Curriculam Vitae

Undergraduate Education

• 1999-2004, Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Physiology and Psychology, with distinction. Honors thesis supervised by Paul L. Gribble. Thesis title: Motor learning by observing. The University of Western Ontario, London ON, Canada.

Post-graduate Education

• 2004-2005, Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology, Dean’s Honor List, supervised by David J. Ostry. Thesis title: On the retention of learned dynamics. McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.

•  2005-2010, Doctorate (PhD) in Psychology, supervised by David J. Ostry. Thesis title: Generalization of dynamics learning across direction, distance and time. McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada

•  2010-2011, Post-doctoral fellowship, supervised by David J. Ostry and Takayuki Ito. Haskins Laboratories, New Haven CT, USA

Undergraduate Medical Education

• 2011-2015, Undergraduate Medical Education Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. The University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.

Residency

• 2015-2020, Residency in Neurology, Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada.

Specialist Qualifications

• 2020, Full license to practice Neurology, granted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.

• 2020, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) in Neurology.

• Mattar AAG and Johnston DCC (2020). CT evidence for reversible changes in cerebrovascular permeability during migraine with aura. In preparation.

• Cross HM, Sabiq F, Ackermans N, Mattar A, Au S, Woodhall M, Sun B, Devonshire V, Carruthers R, Sayao AL, Bhan V, Schabas A, Chan J, Fritzler MJ, Waters P and Traboulsee A (2020). Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody positive patients in a multi-ethnic Canadian cohort. Frontiers in Neurology, 11:1820. PDF.

• Plecash AR, Chebini A, Ip A, Lai JL, Mattar AA, Randhawa J and Field TS (2019). Updates in the treatment of post-stroke pain. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 19:86. PDF.

• Mattar AAG, Hitzig SL and McGillivray CF (2015). A qualitative study on the use of personal information technology by persons with spinal cord injury. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37:1362-1371. PDF.

• Mattar AAG, Darainy M and Ostry DJ (2013). Motor learning and its sensory effects: The time course of perceptual change, and its presence with gradual introduction of load. Journal of Neurophysiology, 109:782-791. PDF.

• Mattar AAG, Nasir SM, Darainy M and Ostry DJ (2011). Sensory change following motor learning. In Green AM, Chapman CE, Kalaska JF and Lepore F (Eds), Progress in Brain Research, Volume 191, (pp 31-44). Elsevier Press. PDF.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2010). Generalization of dynamics learning across changes in movement amplitude. Journal of Neurophysiology, 104:426-438. PDF.

• Ostry DJ, Darainy M, Mattar AAG, Wong JD and Gribble PL (2010). Somatosensory plasticity and motor learning. Journal of Neuroscience, 30:5384-5393. PDF.

• Darainy M, Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2009). Effects of human arm impedance on dynamics learning and generalization. Journal of Neurophysiology, 101:3158-3168. PDF.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2007). Modifiability of generalization in dynamics learning. Journal of Neurophysiology, 98:3321-3329. PDF.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2007). Neural averaging in motor learning. Journal of Neurophysiology, 97:220-228. PDF.

• Lametti DR and Mattar AAG (2006). Mirror neurons and the lateralization of human language. Journal of Neuroscience, 26:6666-6667. PDF.

• Mattar AAG and Gribble PL (2005). Motor learning by observing. Neuron, 46:153-160. PDF.

• Gribble PL, Mullin LI, Cothros N and Mattar A (2003). Role of cocontraction in arm movement accuracy. Journal of Neurophysiology, 89:2396-2405. PDF.

• Gribble PL, Everling S, Ford K and Mattar A (2002). Hand-eye coordination for rapid pointing movements: Arm movement direction and distance are specified prior to saccade onset. Experimental Brain Research, 145:372-382. PDF.

• Mattar AAG, Hitzig SL and McGillivray CF (2014). The use of personal information technology by persons with spinal cord injury; included within an article titled “Award-Winning Poster Abstracts.” The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 37:650-658.

• Ostry DJ and Mattar AAG (2008). Specificity of motor learning. Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

• Ostry DJ and Mattar AAG (2007). Generalization in motor learning. Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Measurement, Analysis, and Modeling of Human Functions.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2005). Motor learning as a weighted average of past experience. Proceedings of the Annual Symposium Advances in Computational Motor Control.

• Mattar A. (2019). Anti-NMDA encephalitis presenting as leptomeningeal disease: A review of two recent cases. Talk given at the 2019 Forefronts in Neurology, Whistler, BC, Canada, September 27-29.

• Cross HM, Ackermans N, Mattar A, Woodhall M, Devonshire V, Carruthers R, Sayao AL, Bhan V, Schabas A, Chan J, Fritzler M, Waters P and Traboulsee A (2019). Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease in a multi-ethnic Canadian cohort. Poster presented at the 35th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Stockholm, Sweden, September 11-13.

• Uy C, Mattar A and Devonshire V (2017). Severe, early MS rebound after cessation of Fingolimod due to West Nile meningitis. Poster presented at the 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 24-27.

• Mattar AAG and Ong-Lam M (2016). Intravenous ketamine infusion for the treatment of anaesthesia dolorosa: A case report. Poster presented at IASP 16th World Congress on Pain, Yokohama, Japan, September 26-30.

• Mattar AAG, Hitzig SL and McGillivray CF (2014). The use of personal information technology by persons with spinal cord injury. Poster presented at Toronto UHN’s 6th National Spinal Cord Injury Conference, Toronto, ON, October 2-4.

