Trainees
CURRENT TRAINEES
Ada is a 4th-year student majoring in Biology for Health Sciences and Psychology. She is working with the HART lab on her independent research project under the supervision of Professor Anderson. Her research interests include overlooked biases in our justice system, general well-being, as well as the mind and body connection and the role of food.
Jennifer F. Chan, MA, is a PhD student in the Health Adaptation Research on Trauma (HART) Lab at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, supervised by Dr. Judith P. Andersen. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Science at McMaster University in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, and her Master of Arts in Psychology at the University of Toronto. Her interdisciplinary research interests include health, stress, neuroendocrinology, inflammation, and biofeedback.
Her research focus involves measures of psychosocial, physiological stress, and mental/physical health in first responders; previous projects have explored occupational stress, the prevalence of mental health symptoms (e.g., PTSD, depression, anxiety), and cortisol dysfunction in police. She has also completed research at SickKids’ Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, studying MEG resting state neuroconnectivity of Canadian Armed Forces personnel diagnosed with PTSD. Her current dissertation research investigates how healthcare professionals’ experienced stress and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic influences mental and immune health via salivary biomarkers of inflammation.
Jen is also involved in education and science communication throughout the greater Toronto area. She is a course instructor and teaching assistant at UofT, as well as a co-founder of UofT SPRINT (Summer Psychology Research Initiative)- a program dedicated to providing high school students from groups typically under-represented in STEM free and accessible hands-on experience in Psychology research. She has also collaborated with and is an invited speaker for groups including the Royal Canadian Institute for Science, the Story Collider, and the Canadian Multicultural Inventors Museum.
Check out Jennifer’s publication in Occupational Medicine: Chan, J. F., & Andersen, J. P. (2020). Influence of organizational stress on reported depressive symptoms among police. Occupational Medicine, 70(7), 496–502. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqaa141
Amanda Dawson is a Psychology BSc student at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her research interests involve investigating alternative forms of therapy to mitigate aggression in at-risk persons and violent offenders through the manipulation of oxytocin levels. She wishes to address her research on an intersectional scale towards diverse populations, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ persons within the prison industrial complex (PIC). Her goal is to promote rehabilitative over punitive treatment, mitigating the stigmatized association of criminality and mental health.
She will be working on the Horticultural Therapy Project (HTP) supervised by Dr. Judith Andersen. She will be exploring horticultural therapy as a peer support program among undergraduate students. Amanda will be facilitating this project alongside a team of collaborators to organize and monitor the success of an alternate form of therapy at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Loridee De Villa is a third-year BSc candidate pursuing a major in Health Sciences and a double minor in Psychology and History of Religions at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her research interests involve investigating the intersection between physical and mental health, systems neuroscience, and the study of failure related to learning. She will be working on the Thought Suppression Immunity Project (TSI) supervised by Jennifer Chan, as a part of her research opportunity project (ROP).
Dr. Di Nota is a Post-doctoral Fellow in the Health Adaptation Research on Trauma (HART) Lab at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is currently investigating the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying training and complex motor learning in police populations, as well as the influence of occupational stress on the mental health and well-being of police and other first responders. Her dissertation research examined learning-induced changes to brain activity using behavioral, fMRI, and EEG measures.
Check out Paula’s first author publication in Frontiers Psychology Di Nota, P.M. and Huhta, J.-M. (2019), Complex motor learning and police training: applied, cognitive, and clinical perspectives, Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 10 No. 1797, pp. 1-20. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01797
Patrick is a fifth-year undergraduate majoring in Biology for health science and Psychology. He is a volunteer research assistant in the HART lab working on the Thought Suppression Immunity (TSI) project. Patrick is also a volunteer with the Gerlai and RAD lab. His research interests include biological markers of stress as it relates to mental health, mindfulness/meditation, and neurobiological factors of various psychopathologies.
Monica Ghabrial, MA, is a PhD student in the psychology program at the University of Toronto. She is supervised by Dr. Judith P. Andersen and based primarily at the Mississauga campus. She completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Guelph and her Master of Arts at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include intersectionality, qualitative research, action research, women’s health, and sexual and ethnic minority wellbeing.
Women’s Health:
During her undergraduate education, Monica conducted research on discrimination against newcomer survivors of domestic abuse and the difficulty these women face when searching for permanent housing. This involved interviews administered to landlords across three cities, as well as a telephone audit study. After completing her BSc, she worked for three years on a CIHR-funded study for the prevention of sexual violence on university and college campuses and as a crisis-line operator at the local women’s shelter.
Monica has been involved in HIV prevention research in Cambodia through SiRCHESI (Siem Reap Citizens for Health, Educational, and Social Issues) – a grassroots organization that uses participatory action methodology to educate sex workers and “beer girls” on HIV transmission and condom use and to promote workplace safety – and completed an internship with this organization in Siem Reap in 2013.
She is affiliated with Women’s College Hospital (WCH), where she works in the Mental Health division. Monica is currently completing a practicum, investigating the effect of peer support on the health and wellbeing of women living with HIV. She is also working as a research assistant at WCH, on a program designed to address and reduce sexual distress experienced by survivors of gynecological cancers.
Racialized Sexual and Gender Minority Wellbeing:
As a member of the HART lab, Monica’s research has focused on examining the unique lived experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer people of colour (LGBTQ-POC). This research, informed by intersectionality theory, uses a combination of qualitative interviews and quantitative measures to investigate the contextual discrimination and identity conflicts that this population faces, as well as the great resilience they exhibit.
Check out Monica’s publication in the leading journal in the field of Counseling Psychology: Ghabrial, M.A., & Andersen, J.P. (2020). Development and initial validation of the Queer People of Color Positive Identity Measure. Journal of Counseling Psychology
Harasis Kaur (she/her) is a 4th year BSc candidate pursuing a double major in Health Sciences and Psychology and a minor in Biomedical communications. She will be working on the Horticulture Therapy Project (HTP) as a part of her independent research project (IRP). Her research interests include mental health, medical diagnostics and illustrations, developmental psychology and public health.
Meera Poonai is a 4th year undergraduate student pursuing her Bachelor’s with a focus on Health Sciences and Psychology. At the HART lab, Meera is under the supervision of Dr. Andersen while pursuing her independent research project in data compilation of the Canadian population and their experience with Canadian law enforcement’s excessive use of force. Their goal is to create a database with real-life cases. Meera will also be working alongside other research candidates on the Horticulture Therapy Project (HTP). Her research interests include mental/psychological well-being, injustice experienced by vulnerable communities and pediatric health.
Sarah Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree in mental health studies and biology from the University of Toronto. She is a research assistant and lab coordinator at the HART Lab, where she is working on the current Autonomic Modulation Training (AMT) study, the Horticulture Therapy Project (HTP), and assisting undergraduates with police reform projects, as well as other tasks. Her research interests include trauma neuroscience, trauma of marginalized communities, clinical psychology and preventative interventions to improve patient outcomes.
Harpartap Singh Khehra is a 4th year student majoring in Biology for Health Science and double minoring in Psychology and Geography. As a member of the HART Lab, Harpartap will be examining Canadian law enforcement interactions with individuals as well as assisting with the Horticulture Therapy Project (HTP), under the supervision of Dr. Judith Andersen. His research interests include neuroscience, mental health and wellbeing, impact of plants on mental and physical health, as well as social disparities.