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Lab Staff
Katie Frankiewicz
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Lab Manager
Katie previously graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc, majoring in Biomedical Toxicology with a minor in Psychology. Katie aims to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology and returned to UofG to upgrade her Psychology minor to a major. During that time, she also completed an honours thesis in the Supporting Youth Development lab where she continues to research treatments for children with callous-unemotional traits. Additionally, Katie has previous experience working with children and youth in various roles, such as a youth facilitator. She has an interest in emotion-related skills, the efficacy of mental health interventions, and the impact of the parent-child relationship that she hopes to gain further research knowledge into as a member of the CEMH lab. Further, Katie looks forward to supporting the lab in the role of lab manager.
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Jodie Santos
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Registered Psychotherapist
Jodie is a Registered Psychotherapist and has earned both a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Counselling. She works with children and families to help them navigate difficult emotions and behaviours. She believes that every child deserves to be heard, seen, and understood, and she uses a variety of techniques to help them express themselves in a supportive and safe environment. Some of the issues she addresses are anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues with the use of Emotion Focused therapy (EFT). She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families.
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Jessica Pun
Project Coordinator
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Jessica previously graduated from the University of Guelph with a BASC in Applied Human Nutrition. She returned to complete a BA in Psychology in hopes of pursuing graduate studies in clinical psychology. Jessica’s research interests include mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, and the interplay between psychological and social factors that influence eating behaviours. She is passionate about working with children and adolescents and has previous experience working with children, youth, and adults in both research and clinical settings. She looks forward to joining and supporting the lab as a project coordinator.
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Graduate Students
Jessica Seddon
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Jessica is in the second year of her PhD in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. She completed her MSc in Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Guelph. Jessica’s research interests relate to children’s emotional development and the role of emotion skills and parenting in the development and maintenance of child psychopathology. Jessica’s dissertation aims to test the efficacy of Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) as a parent intervention for child mental health difficulties via a randomized controlled trial. She hopes this work will make a significant contribution to the improvement of mental health outcomes for children and families. Jessica has worked with several research teams over the past years, including at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, and York University. Jessica’s Master’s and PhD research has been funded by SSHRC and OGS. She also received the 2021 SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship to Honour Nelson Mandela award and the 2021 Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Student and Early Career Council Dissertation Funding Award.
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Chelsea Reaume
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Chelsea is in the second year of her PhD in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of Guelph. She received her Honours BA in Psychology from the University of Windsor and her MA from the University of Guelph. Her MA thesis examined how linguistic features of parent discussion of emotion beliefs can be used to predict child and parent emotion regulation. Her current research involves exploring factors that impact the development of emotion regulation in children, including family stress, sociocultural influences, and relationships within the broader family system. She is particularly interested in applying principles of evidence-based practice to her dissertation research which will examine trajectory, moderators of efficacy, and mechanisms of change within a 6-week iteration of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). Chelsea has worked extensively providing assessment and consultation services to children, adolescents, and families in both private practice and school settings. Her Master’s and PhD research have been funded by OGS and SSHRC.
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Leah Sack
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Leah is a PhD candidate in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (CCAP). Previously, Leah completed her MA in the CCAP program at the University of Guelph, and her Honours BA in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is interested in the role of familial dynamics in child psychopathology and psychotherapeutic outcomes. Leah has worked with several research teams, including at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto Metropolitan University and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Leah has been awarded SSHRC funding to support both her MA and PhD research.
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Rita Abdel-Baki
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Rita is in the fourth year of her PhD in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Previously, Rita completed her MA in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of Guelph, and her MSc and Honours BA in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour at McMaster University. For her dissertation research, Rita is examining parental self-efficacy in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and how parents may be best supported. Rita has experience working with families and children in many capacities, including as a one-to-one support camp counsellor for children with disabilities, a respite caregiver, and an intensive behavioural intervention facilitator for children with ASD. She is passionate about improving the quality of life of children and families, and is excited to be a part of the CEMH lab!
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Zoe Weidman
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Zoe is in her first year of the PhD in the Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (CCAP) program. Prior to joining the lab, she completed her Honours BSc in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. Zoe recently completed her MA in the CCAP program. Her Masters’ thesis examined daily fluctuations in parenting stress and mood lability within the family. Zoe’s research interests encompass the many factors influencing family-wide emotion dynamics, including parenting, child development, psychopathology, and parent-child relationships. Zoe’s MA and PhD research have been supported by SSHRC.
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Sadie McVey Neufeld
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Sadie is in her first year of her Master’s PhD in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Previously, she completed her Honours Bachelor degree from the interdisciplinary Arts & Science program at McMaster University, with a Minor in Psychology. Following this, she worked as the Laboratory Coordinator of the Child Emotion Lab at McMaster for several years, where she worked closely with children, adolescents, and families by helping run several large-scale research projects. Her research interests include how family-wide, parent-child and sibling dynamics reciprocally influence, and are influenced by, children’s emotional development, especially surrounding empathy and emotional concern for others. She is passionate about practically integrating research findings within therapeutic treatments to improve emotional well-being for youth and their families. Sadie's Master's and dissertation work has been funded by SSHRC and OGS.
