Naznin Virji-Babul

Dr. Virji-Babul is a physical therapist and a neuroscientist. Her Lab (Brain Development: Perception to Action) uses a combination of behavioural and brain imaging tools (i.e. DTI and EEG) to probe the brain and investigate the patterns of brain activation as they relate to perceptual-motor and social-emotional development in children and youth. Dr. Virji-Babul also has a strong research focus on concussion in adolescents.  Her goals are to develop sensitive, multimodal measures of brain injury that can be used for early diagnosis and use these measures to chart the recovery process following concussion.  Dr. Virji-Babul works collaboratively with faculty in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics and in the Developmental Neurosciences and Child Health Cluster at the Child and Family Research Institute.

See publications by Naznin Virji-Babul on PubMed

Borich, M., Makan, N., Boyd, L, Virji-Babul N. (2013) Diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography following sports related concussion in adolescents: Journal of Neurotrauma (In Press).

Virji-Babul, N., Borich, M., Makan, N., Moore, TD., Frew, K., Emery, C., Boyd, L. (2013) Diffusion tensor imaging of sport related concussion in adolescents: Pediatric Neurology 48:24-29

Virji-Babul, N.,  Moiseev, A., Sun, W., Feng, T., Moiseeva, N., Watt, K. (2013) Neural correlates of music recognition in Down syndrome. Brain and Cognition 81: 256-262

Virji-Babul, N., Rose, A., Moiseeva, N., Makan, N. (2012) Neural correlates of action understanding in infants: influence of motor experience.  Brain and Behavior 2(3):237-42.

Virji-Babul, N., Watt, K., Nathoo, F., Johnson, P. (2012). Recognition of facial expressions of emotion in adults with Down syndrome. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. DOI: 10.3109/01942638.2011.653626

Ismail, S.,  Sun, W., Nathoo, F.S., Babul, A.,  Moiseev, A., Beg,M.F., Virji-Babul, N. (2012).  A Skew-t Space-Varying Regression Model for the Spectral Analysis of Resting State Brain Activity. Statistical Methods in Medical Research. May 20.

Virji-Babul, N. Moiseeva, A, Moiseev, N, Sun, W, Ribary, U., Lott, I. (May 2011). Altered brain dynamics in Down syndrome during voluntary movement.  NeuroReport.  22 (7) 358–364

Watt K, Johnson P and Virji-Babul. (November 2010): The perception of friendship in adults with Down syndrome.  Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 54(11):1015-23

Virji-Babul, N., Moiseev, A., Cheung, T., Weeks, D.J., Cheyne, D., Ribary, U. (2010).  Neural mechanisms underlying action observation in adults with Down syndrome.  American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 115, 113-127

Virji-Babul, N., Moiseev, A., Cheung, T., Weeks, D., Cheyne, D., Ribary, U. (2010).  Spatial-temporal dynamics of cortical activity underlying reaching and grasping: Implications for understanding the mirror neuron system.  Human Brain Mapping. 31, 1: 160-171.

Beg, MF., Wong, S., Khan, AR., Cheung, T., Virji-Babul, N. Herdman, A. (2009). External Landmark and Head Shape based Functional Data Normalization. Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics. 33, Issue 7: 501-509

Virji-Babul N and Weeks, D. (2009) Perception, Action, Cognition: New Perspectives on Down syndrome.  International Review of Research on Mental Retardation.  Vol 38: 147-170.

Galli, M., Rigoldi, C., Brunner, R.,Virji-Babul, N. Albertini, G. (2008) Joint stiffness and gait pattern evaluation in children with Down syndrome. Gait Posture. Oct; 28(3):502-6.

Virji-Babul, N. Moiseev, A., Cheung, T., Weeks, D., Cheyne, D., Ribary, U.  (2008) Changes in mu rhythm during action observation and execution in adults with Down syndrome: Implications for action representation, Neurosci. Lett. 436(2):177-80.

• Scientist Level 1, Child and Family Research Institute, Developmental Neurosciences & Child Health
• Board member, Patient Care Quality Review Board for Vancouver Coastal, Fraser Health and Provincial Health Services