Research Assistants
Helen Liu
Research Coordinator
Helen graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Psychology from McGill University in spring 2022. She joined the lab in March 2023 because of her interest in parent-child attachment and adolescent mental health. Through her previous research and work experiences, she has become deeply passionate about trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive care, specifically for underrepresented populations. Helen will be beginning her MA in Counselling Psychology at SFU in the Fall of 2023.
Email: helen_liu_4@sfu.ca
Bonnie Vu
Senior Research Assistant
Anh-Thu (Bonnie) Vu moved to Vancouver in 2017 and completed her BA in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Counseling in June 2022. She joined the Adolescent Health Lab as a senior research assistant this Spring 2023. In addition, she is a research assistant in Dr. Grace Iarocci’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab and works as a Child and Youth support worker at Developmental Disabilities Association. Bonnie plans to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests include developmental disabilities, attachment, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), affective disorders, and adolescent mental health.
Email: bonnie_vu_2@sfu.ca
Dara Penner
Research Assistant
Dara is currently completing a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Counselling and Human Development. Additionally, Dara is a research assistant in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab, directed by Dr. Grace Iarocci. Her research interests include attachment and attachment-based treatment, developmental disabilities, developmental psychopathology, affect regulation, and adolescent mental health. Dara plans to complete a B.A. (Hons) and pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology.
Ryan Smith
Research Assistant
Ryan completed his Honours in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Marlene Moretti, studying the influence of father's emotion suppression and mindful parenting on adolescent–father attachment security. He plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology. In his spare time he chases his three young children around the house. You can contact him at ryan_smith@sfu.ca.
Rowan Heseltine
Research Assistant
Rowan graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in Psychology Spring 2023 and joined the Adolescent Health Lab shortly after. Prior to her studies, Rowan worked as an Educational Assistant supporting children and youth with complex needs and disabilities and is now working with vulnerable women and families transitioning to safer housing. She is passionate about understanding mental health in a societal context and is looking forward to expanding her knowledge to inspire her future studies.
Anna Kristen, M.Sc.
Research Associate
Anna graduated with a M.Sc. in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice from University College London and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in 2021.Following graduation, Anna joined the Adolescent Health Lab. Anna additionally works as a research assistant at B.C. Children’s Hospital within the Brain, Behaviour, and Development program under the supervision of Dr. Amrit Dhariwal. Anna plans to pursue further graduate studies in clinical psychology. Her research interests include attachment, mentalization, developmental psychopathology, and child maltreatment.
Christine Church
Lab Coordinator
Christine graduated from Temple University, Philadelphia in 2015 with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology (Hons) and a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience. Shortly after graduation, Christine joined the Adolescent Health Lab in 2016. She completed her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2022 from the University of Alberta and is a registered Occupational Therapist in B.C. Her interests include integrated functional health, adaptive mechanisms, holistic approaches to well-being, and intervention science.
Alumni
Alana Pace
Alejandra Saldana
Michelle Korlacka
Mari del Casal
Emily Thornton
Cassia McIntyre
Brooke Davis