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Linda-Paola Sosa Hernandez
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Linda is in the second year of her Master’s degree in the Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology program. Previously, she completed a Master's in Developmental Psychology at the University of Waterloo and her Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Guelph. Linda's research focuses on the ways social relationships such as peers and family members contribute to risk and resilience in children's socio-emotional development. She is also committed to translating her work clinically to improve children and family's emotion skills and relationship dynamics by partnering with community organizations such as the Grove Youth Wellness hub. Linda's research has been supported by SSHRC's Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, and a Canadian Psychology Association grant.
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Natasha Vogel
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Natasha is currently completing her first year of her Master’s degree in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) program here at the University of Guelph. Prior to this, Natasha completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Neuroscience at Wilfrid Laurier University. Natasha has been a research assistant for a number of years at Wilfrid Laurier and has undertaken research projects in multiple research domains including cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and education. Natasha’s main research interests involve the influences of early childhood experiences and parenting techniques on one’s cognitive and emotional development, and the impact of parent-child relationships on mental wellbeing. Natasha hopes to continue her studies into the PhD level to pursue a career as a university professor where she can both teach and conduct research.
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Undergraduate Students
Nida Ansari
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Nida is a recent BAH student who majored in Psychology (Co-op) with a minor in French Studies. Nida's research interests broadly include youth mental health and wellbeing, family influences on emotion development, and learning and engagement in youth. Upon graduation, Nida hopes to pursue graduate studies in the educational psychology field. Nida has worked with children and youth of all ages in the past as a tutor, and through her Co-op work terms with The Grove Hubs, a youth mental health organization in Guelph. Having been part of the CEMH Lab since 2021, Nida has contributed to several of the lab's research projects through independent research courses, an NSERC-funded USRA, an honour's thesis, and currently works in the lab as a Research Assistant.
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Ella Rigby
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Ella is a third-year undergraduate student, majoring in Honours Psychology. Upon graduation, Ella hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, with a focus on creating interventions that will help children learn emotional regulation and positive coping skills. Additionally, Ella is a passionate mental health advocate with experience volunteering for the foundation Cams Kids as well as experience working for a youth mental health organization. In the future, Ella wants to help children who have experienced trauma recover, and prevent the transmission of maladaptive coping mechanisms to future generations. Ella enjoyed working in the CEMH Lab on an independent research project and learning from her first research experience in Summer of 2021, and continues to work in the lab.
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Abbey Drew
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Abbey recently graduated from the University of Guelph with a BA, majoring in Honours Psychology (Co-op). She is working towards her goal of pursuing graduate studies in clinical or school psychology. Abbey has experience working with children and youth in various settings including the University of Guelph’s Childcare and Learning Centre. As well, she is a passionate mental health advocate and has gained professional experience in the field working with youth through her co-op placement with The Grove Hubs. Abbey completed her honours thesis in the Group, Research, and Programs (GRP) lab at the University of Guelph. She recently completed an independent research project in the CEMH lab and continues to work here as a Research Assistant. Abbey’s research interests broadly include child and youth mental health, emotion development, developmental disabilities, and school psychology. She hopes to pursue her interest in youth mental health in her future educational endeavours and looks forward to continuing to explore her interests in the lab.
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Leah Bogatie
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Leah is a fourth-year undergraduate student, majoring in Honours Psychology. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in counselling psychology or psychotherapy and specialize in treating children. Leah is passionate about the various ways that children and youth regulate their emotions and engage in coping strategies, especially in the context of grief. Leah has experience working with grieving children through volunteering at Camp Erin, a weekend overnight camp for children grieving the death of a significant person. Additionally, this past summer, Leah completed an Independent Research Project (PSYC*3240), under Dr. Kristel Thomassin’s supervision, exploring Childhood Traumatic Grief (CTG) in Hispanic children. She is excited to continue exploring her research interests and assisting with lab projects this year!
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Charlotte Funston
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Charlotte is a third-year undergraduate student, majoring in Honours Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Charlotte hopes to pursue a master’s degree in clinical child & adolescent psychology upon graduation in efforts to influence and benefit the lives of children. Charlotte is passionate about understanding the social and environmental factors which impact psychological development and implements her understanding of sociology to support her in these endeavours. Charlotte completed a USRA position in the CEMH lab in summer of 2023, and is now completing an independent research study under the supervision of Dr. Thomassin.
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Claudia Laver
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Claudia Laver is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Honours Psycholgy with a Minor in Family and Child Studies. Claudia has a broad interest in mental health, emotions, working with youth or adolescent populations and working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Her respite work, tutoring experience and volunteer work as a Start2Finish Reading & Running coach has allowed her to develop a passion for working with children and promoting inclusion. After graduation, Claudia hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Claudia will be conducting a thesis under Dr. Thomassin’s supervision and looks forward to the knowledge and experience CEMH lab will offer her.
