Dr. Megan Udala is a UBCO psychology professor and a registered, practicing psychologist. She grew up in Kelowna, BC, and did her training in Kelowna and Vancouver, BC. She began her focus on Forensic psychology, and even had the opportunity to work in an Icelandic prison system! She then shifted some of her research to focus on neuropsychology by looking at the application of brain and behaviour relationships.

Initially, she began working with her supervisor at the General Kelowna Hospital’s rehab centre where patients would be admitted after strokes, head injuries, and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Udala would do testing on these patients to understand their cognitive functions such as their thinking, language, visual, memory, concentration, and attention skills. This testing would help inform about discharge planning and whether the individual required assisted living or full support. Dr. Udala went on to do her residency at Vancouver Coastal Health. She did a rotation at the UBC Hospital in the BC psychosis program where she primarily focused on neuropsychological assessments and cognitive behavioural therapy for individuals experiencing psychosis, particularly those with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. She did another rotation at St. Paul’s Hospital as a neurology consult and she would receive patients with HIV, suspected Alzheimer’s, or other psychiatric conditions that were referred for testing. Dr. Udala also worked in the St. Paul’s Heart Centre where pre- and post-transplant patients would be assessed for their psychological functioning to understand any risk factors surrounding transplants.

Currently, Dr. Udala’s research is looking at people’s cognitive abilities post-psychiatric condition, and post-acquired brain injury such as post-stroke or TBI. She is looking for typical patterns and differences that occur with each condition, and how the injury affects function. By looking at these differences, she can tailor medicine to improve lifestyle functioning. Overall, she is creating neurological profiles to help her look at how the impairment connected with different conditions affects the individual’s day-to-day life and how rehab can support them.

Outside of her research and practice, Dr. Udala can be found cross-stitching, spending time with her beloved Pomeranian pups Ava and Ivy, and listening to Taylor Swift’s music. As well, she greatly enjoys analyzing and comparing books and their movie renditions (M. Udala, personal communication, April 14, 2023).

Works Cited

Udala, M. (2023, April 14). Personal communication [Personal interview]. 

Udala, M. (n.d.). [Picture of Dr. Megan Udala]. British Columbia Psychological Association. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/user/38143