Intersections of Mental Health Perspectives in Addictions Research Training

Trainees

IMPART trainees are a multidisciplinary group of graduate students, Postdoctoral Fellows and Clinician Researchers from a broad range of areas, including Education, Epidemiology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Nursing, Public Health, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work. Now working in their various professional roles in academic, scientific and clinical positions, these former trainees bring the knowledge of women, gender and addictions, gained during their time in IMPART, to a wide array of areas in research and practice.

  • Jasmin Abizadeh, MA

    experiences of women struggling with concurrent mental health and substance use problems

  • Ghislaine Badawi, MSc

    etiology of problematic drinking in undergraduate students through applying a gender-based approach.

  • Travis Baker, MSc, PhD

    neural and cognitive mechanisms that underlie reinforcement learning principles.

  • Deborah Barkowsky, BA, MA

    executive function and substance use in adolescents.

  • Monica Bawor, BSc, PhD

    multi-factorial approach to how men and women differ in their response to methadone treatment with a focus on hormones, genetics, psychiatric comorbidity, and socio-personal functioning.

  • Brittany Bingham, MPH, PhD

    Impact of housing on Aboriginal women’s mental health, substance use and trauma.

  • Kristina Brache, MSc

    investigation of self-reported patterns, context, functions, motivations, and risk taking behaviors of simultaneous polysubstance use in substance abuse treatment clients.

  • Krista Brown, BA

    psychological factors that are implicated in the development, maintenance, and treatment of eating disorders.

  • Victoria Bungay, PhD

    health inequities affecting men and women working in the commercial sex industry and people who are street-involved.

  • Kelly Butts, BSc

    Stress system abnormalities and alterations in neurotransmitter systems relevant to depression.

  • Valerie Caldeira, MSc

    impact of harmful relationship behaviours, during the transition to parenthood on children.

  • Chris Carroll, BA, MA

    relation between cannabis use and instrumental/reactive violent behaviours with a specific focus on gender and sex differences.

  • Lauren Casey, MA, PhD

    intersections of violence, trauma and mental health among transgendered off-street sex workers in urban and rural settings.

  • Fiona Choi, MSc, PhD

    sex differences in abuse of Psychostimulants, behavioural expression of addiction and molecular mechanisms that are involved using a rat model.

  • Nancy Clark, RN, MSN, PhD

    intersections and impact of gender, culture, ethnicity, intersect with religious and spiritual beliefs on mental health practice.

  • Michelle Coghlan, PhD

    The social dynamics related to substance use, health, social and sexual risk among young women who use substances

  • Veronic Clair, MD, MSC, CCFP, FRCPC

    Chronic Diseases Prevention and Management, Primary care, Health Systems and Health Policy, Public Health, and Early Childhood Development.

  • Kimberly Crosby, BA MA

    problematic substance use in the context of experiences of intimate partner violence.

  • Karen Davison, PhD

    effects of food insecurity on psychological functioning, mental illness and addiction.

  • Lynda Dechief, MSc

    health and social inequities, focusing on violence/abuse, substance use and mental health issues.

  • Brittany Dennis, PhD

    biosocial determinants of methadone response and the impact of these factors on duration and adherence to methadone treatment.

  • Carine Dias, PhD

    neuropharmacological processes underlying the reinstatement of psychostimulant-seeking behavior using an animal model of “craving”.

  • Erin Dunn, PhD

    psychological factors implicated in the development and maintenance of addictive, compulsive, and high-risk behaviors.

  • Hanie Edalati, PhD.

    role of implicit cognitive processes in the initiation, development and maintenance of drug abuse and dependence.

  • Faith Eiboff, MSc, Phd

    intersection of gender, mental health and addictions, and homelessness and housing.

  • Sarah Farstad, MSc PhD

    etiological and maintenance factors associated with various addictive behaviors including binge eating, problem gambling, and alcohol and substance abuse.

  • Durwin Foster, MA

    process of second stage recovery for men suffering from co-morbid addictions and trauma,

  • Michelle Foulkes, RN, BA, BScN, MSc, PhD

    prenatal attachment in women who use substances during the perinatal period.

