Meet the team

Alex is a Graduate Student in the Clinical Psychology program at Concordia University under the supervision of Dr. Alberts. He completed his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology and M.Sc. in Psychiatry Research at Dalhousie University. Broadly, Alex is interested in pain in youth undergoing cancer treatments, chronic pain in childhood cancer survivors, pain in children living with sickle cell disease, fear of cancer recurrence in pediatric cancer survivors, and health anxiety.

Claire Galvin is a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Concordia University under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Alberts. Prior to joining the BHI lab, Claire obtained an M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia and an Honours B.Sc. in Psychology and Biology from the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on cancer identity and its associations with mental and physical health among survivors of childhood cancer. Her lived experience of childhood cancer contributes to her passion within the field of health psychology – particularly among children and families affected by catastrophic illness or complex medical conditions.

Tori is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program at Concordia University under the supervision of Dr. Alberts. Previously, she completed a Bachelor of Cognitive Science (Hons.) and a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons.) at Carleton University. Tori’s research interests are primarily within health psychology, behaviour change, and implementation science. She is particularly interested in the wellbeing of adolescent and young adults living with sickle cell disease or cancer (including cancer survivors), patient-provider pain communication, and community-engaged research. Tori is passionate about incorporating equity, diversity, inclusion and intersectionality into research and practice.

Jada is in her first year of the M.A. in Clinical Psychology program at Concordia University under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Alberts. She previously completed her B.A. (Hons) in Psychology at the University of Manitoba. Jada’s research interests primairly lie within health psychology, particularly the development of mental health interventions for individuals living with cancer and undergoing treatment such as surgery. She also has a strong interest in chronic pain, women’s health, and health anxiety in youth. Jada is passionate about increasing mental health care and access for patients (and families) facing a variety of physical health conditions.

Alexandra is the research coordinator for the BHI lab where she contributes to various research projects and helps manage day-to-day lab activities. She obtained her B.A. in Specialization Psychology from Concordia University. She completed her undergraduate thesis under the supervision of Dr. Mark Ellenbogen in the Stress and Developmental Psychopathology Lab. Her thesis evaluated the negative psychosocial outcomes for children with ADHD symptoms with a parent diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Since graduating, she has been working as the research coordinator for Dr. Ellenbogen’s lab. Throughout her studies and research experience, Alex has developed a strong interest in child psychology, accessible interventions for at-risk youth, and health psychology. She plans on pursuing graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Kayla is a research assistant in the BHI Lab where she provides support and assists with various research project tasks and day-to-day lab activities. She obtained her B.A in Honours Psychology with a minor in Human Relations. She completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Alberts in the BHI Lab. Her thesis examined intolerance of uncertainty in parents of childhood cancer survivors. Throughout her studies, Kayla developed an interest in developmental psychology and school psychology, with a focus on student mental health and academic success – from childhood through young adulthood. She plans on pursuing graduate studies in psychology.
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Evmorphia (Evy) is an undergraduate student at Concordia University, currently completing a B.Sc. Honours in Psychology. Through her volunteer work with vulnerable populations, she developed a passion for improving access to high-quality healthcare for these communities. Her research interests include digital health interventions, pain management, and fear of cancer recurrence across the lifespan. After earning her undergraduate degree, Evy intends to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Aliaksei is an undergraduate student at Concordia University, currently completing a B.Sc. Honours in Psychology and a Minor in Multidisciplinary Studies in Science. Aliaksei works part-time as a readaptation assistant by giving support to kids and adults that have either mental deficiencies or autism spectrum disorder and behavioural disorders. Having already worked in biology labs at Concordia, he is now looking forward to gaining experience in a psychology lab and start his Honours thesis. In the future, Aliaksei plans on pursuing graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Vanessa is an undergraduate student at Concordia University, currently completing a B.A Specialization in Psychology. She works part-time as a Dialysis Unit Coordinator, supporting patients with chronic kidney disease. Vanessa also mentors disadvantaged youth, advocates for diversity in the stem cell donor registry as a Concordia Ambassador for Swab the World, and volunteers with Mental Health Research Canada. She is eager to contribute to a psychology lab and gain insight for her Specialization thesis. Vanessa is determined to improve access to mental health services for patients managing chronic illnesses. She plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Ella Rose is an undergraduate student at Concordia University, currently completing a B.A Specialization in Psychology. In addition to her studies, Ella leads support groups at the Gatehouse for women and LGBTQ+ individuals. With a strong passion for both medicine and psychology, she was naturally drawn to the field of health psychology. Her academic interests focus on how mental health influences physical well-being, the lasting effects of health anxiety and pain, and strategies to support families who are coping with a new diagnosis. She plans on pursuing graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Zachary is an undergraduate student at Concordia University, currently completing a B.Sc. Honours in Psychology. Under the supervision of Dr. Mark Ellenbogen, his Honours thesis will investigate the impact of attachment styles on depressive symptoms and fear of depression recurrence; a phenomenon based on fear of illness recurrence. Throughout his studies and time working in mental health services for the Canadian Armed Forces, Zach has developed an interest in psychopathology across the lifespan, and health psychology. He intends to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Jeff joined the BHI lab as a patient partner in October 2023. In addition to being a husband and father of two children – Claire and Jamie, Jeff is a secondary school vice-principal, a musician, and an avid camper. Jeff’s daughter Claire is a pediatric cancer survivor and when she finished active treatment, Jeff looked for opportunities to give back to the system that saved her life and treated her so well. He has previous experience on the Hamilton Health Sciences Patient & Family Advisory Council and the McMaster Children’s Hospital Family Advisory Council. When asked why patient engagement is important, Jeff responded “While researchers and clinicians are close to trends and gaps within their field, patients and families offer a unique and important perspective. Narrations of their lived experiences paints a picture of a journey and provides insights into the implications of the research. These insights offer a lens that may not have been considered and captures ideas that only those on the journey can express. I believe that family engagement should not just be rooted in traditional methodologies where families simply act as a research subject. Families can be co-researchers/co-learners. Bringing together those with knowledge of primary research methodologies, and those with lived experiences creates a rigorous environment for setting priorities for research in the field, conducting studies, and analyzing the results for emerging themes. In addition to sharing lived experiences and co-learning, family participation allows for findings to be disseminated in lay terms to families in clinic waiting rooms, to interested stakeholders, or to support/community groups.”

Isabel currently attends highschool in Montreal. Her hobbies include badminton and spending time with friends. As a childhood cancer survivor, she participates in research because she wants to make the cancer journey easier for other kids. When she grows up, Isabel hopes to become a doctor who works with children.

Anne currently lives and works in Montreal. As the parent of a childhood cancer survivor, she participates in research as a way to give back for the excellent care her daughter received at a local children’s hospital in Montreal, and to support the scientific community at large. She finds the patient partner model especially impactful.