We’re excited to introduce a new series called Ask the Expert!
Here, participants are encouraged to come with their own questions and engage directly with our team’s experts. Each session features rotating experts of Kinesiologists, Physiotherapists, and Registered Dietitians.
These sessions are designed to be participant-driven, meaning you can ask questions in the chat or speak directly over the Zoom call. Our goal is to create a supportive environment where everyone can hear others' experiences and learn through shared discussion.
For example, during our Kinesiologist sessions, you might ask about general training strategies or how to modify your program when managing acute or chronic injuries.
Sessions occur on Zoom, on the first Wednesday of each month (except July): May 6, June 3, July 8, August 5. We hope to have you join us!
About The Experts: Matt Kore, Gemma Tomasky, Yolanda Wang, Raihan Hassen
Matt joined the BC Brain Wellness Program in 2025 with over five years of experience in exercise, rehabilitation, and athletic performance. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from UBC and is a certified kinesiologist and personal trainer.
Matt’s passion is to help people move well and feel confident in their abilities, no matter their current health or experience level. His role involves leading exercise classes as well as delivering exercise interventions and supporting data collection for the IMPACT 360 research study for Parkinson’s disease.
Outside of work, Matt enjoys walking his two dogs or staying active with a workout of his own.
Gemma Tomasky serves as Virtual Exercise Program Coordinator & Physiotherapist Consult for the BC Brain Wellness Program. She oversees the virtual safety assessments, online exercise classes, and team and participant education. Gemma supervises and provides ongoing training for the team conducting the virtual intake of new online participants. She provides opportunities for kinesiology students and team members to develop experience and knowledge when working with participants with diverse health conditions. The intake process prioritizes reducing barriers to joining the program while ensuring the safety of participants managing chronic medical conditions.
She builds partnerships with public health services to create opportunities for their underserved patients, including a collaboration with the Post-Covid Recovery Clinic (PCRC). In this partnership, Gemma supports participants who graduated from the PCRC services and are seeking accessible and safe classes to maintain or build their exercise and cognitive tolerance.
Gemma is a Registered Physiotherapist with a Master of Physical Therapy and a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia. She contributes a physiotherapy perspective to relevant research projects and program design. She continues to practice as a physiotherapist, providing private services in Victoria, B.C.
Raihan Hassen is a registered dietitian who earned her dietetics degree and her MSc in Human Nutrition at UBC. She is passionate about growing, cooking, and understanding food and how it shapes our health and communities. She joined the BC Brain Wellness Program in 2025 leading the nutrition programs. Raihan has previously worked in research, long-term care, and public health. Outside of work, Raihan enjoys experimenting with new sourdough recipes, playing board games, and spending time with her friends and family
Yolanda is a Registered Dietitian and an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certified personal trainer. As a UBC alumnus with a Dietetics Major and Kinesiology Minor, she is passionate about working with clients to develop a healthy and satisfying lifestyle. She has been working on the research side at the Brain Wellness Program under the supervision of Dr. Silke Cresswell, providing nutrition education and cooking together with research participants. Before joining the BC Brain Wellness team, she worked as a dietitian in acute care, gestational diabetes clinics, and long-term care facilities and as a personal trainer at UBC Recreation Center. She is excited to introduce the nutrition piece to the comprehensive lifestyle and wellness projects at BWP.