  • Jodi Gatley BSc, MPH

    patterns of harmful alcohol-use among youth and the effects of age-specific alcohol control policies on alcohol-related consequences

  • Erin Gibson, BA , MA

    illicit drug policy issues, the prevention of transmission of HIV and Hep C among people who drugs by injection,

  • Catherine (Katie) Goldie, MSc, RN, PhD

    Canadian prevalence of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors in men and women with severe mental illness

  • Matt Graham, MA

    understanding of the role of gender in recovery from alcohol dependence as it unfolds within relationships on a daily basis

  • Marcus Greatheart, MA, PhD

    relationship between social isolation and increased risk for addiction and mental health disorders in female-to-male transgender men

  • Hasu Ghosh, PhD

    experiences of mental health and addiction services of urban Aboriginal women, who are simultaneously dealing with co-morbid chronic physical conditions

  • Rebecca Haines, PhD

    Gender differences in marijuana use among youth

  • Ingrid Handlovsy, MSc, RN, PhD

    impact of the environment (interpersonal interactions, political system, legal system, physical environment) on illicit drug use practices and issues of inequity faced by women.

  • Samah Hassan, MD, MSc, PhD

    sex, gender differences in pain & analgesia.

  • Angela Heino, RN, MSN

    intersections between violence, trauma, substance use, and mental health.

  • Kim Hellemans, PhD

    role of adverse early environmental experience on susceptibility to
    drug addiction, using rodent models of social isolation rearing to explore changes in reward systems.

  • Sarah Hines, MA

    risk for problematic drinking as young adults transition from university into various adult roles.

  • Rosanna Holehouse, BScN

    nicotine dependence among individuals living with mental illness and community mental health nurses’ perceptions regarding implementing smoking cessation interventions into their practice.

  • Cindy Holmes, PhD

    intersections between violence, social inequity, mental health and place.

  • Amanda Hudson, BSc, MSc, PhD

    interplay between mood, motives, and alcohol use over the course of the menstrual cycle.

  • Ally Jamieson, MSW, PhD

    Early childhood traumatic stress, caregiving attachment style, maternal addictions, and gender.

  • Kate Jongbloed, MSc

    harm reduction, housing stability and HIV vulnerability among young Aboriginal people who use drugs as part of the Cedar Project.

  • Danielle Katz, PhD

    therapeutic processes of women who have experienced trauma and who struggle with substance abuse.

  • Barna Konkoly-Thege, PhD

    existential concerns in the development, maintenance, and quitting of substance-related and behavioural addictions.

  • Vivian Lam, BSc, PhD

    interactive effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, stress, and sex on mental health, with a particular focus on depression and anxiety.

  • Ni Lan, PhD

    stress, fetal programming, and neuroendocrine function, with a particular focus on sex differences in offspring outcomes and roles of sex steroids on brain function.

  • Karen Le, BSc, PhD

    relationship between childhood adversity, attachment insecurity and smoking and alcohol consumption, with an interest in sex differences.

  • Lenora Marcellus, PhD

    substance use during pregnancy (including infants with neonatal withdrawal), supporting women with substance use challenges, and supporting foster families who care for these infants in a community setting) and adolescent pregnancy and parenting.

  • Lucy McCullough, MA, PhD

    treatment counselors’ experiences with and understanding of their clients’ needs and the therapeutic process as they relate to the mandate from courts, the ministry of child and family services or other referral sources.

  • Trica McDiarmid, BA, MSW

    child welfare system and the treatment needs of First Nation women who have addictions.

  • Hilary McGregor, MA, PhD

    women’s lived experiences of substance use and mental health in Prince George.

  • Warren Michelow, BSc, MA, PhD

    environmental and social factors that influence high intensity polysubstance use and differences by women and men.

  • Sherry Mumford, PhD

    development of a needs based service-predictor model for the substance use field.

  • Nadine Nakamura, PhD

    substance abuse, HIV risk, ethnic minority health and mental health, and intersections of identity

  • Elizabeth Nosen, MA, PhD

    The psychological processes involved in substance dependence and cessation.

