Theme 01
Vascular and Brain Health
We study how vascular function relates to brain health across aging, disease, and everyday physiological change.
Welcome to the Vascular, Brain and Mobility Lab
Advancing vascular health, mobility, and cognition across aging.
The Vascular, Brain and Mobility Lab, also known as the VBM Lab or VBM UWO, studies how cerebrovascular and cardiovascular health shape the way people think, move, and age across adulthood at Western University.
Our work bridges physiology, mobility, cognition, and inclusive research practice to support healthier aging and clinically meaningful discovery.
About The Lab
The VBM Lab is a Western University research lab led by Dr. Laura Fitzgibbon-Collins in the Department of Kinesiology in London, Ontario, Canada.
We study how cerebrovascular and cardiovascular health shape the way people think, move, and age. Our research focuses on the integration of blood flow, brain function, and mobility across adulthood, with the goal of identifying early markers of decline and informing strategies that support healthy aging.
Using advanced physiological, cognitive, and wearable assessment tools, we investigate clinically relevant questions related to gait, balance, executive function, falls risk, and brain health. The lab also emphasizes women’s health, sex-specific aging, and inclusive research practices, recognizing that meaningful science must reflect the diversity of the populations it aims to serve.
At its core, the lab is committed to translational, person-centered research that bridges physiology and function to improve health across the lifespan.
Research Themes
Theme 02
Mobility, Cognition and Fall Prevention
This work explores how movement, cognition, and balance interact to better understand and reduce fall risk.
Theme 03
Women's Health and Inclusive Research
We prioritize inclusive research approaches that better represent women’s health experiences and diverse participant populations.
Current Projects
COMPASS-ND Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) Substudy
Lead student: Joshua Andari
VIBE (Vascular and Integrated Brain Effects of Estrogen)
Lead student: Jaclyn Baggley
Participate in Research
Research conducted at the Fitzgibbon-Collins Lab is made possible through the assistance of community members who volunteer as research participants. We are always looking for older and younger adults to participate in our research studies as we strive to create new knowledge.
Interested in participating? Fill out this form here: View Form
Join the Lab
If you are passionate about learning more about the brain, can work well both independently and within a team environment and have a second-to-none work ethic...
Then we want to hear from you! Please send a short statement of research interest (why you want to join our group) along with your CV to: vbmlab@uwo.ca
Meet the Lab Team.
PI
Dr. Laura K. Fitzgibbon-Collins
Principal Investigator
Dr. Laura Fitzgibbon-Collins leads the VBM Lab at Western University, with research on how vascular health shapes mobility and cognition across adulthood, female health, real-world wearable technology, and inclusive research grounded in EDIDA principles.
Graduate Students
PhD
Michaela Nikpal
PhD Candidate
Integrative Biosciences
MSc
Joshua Andari
Master’s Candidate
Integrative Biosciences
Undergraduate Students
Media
Featured Publications
For the most up-to-date publications see PubMed or Google Scholar .
2026
Sue Peters; Laura K. Fitzgibbon-Collins; Siying Luan; Sarthak Kohli; Nathan Durand; Robert Teasell; Ricardo Viana; Shannon L. MacDonald; Jaspreet Bhangu; Jamie L Fleet
Functional and brain activation changes in females with subcortical subacute stroke captured through functional near infrared spectroscopy: a case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2025.2568708
2025
Fitzgibbon-Collins L.K., Best S., Noguchi M., Guest C., Borrie M., Shoemaker J.K., Bhangu J.
Neurovascular de-coupling underlies dual-task cost across cognitive abilities. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions. doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70156
Fitzgibbon-Collins L.K., Borrie M., *Peters S., *Shoemaker J.K., *Bhangu J.
Dynamic cerebral autoregulation in people with mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. doi.org/10.1177/0271678X251345361
Fitzgibbon-Collins L.K., Pereira T., Edgell H.
Special Issue on Women’s Health: Women, orthostatic tolerance, and POTS: a narrative review. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical. Invited review. doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2025.103284
Contact
Inviting collaborators, students, or clinical partners to connect.
Lab Email: vbmlab@uwo.ca
PI Email: lfitzgib@uwo.ca
Location: Thames Hall Rm. 4168 - Western University
Affiliations
