Dr. Chelsea Ekstrand, Assistant Professor, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan but moved across the Prairie provinces in my childhood. I grew up primarily in Chestermere, Alberta, which is where I graduated high school. After high school, I moved to Saskatoon to attend the University of Saskatchewan, where I received an honours degree in psychology and a master’s degree and PhD in cognitive neuroscience under the training of Professor Ron Borowsky. From there, I moved to London, Ontario, to do a BrainsCAN and NSERC-funded postdoctoral fellowship with Professors Ingrid Johnsrude and Jody Culham. My partner and I were only there for less than a year before I accepted a position in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. One of the biggest reasons I chose the University of Lethbridge was the chance to help build a world-class human neuroimaging program in my home province of Alberta. I was amazed by the infrastructure ULethbridge offers for scientific research, especially the stunning new Science Commons building, which provides a fantastic space to set up a lab. It’s funny to say I moved across the country for an MRI, but in a way, that’s exactly what happened! Another big draw was the opportunity to work alongside some of the top researchers in the field. Not everyone can say their mentors and colleagues are the authors of foundational neuroscience texts! Being part of such a strong neuroscience department and a university that offers outstanding student training is incredibly rewarding. On a personal note, I’m a Prairie girl at heart. With family in both Saskatchewan and Alberta, it feels great to be back within driving distance of home (only Prairie people consider seven-hour drives to be within “driving distance”).

How long have you been at ULethbridge and what do you do here?
I started at ULethbridge in July of 2020 as an Assistant Professor in the Neuroscience department during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a bit of a difficult transition as no one was really on campus so the learning curve was extra big, but I’ve finally gotten into the swing of things. My research focuses on trying to understand the brain under more “real-world” conditions. I use functional magnetic resonance imaging to learn how people’s brains process the world around them, and how specific traits (e.g., anxiety, well-being, migraine) impact this processing. I have an amazing team of trainees helping make these research goals a reality. I also teach a lot of undergraduate introductory neuroscience classes, so if you are a neuroscience student you will probably have me as an instructor at some point!

What's the best part of your job?
My favourite part of being a professor is guiding students through the process of discovering research. It's incredibly rewarding to watch them develop new skills and insights, applying critical thinking and creativity to address novel and exciting questions about how the human brain functions. Seeing their progress, from learning the fundamentals to forming their own hypotheses and conducting experiments, is a privilege. It’s not just about teaching them facts, but helping them become independent thinkers who can contribute to the field in meaningful ways. Each student brings a unique perspective, and it's exciting to mentor them as they find their passion within neuroscience, pushing the boundaries of what we know about the brain.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I love spending time outdoors with my daughter Emilia, my husband Matt, and our dog Philly. Whether we’re hiking, biking or camping, being in nature is a big part of our family time. Though I’m not a natural runner, I’m currently training for a 10k and have been running a lot around the coulees lately. I also enjoy cooking and travelling, and now that the world has opened back up, I’m excited to plan more trips in the near future!