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Grace Parker
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Grace is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Guelph, majoring in Honours Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Upon graduation, Grace hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology to further assist in the well-being of children and the mental health system that caters to them. She possesses a strong interest in children’s mental health, as well as the sociological and environmental factors that impact emotional development in youth. Grace has had an abundance of experience working with children of various ages, serving as a children's swim coach, and being actively involved in a private psychological practice specializing in children and adolescents. Grace’s intention is to apply her relevant interests and experiences towards completing an Honours Thesis under Dr. Thomassin’s supervision. She is thrilled about the opportunity to gain knowledge and acquire experience within the CEMH lab.
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Sejal Katyal
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Sejal is a recent graduate from University of Guelph (B.A.H.), where she majored in Psychology and minored in Math Sciences. Sejal hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, with a focus on emotional regulation in collectivistic societies and promoting positive coping skills. Currently, Sejal is working as an Instructor Therapist with Autism Behavioural Services Inc. to support children with various disabilities, as well as a research assistant in the CEMH lab. She is excited to join the CEMH team and assist in projects that overlap with her research interests and her passions.
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Angela Fernando
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Angela is a second-year undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences program and is minoring in both biology and mathematics. After completing her undergraduate studies, she aims to pursue a career working with children and their families as a pediatrician. Angela has extensive experience working with youth of all ages, including working as a part-time piano teacher for the past five years, as well as working as a camp counsellor over the summer. She also volunteers with the University of Guelph’s Let’s Talk Science chapter, which develops the scientific knowledge and skills of elementary school students through engaging classroom activities. Angela is passionate about child development and is eager to assist and learn more in the CEMH lab as a volunteer.
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Ana Ljujic
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Ana is a fourth-year undergraduate student in majoring in BSc Honours Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests are broadly focused on youth well-being and emotional development, including belonging, and different factors that can affect such. Highly interested in working with children, Ana also works with children in outside the lab in a learning environment where she teaches children piano. Ana has started working in the CEMH Lab in the as a Research Assistant and is looking forward to working on different projects in the lab. She is working towards continuing her interests in children’s mental health and research by pursuing graduate school.
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Ainsley CroninAinsley is a fourth-year undergraduate student, majoring in Honours Psychology with a minor in Family and Child Studies. Upon graduation, Ainsley plans to pursue graduate studies in Clinical and/or Counselling Psychology to support youth and young adults who have intellectual disabilities and their mental health. Her respite work at Community Living Mississauga allowed her to develop a passion for supporting youth with disabilities. She has also gained a passion for working with children through her volunteer and work experience as a learn to skate coach with Skate Canada and the City of Mississauga. Ainsley will be completing an independent research study under Dr. Thomassin’s supervision and is excited for the experience she will gain.
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Lab Alumni
Graduate
Name |
Current Position |
Jessica Seddon (MSc) |
Current PhD Student in the lab |
Camille Guerin Marion (MA) |
Unknown |
Chelsea Reaume (MA) |
Current PhD Student in the lab |
Leah Sack (MA) |
Current PhD Student in the lab |
Undergraduate Honours
Name |
Current Position |
Gillian Rourke |
MA student at York University |
Anastasia Taskov |
Research Assistant at University Health Network |
Brianna Hogan |
Social Work student at York University |
Megan Nesbitt |
Unknown |
Myriam Venasse |
MSc (University of Ottawa), Project Officer at Statistics Canada |
Elise Quint |
MD student at Western University |
Taylor MacIntosh |
MA student at University of Ottawa |
Emma Carter |
Unknown |
Emilie Proulx |
PsyD student at Universite du Quebec |
Hilary Skov |
Research Coordinator at Harvard University, PhD student at Tulane University |
Sofia Do Rosario |
Unknown |
Madeleine Alie |
Education Coordinator at Oxford Learning Centres |
Nida Ansari |
Current RA in the lab |
Undergraduate RA
Name |
Current Position |
Brooklyn Clifford |
Unknown |
Brianne Gayfer |
Unknown |
Kelsey Seguin |
MA student at University of Ottawa |
Sage Sezlik |
Unknown |
Oana Bucsea |
PhD student at York University |
Cavan Pollard |
Canadian Armed Forces |
Marie Helene Drolet |
Unknown |
Nereah Felix |
Unknown |
Morgan Oda |
Unknown |
Dyana Castillo |
Unknown |
Samantha Kenny |
Unknown |
Julia Belloni |
Unknown |
Katherine Bailey |
MD/ MSc student at University of Toronto |
Alexandra Moyssakos |
Nursing student at University of Toronto |
Joanne Thieu |
Unknown |
Matthew Polo |
Unknown |
Staff
Name and Position |
Current Position |
Stephanie Dagg, Lab Coordinator |
M.Psych Student at Adler Professional Graduate School, Mobile Mental Health and Addictions Clinician at CMHA |
Kate Lupo-Flewelling, Lab Coordinator |
M.Sc. Student in School and Applied Child Psychology at University of Calgary |
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