Seth McCarthy
Barbara Oliveira
Research Associate
Dr. Barbara Oliveira, PhD, RD is a dietitian with a background in both nutrition and diabetes. Barbara began her education with a bachelor in Dietetics, and continued her academic journey with a MSc degree in Neuroscience focusing on antioxidant vitamins and Alzheimer’s disease. In her PhD she studied the impact of vitamins on type 1 diabetes which led her interest in research to a Postdoctoral appointment at the University of British Columbia (UBC). With Dr. Little, she investigates how various low-carbohydrate dietary interventions affect type 2 diabetes, and how knowledge translation can be used to communicate scientific findings to the public. Dr. Oliveira now serves as a Research Associate, overseeing several clinical trials focused on nutrition, diabetes management, and type 2 diabetes remission.
She loves the gym, time with her kids, running, and watching shows on TV!
Jake Winkler
PhD student
Research Coordinator | Airborne Disease Transmission Research Cluster
Jake completed his Master’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of British Columbia in 2019. Jake is the Research Coordinator for the newly funded Eminence Cluster at UBCO, called the Airborne Disease Transmission Research Cluster. The Cluster aims to make health care safer by ‘breaking the chain of aerosol transmission’ for diseases like COVID-19. Jake’s role is to ensure the cluster meets research milestones and to assist Dr. Jonathan Little with planning and implementing health research.
In his spare time, Jake is an avid outdoorsman – enjoying multi-day canoe, biking, and hiking trips. Jake also enjoys skiing, running, playing hockey and guitar.
Roderick Sandilands
PhD Student
Roddie graduated with a BSc in Human Kinetics from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. During this time, he completed his honours thesis in the realm of child growth and development investigating physical literacy in children who participate in elite sport and children who attend a well-structured afterschool physical activity program. Roddie’s research within EMIL focuses on the feasibility and efficacy of integrating brief movement breaks (termed exercise “snacks”) into real-world settings. More specifically, he is interested in the acute and chronic effects of exercise snacks on glucose control, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour among individuals living with type 2 diabetes.
Outside of the lab Roddie can be found on the golf course, at the rink, tennis court, spending time with friends and family, reading, and listening to podcasts.
Darci Gross
PhD Student
Darci completed her Master’s in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and Bachelor’s in Physiology from the University of Wyoming. She joined the Exercise Metabolism and Inflammation Lab as a PhD student in 2026 after moving with her family (partner, two kids, and two dogs) up from Wyoming to beautiful British Columbia. Her research with the EMIL lab focuses on sustainable dietary interventions for type 2 diabetes.
Outside of the lab, you can find her enjoying time with her kids, outlifting dudes at the gym, baking, and teaching dance.
Maya Robinson
MSc Student
Maya completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. During her undergraduate degree, she completed her honours thesis in the Cardiovascular Health Research Lab, where she investigated the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on vascular responses to acute hyperglycemia in premenopausal females. As a member of EMIL, Maya is shifting her research focus to investigate “exercise snacks” interventions in adults living with type 2 diabetes.