Our research team consists of trainees (undergraduate students, graduate students, medical residents, and fellows) and staff (research assistants, coordinators, and associates) who work together with parents and other partners to tackle the problem of poorly managed pain in children. We collaborate with a wide range of researchers across Canada and around the world who bring complementary expertise and experience.
We provide training opportunities for students from different disciplines and at different stages of training, including postdoctoral fellows, PhD students (primarily in clinical psychology), masters students, honours/undergraduate students, as well as medical students and residents.
We recognize and value diversity and equity and follow best practices for the inclusion of diverse and underrepresented populations to ensure that individuals feel valued, respected, and equally supported.
If you are interested in joining our team please contact Dr. Chambers directly to discuss opportunities.
Dr. Dol’s research program focuses on empowering parents. Specifically, she focuses on equipping parents with the information, support, and confidence they need during the perinatal period, parenting transitions, and in the context of pain management. This work is done using evidence synthesis, knowledge generation, and cutting-edge digital health interventions.
Dr. Samantha Louie-Poon is a Registered Nurse, community activist, researcher, and poet. Her academic work focuses on anti-Asian racism, anti-racism, and radical imaginations in the areas of child health and Asian health and wellness. Samantha’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at Dalhousie University aims to understand the impacts of racism and pain management for Asian children in Canada and to develop an anti-racism framework for pain in Asian children.
Dr. Annemarie Dedek is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Dalhousie University. Her previous research used rodent and human tissue models to understand the pathological changes in the spinal cord that underlie chronic pain. Her PhD work identified a major sex difference in pain circuitry, which spurred her interest in sex hormones and equity in science. Her current research interests focus on pain in transgender and gender-diverse youth.
Yvonne is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. Her research, with an emphasis on patient engagement and knowledge translation, is focused on promoting resilience in the context of juvenile arthritis pain. She is supported by the Dr. Mabel E. Goudge Award (Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University) and an IWK Graduate Studentship. Previously she was supported by a Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Graduate Scholarship, a Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit Award, a PhD Award from The Arthritis Society and a Scotia Scholars Award from Research Nova Scotia.
Nicole is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. Her research is focused on knowledge mobilization and implementation science within pediatric pain management, with a specific interest in partner engagement. Nicole is supported by a Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Graduate Scholarship and a Maritime SPOR Support Unit (MSSU) Student Award. She was previously supported by a Killam Pre-doctoral Scholarship, Research Nova Scotia Scotia Scholars Award, a Maritime SPOR Support Unit (MSSU) Student award, a Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Graduate Scholarship, and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Masters Scholarship.
Blair is a student in the Clinical Psychology program at Dalhousie University. Her research is focused on understanding how experiences of pain-related stigma can lead to inequities in access to pain management and treatment among children and youth with chronic pain conditions.
Bianca is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. Her research is focused on knowledge mobilization and implementation science within pediatric pain management, with a specific interest in the contribution of unique minority stressors to chronic pain coping experiences. Bianca is supported by a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship and a Building Diversity in Clinical Psychology Award
Analyssa is a student in the Doctor of Medicine program at Dalhousie University. Her research is focused on the relationship between national child health research funding and pediatric health outcomes in Canada.
Meredith is a student in the Doctor of Medicine program at Dalhousie University. Her research is focused on parents’ needs for pain management during their children’s medical procedures.
Jennifer is a PhD-level Research Associate in the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research at IWK Health as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University. Her research interests include pain and child health, knowledge mobilization, and patient partnership in research.
Isabel draws from her lived experience to provide leadership and guidance to trainees, staff, and patient partners within our program of research to support meaningful patient engagement practices and partnerships that are aligned with patient-oriented research.
Dr. Mohammadi is a postdoctoral fellow in the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Rehabilitation Research Lab at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Caes is a Lecturer of Psychology in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Division of Psychology at the University of Stirling, UK.
Dr. Coulombe is a clinical psychologist at the IWK Health Centre.
Dr. King is an Associate Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University and a coordinator of their School Psychology Program.
Dr. Tutelman graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2022. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Calgary and Cancer Care Alberta with Dr. Fiona Schulte and Dr. Melanie Noel.
Dr. Higgins graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2019. She is currently a Psychologist at the Nova Scotia Health (NSH) Operational Stress Injury Clinic.
Dr. Schinkel graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2018. She is currently a Clinical Psychologist with Community Mental Health & Addictions and the Pediatric Complex Pain Clinic at IWK Health.
Dr. Boerner graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2017. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at BC Children’s Hospital’s Research Institute in British Columbia.
Dr. Birnie graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2016. She is currently a clinical psychologist at Alberta Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. She leads the Partnering for Pain research lab and is the Associate Scientific Director of Solutions for the Kids Pain (SKIP)
Dr. Petter graduated with his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2014. He is currently a clinical psychologist working in private practice in Ontario.
Dr. Noel graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2013. She is currently a clinical psychologist, an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, and a full member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. She leads the Alberta Children’s Pain Research lab.
Dr. Moon graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2011. She is a clinical psychologist at BC Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Bandstra graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2011. She is a pediatric psychologist and the program director of the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Intensive Feeding Program in Michigan.
Dr. McMurtry graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2010. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph and leads the Pediatric Pain, Health, and Communication Lab.
Dr. Uman graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2009. She is a psychologist at the IWK Community Mental Health and Addictions clinic and the IWK Health Centre’s Complex Pain team.
Dr. Stanford graduated with her PhD from the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia in 2007. She is a Clinical Psychologist and head of psychology for BC Children’s and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, BC.
Rebecca is a school psychologist working in Nova Scotia.
Tessa is a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Provincial Trainer with the Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) Program at the IWK Health Centre.
We are grateful for the following funding and support:
Dr. Chambers is an international leader in the study of children’s pain. She holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Children's Pain and is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience & Pediatrics and at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her research team is based in the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research at the IWK Health Centre. Her award-winning work spans research, training, knowledge translation, and advocacy.
