Graduate Students

 

Aidan O’Callahan, BA (Hons.)

Aidan is a second year Master of Arts student in the Clinical Psychology program under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes. Aidan hopes to work as a Clinical Psychologist in rural communities and plans on teaching at the university level. His passion for policy work and preventative strategies will certainly lead to some exciting collaborations down the road.

 

Kristin Zentner

Kristen is a first year Master of Arts student in the Clinical Psychology program under the supervision of Dr. Lutes.

Anne Tseu, MA

Anne is a PhD student in the Clinical Psychology gradate program under the supervision of Dr. Wirtz. She is interested in cross-cultural research, acculturation, immigration, well-being, and happiness.

Chloe Briggs, MA

Chloe is a PhD candidate in the Clinical Psychology program under the supervision of Dr. Derrick Wirtz. She is in her final year of her clinical training and is currently completing her clinical residency at the Edmonton Consortium Clinical Psychology Program. Chloe's research broadly includes all things positive psychology, including understanding the mechanisms that either promote or subjective and psychological well-being. Chloe is in the process of writing her dissertation, which focuses on ways in which individuals engage with social media and what it does for their well-being. Chloe is passionate about preventative mental health, and aspires to work in a primary care setting where mental health concerns are be addressed early on.

Alex Fountaine, BSc (Hons.)

Alex is a second year Master of Arts student in the Clinical Psychology program under the supervision of Dr. Lutes.

 

Emily Bissonnette, BA (Hons.)

Emily is a second year Master of Arts student in the Clinical Psychology program under the supervision of Dr. Lutes.

Marcus Gottlieb, MA

Marcus is a fourth year Clinical Psychology PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Lougheed. His research interests are in fathers’ experiences in parenting adolescents; parent-adolescent relationships; gender differences in parenting; conflict with the family system. Marcus is our new Mental Health Equity Fellow, supported by a partnership between the Barber Endowment Fund & BC Psychological Association.

 

Gizem Keskin, MSc

Gizem is a PhD student in the Psychological Science graduate program under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Lougheed. Her research interests are parent-adolescent dynamics, adolescent development, and emotion regulation. Gizem’s graduate research assistantship is under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes as she coordinates the CORE’s formal Program Evaluation of Emergency Departments in collaboration with Interior Health.

 

Undergraduate Students

 

Morgan Begg

Morgan graduated in the Spring of 2024 with her BA in Psychology at The University of Victoria. She completed the first year of her undergrad at The University of British Columbia (Okanagan) and began volunteering in the CORE in summer 2023. Morgan continues to assist with data collection for our Interior Health program evaluation virtually from the island! She hopes to pursue a Masters of Counselling Psychology. Her interests are mental health and well-being, psychotherapy, and clinical intervention.

Nurin Izzati SB

Nurin is currently conducting a year-long directed study in the lab. Her work will be related to the Interior Health Suicide Screening program evaluation.

Geetika Sadarangani

Geetika recently graduated with her honours in psychology. She completed her honours undergraduate thesis in the 2023-24 academic term under Dr. Jessica Lougheed. Her long term goals include a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests are social psychology, positive psychology, psychopathology and psychotherapy.

Emily Thompson

Emily is a third year BSc Psychology major. She joined the CORE as a volunteer undergraduate research assistant in the fall of 2023. Her long term goals are to receive a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests lie in the area of health psychology, social relationships, neuropsychology, and lifespan development.

 

Geneviève Lagrange

Geneviève Lagrange recently graduated with her BA in Psychology. Gen started volunteering in the CORE over the summer of 2023 and has been crucial in assisting with data collection for our Interior Health program evaluation. Her interests include psychopathology, psychotherapy, and mental wellbeing.

 
 

Research Coordinator

 

Lacey Dickson, BA (Hons)

Lacey just graduated in the spring of 2024 from the University of British Columbia (Okanagan campus), with a BA (Hons) in Psychology. She completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Lutes, which explored perceived barriers to receiving mental health care on campus and student perspectives regarding integrated primary care in the Student Health Clinic.

 
 

Alumni

Undergraduate

Graduate

Megumi Iyar, PhD

In Spring 2022, Megumi completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Spring 2022, Dr. Lesley Lutes. Her dissertation research was conducted on clinical training in integrated primary care for Canadian Clinical Psychology graduate students.

Stefanie Ciszewski, PhD

In Spring 2022, Stefanie completed PhD in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes. She conducted her dissertation research on a novel adaptation of Small Changes which incorporated elements of positive psychology at intervention outset to improve treatment readiness (INSPIRE). She completed her predoctoral residency at ___. She is currently working ___.

Ashley Felske, MA

Ashley just completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at UBC Okanagan under the supervision of Dr. Lutes. Ashley’s studies are funded by an Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Entrance Award and a Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master’s from CIHR.

Carmela White, PhD

In August 2020, Carmela completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Drs. Lutes and Wirtz. She worked on several projects related to positive psychology (i.e., ENHANCE), healthy weight management, and assessing the validity of a self-monitoring nutritional intake tool. Currently, Carmella is a practicing Clinical Health Psychologist in an injury/pain clinic as part of a inter-professional team..

J. May Kannipayor
PhD, Clinical Psychology

Marina Le
PhD, Clinical Psychology

Damian Leitner
PhD, Clinical Psychology

Drew Declerk
PhD, Clinical Psychology

Caitlin Arnall
BA (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Wirtz

Brooke Dudley
BSc (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Lutes

Paul Lutz
BA (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Wirtz

Chelsea Bicknell

Taylor McCreary

Soule Cretney

Mirella Ramsey

 

Parres Holliday

BSc (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Krautner

Karah Hopgood
BSc (Hons.), Biochemistry Supervisor: Dr. Lutes & Dr. DiLabio

Braxtyn Horbay
BSc (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Lutes

Milo Avey
BA (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Wirtz

Denika Widmer
BSc (Hons.), Psychology Supervisor: Dr. Lutes

Ali Caldwell
BA (Hons.), Psychology