Graduate Students
Stefanie Ciszewski
BA Honours, University of Ottawa
MA, University of New Brunswick
Stefanie is a PhD student in the clinical psychology graduate program at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan. Her research interests are within the field of health psychology and behavioural medicine with a specific focus on behavioural intervention and prevention programs for healthy weight management.
Chloe Briggs
BSc. University of Toronto
MA, University of British Columbia - Okanaga
Chloe is a second year PhD student in the clinical psychology graduate program. Her research interests are in the area of positive psychology; specifically, mindfulness, self-compassion, emotion-regulation, and subjective and psychological well-being
ashley Felske
BA Honours, University of Calgary
Ashley is a second year master’s student in the clinical psychology program at UBC Okanagan. She has experience with disordered eating and bariatric surgery research. Her current research interests within health psychology are sustainable health behaviour change, weight management, and body image. 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.
Megumi M. Iyar, MA
Doctoral Candidate in Clinical psychology
Chair, Student Section – Eating Disorders Association of Canada
Megumi is interested in collaborative care and factors that promote change with the aim of improving adherence to treatment across the weight spectrum.
ANNE TSEU, MA
BA Honours, Mount Royal University
MA, University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Anne is a PhD student in the clinical psychology gradate program at UBCO. She is interested in cross-cultural research, acculturation, immigration, well-being, and happiness.
UnderGraduate Students
Alex Fountaine, BsC (hons)
Alex graduated in June 2021 with her BSc (Hons) in Psychology. She completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes, in which she examined the utility of virtual “warm handoff” in integrated primary care. She is currently working as the CORE’s Clinical Research Coordinator. Her research interests are within health psychology; specifically, integrated care, behavioural medicine, chronic conditions (e.g., IBD, diabetes, chronic pain), knowledge translation, and healthcare policy reform.
Volunteer Research Assistants
Karah Hopgood
Sherry Hannah
Alexa Rysen
Isabella Panagos
CORE Alumni
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Carmela White, PhD
In August 2020, I completed my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at UBC Okanagan, where Drs Lutes and Wirtz supervised me. During my time working in the CORE, I worked on several projects related to positive psychology (i.e., developing, implementing, and testing the effectiveness of a well-being intervention (ENHANCE)). Additionally, I worked on research projects related to healthy weight management and assessing the validity of a self-monitoring nutritional intake tool. Currently, I am working through the registration and licensing process in Alberta to become a clinical and health psychologist. I have also secured employment working in an injury/pain clinic as part of a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, naturopaths, and massage therapists.
Undergraduate Students
Emily Bissonnette, BA(hons), BHSc, RMT
Emily is a fourth-year psychology student at UBCO. She completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Wirtz, where they investigated the effects of a two-week online self-compassion intervention. She is currently researching perceptions of various wellbeing factors in relation to social media use. Other research interests include topics in health psychology such as stress and heart rate variability.
KARAH HOPGOOD
Karah is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan campus), pursuing a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Minor in Psychology. In the spring of 2021, she completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes and Dean Gino DiLabio, which explored resting metabolic rate (RMR) trajectories within the Small Changes program.
Caitlin Arnall
Caitlin is a fifth-year undergraduate student at UBC Okanagan, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Psychology. She completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Derrick Wirtz in 2021. Her research used the experiential sampling method to explore the presence of social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on subjective well-being. Her other research interests include health psychology (e.g., sexual well-being), sexual health education, harm reduction intervention strategies, and public policy reform.
Braxtyn Horbay, Bsc (hons)
Braxtyn graduated from UBC Okanagan in December 2020 with her BSc (Hons) Psychology degree. She completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes, where she examined qualitative experiences of weight stigma and perceived barriers to treatment for obesity. Braxtyn also worked as a Research Assistant in the CORE Lab. She is currently working towards her MSc degree in School & Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary.
Chelsea Bicknell
Chelsea graduated from UBC Okanagan in April 2021 with her BA. Psychology degree. She is completed her directed study under the supervision of Dr. Derrick Wirtz, where she is examining how news consumption through social media affects well-being. She is also currently working as a Research Assistant in the Subjective Well-Being Lab. Chelsea is motivated to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology, to one day practice as a Registered Psychologist.
Ali Caldwell, BA (Hons)
Ali completed her BA Honours in Psychology in 2019. She worked as a research assistant in the CORE Lab and assisted on many projects, most recently working on the Eminence Cluster, a funded community health project. She is now in her second year of her Master’s Degree in Social Work at UBC Okanagan.
Brooke Dudley, BSc (Hons)
Brooke completed her BSc Honours in Psychology in 2019 at UBC Okanagan. She conducted her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Lutes, where she investigated the use of a modified dietary monitoring app in a weight management intervention. She was a research assistant on many projects, and after graduation, she was the CORE’s Clinical Research Coordinator for one year. She is currently working towards her MD at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.
Joanna Garcia, BSc (Hons)
Joanna completed her Bachelor’s of Science degree at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus majoring in Psychology. She conducted research for her honours thesis about the relationship between social media and well-being. Her areas of interest are within psychology include well-being, as well as forensics, and psychopathology.
Milo Avey (They/Them)
Milo graduated from the psychology program at UBCO in the summer of 2020. They are currently studying clinical psychology at the University of Regina with a focus on institutional betrayal trauma.
Paul Lutz, Ba (hons)
Paul completed his BA Honours in psychology in 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Derrick Wirtz. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in psychology at Carleton University. His interests include ecological momentary assessment methods, pro-environmental behaviour, climate change anxiety, and well-being.
Damian Leitner
Danika Quesnel
Drew Declerk
Liam King
Marina Le
Taylor McCreary
Kaylee Cunningham
Nathaniel Grinham
Jagandip Sidhu
Clerissa Copeland