BrE O’Handley

Bre O’Handley is a Ph.D. student in the Psychology Department at Trent University. Bre completed an MSc in Psycholoyg at Trent and a BSc at St. Francis Xavier University. Between their undergrad and graduate studies, Bre worked as the Gender and Sexual Diversity Advisor at StFX!

Bre’s honours thesis explored psychophysiology of sexual prejudice.
Honours Thesis: The psychophysiology of sexual prejudice. 
Manuscript from Bre's Honours Thesis

Bre’s MSc thesis focused on LGBTQ+ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. A manuscript based on the thesis is forthcoming, but Bre also co-authored a paper from the same study with Erin Courtice as a side project. Mental well-being, social support, and the unique experiences of transgender and nonbinary people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olivia Cleary

Olivia Cleary (she/her) is finishing her second year of the MSc program in Clinical Psychology at Acadia University. Previously, she worked as a Psychometrist with Nova Scotia Health post-completion of her Masters in Applied Psychological Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Olivia has keen interest in studying quality of close relationships, attachment, mental health, and marginalized groups and is thrilled to be supervised by Dr. Holmberg and Dr. Blair. Her current research focuses on adult children’s memory of their parent's reaction to coming out as LGBTQ+.

Rhonda McInnis

After 20 years of teaching as a lab instructor at St. Francis Xavier University, I am excited to begin my journey into a MSc in clinical psychology at Acadia University (N.S., Canada). After working with Dr. Blair for many years, I am thrilled to be a part of the KLB research lab. My research interests involve the impacts of situational risk factors on Intimate Partner Violence, focusing on Femmephobia. I hope to investigate this area within and outside of the LGBTQ community. Dr. Rhea Hoskin, Dr. Kathryn Bell, and Dr. Blair will be guiding me in this exciting process.

Emily comeau

Emily Comeau (she/her) is entering her 2nd year of the MSc program in Psychology at Trent University. She has completed her Honours BA in Psychology at Saint Mary's University. Her research interests are in 2SLGBTQ* studies.

Jenny Truong

Jenny Truong is about to embark on her final year of an Honours B.Sc. Psychology degree at Trent University. Starting as a volunteer, Jenny quickly proved her passion and commitment, eventually progressing to research assistant and practicum student roles. Now, as she enters her final year, she proudly takes on the role of an honours thesis student under the supervision of Dr. Blair for the year 2023-2024. Throughout her academic pursuits, Jenny has developed a profound interest in various areas of psychology. Among her research passions are romantic relationships, which have captivated her curiosity for their complexity and impact on individuals’ lives. She also holds a deep fascination for Holocaust education, recognizing the importance of understanding history’s darkest moments to prevent their recurrence and promote empathy and compassion. Outside of academia, Jenny’s thirst for knowledge knows no bounds. She is known among her peers for her insatiable appetite for learning, and this curiosity has led Jenny to pursue many different courses from various faculties beyond Psychology!

Hella Watkins

Hella completed the Bachelor of Science Program in Psychology and her honours thesis in the lab. Her thesis explored experiences of refraining from public displays of affection in same-sex and mixed-sex relationships. Hella is now the Project Coordinator for the “We Are Family Femmephobia 101 Parenting Progarm.”

Nicola Irvin

Nicola completed the BSc Psychology program at Acadia University. Her thesis focused on predictors of victimization within abusive interpersonal relationships and the effects of different living arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ska salden

Ska is a PhD Student at Sigmund Freund University Berlin, Germany. In their PhD project, Ska examines the experience of LBTIQ in obstetrics in Germany, and aims to use research to help improve health care for all.

Grace Holwell

Grace completed her honours thesis in the lab under the supervision of Dr. Holmberg and Dr. Blair. Her thesis used data from the COVID-19 study to explore the question of whether people’s living situations (alone, with family, friends, a partner) influenced well-being and general coping during the pandemic. She’ll also be looking at whether these patterns differ at all for LGBTQ individuals. Her general research interests include sexuality, gender, relationships and health.

Lauren sobot

Lauren graduated with a BSc Honours degree in Biology from St. Francis Xavier University. After graduation, she completed the Pathy Fellowship program through which she developed Proud Pairs, a 2SLGBTQ+ youth mentorship program. She previously worked in the lab with an Irving Mentorship Award to complete a summer research fellowship. Beginning in the Fall of 2023, Lauren will be a medical student at the University of Toronto.

Kerri Mozessohn

Kerri completed her Honours BSc Psychology degree at Trent University in the KLB Research Lab. She graduated with top honours, receiving the prestigious Symons Medal. Over the past few years, Kerri has worked as a Research Assistant in the lab and has had the joy of helping out on many projects, including the study on post-dissolution friendships as a function of sexual and gender identity, the Covid-19 Daily Diary study, and she spent two summers in the lab as an NSERC undergraduate research award holder. Kerri’s thesis explored the novel concept of social support for an ‘addict in recovery’ identity, and she presented her findings at the 2023 Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association. Kerri is now at Memorial University working on her PsyD. When she’s not in the lab, Kerri enjoys backcountry camping, playing soccer, and spending time with her cat, Sebastian Lucius Danger.

