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.
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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).
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She is chair of the University of Regina Research Ethics board and 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.
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Gianna Zorzini, PhD
Gianna Zorzini (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Regina. Her research focuses on how biopsychosocial factors contribute to mood disorders during reproductive transitions across the lifespan, with the overarching goal of advancing prevention and treatment. For her doctoral thesis, she examined (epi-)genetic markers of estrogen receptor genes and their association with depressive symptoms during the perinatal period. Currently, she is investigating patterns of substance use across the menstrual cycle.
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Her studies have 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).
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Bethany Sander, MSc
Beth (she/her) is a PhD 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).
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Megan Poulter, MSc
Starting in September 2025, Megan (she/her) will be in the second 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.
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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.
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) or what book she's reading!
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, MSc
Maija Kiviharju (she/her) is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the U of R. Under the supervision of Dr. Gordon, Maija's Master's thesis investigated 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.
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).
Venezya Thorsteinson, BA Hons
Venezya (she/her) is a first-year Master’s student in Clinical Psychology, currently working on a project investigating PMD education in medical residency programs. She previously helped interview participants for our Coping With Infertility randomized clinical trial and our Qualitative Investigation of Perimenopausal Depression.
Prior to joining the lab, Venezya worked as the research coordinator for Dr. Natasha Gallant’s Aging, Residents, and Caregivers (ARC) Research Unit for the 2024-2025 academic year. In addition, Venezya was awarded a Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research Undergraduate Research Award (UGRA) for the summer of 2025 to continue working with Dr. Gallant.
At the 2025 spring convocation, Venezya received her Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Regina. Venezya’s honours thesis, supervised by Dr. Natasha Gallant, investigated the relationship between mental health outcomes, gender-based discrimination, and migraines among women. Similarly, her research interests are related to health psychology, specifically, how pain-related disorders, psychological wellbeing, and individual differences influence women's overall health. Therefore, Venezya is grateful to join the RMHRU and she is looking forward to furthering her research experience through development of her Master’s thesis.
Taryn Wahl, BSc Hons
Taryn (they/she/he) is the research coordinator for the RMHRU and completed their Bachelor of Science with honours in psychology and 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. Their honours project explored sexual and relationship satisfaction among participants in the Coping With Infertility trial.
Taryn is a first-year master's student in the Experimental and Applied Psychology program, supervised by Dr. Sarah Sangster. They are interested in reproductive hormone mood sensitivity, health care experiences, community-based research, and gender/sexual/relationship diversity. Taryn is currently assisting with the lab's research projects on premenstrual mood symptoms.
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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!
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Aamina Tauqeer
Aamina Tauqeer (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate psychology student at the U of R and one of Dr. Gordon's honours students for 2025 - 2026. She is working towards a Bachelor of Science with Honours in psychology and a minor in biology. Her honours project aims to empower people with premenstrual disorders, by exploring the acceptability of a daily symptom report and empowerment toolkit among individuals with severe premenstrual symptoms, while also utilizing smart ring technology. In addition, Aamina was awarded an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) for summer 2025 to prepare her research proposal.
When she’s not working on research or classes, Aamina enjoys spending time outdoors, playing basketball, and reading!
Loujane Zwai
Loujane (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in biochemistry. After taking Dr. Gordon's course on women's reproductive mood disorders, Loujane became interested in promoting awareness of premenstrual disorders and providing resources to help alleviate their symptoms. She is currently one of Dr. Gordon's honours students for 2025 - 2026 and is working on The Premenstrual Empowerment Study: Testing the Acceptability of a Daily Symptom Report and Premenstrual Empowerment Toolkit Among Individuals with Severe Premenstrual Symptoms.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, knitting, collecting vinyl records, and volunteering in different communities within the city!
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Alumni
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Sneha Chenji, Postdoctoral Student, 2023 - 2025
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Hannah Odaware, Honours Student, 2024 - 2025
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Duncan Preston, Honours Student and Research Assistant, 2023 - 2025
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Ashley Balsom, Master's and Doctoral Student, 2018 - 2024
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Sarah Gulash, Lab Coordinator, 2023 - 2024
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Anas Arwini, Honours Student, 2022 - 2023
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Zona Iftikhar, Honours Student, 2021 - 2022
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Sonia Stanger, Honours Student, 2021 - 2022
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Maria Halleran, Master's Student, 2020 - 2022
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Shalini Venkat, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
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Sabrina Lybeck, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
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Minhal Mussawar, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
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Caleigh Showchuk, Honours Student, 2020 - 2021
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Loveness Dube, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2019 - 2021
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Andie Chernoff, Honours Student, 2018 - 2019
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Julie Ziemer, Honours Student, 2017 - 2018
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Tianna Sauer, Honours Student, 2017 - 2018
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Julia Grummisch, Ph.D. Student, 2016 - 2021
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Ashley Ethier, Master's Student, 2016 - 2018
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Rashell Wozniak, Honours Student, 2016 - 2017
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Alexis Peltier, Honours Student, 2015 - 2016