  • Chizimuzo (Zim) Okoli, PhD

    tobacco dependence treatment among marginalized populations with co-morbid disorders; how sex and gender affect tobacco dependence treatment outcomes.

  • Margo Pearce, MSc, MPP

    HIV vulnerability among vulnerable populations, in particular young Aboriginal people who use illicit drugs in British Columbia.

  • Rachel Phillips, PhD

    vulnerable populations’ access to health and related intervention services.

  • Nancy Poole, MA, PhD

    women and alcohol and tobacco use, Aboriginal women’s health, prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), trauma-informed practice, and knowledge
    generation and exchange within virtual networks and communities of inquiry

  • Erin Ptolemy, BSW, BA , MSW

    young women’s perceptions, knowledge, and interest in information about tobacco smoke as a risk factor for premenopausal breast cancer.

  • Nitasha Puri, MD, CCFP

    gender-based analyses of substance using youth, with respect to infectious diseases incidence, prevention, and risk factors.

  • Robin Repta, MA. PhD

    The health implications of dating experiences during adolescence

  • Stefanie Rezansoff, MSc, PhD

    how social determinants of health mediate the risk of exposure to the justice system.

  • Lisa Robinson Kitt, PhD, RCC

    The complex relationships between neurobiology, early childhood experiences, mental health outcomes, and resiliency (particularly related to neuroplasticity.

  • Audra Roemer, BS, MSc

    Substance use, lifespan development, prevention, family risk and protective factors, injury and violence, gender, mental health, interpersonal violence, youth and adolescence

  • Jenny Rogers, MD

    evaluation of alcohol overuse and quality of life in older adults with early Alzheimer’s dementia and being treated for depression with antidepressant medications

  • Hajera Rostam, PhD

    help-seeking experiences of Canada’s ethnic minority immigrants with addiction, with special consideration to gender and ethnicity as contributing factors to substance abuse behavior.

  • Laurel Sakaluk-Moody, MSc, PhD

    social, cultural and family context of adolescent and young adult decision-making about substance use.

  • Johanna Sam, MSc

    communication technology initiatives designed to enhance equity for socially marginalized populations, such as Indigenous people, youth, and women.

  • Sana Shahram, MPH, PhD

    social contexts and determinants of health contribute to the health disparities among marginalized and vulnerable populations.

  • Kate Shannon, PhD

    Dr. Shannon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of AIDS) at the University of British Columbia, and a Research Scientist at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

  • Deborah Sinclair, MSW, RSW, PhD

    violence against women in intimate relationships and its intersection with substance use

  • Erynne Sjoblom, BHSc, MSc

    how community, family, gender and household environments interact to influence Manitoba First Nations mental health outcomes

  • Joanna Sliwowska, PhD

    neurobiological mechanism(s) underlying the sex differences in the stress response seen in our animal model of fetal alcohol exposure.

  • Alina Sotskova, MA, PhD

    community supports for and community-based research that can support and enhance mental health services.

  • Nicole Strang, PhD

    impact of early life stress on the development of addiction and mental health disorders.

  • Kelli Sullivan, MA, PhD

    adolescent health; adolescent girls’ smoking; parent-adolescent relations; sex and gender based analysis; and mixed methods research.

  • Meaghan Thumath, RN, BSN, MPH

    secondary gender analysis of the CEDAR project exploring gender violence and HIV Risk among young Aboriginal women who use drugs.

  • Maija Tiesmaki, BA, MA

    intersection of mental health, and substance use within vulnerable/marginalized populations,

  • Iris Torchalla, PhD

    Smoking cessation, determinants of abstinence and relapse and improvement of existing intervention programs

  • Kristina Uban, PhD

    interaction of neurobiological mechanisms implicated in stress and reward/ motivational pathways, and affect an individual’s vulnerability/resilience to substance use problems.

  • Sydney Weaver, MSW

    Effect of father absence and substance use on outcomes for children and families Engaging fathers in addictions services for substance using mothers

  • Kim Williams, RD

    the inter-relationships of women, addictions and eating disorders.

  • Alan Wood, MA

    factors associated with successful nurse-facilitated safer injection for high-risk women who use injection drugs and rely on assistance to inject