Dr. Divya Joshi
Dr. Divya Joshi is a Research Associate for the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact.
Divya received her Ph.D. in Health Research Methodology (Clinical Epidemiology) at McMaster University under the mentorship of Dr. Parminder Raina and Dr. Andrea Gonzalez.
Divya’s overarching area of interest is in examining the associations between exposure to childhood adversity, biopsychosocial resilience, and healthy aging. Divya’s current research focuses on examining pathways linking early life adversity and poor health outcomes including multimorbidity and poor physical and cognitive functioning in an aging population.
Anna DeSimone
Anna DeSimone is the Program Administrator for the Family Violence Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University.
Anna is a graduate of the Medical Office Administration Program at Mohawk College and completed first- and second-year courses at McMaster University.
Her career began in 1997 in the field of mental health where she worked as an Intake Coordinator for 9 years in the outpatient unit at Credit Valley Hospital in the Department of Psychiatry, which lead her to her current position at McMaster University at the Offord Centre for Child Studies.
Anna has taken on various roles in the 23 years working at McMaster. Her first role as a Research Coordinator was for the EDI Program with Dr. Magdalena Janus, with the Implementation of the Full day Kindergarten Program in Ontario, followed by another position as a Project Coordinator for the NFP (Nurse-Family Partnership) Project with Dr. Harriet MacMillan, then as Program Administrator for the VEGA (Violence Evidence Guidance Action ) Project for Dr. Harriet MacMillan.
She is currently the Program Administrator for the Family Violence Research Program working for Dr. Andrea Gonzalez and Dr. Harriet MacMillan on various projects. Her role as a Program Administrator is to coordinate and manage multiple projects and interact with various project team members, faculty and students to ensure the projects stay within their projected timelines. She attends and participates in regular project meetings and provides her skills and experience in the operations and reporting related to the project. Her focus is to provide ongoing administrative support on the day-to-day activities of the program, which include administrative, research and financial budget management and mandatory reporting.
Charlene Attard
Charlene Attard is a Research Coordinator with the STRoNG Families Lab at McMaster University working on the project; Promoting Healthy Families: A Canadian Evaluation of Two Evidence-based Parenting Programs.
Charlene completed her BA in Psychology at Western University and her MSc in Research Methods in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at Swansea University.
Charlene has worked on various research projects related to youth mental health and development at Brock University, the University of Waterloo, and McMaster University. She has extensive experience working with children throughout her past academic, volunteer, and professional roles.
Natalie Harvey-Younis
Natalie is a research coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences.
She graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. Natalie’s research interests focus on how psychological, biological, and social factors influence child and family mental health and development.
Natalie is excited to be joining the research team, where she will be able to combine her passion for research as well as the health promotion of children and families.
Meghan Kenny
Meghan is a Research Coordinator in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact.
A graduate of the MA in Community Psychology program at Wilfrid Laurier University, she has a strong background in program evaluation, program management, and community engagement. She has several years of evaluation experience, ranging from community-based program evaluation to large-scale systematic reviews.
She has contributed to numerous systematic reviews and co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals. She is appreciative of the collaborative atmosphere of STRONG and how the team’s work is enriched by the unique skill set that each member brings.
Jenna Ratcliffe
Jenna Ratcliffe is a Research Coordinator with the STRoNG Families Lab working on the following projects: Promoting Healthy Families: A Canadian Process Evaluation of Two Evidence-based Parenting Programs, Parents Under Pressure: A Feasibility & Acceptability Study of a Program for At-Risk Peri-natal Women, Parenting for Lifelong Health (CHAMPP4KIDS), Acceptability & Feasibility Study of Parenting Tip Sheets in a Canadian Context.
Jenna has been working with marginalized populations through the coordination of health, social and clinical research studies at McMaster University since 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) from the Faculty of Social Sciences and an Associate Certification in Clinical Research (CCRA), both from McMaster University.
Jacinda Burns
Zita de Snoo
Zita is a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Amsterdam and a Master of Science degree in Developmental Psychopathology from Leiden University.
Zita has experience conducting research using brain, questionnaires, and observational measurements. Her latest research focussed on factors underlying resilient functioning in young people during COVID-19.
Simranjit Kaur
Simranjit is a research assistant for the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging Intergenerational Study (MIRA-iGeN).
She recently graduated from the McMaster Honours Life Sciences program where she had the opportunity to thoroughly explore her interests in accelerated aging and neurological disorders.
Simranjit is excited to join the research team and hopes her involvement in research can improve the process of aging and allow for a better quality of life in older individuals.
Sharon Peck-Reid
Sharon is a research assistant with the STRoNG Families Lab at McMaster University working on two studies; Promoting Healthy Families and the McMaster Institute for Aging Intergenerational study (MIRA-iGeN).
She graduated from Fanshawe College with an Advanced Commercial Photography Diploma and continued her education at Sheridan College in Business Management and McMaster University in Business Administration.
