MEET THE RESEARCH TEAM
We are a diverse team of clinicians and researchers who are united in our passion for understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of trauma and mental health symptoms. We are committed to enhancing the understanding of evidence-based, neuroscience-informed, mind-body approaches to support people’s wellbeing.
KRYSTA ANDREWS, PHD, MSW, RSW
Krysta completed her PhD in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University under the supervision of Dr. Margaret McKinnon. She’s also a registered Social Worker who has experience working with children and families who have been exposed to various forms of maltreatment and violence. Krysta completed her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Toronto. Currently, she works as a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Drs. McKinnon and Lanius. Krysta’s research interests include investigating how trauma might be transmitted between generations, as well as investigating new, promising treatments for children, youth, and adults with trauma histories. Along this line, she’ll be involved in an upcoming study that investigates a body-based trauma treatment that’s caught our group’s attention. Within our lab, Krysta also completes assessments with our study participants, putting them at ease with her calming and caring presence, and she is one of our study therapists for our DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting) treatment study.
MARIA DENSMORE, B.SC.
Maria is our team’s fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) analyst, and she has been working with Ruth since 2001. Because Dr. Lanius is interested in the neurobiology of trauma and PTSD, much of our research involves fMRI brain scanning, which helps us see how our participants’ brains work, and where the injuries of PTSD are located. Maria’s main role is to analyze our brain scan data to help determine these details, and she contributes her scanning knowledge to our team’s many scientific papers. Maria also plays a role in our Gait and Balance study, helping with the technical aspects of the intricate measurements we take.
SHERAIN HARRICHARAN, PHD
Sherain completed her doctoral degree in Neuroscience at Western University under Ruth’s supervision. Having discovered an interest in mental health, she’s now enrolled in the Clinical Psychology program at McMaster University, under the supervision of Dr. Margaret McKinnon. Her research focuses on brain changes in the aftermath of trauma. She is particularly interested in how trauma and dissociation affect our senses, and what kind of impact this may have on emotion, social interaction, and perception. Within our lab, Sherain has authored a number of scientific papers, and she also completes psychological assessments for some of our research studies. Her gentle and caring manner quickly puts people at ease. Sherain’s newest project will involve investigating the sense of touch among individuals with PTSD.
BREANNE KEARNEY, M.RES., M.S. OTR/L
Breanne is a Neuroscience PhD Student at Western University under Ruth's supervision. She holds a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of New Hampshire, and a Master’s degree in Research in Cognitive Neuroscience from University College London. Previously, she worked with children with sensory challenges who struggled to manage their emotions and behaviour. She did this work in a variety of settings (e.g., home, school, in the community) using a play- and relationship-based approach. Her preparation for that work included advanced training at the STAR Center in Denver, Colorado under the supervision of Dr. Lucy J. Miller and Dr. Lisa Porter. Breanne is grateful for having learned so much from her clients, which led to her passion for researching the senses and embodiment (i.e., how the body and mind interact) after trauma. She is also passionate about exploring the use of bottom-up (i.e., body-based), relationship-focused approaches in the healing process. Outside of the lab, Breanne enjoys being active outdoors, travelling, reading, baking, and playing the piano.
ALLISON MIZZI, MSC
Allison is a Clinical Psychology PhD Student at McMaster University, co-supervised by Dr. Margaret McKinnon & Dr. Sue Becker, along with Dr. Lanius. She also holds a Master's degree in Kinesiology. Her research interests center around body and movement-based treatments for mental health, specifically trauma and related disorders. Her research in the lab investigates how characteristics related to movement, like posture and gait (i.e., how we walk), are impacted in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and how movement-based treatments, such as exercise and sensory therapies, may help to improve mental health. Outside of the lab, you can find her running, swimming, and cycling, or exploring new hiking trails.
STEPHANIE NEVILL, M.A., C. PSYCH. ASSOC.
Stephanie is a psychological associate registered with the College of Psychologists, and she’s been a part of Ruth’s research team since 2005. Her roles include completing assessments with our study participants, and as our primary study therapist, she administers the different treatments we’re investigating. Knowing how difficult it is for people to discuss their traumatic experiences, Stephanie aims to make our participants feel as comfortable as possible during her time with them. She’s always eager to learn the different approaches to assessment and treatment that Ruth incorporates into her studies, and she truly enjoys working with, and learning from our participants.
BENJAMIN PANDEV-GIRARD, M.ERG/M.O.T.
