Meet the Team

Jennifer Gordon, PhD, RD Psych

Dr. Jennifer Gordon (she/her) is the director of the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit, a registered clinical psychologist, and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Regina (UofR). Since 2018, she has been a Tier II Canada Research Chair in the Biopsychosocial Determinants of Women's Mental Health.

Dr. Gordon is dedicated to advancing the identification, prevention, and treatment of mental health conditions uniquely affecting women and people assigned female at birth. Her work has been published in some of the world’s top mental health journals, including JAMA Psychiatry, the American Journal of Psychiatry, and The Lancet Psychiatry.

Her research is well-funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), and the Saskatchewan Center for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR).

She is also the clinical advisory chair of the International Association of Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD), a non-profit organization that provides peer support, education, research, and advocacy for people with premenstrual disorders.

Jennifer.Gordon@uregina.ca

Publications

Sneha Chenji, PhD

Sneha (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow at the UofR. She has a diverse research background with expertise in neuroimaging, neurostimulation, and investigating brain-behaviour relationships. She's developed a growing curiosity around the potential role hormones play in brain-related biomarkers and brain stimulation treatment. She was determined to gain additional training in psychoneuroendocrinology, which led her to join the RMHRU in May 2023!

Her research involves analyzing the psychological effects of ovarian hormones in the reproductive lifespan, such as during the menopause transition. She is also involved with exciting projects to develop mental health programs in collaboration with the patient-led non-profit organization, IAPMD. In the future, Sneha would love to bring together her prior expertise in neuroimaging and brain stimulation, and her current training in psychoneuroendocrinology, to improve neuroimaging biomarkers and brain stimulation treatments in psychiatric populations.

In addition to her research interests, Sneha is passionate about patient-centered knowledge dissemination. She works as an independent contractor for IAPMD, leading research and education efforts for patients with lived experience of premenstrual disorders such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of other disorders. She will be engaging in conversations around various reproductive conditions and mental health through her soon-to-launch podcast "Bring UR Teal!".

Sneha's research has been funded by the Guiding interdisciplinary Research On Women’s and girl’s health and Well-being (GROWW) program through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Bethany Sander, MSc

Beth (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina and has been involved in the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit since 2019. Beth researches the hormonal mechanisms and psychosocial factors contributing to mood disorders during reproductive transitions and is passionate about women’s mental health. She is currently studying mechanisms underlying depression during the menopause transition. She also has clinical interests in these areas including learning more about evidence-based psychological interventions targeting these mental health concerns.

Her studies have been funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR), and the Guiding interdisciplinary Research On Women’s and girl’s health and Well-being (GROWW) program through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Publications

Megan Poulter, MSc

Starting in September 2024, Megan (she/her) will be in the first year of her PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research focuses primarily on reproductive psychology, an area of research and practice dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being throughout family planning and reproductive decision-making.

Megan completed her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Psychology in May 2022. She also completed a minor in Family Studies that included extensive exploration of contemporary issues facing families in diverse contexts, and her undergraduate thesis examined social cooperation and depression in adolescents assigned female at birth.

For her Master's thesis, Megan conducted a randomized clinical trial exploring the effect of a short-term cognitive-behavioural intervention on mental health outcomes, quality of life, and relationship satisfaction in adults assigned female at birth and experiencing infertility. She plans to expand on this work in her PhD, by further exploring the family planning experiences of gender- and sexually-diverse individuals.

If you want to start a conversation with Megan, ask her about her cats (J.R.R. Tolkitten, George R.R. Meowtin, and C.S. Mewis), what book she's reading, or what she's knitting!"

May Ly, MSc

May (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the U of R. She has research experience spanning various psychosocial factors of mental health, including body image, trauma, and rural/remote care. Within the RMHRU, she is involved in designing and testing a novel self-guided program for premenstrual mood disorders. Her doctoral research focuses on examining suicidality and self-harm in populations affected by such disorders.

