The Mothering Transitions
Research Team

• Cindy-Lee Dennis
• Melissa Jovellanos
• Current Doctoral Students
• Former Doctoral Students
• Doctoral Committee Member
• Other Research Personnel

Cindy-Lee Dennis PhD, MScN, BScN

BScN, University of Toronto
MScN, The University of Western Ontario
PhD, University of Toronto
Postdoctorate, University of British Columbia

• Professor: University of Toronto, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
• Adjunct Professor: University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
• Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Community Health, University of Toronto
• Shirley Brown Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research, Women’s College Research Institute
• Faculty-Lead Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development
• Associate Scientific Staff: Mount Sinai Hospital, Department of Psychiatry

cindylee.dennis(at)utoronto(dot)ca
University of Toronto Profile

Melissa Jovellanos, BSc, MScBack to top

Melissa Jovellanos is the Research Manager for the Mothering Transitions research program. She obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc, Specialized Honours) and Master of Science (MSc) in Kinesiology and Health Sciences with a Biopsychosocial Health Research focus from York University, Toronto. Throughout the course of her education, Melissa has been the recipient of numerous academic scholarships and awards from York University, University of Toronto, William Osler Health Centre, the City of Brampton and Canadian Millenium Scholarships. Melissa’s past clinical research experience has been in the hospital and pharmaceutical settings as a Project Coordinator and Outcomes Research Assistant/Support Manager. She has co-authored peer-reviewed papers on postoperative pain, cancer-related and chronic pain and presented some of this work at various national conferences. Melissa is also an active member of the Society for Clinical Trials (SCT). Melissa has presented work from the Postpartum Depression Interpersonal Psychotherapy Treatment Trial at the SCT’s annual conferences.

Melissa Jovellanos, BSc, MSc
Research Manager

Tel: (416) 946-0929
Toll-free tel: (877) 344-0464
Fax: (416) 946-8681
Email: melissa.jovellanos(at)utoronto(dot)ca

Current Doctoral Students Back to top

Jennifer Abbass BNSc, MN

Title: A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an education and support intervention for partners of breastfeeding women to improve rates of exclusive breastfeeding

Awards: 2009 – Dorothy and Bill Palm Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology Award, The Women’s College Hospital Foundation – $15,000

Kim Allen, RN, BScN, MN

Title: RELiEF: A randomized controlled trial evaluating lanolin and expressed breast milk for the treatment of nipple pain among breastfeeding women

Awards:
2008 – RNAO Childbirth Nurses Interest Group Scholarship – $1000
2009 – Soroptomist Foundation of Canada – $7500

Former Doctoral Students Back to top

Karen McQueen, RN, BScN, MN, PhD

Title: Improving breastfeeding outcomes: A pilot randomized controlled trial of a self-efficacy intervention with primiparous mothers

Awards:
2008 – The Helen Marion Walker – Soroptimist Women’s Health Research Scholarship, Women’s College Hospital Foundation – $10,000
2008 – RNAO Childbirth Nurses Interest Group Scholarship – $1000

Marla McGregor, PhD

Title: A pilot quasi-experimental study to determine the feasibility in evaluating the effectiveness of family physician-based cognitive behavioural therapy among pregnant women with depressive symptomatology

Doctoral Committee Member Back to top

Shelley Holland, RN, BN, MScN

Title: Postpartum Psychosis: Support Needs of Mothers and Fathers

Awards: 2007 – CIHR Doctoral Award

Monica Parry, RN, BNSc, MEd, MSc, PhD

Title: A pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a home-based exercise program and telephone-based peer support on quality of life among patients recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Other Research Personnel Back to top

Program Research Assistants:

• Michelle Coghlan 

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Trial:

IPT Nurses:

• Susan Biglieri
• Pauline Ingber
• Susan Inwood
• Kimberley Kurschinski
• Elizabeth Pryer
• Adrianne Sequeira

 Research Nurses:

• Kimberley Allen
• Anna Berall

 IPT Rater:

• Michelle Khayeri

 IPT Supervisors:

• Dr. Paula Ravitz, MD
• Dr. Sophie Grigoriadis, MD, PhD
• Dr. Laurie Gillies, PhD

 New Mothers New Country Study:

 Research Assistants:

• Enrica Leung
• Jinghua Wang
• Wei Wan
• Holly Leung
• Jean Huang
• Crystal Lei

 Recruitment Coordinators:

• Leinic Chung-Lee
• Jiao Jiang