Benjamin is an occupational therapist (OT) from Quebec, and a guest lecturer and mentor at the Université de Sherbrooke. An OT is a trained healthcare worker who helps people with activities (or “occupations”) that are important for their everyday lives, for example, body movements, self-care, and leisure activities. Benjamin has a particular interest in the impact of stress and trauma on the development and regulation of emotions, occupational performance and sensory processing. A field worker, Benjamin has consulted with First Nations Communities, schools, daycares and youth protection agencies to develop trauma-informed environments and interventions to decrease seclusion and restraints. When Ruth met Benjamin at a trauma conference, she knew our research team could benefit from his OT expertise. Believing, as Dr. Bessel van der Kolk says, that “The Body Keeps the Score”, Benjamin is helping us investigate the impact of trauma on the body and its movements, coordination, and balance, and how movement can help with the healing process.
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DANIELA RABELLINO, PHD, RP
Daniela completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Italy, and she has been a postdoctoral fellow and research associate working with Ruth since 2013. In these roles, she has authored a number of scientific papers. Daniela also collaborates as an Adjunct Faculty member within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at McMaster University, and she’s a registered psychotherapist who works in private practice. Daniela’s research focuses on changes in the brain and psychological responses related to PTSD and dissociation (e.g., feelings of disconnection from one’s body or surroundings). One of her current research interests is how our body awareness might be impacted by trauma. With this in mind, she has used the “Rubber Hand Illusion” to explore how PTSD-related dissociation might alter someone’s senses (e.g., touch, sight), and perhaps even their sense of self. “Peri-personal space”, or the awareness of the space surrounding our bodies, has been another one of Daniela’s interests. To begin investigating how this might be impacted by trauma, she researched how our senses help us understand where our body is in space, and how they help us interact with our surroundings effectively. In her spare time, Daniela loves hiking, meditating, and gardening with her kids.
LAUREN RUDOLPH, B.A.
Lauren is a student in the Doctorate of Naturopathy program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is working towards becoming a naturopathic doctor (ND) to support people's wellbeing holistically. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a focus in Kinesiology & Health Science at York University in order to connect the mind and the body, and to understand mental health, chronic illness, and neurodevelopmental concerns like autism spectrum disorder through a psychoneurobiological lens. On Ruth's team, Lauren is the Social Media Manager, Website Developer, and is researching correlations between dissociation and changes in the brain after trauma. Lauren's previous research focused on promoting child development. She studied the efficacy of integrative medicine to treat the underlying physiology that contributes to symptoms in people with autism spectrum disorder, and she developed a model to treat the neurobiology underlying symptoms in autism and mental health concerns. She is passionate about using innovative and evidence-based mind-body approaches to support people's wellbeing.
SAURABH BHASKAR SHAW, PHD
Saurabh is a MITACS postdoctoral fellow under Ruth’s supervision (MITACS is an organization that supports new researchers). Saurabh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering, and a PhD in Neuroscience from McMaster University (supervised by Dr. Margaret McKinnon). Within our lab, he studies brain changes that accompany PTSD using interesting, new techniques, with the goal of advancing our understanding of trauma. His research interests include “machine learning” - a method of computer analysis in which a computer learns to identify subtle differences in information that might be hard for humans to identify. One of his roles is to apply this machine learning technique to our fMRI brain scan data to help us learn more about how PTSD affects brain function – for example, how it might affect communication between different brain areas. He hopes that this work will lead to improved diagnosis and treatment. When he is not working, Saurabh likes to travel, cook, eat, and pick up random projects around the house.
SUZY SOUTHWELL
Suzy is our research coordinator. She has been part of Ruth’s research team since 2001, making sure all our studies run smoothly. She’s the first person our study participants talk to, and with her warm and caring manner, we know they’re in good hands. Among her many coordination duties, Suzy introduces potential participants to our studies, she often accompanies them during their fMRI visits, and she checks in with them throughout their study participation. Suzy helps put everyone at ease - she is the heart of our lab.
BRAEDEN TERPOU, PHD
Braeden completed his PhD in Neuroscience under Ruth’s supervision, and he is now working as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, under the supervision of Dr. Margaret McKinnon. His research has focused on identifying brain changes related to PTSD using fMRI brain scans, and he has authored a number of research papers. Braeden is particularly interested in the deepest parts of the brain and how they contribute to PTSD. Deeper brain structures, also known as subcortical structures, operate below conscious awareness and largely shape our emotional lives, which are often disrupted by PTSD. By better understanding how these subcortical structures contribute to the diagnosis, Braeden believes we will be better able to tailor therapy to address the impact. He hopes to reduce the emphasis that fear, panic, and other subcortically driven emotions have on the individual, allowing the person to process the trauma and restore a healthier sense of self in the aftermath.
JANINE THOME, PHD
Janine is an associate researcher in Ruth's lab and a professor of social psychology at Hochschule Fresenius in Heidelberg, Germany. Janine earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research focuses on the neurobiological correlates of body-brain interactions and the influence of trauma and dissociation on these interactions. She also examines how trauma alters memory processes and their neurobiological underpinnings. Additionally, she employs computational behavior modeling to gain insights into cognitive processes. Alongside her research, Janine works with patients, emphasizing an emotion-oriented approach.