Shakira began the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Lakehead University in 2020. Her area of research involves the investigation of vulnerability and protective factors for maladjustment in emerging adults. Shakira completed a MA in Applied Psychology at Laurentian University, where her Master’s thesis focused on the role of perfectionism and emotion dysregulation in predicting compulsive exercise. More recently, she completed a MA in Clinical Psychology at Lakehead University. Her Master’s thesis evaluated explanatory factors of maladjustment in emerging adults transitioning to university, including perfectionism and a sense of mattering to others. For her dissertation research, she is particularly interested in examining the influence of a perfectionistic social environment and individual levels of perfectionism on daily experiences of maladjustment in emerging adults. Shakira’s graduate studies are supported by funds from the Ontario Graduate Scholarship program, Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Award, and St. Joseph’s Care Group Award in Applied Health Research. Shakira is completing her doctoral clinical psychology residency training at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences with the General Adult Track and and Forensic Program. During leisure time, she enjoys the outdoors, exercising, and watching reality television. 

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Angela began the PhD program in Clinical Psychology at Lakehead University in 2020. Prior to that, she also completed her Master’s degree under the supervision of Dr. Mushquash. Her MA thesis examined the benefits of journaling using a smartphone app, and she has also been involved in evaluating this smartphone app as a resilience-promoting tool more generally. Her doctoral research focuses on victimhood as a personality trait and its relationship to perceptions of trauma, daily interpersonal stress, and PTSD symptoms. She is also interested in teaching and has taught PSYC-3018 - Psychological Disorders in Adulthood at the undergraduate level. Angela’s graduate studies are supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She has previously been supported by the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

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Vamika began the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Lakehead University in 2022. Her area of research involves investigating the effectiveness of a mental health and well-being-focused smartphone app for emerging adults. Vamika completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Lakehead University in 2022. Her Master’s thesis focused on the role of stress and coping in the relationship between childhood adversity and alcohol outcomes among emerging adults. The Ontario Graduate Scholarship supports Vamika’s current graduate studies. Her work has previously been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. Vamika has clinical experience in psychoeducational assessments with children and youth and assessment and intervention with adults.

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