complete some computer-based cognitive tasks at home.
Approximately, 5 days prior to your scheduled visit, we will send you a link to the sample images in the welcome email.
Eligibility:
Identifies as a man; 18-30 yrs old; fluent in English; and does not have/meet any of the following conditions:
- colour blindness
- documented intellectual disability
- psychotic disorder
- history of psychosis
- seizure, epilepsy, and/or head injury (last 6 months)
- eye movement abnormalities
- wears glasses with more than one power
Location:
- Parts 1 and 3 of the study are completed online (45 mins each).
- Part 2 is a 1-2 hour in-person lab visit at: Room 4207, Douglas T. Kenny Building (2136 West Mall, Vancouver BC, V6T1Z4)
Contact Information: If you’re interested, please complete a brief screening survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0k4rlcA33CLdZKm. If eligible, we will email you a link to Part 1 of the study and schedule you for Part 2 (in-person visit) of the study.
Please contact schemastudy@psych.ubc.ca if you would like to view the consent form prior to signing up for the study or if you have any questions regarding the study.
Reimbursement/Time: You will receive $15 per hour as an Amazon gift card. The study will take approximately 2.5 hours (for non-autistic participants) or 3.5 hours (for autistic participants).
Study End Date: Ongoing (until 2026). Posted Oct 30 2023.
The vocational experience of autistic adults: A self-deterministic perspective (Online Study)
Researcher: Talia Vacca, Dr. Charles Chen (PI)
Description: We are conducting a research study on vocational experiences in autism. The purpose of this study is to better understand the career experiences of individuals with a confirmed autism diagnosis. We are looking to conduct virtual interviews with a total of 15 individuals who would like to share their work experience, with the ultimate goal of understanding how their diagnosis, motivations and meaning, influence their career outcomes and work experience.
Eligibility:
- Between 18 and 25 years of age
- Have a confirmed diagnosis from a psychiatrist or psychologist
- Have worked for a minimum of 2 consecutive months within the last 5 years
- Fluent in English, as interviews will be conducted in English
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Contact Information: Individuals who are interested in participating can contact the researcher by email at vocationinautism@gmail.com to learn more about the study.
Reimbursement/Time: The interview will last approximately 1 hour. Participants will receive $10 for their time.
Study End Date: Ongoing.
Disruptive Technologies and Negative Heritage: Evaluating the Social and Economic Impacts of the 3D printed Triumphal Arch of Palmyra (In-person Study)
Researcher: Dr. Lindsay Der (PI); Pamela Zamora Quesada (RA), Rachel Thibeault (RA).
Description: We are looking for Syrian citizens for a research study on Syrian cultural heritage. Eligible participants will be invited to attend in-person focus group sessions for up to two hours and/or in-person individual interviews for up to three hours (interviews may be divided into different sessions if it is convenient for participants). In the focus groups, participants will be asked their views and thoughts on cultural heritage, the impact of the Syrian civil war on cultural heritage and any work done to mitigate such destruction. In the interview, participants will be asked more in-depth questions about the 3D-printed Triumphal Arch of Palmyra, cultural heritage and cultural diplomacy.
Eligibility:
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Adults, 19 years old or older.
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Self-identified Syrian nationals.
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Fluent in English and/or Arabic.
Location: Focus groups will primarily take place ace in Vancouver and Surrey. Interviews will take place in Metro Vancouver.
Contact Information: Dr. Lindsay Der, lindsay.der@ubc.ca.
Reimbursement/Time: Selected participants will be compensated $16.75 per hour.
Study End Date: Ongoing.