Kavya Chandra

Kavya finished her B.Sc. in Forensics and Psychology at Trent University. She is interested in the intersections of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and the justice system. She is particularly keen on community-based interventions for those involved with the justice system. She is currently completing her Master's at the University of Saskatchewan as a new Canadian in prairie lands!

Courtney Gosselin

Courtney joined the lab in the Spring of 2020 to complete her Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology at Acadia University. Her research relies upon Self-Determination Theory and she will be exploring how need-fulfilling (versus need-thwarting) memory networks may contribute to psychological resilience and well-being among LGBTQ individuals. She is starting her PhD in Ottawa Fall 2022.

Claudia Koziol

Claudia graduated with a B.Sc. student from Trent University with a joint major in Forensic Science and Psychology. She worked in the KLB Research Lab as a research practicum student and continues to work with the lab as a research assistant. She is headed to Ryerson for graduate studies in the Fall of 2021.

I am working on the COVID-19 Diary Study and find this research valuable to better understand how people are dealing with social isolation and further, how to more effectively help them in the future. In the future I would like to work in a field that helps people, whether that be policing, lab, or psychology related.

Ethan Chiu

Ethan completed a research practicum in the lab during the 2021-2022 academic year.

I love understanding why people behave the way they do and discovering what social factors underly their behaviour, especially in their different relationships, so being able to get hands-on experience in researching this is a wonderful opportunity.

Laura Orchard

Laura is in her graduating year of BAH Psychology, at Trent University. Her main areas of interest include addiction and relational dynamics among marginalized populations. Laura has joined the KLB Research Lab as a practicum student, after which she hopes to continue her schooling in a MA counselling psychology program. Laura ultimately hopes to further contribute to the pre-existing work within the psychosocial realm of individuals encompassing diverse identities.

Marissa Walter

Marissa joined the lab in June 2019 a Master’s student at Acadia University. Marissa’s thesis is focused on public affection sharing in inter-racial couples and she will be co-supervised by Dr. Holmberg.

Audrey Gunn

Audrey Gunn was an Honours Thesis student at St. Francis Xavier University in the KLB Research lab, co-supervised by Dr. Rhea Hoskin. Her thesis used Sexual Configurations Theory to explore visual aesthetics of sexual minority women. She received the Craig MacDonald Mooney Prize for highest graduating average among senior Honours Psychology students at StFX in 2020.

Sal Cuthbertson

My name is Sal Cuthbertson, I am in my final year of study at McGill University in the honours psychology program, minoring in Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies (GSFS). I am currently working on a thesis at McGill University on empathic accuracy in romantic couples, but have joined the KLB Research Lab with the hope of studying the romantic relationships of more diverse peoples, especially that of queer and transgender individuals. I also hope to go on to do a Masters in Couples and Family Therapy.

Chelsea hudson

Chelsea completed her Master's of Science student at Acadia University on same-sex vs. mixed-sex experiences of affection sharing in public and private. Chelsea was a NSHRF Scotia Scholar supported by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. 

nicole tibbetts

Nicole graduated with her Master's of Science in Cllinical Psychology from Acadia University. Her thesis explored the dynamics of relationship disapproval. Dr. Holmberg was Nicole's co-supervisor. Nicole was a NSHRF Scotia Scholar supported by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. 

Steve Wilton

Steve is an undergraduate student at Acadia University working on the PDA Observation study.

odessa mckenna

Odessa completed her honours thesis as a Human Kinetics student at St. Francis Xavier University in the KLB Research Lab. Her thesis examined the health implications of same-sex vs. mixed-sex public displays of affection and she also helped to run an observation study of affection practices in public. She was being supported by a NSHRF Scotia Scholar award and was also a recipient of the Best Short Oral presentation in the SOGII Section of CPA at the 2019 conference.

kay jenson

Previously my student at the University of Utah, Kay recently defended her Master's thesis at Acadia University. Her thesis examined the predictors of whether or not we are likely to trust a family or friend's disapproving opinion of our romantic relationship. She was co-supervised by Dr. Diane Holmberg and her external examiner was Dr. Susan Sprecher, the current president if IARR.  Kay was a NSHRF Scotia Scholar supported by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation during both years of her program and was also supported by a Nova Scotia Graduate award. To read more about Kay's work, please Click Here. 
Thesis: Evaluating social network members' disapproving opinions in romantic relationships: A comparison between marginalized and non-marginalized relationships.