Volunteers

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Volunteer

I am a 4th-year student majoring in Psychology and Minoring in Family Studies. I have always been fascinated with different aspects of psychological research especially when it involves facets of human sexuality. This summer I will be working on the e-sense non-binary study and hope to work with my graduate supervisor Kiara on her thesis project this fall. Besides being a workaholic and being interested in Psychology, I am a big movie and television buff, love trying different foods across Vancouver, and have recently gotten in Yoga and hiking

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Volunteer

Katie is going into her 3rd year as a cognitive science major with an emphasis on psychology and neuroscience. She is passionate about inclusive and accessible sexual healthcare and has an interest in the strong connection between mental health and physical well-being. This summer Katie will be working on a project assembling a global registry of sexual healthcare providers who incorporate mindfulness into their treatments. She is excited to be a part of the team and expand her research abilities.

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Volunteer

Lareina is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Family Studies at the University of British Columbia. She is passionate about understanding the biases and barriers that women face when it comes to sexual health and coming up with ways to remove these barriers while raising awareness about women’s sexual health problems. She is also interested in looking at how there may not be enough awareness about sexual desire and arousal disorders in women because of social stereotypes. This interests her as she wants to find out if not addressing these disorders can lead to mental health difficulties. She hopes to attend grad school for either clinical psychology or counselling psychology in the future. Lareina is currently working on SHAPE which aims to mobilize knowledge about sexual dysfunction and genito-pelvic pain in women and genderdiverse persons.

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Volunteer

Vicky is an incoming second-year Science undergraduate student at UBC, hoping to study neuroscience and public health. She is interested in how socioeconomic and cultural factors affect the quality of women’s reproductive health care, alongside the associated psychological impacts. Vicky is currently working on SHAPE which aims to mobilize knowledge about sexual dysfunction and genito-pelvic pain in women and genderdiverse persons. She hopes to gain experience that will allow her to pursue research in the reproductive and developmental biology field. In her free time, Vicky enjoys learning new languages, writing on her blog, and devouring history books.

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Volunteer

Myah is completing her bachelor’s in psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is passionate about sexual health and exploring the psychological and physiological aspects of sexual wellbeing, as well as working to destigmatize conversations around sex. Myah hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology, and is excited about learning and gaining experience through her role assisting in the e-sense non-binary study.

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Volunteer

Jenny is completing her BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience with a minor in Gender, Race, Sexuality & Social Justice (GRSJ). Passionate about inclusive health care, they intend to pursue a career in medicine as an OBGYN to incorporate queer and decolonial justice-work into patient-centered practice. She is excited to learn about and help contribute to sexual health research during her involvement in the VIVID study. In their spare time, Jenny is an avid reader and dabbles in various creative endeavors, from scrapbook journaling to, most recently, amigurumi.

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Volunteer

After completing her Bachelor of Science in Behavioural Neuroscience at UBC in 2021, Jennifer has been working as a research assistant at ICORD, facilitating clinical research on spinal cord injury rehabilitation. This experience has led Jennifer to discover an interest in the intersection of sexual health and chronic conditions. Jennifer is currently involved in the APPROACH 2.0 project.

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Volunteer

Malaika is a 4th year undergraduate student at UBC, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. Her research interests center around neurodevelopmental disorders, namely how they affect social cognition and sexual wellbeing. She aims to pursue a career in psychiatric research, aiming to enhance diagnosis and support for young women of color with ADHD and autism. In her free time, Malaika enjoys reading anything & everything, filling her sketchbook and thrifting.

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Volunteer

Claire is an undergraduate student majoring in Behavioural Neuroscience and minoring in Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ). They are passionate about pleasure-centered and queer-inclusive approaches to sexual health, and hope to pursue a career in health promotion. They are currently a volunteer on the VIVID study and are excited to develop their research skills during their time with the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory.

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Volunteer

Anilā Lacroix is currently pursuing her Psychology Major and Philosophy Honours degree at UBC. She is working towards becoming a trauma-informed counsellor with ongoing research experience in the effectiveness of mindfulness for improving self-concept and self-actualization within or following adverse experiences. Additionally, she designed a 12-week group therapy mindfulness counselling program for women with depression.
Prior to these pursuits, Anilā was an experienced yoga teacher and teacher trainer who taught a wide variety of yoga practices and philosophies for the last 20 years. Her academic focus combines philosophy of mind with behavioural neuroscience and mindfulness behavioural therapy. Anilā has received scholarships for her academic work and personal life experience, as well as been awarded recognition for her work with at-risk women and youth.

