2024 O'Brien Fellows

(see previous years recipients)

Nikos Doiron

Ph.D. in Applied Sciences – Université de Moncton

Nikos Doiron was born and raised in Shediac, New Brunswick. His passion for engineering began in 2016 when he participated in the SHAD Canada program, focusing on the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), as well as entrepreneurship.

Completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at l’Université de Moncton in 2022, Nikos was awarded the Faculty of Engineering's Graduating Student Award in recognition of his leadership and involvement in student life while maintaining an excellent academic performance.

Nikos then enrolled in a Master of Applied Science program at the University of Moncton, specializing in the field of robotics in mechanical engineering. His passion and dedication to research earned him a NSERC CGS-M scholarship. Thanks to his outstanding skills, he was admitted directly to the Applied Science, PhD (D. Sc. A.) program after his first year. Under the supervision of Professor André Gallant, Nikos is dedicated to optimizing the dynamic trajectories of collaborative robots. He develops innovative algorithms with the aim of realizing a vision where interactions between humans and robots are direct and seamless; like the collaboration between two humans.

Patrick Hickey

PhD in Clinical Psychology – Dalhousie University

Patrick Hickey is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. His research and clinical training are focused on mental health and wellbeing in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, including the use of virtual mental health services and resiliency factors for discrimination. Patrick completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology & Psychology, and Master of Arts in Psychology at the University of New Brunswick in his hometown of Saint John.

Patrick currently holds a Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral for his research. His Masters research was awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship – Masters Award, and the Lambda Foundation Christian Landry Memorial Award. His Masters thesis was focused on identifying barriers to healthcare and psychological wellbeing among 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and was recognized by the Dr. Paul Gendreau Prize in Psychology for its impact in advancing the field of 2SLGBTQIA+ health.

Patrick has a strong background in student governance and advocacy, including previously serving as President of the UNB Students’ Representative Council, Chair of the New Brunswick Student Alliance, and currently a member of the Canadian Psychological Association Accreditation Panel. He is also a member of Dalhousie’s OpenThink initiative, promoting accessible scientific communication and knowledge translation. Patrick hopes to use to his research and clinical training to promote a more inclusive and accepting New Brunswick.

Ethan O’Connell

Master of Science in Statistics – Dalhousie University

Ethan O’Connell is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Statistics at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where he attended school at École Sainte-Anne. After high school, he started at the University of New Brunswick in Electrical and Computer Engineering before switching to Mathematics and getting involved in mathematical research. In 2023, Ethan completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with minors in Computer Science and Applied Science.

His research experience in the fields of machine learning and dynamical systems in Mathematical Ecology during his undergraduate degree led him to the Statistical Ecology lab at Dalhousie. Under the supervision of Dr. Michael Dowd, Ethan’s thesis research is primarily focused on the development and application of statistical tools for environmental modelling. The goal of the project is to improve the validation of earth system models through the identification of a key suite of event-based skill metrics.

Outside of his academic endeavours, Ethan enjoys running, climbing, surfing, reading, and watching movies. He is honoured and grateful for the support and recognition of the O’Brien Foundation and plans to continue his studies at the doctoral level.

Chris Donovan

PhD in Media and Design Innovation – Toronto Metropolitan University

Chris Donovan is an artist, documentary photographer, and educator based in Saint John, New Brunswick. He studied photography at Mount Allison University and Loyalist College, and holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Media & Design Innovation from TMU. He has taught photography at TMU, Guelph-Humber University, and the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design. He is also the founding executive director of a new photography festival based in New Brunswick called Photo East, launching in April 2025.

Inspired by his heavily industrialized hometown on Canada's east coast, his work focuses on the complex and often fraught relationship between industry and community in company towns and regions with monopolized economies.

Donovan is also an internationally recognized photojournalist, working regularly for clients such as The New York Times and The Globe and Mail. His photographs have been exhibited in solo exhibitions across Canada and in group shows in more than 40 countries globally. His work has been recognized by the World Press Photo Awards, The Alexia Grant (Syracuse University), The Environmental Vision Award (University of Missouri), and the Scotiabank New Generation Photography Award (National Gallery of Canada).

Kristen Maureen Byrne

PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies – Environmental Studies – UNB, Saint-John

Kristen is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland from the Faculty of Medicine (Division of Community Health and Humanities), obtaining a Master of Health Ethics (MHE). She is currently pursuing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. Kristen's doctoral research explores the centrality of urban issues in social policy. Her research focuses on the New Brunswick context and examines the experiences of the aging population, newcomers, and persons with disabilities living in the province's urban centres. She has developed extensive expertise as a researcher working on regional and national projects, including Healthy Cities: Understanding Urban Health Outcomes in Saint John, New Brunswick; Post-Secondary Student Homeless/Housing Research Network; and Assessing the Medical Experiences of Patients Living in Homelessness in Saint John, New Brunswick. Kristen was also the project manager for a federally funded study, International Migration and Urban Health Inequalities, with the Saint John Newcomers Centre.

Emma Melanson

Professional Ph.D. in Clinical Psychologie - Université de Moncton

Emma began her academic journey in psychology by completing an honors bachelor's degree in psychology. She quickly became involved with two research laboratories as a research assistant. She was awarded research grants three times from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, which funded projects in the fields of cognition and social psychology. She also participated in a rising researchers' symposium at Université de Moncton and the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science conference to present the results of her bachelor's thesis.

