Postdoctoral Fellows

Shichen Fang, PhD

Dr. Fang completed her PhD in Developmental Science at the University of Alberta and then held a position as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at The Pennsylvania State University, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center. Shichen is now Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Lethbridge. She joined the Lifespan Well-Being lab and led the analysis of the Student Well-Being Project data. Her research interests include lifespan and life course perspectives on human development; intergenerational relationships in adolescence and young adulthood; individual, interpersonal, and contextual risk and protective factors for adolescent and young adult adjustment, mental health, and subjective well-being; and advanced quantitative methods for longitudinal data analysis.

Jessica Mettler, PhD

Dr. Mettler was an FRQSC-funded postdoctoral fellow and research associate from December 2023 until April 2025. She is currently on parental leave. Dr. Mettler completed her PhD in Human Development at McGill University. Her research focuses on coping and mindfulness interventions for post-secondary students.

Graduate Students

Daria Karbainova, PhD

Dr. Daria Karbainova completed an MSc at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where her interest in well-being and resilience began. She pursued a PhD in Research and Clinical Psychology at Concordia University, balancing the pursuit of academic knowledge and psychotherapy training. Her research focused on resilience factors, such as having a sense of purpose in life, and how they help young adults make meaning in the face of stressful experiences. In 2023-2024, she was on internship at the MUHC’s Psychosocial Oncology Program and Chronic Viral Illness Service, where she made use of her research interests with clinical populations. She is currently working as a Psychologist in a private clinic in Montreal, Quebec.

Kathryn Mulvihill, PhD

Dr. Kathryn Mulvihill was a clinical and research training program graduate student and member of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2013 to 2022. She completed her CPA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at the MUHC, with rotations focused on personality, anxiety, and mood disorders. She is currently working as a Psychologist in a private clinic in Montreal, Quebec.

Sarah Newcomb-Anjo, PhD

Dr. Sarah Newcomb-Anjo was a clinical and research training program graduate student and member of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2014 to 2020. She completed her CPA-Accredited pre-doctoral internship at Horizon Health, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She is currently working as a Psychologist (Candidate Register) at the Nova Scotia Health Authority in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Jesse Renaud, PhD

Dr. Jesse Renaud was a clinical and research training program doctoral student and member of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2013-2020. She completed her pre-doctoral internship in the Anxiety Treatment & Research Clinic and Mood Disorders Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare (St. Joe’s) in Hamilton, Ontario. Following her internship, she completed a clinical fellowship in the Women’s Health Concerns Clinic at St. Joe's. Jesse recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University in the Department of Psychiatry and has continued as an assistant professor. Her research program examines the suitability of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychiatric outpatients and mechanisms of effective clinical supervision and training. Jesse is also a licensed clinical psychologist and sees patients in her private practice.

Kim Desmarais, PhD

Dr. Kim Desmarais was a clinical and research training program student of Dr. Barker's from 2015-2021. Her dissertation examined mothers' experiences with and perceptions of support when accessing services for their children with autism spectrum disorder. She completed her CPA-Accredited pre-doctoral internship at the Montreal Children’s Hospital in Montreal, Quebec. She is currently working in the Hematology/Oncology and Outpatient Psychiatry departments at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, as well as developing her private practice. 

Undergraduate Students

2024-2025

Christina Bertachas, BA Honours

Christina completed a her BA in Honours Psychology at Concordia University, minoring in multidisciplinary topics in science. She became a part of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory in August 2024. Her honours project focused on the relation between extracurricular activity participation and well-being in young adults graduating from university and transitioning into the workforce. Christina will begin Clinical Psychology at UQAM in Fall 2025. One of her goals is to make mental health services less stigmatized and more accessible, fostering increased well-being and mental health.