Sharon’s background includes 15 years at McMaster University supporting educational and healthcare research groups. She had contributed to guidelines and systematic review database management. At the Offord centre, she creates surveys, online searches, website updates, database management and participant interviews.
Julia Policelli
Julia is a Research Assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University.
Julia holds a Master of Education, specialized in developmental psychology from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. During her studies, she contributed to a meta-analysis examining the impact of abuse and neglect on children’s executive function skills. Also, she has experience supporting neurodiverse learners (ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia) to improve executive function skills in various settings. Julia is passionate about improving lives for children and families through research, policy, and intervention.
Julia is thrilled to join the Promoting Healthy Families team at the Offord Centre for Child Studies working with children and families.
Chamonique Reinemo
Chamonique is a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences.
She graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science, where she majored in Psychology and Criminology & Sociolegal Studies. Chamonique’s education, work, and research experience has focused on how the well-being of families and children is impacted by biological, social, and psychological factors. Her past research experiences include exploring the correlation between neighbourhood markers, and parent-child health outcomes, as well as the divisions in systems designed to support families and children.
Chamonique is delighted to be a part of the Strong Families team and is eager to help improve the lives of children and their families.
Anna Savic
Anna is a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences.
She recently graduated from the University of Toronto with a Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience, minoring in Immunology. She is currently enrolled in the Brain Disorders Management Graduate Certificate program at Mohawk College where she will learn about the range of neurodegenerative disorders, and explore the brain in more depth. Anna’s main research interests vary from wanting to learn more about the effects of psychological, biological, and social factors on an individuals development and aging process, to the physiological effects of Alzheimer’s disease and it’s impact on an individual.
Anna is thrilled to be joining the research team, where she will not only contribute her passion for psychology research but also promote healthy living for adults and families.
Nancy Selman
Nancy is a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences.
She obtained her MD degree from Tishreen University, Syria. In 2016, she completed her Autism and Behavioral Science Diploma from Mohawk college, as well as completed her Certified Clinical Research Associate Program at McMaster University.
She has had the opportunity to work at Offord center for child study and be a part of different research projects like the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopment Disorders network POND and PATHWAY. She also worked in a multicenter RCT TIDE (Tiduglusibe) study.
Nancy is enthusiastic to be a part of the team and be able to continue working in research as she is eager to make an impact in improving the lives of children and their families.
Emily Xu
Emily is a recent graduate of McMaster University with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour.
During her undergraduate studies, she developed a strong interest in the psychological and sociological influences on children and family development. Her interests include analyzing family dynamics, facilitating healthier relationships, and improving overall mental health in the household. She is also interested in researching preventative and mitigative interventions to promote the positive development of the broader community.
She is elated to be a part of the Strong Families Team and to lend her efforts to the research mission to improve the quality of life in the surrounding community!
Venessa Yeung
Venessa is a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences.
She graduated with an Honours B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, where she double majored in Psychology and Criminology & Sociolegal Studies.
Venessa’s research interests focus on how child and family mental health and well-being is impacted by biological, social, and psychological factors. Her past research experiences have focused on these areas, as well as exploring the correlations between material deprivation, neighbourhood markers, and parent and child health outcomes.
Venessa is excited to be joining the research team where she can continue contributing to research that will help improve health outcomes for children and families.
Annie Beatty
Annie is a Senior Research Consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University.
She graduated in 2020 with an Honours BASc in Human Behaviour from McMaster University, where her research focused on child development and executive functioning in preschool children as she began working at the Offord Centre for Child Studies. Annie has worked on the Family Check-Up Canada and STRoNG families teams, where she has contributed to a multitude of studies evaluating the efficacy and feasibility of various parenting programs.
Annie is currently a MA Student in the School and Applied Child Psychology program at Western University, where her research focuses primarily on inclusive education. Her time at the Offord Centre has shaped her research interests in promoting resiliency in educational contexts, while considering a systems approach to evaluate the importance of family, culture and neurodiversity in children’s academic performance.
Annie is thrilled to pursue her passion in working with educators, children and caregivers, while continuing her role with STRoNG families and contributing to the meaningful research being conducted by the team.
Jazzmin Demy
Jazzmin is a Research Consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences.
She graduated with her B.A.Sc with a double major in Child, Youth, and Family and Psychology from the University of Guelph, where she focused her research on youth mental health and family relationships.
Since graduating, she has had the opportunity to conduct research at hospital and community-based settings focusing on social-emotional and developmental outcomes for children and youth experiencing mental health concerns and early adversity, improving family relationships, examining risk and resilience factors, and evaluating parenting interventions.
Other research projects include brain imaging and cost-effectiveness studies as well as investigating symptom and functioning outcomes. Jazzmin is excited to be a part of the team and to continue conducting research she is passionate about in order to improve the lives of children, youth, and their families.
