TEENHEALTHSTUDY
Meet the Team
Site Leads
Principal Investigator - Winnipeg
Jon McGavock
Dr. Jon McGavock's research program has 3 main pillars in order to span the spectrum of mechanistic human physiology studies to community-based participatory action research. Pillar 1: the determinants of type 2 diabetes and the associated complications, Pillar 2: dose of physical activity needed to prevent type 2 diabetes and improve metabolic control in individuals with type 1 diabetes, Pillar 3: the role of peer mentoring for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes in youth.
Co-Principal Investigator - Calgary
Josephine Ho
Dr. Josephine Ho is a Pediatric Endocrinologist at the Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta and the medical lead for the Pediatric Center for Wellness & Health at the Alberta Children's Hospital. She does clinical research in the areas of pediatric weight management and optimizing care for children with type 1 diabetes.
Co-Principal Investigator - Hamilton
Katherine Morrison
Dr. Katherine Morrison (she/her) is a Pediatric Endocrinologist at the Daculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University. She does clinical reserach focused on pediatric obesity and lipid disorders
Winnipeg Team
Registered Dietitan
Mae Santos
Mae is a Filipino-Canadian Dietitian with experience in community and clinical nutrition. She is currently completing her Masters in Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba. She enjoys working with patients and families and provide digestible nutrition education (pun intended!) that works for their lifestyle and goals. Outside of work, she considers herself an amateur food photographer and a self-proclaimed foodie!
DBT Facilitator
Lily Pankratz
Lily Pankratz (she/her) is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manitoba. Lily has experience working with youth and adults for various health and mental health concerns.
DBT co-facilitator
Jackie Dumontet
Jackie holds a Master of Occupational Therapy degree but practices within a forensic psychology practice. She’s completed the DBT training and is looking forward to co-facilitating this 16 week intervention for the 3rd time. When not working you can find her in a hockey rink watching her kids or playing herself.
Research Coordinator
Jana Apperley
Jana is the research coordinator for this study, she has worked at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba on a variety of projects for close to 10 years. She has her Master's of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Manitoba, is a mom or 2 little ones and has a passion for fitness.
Kinesioogist and PhD student
Eiva Fallahasady
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Master's student
Isaak Fast
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Hamilton Team
DBT Facilitator
Sheri Nsamenang
Dr. Sheri Nsamenang (Ph.D., C.Psych.) is a Clinical and Health Psychologist at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and part-time Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences. She provides intervention, assessment, and consultation services to children with complex developmental, medical, and psychosocial needs. She is the co-chair of the Psychology Inclusion and Anti-racism group at HHS. Her research interests include psychological well-being & coping, positive psychology, health behavior change, suicide prevention, forgiveness, and cross-cultural mental health. Dr. Nsamenang completed a postdoctoral fellowship in trauma at the Center for Excellence for Children in State Custody in Tennessee.
DBT co-facilitator
Jasmine Zhang
Jasmine is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Her research examines the impacts of digital media use on child and family well-being. She has also completed clinical training in providing psychological assessment and intervention services for children, youth, and adults in various settings. Outside of work, Jasmine enjoys playing board games, and spending time with her friends and pets.
Research Coordinator
Autumn Lawrence
Autumn is the research coordinator for this study at the Hamilton site. She recently completed her Master's degree in Kinesiology at McMaster University and holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Outside of the office, she loves reading, working out, and learning to play the guitar.
Registered Dietitian
Angelie Newton
Angelie Newton is a Registered Dietitian with over six years of experience, primarily focused on pediatric nutrition. Since becoming registered in 2018, she has worked across diverse healthcare settings, including community programs and outpatient hospital clinics. Her expertise lies in pediatric nutrition, with a particular emphasis on childhood and adolescent obesity, family and child feeding, selective eating, pediatric lipid disorders, and providing an individualized approach when supporting families to achieve healthy living. Angelie currently practices at McMaster Children's Hospital within the Children's Exercise and Nutrition Centre. In her role, she provides comprehensive nutrition assessments and collaborates closely with families to develop personalized, sustainable care plans. Passionate about building strong relationships with her patients, Angelie values the insight she gains from families and strives to offer care that is both evidence-based and family-centered. In addition to her clinical work, Angelie enjoys mentoring dietetic interns and students, fostering the next generation of professionals in the field. Her commitment to ongoing learning and collaborative care continues to guide her practice and contributions to pediatric nutrition research.
Kinesiology student
Ava Larosa
Ava is a recent graduate of McMaster University, holding an Honours Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Certificate in Rehabilitation Sciences. She has experience working with youth, adults, and individuals with disabilities. Ava is passionate about promoting inclusive physical activity and accessible health care to support the well-being of people across all ages and abilities. Outside of school and work, she enjoys staying active through fitness and soccer—and never misses a chance to cheer on the Montreal Canadiens.
Calgary Team
Co-Investigators
Clinical Psychologist / Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Emily Cameron
Dr. Emily Cameron (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist and researcher with expertise in delivering DBT for children, adolescents, and their families. She has worked with youth and families in many health and mental health contexts, including weight management, diabetes, and eating disorders. Dr. Cameron is excited to be working with the Teen Health Study and the incoming teens and families to address physical and mental health needs in youth and families during and after the pandemic.
Clinical Psychologist / Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Leslie Roos
Dr. Leslie E. Roos is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, with appointments in Psychology and Pediatrics. Her program of research aims to prevent the intergenerational transmission of stress-linked health inequities by developing scalable programs to promote family mental health and supportive relationships. Dr. Roos completed her clinical residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto and received her PhD from the University of Oregon.
Co-Investigator
Laurence Katz
My research over the last 20 years has focused on a variety of topic areas. These include Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, suicide, suicidal behaviour, pharmacoepidemiology and implementation of complex interventions. I have been lucky enough to partner with researchers across the country in evaluating interventions and studying trends in suicide and suicidal behaviour.
Co-Investigator
Allison Dart
Dr. Allison Dart is a Pediatric Nephrologist with research interests in the epidemiology of chronic disease (CKD) in Indigenous children, with a current focus on renal outcomes in youth with type 2 diabetes. Currently the co-lead of the National iCARE study, funded by CIHR which will evaluate the bio-psychosocial determinants of albuminuria in youth with type 2 diabetes.
Co-Investigator
Brandy Wicklow
Dr. Brandy Wicklow is a Pediatric Endocrinologist in Winnipeg, Manitoba and her research focus is on early life determinants of type 2 diabetes and renal disease in children and adolescents, with a particular interest in the impacts of the psychological, economic, and social impacts on wholistic health of all children living with diabetes.
Co-Investigator
Tracie Afifi
Dr. Tracie Afifi is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience, a Professor in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Afifi’s primary research interests are in the areas of child maltreatment and mental health with a focus on resilience, intervention, and prevention. She has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal publications and has 175 conference presentations at national and international conferences. To date, she has been awarded $45 million in research funding as Principal or Co-Investigator.
Co-Investigator
Mandy Archibald
Dr. Mandy Archibald's research lab leverages knowledge of lived experience through qualitative, mixed methods and arts-based research to improve care and social wellbeing. Through this emphasis on applied qualitative research and arts-based, collaborative knowledge translation, I seek to improve the relevance and impact of research for diverse stakeholder groups.
Co-Investigator
Mary Jung
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