Dr. Megan Ames
Dr. Ames’ research is centered on understanding how and why mental health concerns (e.g., depression) are associated with health-related symptoms and behaviours from early adolescence into young adulthood. This developmental period has been identified as being at-risk for declines in both mental health and health behaviours. Embedded within developmental psychopathology and life course health approaches, her research uses longitudinal, person-centered, and intensive repeated methods to enhance our understanding of the dynamic associations between mental health, health behaviours, and health risks in adolescent and young adult samples. The goal of her research is to identify how health behaviour strategies may be incorporated into mental health treatments to create effective prevention and intervention efforts that reduce associated health risks and promote well-being among adolescents and young adults. She also holds research interests related to supporting autistic students in postsecondary settings.
As a scientist-practitioner, she provides client-centered psychological services to children, adolescents, and their families presenting with a wide range of concerns.
Dr. Kristina Gicas
Dr. Gicas completed her graduate training in Clinical Neuropsychology at Simon Fraser University under the supervision of Dr. Allen Thornton, and a Pre-Doctoral Residency with the London Clinical Psychology Residency Consortium. She obtained further training as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. William Honer and Dr. William Panenka. Currently, Dr. Gicas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University where she conducts multidisciplinary clinical neuroscience research, trains masters and doctoral-level graduate students, and teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses. Dr. Gicas is actively involved in the Canadian Psychological Association as Past Chair of the Clinical Neuropsychology Section. She is also a licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist in Ontario.
Dr. Sam Liu
Dr. Sam Liu is an Associate Professor from the Department of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education. Dr. Liu joined the department in 2017 after completing a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles and has been a research fellow with the Centre for Youth & Society ever since. Dr. Liu is the director of the Digital Health Lab. Dr. Liu also received the Emerging Scholar Award from the University of Victoria in 2020.
Dr. Liu’s research focuses on using digital technology to promote health and well-being for individuals of all ages. A large portion of Dr. Liu’s work centres around the prevention of obesity in children and family-based interventions with an emphasis on physical activity. In addition to child and family-focused projects, Dr. Liu also does research on exercise habits and physical activity in adult populations. Dr. Liu has also done research on cellphone policies and use in middle school with CFYS research fellow Dr. Ulrich Mueller and on youth suicide with CFYS research fellow Dr. Brianna Turner.
Dr. Stuart MacDonald
Dr. MacDonald’s research is conducted primarily within two research traditions: individual differences in cognitive aging and the cognitive neuroscience of aging. He examines patterns and predictors of cognitive decline in the healthy elderly, as well as for the developmental transition between primary and secondary aging (e.g., accelerated memory loss due to morbidity). In particular, he is interested in the early identification of risk factors (genetic, biological, psychological) that foreshadow cognitive impairment associated with age, dementia onset, and subsequent death.
Recent avenues of investigation have focused upon the early identification of those at risk for cognitive and functional decline, paying particular attention to lifestyle interventions (e.g., walking, social singing) that may delay or prevent memory changes with increasing age. His programmatic research continues to explore performance variability, or inconsistency, in (a) behavioural cognitive function (e.g., fluctuations across response latency trials), (b) physiological function (e.g., gait), as well as (c) brain function (e.g., neural variability indexed using fNIRS or fMRI). Findings from his research lab suggest that variability in response profiles may be more sensitive than mean performance for early identification of those at risk of cognitive decline, dementia, or death. Many of these investigations employ novel longitudinal research designs (e.g., intensive repeated measures designs) as well as various statistical techniques for the analysis of change.
Dr. Jonathan Rush
Dr. Rush’s research focuses on the day-to-day experiences of health and well-being, and the many personal and contextual factors (e.g., physical activity, stress, mindfulness, engagement) that influence these daily fluctuations in our health and well-being. His research utilizes intensive longitudinal designs to improve measurement of both within-person processes and between-person differences in health and well-being, and to address important questions of individual change and variation over multiple timescales across the lifespan. Leveraging mobile and wearable technology, we are now able to capture individual data with the level of precision and accuracy necessary to account for the daily ups and downs in our well-being experiences and enhance prediction of both short- and long-term changes in health status. I also have a strong interest in advanced methodological approaches to address patterns of change over multiple timescales (e.g., Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling).
Dr. Brianna Turner
Dr. Turner’s research focuses on understanding when and why some people engage in risky or self-damaging behaviors, including non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, disordered eating, substance abuse, and aggression. She uses longitudinal and micro-longitudinal (e.g., daily diaries; ecological momentary assessment) methods to understand the emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal contingencies that influence these behaviors as they unfold over hours, days, months and years. The goal of this research is to improve our ability to predict and prevent self-damaging behaviors.
Clinically, she is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Her clinical work focuses on helping adolescents and adults learn to effectively manage emotions, relationships, and risky behaviors. She has extensive experience in the delivery of evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), as well as in the assessment and management of suicidal behavior.