• Gribble PL, Mattar AA, Brown LE, Malfait N, Wilson ET, Obhi SS, Valyear KF, Culham JC, Anton JL and Williams A (2011). Motor learning by observing. Poster presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neural Control of Movement, San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 26-May 1.

• Mattar AAG, Darainy M and Ostry DJ (2010). Generalization of sensory change following dynamics learning. Poster presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, November 13-17.

• Darainy M, Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2010). Exploring the links between motor learning and changes to somatosensory function. Poster presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, November 13-17.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2009). Force production reveals limited generalization of dynamics learning across changes in movement amplitude. Poster presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, October 17-21. 

• Darainy M, Mattar AAG, Wong JD, Gribble PL and Ostry DJ (2009). The sensed position of the limb changes following dynamics learning. Poster presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, October 17-21. 

• Wong JD, Gribble PL, Darainy M, Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2009). Proprioception is modified following dynamics learning. Poster presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, October 17-21.

• Ostry DJ, Darainy M, Mattar AAG, Nasir SM, Wong J and Gribble PL (2009). Sensory plasticity and motor learning. Talk given at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neural Control of Movement, Waikoloa, HI, April 28-May 3.

• Darainy M, Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2008). The anisotropic pattern of hand impedance affects dynamics learning and generalization. Poster presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC, November 15-19. 

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2007). Motor learning modifies somatosensory perception. Poster presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, November 3-8.

• Ostry DJ and Mattar AAG (2007). Generalization in motor learning. Poster presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Measurement, Analysis, and Modeling of Human Functions, Lisbon, Portugal, June 14-16.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2007). Learned control of novel dynamics involves interpolation, not extrapolation. Poster presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neural Control of Movement, Seville, Spain, March 25-30.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2006). The motor system learns by interpolation, not extrapolation. Poster presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, October 14-18.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2005). Motor learning as a weighted average of past experience. Poster presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC, November 12-16.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2005). Motor learning as a weighted average of past experience. Talk given at Advances in Computational Motor Control IV, Washington, DC, November 11.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2005). Recent dynamics learning can produce facilitation, interference and everything in-between. Poster presented at Progress in Motor Control V, State College, PA, August 17-20.

• Mattar AAG and Ostry DJ (2005). The influence of recent motor learning: From facilitation to interference. Poster presented at the 15th Annual Neural Control of Movement Meeting, Key Biscayne, FL, April 12-17. 

• Mattar AAG and Gribble PL (2005). Motor learning by observing. Poster presented at the 15th Annual Neural Control of Movement Meeting, Key Biscayne, FL, April 12-17. 

• Joanisse MF, Melnyk L, Mattar AAG, Terry A and Gribble PL (2005). Procedural memory in children: A motor learning task reveals developmental differences in learning but not interference. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta GA, April 7-10. 

• Mattar AAG and Gribble PL (2004). Motor learning by observing. Poster presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, October 23-27.

• Gribble PL, Mattar AAG, Terry A, Melnyk L and Joanisse MF (2004). Development of motor learning and consolidation: Adaptive representation of limb dynamics in children. Poster presented at the 11th Annual Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 18-20.

• 2019, American Academy of Neurology Resident Scholarship. Value: US$1000.

•  2018, UBC Department of Neurology 9th Annual Residents’ Research Day “Most Outstanding Presentation” award. Value: $500.

•  2018, UBC Department of Neurology 9th Annual Residents’ Research Day “Golden Pager” award. Value: $100.

• 2015, The University of Toronto Weber/Nimon Prize in Neurology. Value: $1000.

• 2015, The University of Toronto Dr. Jean Wasserman Wolfman Prize in Child Psychiatry. Value: $498.07.

• 2014, Poster selected as an award-winning submission to the 6th National Spinal Cord Injury Conference; recognized with an invited oral presentation.

•  2011, The University of Toronto John Wolfe McColl Memorial Award for academic excellence in pre-medical studies. Value: $888.41.

• 2010-2011, NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF). Value: $40,000 per year.

•  2010, FQRNT Bourses de recherche postdoctorale (B3). Value: $30,000 per year (declined).

•  2009, NSERC Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories program (VF). Value: $47,234 per year (declined).

•  2009, NSERC Industrial Research & Development Fellowship program (IRDF). Value: $30,000 per year (declined).

•  2008, FRQNT Bourses de doctorat en recherche (B2). Value: $20,000 per year (declined).

•  2006, McGill University Alma Mater Student Travel Grant Award. Value: $750.

•  2005-2008, NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-D). Value: $35,000 per year.

•  2004, NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-M). Value: $17,500 per year.

•  2004, Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). Value: $17,300 per year (declined).

• 2003, NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA). Value: $4,500.

•  1999, University of Western Ontario Academic Scholarship of Excellence. Value: $2,000.

• 2019, Co-Chief Resident, Division of Neurology. The University of British Columbia.

•  2017-2018, Resident Representative, Division of Neurology Residency Training Committee (RTC). The University of British Columbia.

•  2013, Peer reviewer for the University of Toronto Medical Journal (UTMJ). The University of Toronto.

• 2005-2010, Vice-President of the Graduate Association of Students in Psychology (GASP). McGill University.

•  2005-2007, 2008-2009, Department of Psychology Graduate Planning Committee. McGill University.

•  2005-2007, D.O. Hebb Lecture Planning Committee. McGill University.