Jenelle Blumer, BA Specialization

Jenelle recently completed a Specialization in Psychology at Concordia University. She became a member of the Lifespan Well-Being lab in fall of 2024. She was also a volunteer at the Center of Arts in Human Development (CAHD). Her thesis research focused on exploring which narrative identity processes are associated with better patterns of adjustment across the university graduation transition. Jenelle will be pursuing graduate studies in Organizational Behvioural Psychology in the Netherlands, and is primarily interested in helping individuals or organizations improve communication, build connections and enhance overall well-being.

Adriana Mastromonaco, BA Specialization

Adriana completed her Specialization in Psychology at Concordia University, with an elective group of health and lifestyle. She joined the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory in Fall 2024. Her specialization thesis focused on emerging adults’ emotion differentiation skills in relation to facing unprecedented life stressors, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic. Adriana is interested in pursuing graduate studies in Counselling or School Psychology. With her primary interest in helping those undergoing developmental challenges, Adriana hopes to help the lives of children and young adults to build their personal goals, sense of self, and improve their overall well-being.

2023-2024

Chelsea Cuffaro, BA Honours

Chelsea graduated with a Honours Psychology BA at Concordia University. She became a member of the Lifespan Well-Being Lab in the fall of 2022, as a thesis student. Her thesis examined whether a help-seeking intervention increased mental health help-seeking behaviour among emerging adult university students experiencing high levels of distress. In 2023, she was awarded a CUSRA to expand upon her thesis and became a research assistant for the lab until the summer of 2024. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s in Counselling Psychology and is a Lived Experience Coordinator at the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health at the Douglas Research Centre. 

Tanya Guzelian, BA Honours

Tanya completed her final year of the Honours Psychology BA at Concordia University. She became a member of the Lifespan Well-Being Lab in the fall of 2023. Her thesis revolved around an exploration of how post-secondary students articulate their experiences with financial and social stress. Her primary objective was to extract overarching themes that shed light on the potential interconnections between these stressors. Tanya’s future aspirations involve delving into graduate studies in Counselling Psychology, with a strong desire to work with couples and families, fostering the growth of nurturing and healthy relationships.

Alexandra Borrelli, BA Specialization & Research Assistant

Alexandra completed a Specialization in Psychology and a minor in Human Relations at Concordia University. She wrote her thesis as part of Dr. Erin Barker's Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory, examining how Concordia students describe academic and time management stressors in hopes of better informing stress-management interventions. In 2024, she continued to work for the Department of Youth Protection, Concordia’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre as well as conduct research for Concordia’s Lifespan Well-Being Lab and McGill’s Centre for Research on Children and Families. In Fall 2025, Alexandra will pursue clinical work with families and couples, completing a Masters in Social Work at McGill University. She has a particular interest in the child welfare system and fostering healthy and harmonious relationships for the well-being of children and youth.

2022-2023

Ayse Turkoglu, BA Honours

Ayse completed her final year of the Honours Psychology program at Concordia University. She joined the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory in 2022 as a CUSRA student and continued on as a thesis student. Her honours thesis identified sources of stress for university students and their association with mental health. Her main research interests are mental health disorders and their treatments. Ayse began her Master's in Counselling Psychology at McGill University in Fall 2024.

Constance Lefebvre, BA Honours

Constance completed her final year of the Honours Psychology program at Concordia University. Her honours thesis examined meaning-making in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research interests include the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors in development. She aspires to become a trauma-informed psychologist, helping trauma survivors heal and recover from their experiences.

Larbi Benallal, BA Specialization

Larbi completed his studies in the Specialization Psychology program at Concordia University. He joined the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory in September 2021. His undergraduate thesis project examined the academic experiences and well-being of undergraduate students enrolled in fully remote (2020-2021) and hybrid (2021-2022) learning contexts following the COVID-19 pandemic. He has continued to work on the project by incorporating a fully in-person (2022-2023) year in his analyses. Larbi began his MA studies in the department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University in Fall 2023 where he is researching the emergence of developmental profiles for lying and antisocial personality in young children.

