School of Nursing
University of Ottawa
451 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5

Email: mfoul059@uottawa.ca

Academic Information
2009 – Present PhD.
University of Ottawa
Co-Supervisors: Dr. Wendy Peterson & Dr. Brenda Toner

2010 – Post-graduate Certificate in Infant-Parent Psychiatry
University of Massachusetts, Boston

2004 - Master of Science
Queen’s University
Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Medves

1996 – Bachelor of Nursing Science
University of Ottawa

1994 – Bachelor of Arts (Concentration in Psychology)
Queen’s University

1988 – Diploma in Nursing
St. Lawrence College

Research Interests
My research interest is in the developing relationship between mother and fetus (prenatal attachment) in women who use substances during the perinatal period. I am planning on doing a qualitative study from a critical feminist perspective to look at the intersectionality and influence of a woman’s previous personal history of trauma and abuse, societal beliefs around what constitutes a “good mother” and the role of health care providers and their abjection to women who use substances during pregnancy on prenatal attachment. It is hoped that this will increase our understanding of how better to engage this population in harm reduction strategies that will allow for better outcomes for mother and baby.

Publications

• Foulkes, M. (2010). Having postpartum: help-seeking behaviours in women with a postpartum mood disorder (Accepted pending submission of revisions). Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing.
• Foulkes, M. (2010). On the fringes: women who use substances during pregnancy and mothering. A comparative analysis of two intervention programs that serve this unique population (Submitted). Journal for Addiction Research & Theory.
• Foulkes, M. (Submitted). Epistemological reflections in nursing: past, present and future considerations. Aporia.

Abstracts and Presentations

• Foulkes, M. (2005). Having postpartum: enablers and barrier to help-seeking behaviours in women with postpartum mood disorders. International Mental Health Nurses Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• Foulkes, M. (2005). Help-seeking behaviours in women with postpartum mood disorders. University of Ottawa Nursing Research Conference, Ottawa, Ontario.
• Foulkes, M. (2011). Mothering and illicit substance use: a critical analysis of the implications for nursing and health policy. Accepted at the 2011 International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses Annual Conference, Tucson, Arizona.

Other Pursuits and Interests
My husband and I are raising a wonderful daughter who is 16 and keeps us busy on the roads with her many after-school activities. I am deeply interested in helping to develop an infant-parent psychiatry program in our region as well as to expand addiction services to pregnant and mothering women in the Ottawa community that is women-centred and focused on keeping the mother-baby dyad together.