Brenna Henrikson, M.A.

PhD4, Clinical Psychology 

Brenna is currently completing her predoctoral internship at the University of Manitoba Clinical Health Psychology residency training program.  She completed her Master’s degree in 2017, with her dissertation focussed on the maturational and experiential effects on preterm infant speech development.  Her current dissertation research is focused on exploring parental reflective functioning in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and how broad autism phenotype in parents mediates this relationship.  Her research interests include parent-child attachment, child and adolescent psychopathology, infant speech development, and family systems.

[umhenrib@myumanitoba.ca]

Michelle Ward, M.A. 

PhD4, Clinical Psychology

Michelle completed her Master’s degree in school psychology and is now in her fourth year of the clinical psychology PhD program. Her dissertation research is focused on exploring the parental fit between maternal autism symptomology and child autism symptomology. Her current research interests include child and adolescent psychopathology, childhood adversity, attachment relationships, family systems, and women’s mental health.

[umward23@myumanitoba.ca]

Karis Cochrane, M.A.

PhD1, Clinical Psychology 

Karis will be entering into the second year of her PhD in the Clinical Psychology program next Fall 2021. She completed her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology in October 2020. Her Current Dissertation research is focused on exploring family quality of life and parenting stress accross the lifespan, in parents of children 2-18 years of age with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her overarching research interests include early childhood interventions, developmental disorders, family systems, parenting stress, family quality of life, and early child development.

[cochra13@myumanitoba.ca]

Dana Ronaghan, M.A.

PhD1, Clinical Psychology 

Dana is currently in her first year the Clinical Psychology PhD program. She graduated with her M.A in February 2021, with her dissertation examining the association between marital satisfaction and coparenting quality through meta-analysis. In her current research, Dana aims to explore the association between coparenting quality and family quality of life in families of children with autism spectrum disorder, families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and families of typically developing children. Her research interests include parenting, parent-child attachment, developmental disorders, child and adolescent psychopathology, and family systems.

[ronaghad@myumanitoba.ca]

Alyssa Romaniuk

MA3, School Psychology

Alyssa is currently in the third year of her Master’s degree in the School Psychology program. She graduated with her B.A. Honours degree at the University of Manitoba in 2020. Alyssa’s honours thesis examined how mothers of children with ASD, ADHD, and comorbid ASD and ADHD, differed in their levels of family quality of life. In her current research, Alyssa aims to examine differences between mothers and fathers of children with ADHD and their family quality of life. Her research interests include parenting, parent-child relationships, children’s goal orientation, developmental disorders, and family systems.

[romaniu3@myumanitoba.ca]

Hannah Bartel

MA3, School Psychology

Hannah is currently in the third year of her Master’s degree in the School Psychology program. She completed her B.A (honours) at the University of Winnipeg in 2019. Hannah’s honours thesis explored the relationship between sexual education and feelings of sexual shame and guilt. In her current research, Hannah will be exploring Canadian educator’s trauma-informed attitudes and knowledge as a way to better understand the use of trauma-informed education in Canadian schools. Her research interests include developmental disorders, child and adolescent psychopathology, childhood trauma, and social-emotional learning.

[bartelh@myumanitoba.ca]

Lara Penner-Goeke

PhD1, Clinical Psychology

Lara is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program. She completed her M.A. at the University of Manitoba in 2023.  Her thesis project examined the impacts of undiagnosed ADHD on children and their families. Lara has held research positions in the Hearts and Minds Lab at the University of Manitoba and for the Trans Youth Can! project. Her broader research interests include parent-child relationships, ADHD, and evaluating interventions to increase family well-being. 

Emily Hogan

PhD1, Clinical Psychology

Emily is currently in the first year of her PhD in Clinical Psychology. She completed her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manitoba in October 2023. Her dissertation examined the relationships between social support, paternal depressive symptoms, coparenting quality, and parenting stress. In her current research, Emily aims to explore work-family balance among Canadian psychologists. Her overarching research interests include parent mental health, social support, and family systems.

Taryn Gaulke

MA1, School Psychology

Taryn is currently in the first year of her Master’s degree in the School Psychology program. She completed her B.A (Honours) at the University of Manitoba in 2022. Her honours thesis examined maternal depressive symptoms as a predictor of coparenting quality in families of children with ASD and ADHD. In her current research, Taryn will examine how the birth order of a child diagnosed with ASD, ADHD or an intellectual disability impacts parenting stress, family quality of life and coparenting quality. Taryn’s current research interests include family systems, developmental disorders, parent-child relationships, and social-emotional development.  

[gaulket@myumanitoba.ca]

Cass Ilchena

MA1, School Psychology

Cass is a first-year School Psychology MA student in the thesis stream. They completed a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree at the University of Manitoba in June 2023. Their honours thesis looked at teachers’ experience working with vulnerable student populations and their beliefs about student behaviour. Cass’ current research seeks to examine Educational Assistants’ training on and attitudes towards trauma-informed care. Their broad research interests include trauma-informed care, developmental psychopathology, and mental health literacy. 

[ilchenac@myumanitoba.ca]

Sarah Petriw

Honours

Sarah is currently in her final year of her B.A Psychology Honours degree. She works as a research assistant in the lab assisting on various projects. Sarah’s thesis is examining paternal mental health, externalizing behavioural problems in children, and parenting stress. Her research interests include parental mental health, adolescent psychopathology, and well-being.

[petriws1@myumanitoba.ca]

Jada Benedictson  

Honours

Jada is currently in the final year of her B.A. Psychology Honours degree. Her honours thesis is a meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy of Family-Based Treatment for adolescent eating disorders. Jada’s research interests include women’s health, eating disorders, and adolescent psychopathology.

[benedicj@myumanitoba.ca]