Kalena DosSantos-Korbiak, BA Specialization

Kalena completed her specialization psychology degree at Concordia University. Her undergraduate thesis examined the association of goal disengagement and engagement in emerging adults’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kalena’s research interests stem from her background in sports, as an athlete and coach. She is also completed a graduate diploma in Youth Work at Concordia University and is now completing the Master of Human Kinetics, Mental Performance Consulting program at the University of Ottawa

2020-2021

Amanda Marlandis, BA Honours

Amanda completed her final year of the Honours Psychology program at Concordia University. Her research interests include interpersonal dynamics along with their impact on well-being and emotion-related coping along with the ways in which regulatory processes relate to overall adjustment. She began her MA in Counselling Psychology at McGill in Fall 2021.

Lisa Sarraf, BA Honours

Lisa completed the Honours program in psychology at Concordia University where she examined the association among grit, goal pursuits, and well-being in university students studying remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Fall 2021 she began a research master’s program at Carleton University.

Rima Oassey, BA Honours

Rima completed the Honours program in psychology at Concordia University where she examined correlates of university student food insecurity. While at Concordia she worked in several roles at the Student Success Center. In the summer she began a full-time position as a Student Support Assistant at the University of Victoria, BC.

Béatrice Le Tellier, BA Honours

Béatrice completed the Honours program in psychology at Concordia University. She loves to mix law and psychology and is particularly interested in risk-taking in adolescence. She began the Psy.D. program at Université de Montréal in Fall 2021.

2019-2020

Laurie Houle, BA Honours

Laurie completed her BA in psychology at Concordia University. Interpersonal relationships represent an enduring subject of fascination for Laurie, and she is specifically interested in romantic relationships. In Fall 2021, she will pursue her PhD degree in Social Psychology at Princeton University, where she will study cognitive biases in couples.

Erika di Paola, BA Specialization

Erika her bachelor’s degree specializing in Psychology in May 2020. She worked at the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory in 2019-2020, while working on her undergraduate thesis under Dr. Erin Barker’s supervision. Her thesis examined the relationship between extracurricular activity participation in adolescence and psychological well-being in emerging adulthood. She is currently working as a research assistant for a trauma laboratory at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. She also works at a trauma counselling clinic located in Montreal.

2017-2018

Audrey Mariamo, BA Specialization

Audrey Mariamo was an undergraduate student at Concordia University and completed her specialization project at the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory under Dr. Barker's supervision. Her project investigated the change in students’ well-being pre- and post-graduation. Audrey recently completed her master's degree in Counselling Psychology (professional/internship) at McGill University, during which she carried out a clinical internship and worked as a graduate research assistant for McGill's Healthy Development Laboratory. She will begin her doctoral studies in the fall of 2021 and her thesis will focus on adolescent sexting behaviours and how they relate to conduct problems.

Claudio Ales, Volunteer

Claudio Ales was a volunteer research assistant in the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2016 to 2017 while completing his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology and a minor in linguistics. In the lab, he helped graduate students with their research projects by creating surveys, co-leading recruitment orientation sessions, and assisting in data management. Claudio then completed his Master of Science Applied in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) at McGill University in 2019. Currently, Claudio is working as a speech-language pathologist at the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal with children presenting with an intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, and/or a physical disability.

2016-2017

Laura Ohayon, BA Honours

Laura completed her psychology undergraduate honors thesis in the Lifespan Wellbeing lab in 2017. She wrote it on the differences in the quality of informal and formal support received by mothers of adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. After graduating from Concordia, she pursued a degree in Social Work at McGill University. She graduated with a Social Work Masters Degree (August 2020) in the Children's and Family Stream and completed her Independent Study Project on the use of online parenting support groups for caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She began to work full-time as a clinical social worker at Montreal Children's Hospital in November 2020.