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Volunteer

I hold an associates of arts degree in Peace and Conflict studies from Langara college. I’m currently in my 3rd year of studies at UBC, double majoring in Psychology & Gender, Race and Social Justice Studies. I have over 4+ years of experiences in supportive and harm reduction working with a wide range of demographics. I approach all my work with a sense of mindfulness and allyship towards 2SLGBTQA+, Black and Indigenous rights and people living with physical and mental disabilities. 

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Volunteer

Hayal is a third year undergraduate student at UBC completing a BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience. She is passionate about creating a safe spaces for people to express their feelings and partake in a community of vulnerability. Hayal is involved in the eSense study at the lab and hopes to pursue a future in clinical practice. Her research interests include mindfulness based therapy, sex differences in sexual expression, and sexual trauma counselling.

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Volunteer

Sophia is a 3rd-year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia majoring in Psychology and minoring in Education. She is interested in how individual differences and personal factors can act as possible barriers for women to seek help or express concerns regarding levels of sexual desire. As a volunteer for the eSense project, she is excited to learn more about how CBT and MBT are incorporated into sexual health research. Sophia is also a research assistant at the Health and Adult Development Lab. In the future, she hopes to enter graduate school in counselling psychology.

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Volunteer

Zahrah is a third-year behavioural neuroscience student at the University of British Columbia. She is interested in investigating the societal factors that have contributed to the stigma behind sexuality, and is passionate about overcoming those barriers to allow for a more sex-positive outlook. In addition to this, she wants to learn more about clinical psychology and is excited to volunteer as a navigator for the eSense project. 

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Directed Studies Student

Sara is completing her BA in psychology at the University of British Columbia with the hopes of pursuing Clinical Psychology in the sexual health research field. Her other research interests include intimate relationships, stress, and coping. Sara is currently involved as a navigator in the eSense study and is excited about all the learning opportunities that come with being part of the team.

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Volunteer

Micah is in her final year of study at the University of British Columbia majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in Psychology. She is interested in de-stigmatizing sex and sexuality, and improving access to fun and comprehensive sex education. Her research interests include pelvic floor pain and dysfunction and how this might contribute to individuals’ sexual experiences. Micah is passionate about women’s empowerment initiatives and hopes to pursue a career in medicine or physiotherapy. She is excited to develop her research skills by volunteering at the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory.

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Volunteer

Stephanie is in her third year at the University of British Columbia majoring in Psychology. Passionate about sexual health and education, Stephanie volunteers as a Youth Sex Educator at Vancouver Coastal Health’s BLUSH program. She is also a research assistant at the Sexuality and Well-Being (SWell) Lab. Her research interests include sexual dysfunctions, individuals’ and couples’ sexual well-being, sexual and romantic relationships, and paraphilias. In the future, Stephanie hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology and a career as a clinician-scientist.

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Volunteer

Angelina is a 3rd year UBC psychology and health & society student. She is currently involved in the SUPPORT study, which aims to develop a an accessible, web-based resource for postpartum depression and anxiety.

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Volunteer

Elena is a 4th year psychology major interested in how stigma and misconceptions around sexual health and sexuality impact relationships, self-esteem and overall mental health. She is currently working as a volunteer on the eSense study where she guides participants through online material. This involves psychoeducation and exercises that aim to alleviate their sexual difficulties. She will soon start her directed studies project with the lab for the winter term of 2022/23, and hopes to continue getting involved with sexual health research in the future.

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Volunteer

Judy graduated from UBC with a BSc in Nutritional Sciences and is currently studying medicine at UBC. She is involved in the lab as a patient navigator for the eSense study. In the future, Judy hopes to go into family medicine with a focus on women’s health. 

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Volunteer

Denise is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia. As a volunteer for the BRACE study, she is extremely excited to contribute to stimulating and fascinating work, while learning and developing research skills. She hopes to spend her time at the UBCSHR Lab delving deeper into the world of sexual health and to explore varying topics of research.