Graduating with honours for the highest CGPA in her faculty, she was accepted into the Professional Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) at Université de Moncton. The Psy.D. is a four-year program designed for those who wish to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist. Currently in her third year of the program, Emma is undertaking a thesis project that explores the cognitive processes underlying homophobic attitudes through an innovative manipulation in the field. More specifically, she is interested in the influence of gender expression on stereotypes and prejudices towards homosexual couples.

Shayna-Eve Hébert

Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics – Université de Moncton

Shayna-Eve Hébert is currently in her third year as a Ph.D. candidate in sociolinguistics at Université de Moncton. She holds a bachelor's degree in language sciences and a master's degree in language didactics from Université Laval. Shayna is particularly interested in the role of linguistic ideologies and linguistic representations in the construction of the linguistic identity and (il)legitimizing experiences in French for individuals from French immersion programs in New Brunswick. She has experience teaching French as a first and second language and has worked as a lecturer in linguistics (conversational analysis and individual bilingualism) in the French studies department of her institution. Shayna-Eve also works as a research assistant for the Institut canadien de recherche sur les minorités linguistiques (ICRML) (linguistic discordance in health) et au Centre de recherche sur la langue en Acadie (CRLA) (linguistic insecurity among youth in francophone schools).

Andrea Gigeroff

Ph.D. in Boreal Ecology - Laurentian University

Andrea Gigeroff grew up in Halifax, NS, and Gagetown, NB, and always had a personal interest in the diversity of reptiles and amphibians in Atlantic Canada. Her family consists mainly of artists, and though she is pursuing a career in science, she also has a strong interest in storytelling and communication. Her research project studying the introduction of gartersnakes to the island of Newfoundland unites these two interests. Andrea's PhD research at Laurentian University seeks to answer three questions: where did gartersnakes in Newfoundland come from? What ecological impact are they likely to have on the native ecosystem? And how have they adapted their behaviour to their new habitat? To answer these questions, Andrea is using conventional data collection methods like field surveys and genetic analyses, but she is also collecting reports and stories from the public about snake sightings around Newfoundland in order to get a more complete picture of how snakes arrived on the island, and how they are interacting with other species. This work will inform management practices for gartersnakes introduced to Newfoundland, and more broadly contribute the body of knowledge about how species become invasive.

Elizabeth Matheson

Master of Law – Dalhousie University

My name is Elizabeth Matheson, and I am delighted to have been selected as a 2024 O’Brien Fellow. Originally hailing from Miramichi, New Brunswick, I earned my Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University in 2019. Pursuing majors in Criminology and Law, Politics & Society, my undergraduate studies laid the groundwork for my fascination with criminal law and social justice, and the intricate relationship between the two. Subsequently, I earned a law degree from Dalhousie University in 2022. During law school, my passion for criminal law flourished, solidifying my commitment to a career focused on research in this field.

Following a stimulating year as a judicial law clerk at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, I returned to Dalhousie University in Fall 2023 to pursue a Master of Laws. My current research revolves around the criminal jury system. I am exploring the incidence of, and motivation underpinning, independent online research by jurors serving on criminal trials, as well as the implications of such research for trial fairness, particularly for racialized accused persons. My aim is to utilize these findings to develop practical and impactful recommendations for reforming our current jury procedures, with the goal of addressing and preventing instances of this subset of online juror misconduct.

Elisabeth Vigneau

Master of Arts in Sociolinguistics – Université de Moncton

Elisabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in French studies from the Université de Moncton and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Language sciences at the same university, in co-supervision with Université Laval.

Her research focuses on the lexicon of the French spoken in the Magdalen Islands and is situated within a differential and diachronic perspective of French in North America. The general objective of her master's project is to fill a gap in the current knowledge about Magdalen Island French, to evaluate whether young people from the Magdalen Islands use words of Acadian origin, and, if so, whether they are aware of the meaning and origin of these words. In general, this study will contribute to the knowledge of the linguistic heritage of the Magdalen Islands. It will also help increase and update our understanding of Acadian French.

Outside of her studies, Elisabeth is interested in the physical fitness of young people and Acadian visual art. As a volunteer, she helps refugees arriving in Canada with their linguistic and social integration. She is also a member of the university track and cross-country teams, and enjoys cooking and watercolor painting.

Annika Kathleen Beatteay

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology – University of New Brunswick Fredericton

MAnnika is a fourth-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of New Brunswick Fredericton, with a research focus on cognitive ageing. Her research primarily focuses on cognitive and perceptual factors that are influenced by age, lifestyle, and mental health. The goal of her current project is to further our knowledge of the cumulative effects of ageing on perceptual processes and develop an early warning system for the onset of illness, leading to possible interventions, and appropriate placement of supports to allow older adults to age in place longer.

As part of the PhD program, Annika has also completed many hours of clinical training both in assessment and intervention, with an emphasis on the assessment of adults. She is passionate about the assessment process and particularly enjoys completing complex case conceptualizations that highlight the many factors that contribute to mental health. Ultimately, she hopes to combine her love of cognitive ageing research and clinical practice to best serve her community.

Annika is proud to be a member of the Music and Multisensory Processes lab, where she works under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Wilbiks, who is recognized for his research in cognitive psychology. Being part of this lab has provided her with opportunities to collaborate with other researchers and learn new techniques in data analysis. She is optimistic that her research could lead to better outcomes for older adults and help reframe ageing as a more positive experience.

Aside from her academic and clinical interests, she enjoys baking, gardening and spending time outside with her loved ones. Annika truly believes in the concept of ageing as an adventure and believes that incorporating recommendations for healthy ageing should begin as early as possible.