Professionally, May has a background in helping people with complex health and social needs navigate systems—such as health, housing, justice, and family services—through an integrative case management approach. Her research is guided by increasing understanding of the needs of underserved populations and creating supports that address these needs.

May’s research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Maija Kiviharju, BSc

Maija Kiviharju (she/her) is a second year Master's student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Regina. Under the supervision of Dr. Gordon, Maija's ongoing thesis research investigates the utility of the Coping with Infertility self-help program on the partners of those who complete it. She is also examining approaches to optimizing the program for men and other non-gestational partners.

Likewise, Maija's research interests pertain to reproductive events and parenting experiences, specifically the psychosocial aspects of infertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. She also has an affinity for family dynamics and the interplay between biological factors (e.g., hormones) and mood.

In the spring of 2023, Maija achieved a Bachelor of Science Honours degree with a Psychology major and a Biology minor. Having completed her undergraduate/honours studies at the University of Regina under the supervision of Dr. Jeff Loucks, Maija feels fortunate to be a member of the U of R's academic community, which she hopes will continue in her upcoming doctoral studies.

To date, Maija's studies have been funded by Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR).

Taryn Wahl, BSc

Taryn (they/she/he) is the research coordinator for the RMHRU and completed their Bachelor of Science Honours in psychology with a minor in biology in May 2024. They spent four years working as an educator for a sexual health clinic, which drew them to Dr. Gordon's work. Thanks to the U of R Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' Undergraduate Research Award, Taryn spent the summer of 2024 as a research assistant for the Coping With Infertility RCT.

They are interested in reproductive hormone mood sensitivity, health care experiences, community-based research, and gender/sexual/relationship diversity. They recently completed an honours project within the lab exploring sexual and relationship satisfaction among individuals with infertility. Taryn is currently assisting graduate students with their research projects on PMDD and perimenopausal mental health.

When not glued to a computer screen in the lab, Taryn can be found listening to music, taking dance classes, or lifting heavy weights at the gym!

Venezya Thorsteinson

Venezya (she/her) is a new volunteer with the RMRHU, interviewing participants for our Coping With Infertility randomized clinical trial and creating social media posts. She also volunteers at family support groups at the I Love You More Wellness Centre. Venezya recently became the research coordinator for Dr. Natasha Gallant's Aging, Residents, Caregivers (ARC) research lab.

Venezya is in her last year of a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at the U of R. During the 2023-2024 school year, she completed an undergraduate honours thesis investigating the relationship between mental health outcomes, gender-based discrimination, and migraines among women. Her research interests are related to health psychology, and specifically, how pain-related disorders, psychological wellbeing, and individual differences play influence women's overall health.

Aamina Tauqeer

Aamina (she/her) is an undergraduate psychology student at the U of R and one of Dr. Gordon's honours students for 2025 - 2026. Thanks to a summer scholarship from NSERC, she is currently working on a research proposal to monitor physiological and psychological changes throughout the menstrual cycle using smart ring technology.

Alumni

Hannah Odaware, Honours Student, 2024-2025
Duncan Preston, Honours Student and Research Assistant, 2023 - 2025
Ashley Balsom, Master's and Doctoral Student, 2018 - 2024
Sarah Gulash, Lab Coordinator, 2023 - 2024
Anas Arwini, Honours Student, 2022 - 2023
Zona Iftikhar, Honours Student, 2021 - 2022
Sonia Stanger, Honours Student, 2021 - 2022
Maria Halleran, Master's Student, 2020 - 2022
Shalini Venkat, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
Sabrina Lybeck, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
Minhal Mussawar, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
Caleigh Showchuk, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
Loveness Dube, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2019 - 2021
Andie Chernoff, Honours Student, 2018 - 2019
Julie Ziemer, Honours Student, 2017 - 2018
Tianna Sauer, Honours Student, 2017 - 2018
Julia Grummisch, Ph.D. Student, 2016 - 2021
Ashley Ethier, Master's Student, 2016 - 2018
Rashell Wozniak, Honours Student, 2016 - 2017
Alexis Peltier, Honours Student, 2015 - 2016