Meet the Team
Jennifer Gordon, PhD, RD Psych
Dr. Jennifer Gordon (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Regina, and director of the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit. She is currently a Tier II Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canada Research Chair in Reproductive Mental Health.
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Dr. Gordon is dedicated to advancing the identification, prevention, and treatment of mental health conditions uniquely affecting women. She is published in some of the world’s top mental health journals, including JAMA Psychiatry and the American Journal of Psychiatry. Her research is well-funded by CIHR, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and the Saskatchewan Center for Patient-Oriented Research.
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Dr. Gordon 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.
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Ashley Balsom
Ashley (she/her) has been involved with the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit since September 2018.​
Her current research focuses on exploring evidence-based interventions adapted for women experiencing infertility, exploring women's coping and resiliency when experiencing infertility, and the influence of infertility on sexual function. She is dedicated to exploring the impact of reproductive experiences on genders experiencing marginalization and identifying protective and resiliency factors.
Ashley is particularly interested in reproductive transitions in individuals' lives (e.g., peripartum, infertility, menopause). She is currently a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral fellow. ​
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Ms. Balsom is always looking out for opportunities to collaborate on projects or mentor undergraduate students interested in clinical psychology or passionate about reproductive research.
Bethany Sander
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).
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Megan Poulter
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 the family planning and reproductive decision-making process.
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 controlled 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!"
Maija Kiviharju
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).
Christine Bueno
Christine Bueno (she/her) is completing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina. Prior to joining the Reproductive Mood Disorder Research Unit as a student in 2023, she worked in the lab as a research assistant for two years. In her current doctoral research, she aims to examine the cognitive distortions that occur in premenstrual mood disorders. She also will test a pilot program designed to alleviate symptoms for people living with premenstrual mood disorders.
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Christine completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Science in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina. In her Honours thesis, Christine examined the efficacy of a self-directed, online, self-compassion, and mindfulness-based intervention (Mind-OP) in reducing levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Her master’s thesis included an additional module to Mind-OP that targeted feelings of connectedness (Mind-OP+). For her master’s research, she examined the efficacy of Mind-OP+ in increasing feelings of connectedness.
Although Christine’s Honours and Master’s research was incredibly rewarding and stimulating, she ultimately decided to pursue her passion for reproductive mental health for her doctoral research, under the supervision of Dr. Gordon. As a feminist, Christine believes it is important to increase awareness and treatment options for reproductive mental health issues that impact cis women, trans people, non-binary people, and two-spirit people.
Christine’s research has been funded by Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR).
Sarah Gulash
Sarah (she/her) is the Research Coordinator for the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit. She is assisting with data collection for a project investigating the relationship between neurosteroid fluctuation and mood during perimenopause and a randomized clinical trial of our Coping with Infertility Self-Help Program.
She completed her Bachelor of Science Honours in Psychology in May 2023 and her honours thesis examined the individual differences that impact perceptions of Mindfulness-Based Interventions.
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Outside of the lab, Sarah is currently conducting a study investigating the relationship between Rapid Eye Movement Behaviour Disorder, cognitive functioning, and the side of symptom onset in Parkinson’s Disease. Sarah’s research interests include aging, neurodegenerative diseases, neuroimaging, women's health, and the relationship between hormone fluctuations and mental health.
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When she is not in the lab, you can find Sarah reading, listening to podcasts, or finding a new workout class to try!
Taryn Wahl
Taryn (they/she/he) has a minor in biology and spent years working as an educator for a sexual health clinic, which drew them to Dr. Gordon's work. Thanks to the University of Regina Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' Undergraduate Research Award, Taryn is currently a research assistant for the Coping With Infertility randomized clinical trial.
They recently completed an honours project within the lab exploring sexual and relationship satisfaction among individuals with infertility. They are interested in reproductive health care experiences, community-based research, sexuality, and relationships.
Alumni
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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