2013-2016

Caitlin O’Neill, BA Honours & Undergraduate summer research fellow

Caitlin O’Neill completed an honours psychology undergraduate degree in 2016, and was a member of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2013-2016. Their research interests included the relationship between social support, alcohol use, and sexual orientation as well as the relationship between drinking motivation and sexual orientation. After graduating, Caitlin worked as the project coordinator for the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory. They have since moved on to working in various project coordination roles within the healthcare field, including working for two years as the Psychological Services Coordinator at Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services. They often draw on their research background to gain a better understanding of evidence-based practices for making improvements in the healthcare settings they work in.

2014-2015

Maude Guilmette, BA Honours & Undergraduate summer research fellow

Maude Guilmette was an honours psychology undergraduate student and member of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2013-2016. She is currently completing her clinical and research training program as a graduate student at the Université du Québec à Montréal. As part of the Lifespan Well-Being Lab, she researched students’ well-being in relation to their goals and motivation from the perspective of the Self-Regulation Theory. She has worked with athletes in career transition, has completed her clinical training, and has continued her research on goals and well-being as part of her graduate studies. She is currently working as a Psychologist (Candidate Register) in Montreal and hopes to continue her work and research with high-level athletes in career transition in the future.

Alix Haeberle-Savard, BA Honours

Alix completed a BA Honours in Psychology in 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Erin Barker. Her interests centered around eating disorders, namely orthorexia nervosa. Following graduation, she worked in the field of employee assistance programs and joined the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserve. Thanks to the education benefits offered by the Canadian Armed Forces, she was able to enroll in the Master's of Social Work program at the Université de Montréal in 2017 and is set to graduate in the summer of 2021. Her internship was centered around helping parents improve their sensitivity towards their young children in order to support the development of secure parent-child attachment. She plans to continue working in the employee assistance sector for the foreseeable future while furthering her military career and eventually earning her psychotherapy permit.

Arielle Ben-zaken, BA Honours

Arielle Ben-Zaken was an Honours student working on the Friendship Project from 2014 to 2015, completing her honours project under the supervision of Dr. Erin Barker. After graduating from Honours Psychology in 2015, Arielle went on to obtain her MSW (Master of Social Work) at McGill and graduated in 2017. She is currently working as a social worker for the CIUSSS Centre-Ouest at GMF MDCM and works part-time as a social worker at the West Island Therapy Centre.

2013-2014

Olivia Falconbridge, BA Specialization

Olivia completed her specialization thesis on daily experiences of stress experienced by parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder. She then completed a master’s in Child Studies at Concordia and is currently completing her doctorate in education at Western University.

Veronica Kost, BA Honours

Veronica was a Research Coordinator and completed her Undergraduate honours thesis in the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory between 2012-2015. She then did her Master's of Social Work: Child and Family Stream at McGill University, where she worked as a Research Assistant in the Center for Research on Children and Families. After graduation, Veronica worked as a Psychosocial Counsellor at the ALS Society of Quebec

2012-2013

Katie Takefman, BA Honours

Katie Takefman was an Honors Psychology undergraduate student and a member of the Lifespan Well-Being Laboratory from 2012-2014. She worked alongside Dr. Barker on her thesis ‘Depression and the University Experience: Are Students at Risk?”. Upon graduating from Concordia, she completed a postgraduate certificate in Strategic Relationship Marketing at George Brown College in Toronto. Currently, Katie works at Loblaw Companies Limited, where she applies her unique insights around human psychology and research methods to lead customer experience programs across the enterprise.

Julia Horowitz, BA Specialization

During Julia’s third year, from 2012-2013, as an undergraduate student specializing in Psychology and under Dr. Barker’s supervision, she pursued an undergraduate thesis looking at whether optimism would moderate the relationship between daily stress and coping behaviours in parents of children on the autism spectrum. From there, she continued on to a Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the University of Ottawa and specialized in single-session counselling, and later returned to Montreal to continue her studies at McGill University in Couple & Family Therapy with a focus on couples and families being treated in oncology. After some time working with youth in periods of transition or crisis, she is now working at McGill University as a psychotherapist treating students.