Our Team
Dr. Lindsay Bodell
Lab Director
Dr. Bodell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Western University. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University under the mentorship of Drs. Pamela Keel and Thomas Joiner. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh (Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic) and the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Wildes. In her free time, Dr. Bodell enjoys spending time with her family and watching shows on Netflix.
Graduate Students
Abbigail Kinnear
PhD Candidate
Abby Kinnear is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology. She defended her MSc in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Bodell in 2021, and received her BA in Honours Psychology from the University of Waterloo in 2019. She is interested in the shared mechanisms that drive both eating pathology and non-suicidal self-injury. In her spare time, she likes to hike and watch tiny house videos.
Samantha Withnell
PhD Candidate
Samantha Withnell is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology. She defended her MSc in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Bodell in 2021, and received her BA (Hons.) in Psychology from the University of Calgary in 2017. Her doctoral research examines the transdiagnostic role of weight suppression and dietary restriction on cognitive inflexibility in eating disorders. In her free time, she enjoys cuddling with her cat and reading Terry Pratchett novels.
Genny Bianchini
PhD Candidate
Genny Bianchini is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology. She received her BA Honours in Psychology from Queen’s University in 2019 and her MSc in Clinical Psychology from Western University in 2022. She is interested in suicidal thoughts and behaviours and developing accessible interventions for 2SLGBTQIA+ populations. In her free time, she enjoys bouldering, reading, and baking cookies.
Brianna Meddaoui
PhD Candidate
Brianna Meddaoui is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology. She received her BA Honours in Psychology from Queen’s University, her MA in Psychology from Columbia University, and her MSc in Clinical Psychology from Western in 2022, under the supervision of Dr. Erin Kaufman. She is interested in examining how vulnerability factors (e.g., cognitive, affective, physiological) transact with contextual stressors to confer risk for suicide among adolescents and adults, particularly those vulnerable to Borderline Personality Disorder. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her pups, reading, baking, and musical theatre.
Kendall Schmidt
PhD Candidate
Kendall Schmidt is a PhD 2 student in the PEAR Lab. She received her BS in Psychology from Yale University in 2019 and her MSc from Western University in 2023. She is interested in transdiagnostic factors that contribute to eating disorders, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In her free time, Kendall likes to read and embroider.
Lisa Y. Zhu
PhD Candidate
Lisa Y. Zhu is a PhD 1 student in Clinical Psychology. She received her MSc in Clinical Psychology Western University in 2025 and completed her BSc in Honours Psychology at McGill University in 2022. Lisa is interested in the shared mechanisms between anxiety disorders and eating pathology, particularly maladaptive exercise in men and women. In her spare time, she likes to read and run.
Taylor N. Breddy
MSc Candidate
Taylor Breddy (she/her) is a first year MSc student in Clinical Psychology. She also worked in the lab as a lab coordinator. She completed her MSc in Neuroscience at Western University in 2025. She is interested in transdiagnostic biopsychosocial factors (e.g., reward processing) related to disordered eating, different forms of exercise, and substance misuse. Taylor is also passionate about swimming, traveling, and animal conservation.
Lab Coordinators
Avery Bender
Lab Coordinator
Avery is a lab coordinator and pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology (BSc). She is passionate about understanding the development and maintenance of eating disorders, as well as the various treatment approaches available. Avery is also intrigued by the impact of eating disorders on an individual's peers. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. (abender7@uwo.ca)
Helena Burrows
Lab Coordinator
Helena Burrows has recently graduated with a BSc Honours Specialization in Psychology. She is interested in muscularity-oriented disordered eating, particularly associated traits and shared mechanisms with other eating disorders. In the future, she hopes to become a practicing clinical psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys working out, spending time with friends, and watching sports.
Honours Thesis Students
To be announced!
Research Assistants
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Monica Sadowski
Research Assistant
Monica Sadowski worked as a lab coordinator at the PEAR Lab, and graduated from UWO with an honours specialization in psychology. She is interested in learning about how positive psychology can be used to understand and treat eating disorders, especially in the context of self-compassion versus self-criticism. She loves baking and hiking!
Michelle Paik
Research Assistant
Michelle Paik is a fourth-year Medical Sciences student pursuing an Honours Specialization in One Health. She is passionate about exploring the onset of mental disorders through an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on psychological, social, and biological factors. At the PEAR Lab, Michelle is eager to study the role of reward processing in the development of eating disorders. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Netflix, going for runs, and making the perfect cup of coffee!
Valentina is a fourth year student at Western University, pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology. Valentina has a strong interest in exploring the causes and effects of eating disorders. In the future, Valentina aspires to become a clinical psychologist and open her own practice. In her free time, she enjoys working out, travelling and spending time with friends.
Valentina Milano
Research Assistant
Sharani Santhiramohan
Research Assistant
Sharani Santhiramohan is a third-year Medical Sciences student pursuing an Honours Specialization in One Health. She is passionate about understanding mental disorders by looking at the interrelated relationships between biology, psychology, and culture. She aspires to work as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the future. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and enjoying time in the fresh air! (ssanthi9@uwo.ca)
Fiona (Ziyan) Fan
Research Assistant
Fiona (Ziyan) Fan is a forth-year student pursuing a dual degree in Honors Specialization in Psychology and Honors Business Administration. She is fascinated by the complexities of the human brain and reasoning, with a particular interest in effective interventions for eating disorders. Fiona aspires to further her studies in psychology and pursue a career as a psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys theater, singing, traveling, and exploring cafes.
Soumya Gupta
Research Assistant
Soumya Gupta is a second-year student pursuing Health Sciences. She is interested in how cognitive processes contribute to eating disorders, particularly the roles of reward sensitivity and weight-related stigma in shaping eating behaviours. At PEAR Lab, she is excited to gain experience working directly with participants, learning how studies are conducted from start to finish, and building a deeper understanding of how research can inform prevention and treatment approaches. In her free time, she enjoys painting, photography, and playing the piano.
Sarina Khaleghi
Research Assistant
My name is Sarina. I am a fourth-year student in the Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology. I am interested in the psychobiology of disordered eating, especially how psychological behaviours relate to underlying physiological mechanisms. At the PEAR Lab, I am excited to learn more about techniques like facial electromyography (fEMG) and how they can help us understand emotional and reward responses. In my free time, I enjoy baking, travelling, and spending time with friends and family.
(skhaleg2@uwo.ca)
Maya Feehely
Research Assistant
Maya Feehely is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a dual degree in Medical Sciences and an Honors in Business Administration at the Ivey School of Business. She is passionate about exploring the long-term effects of psychological disorders on physical and mental health. At the PEAR Lab, Maya is excited to study how different mood states are related to different patterns of eating. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the gym, volunteering and cooking!
Catie Montemarano
Research Assistant
My name is Catie, and I am a second-year student in the Honours Specialization in Psychology. I’m fascinated by the psychobiological roots of disordered eating, specifically the impact of behaviour on physiological systems. I love being part of the PEAR Lab, as I get to learn about using techniques such as fEMG to study the nuances of emotion and reward. In my free time, I love to travel, read, watch movies, and be with friends and family.
Dhyani Upadhyay is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Psychology. She is passionate about exploring the long-term effects of psychological disorders on physical and mental health. At the PEAR Lab, Dhyani is excited to study how different mood states are related to different patterns of eating. She aspires to pursue a career in child and social psychology in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys baking cookies, reading, and watching movies and TV shows.
Dhyani Upadhyay
Research Assistant
Grace Han
Research Assistant
Grace Han is a first-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Double Major in Psychology and Childhood and Youth Studies. She is interested in understanding why adolescents are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders, including how factors such as academic pressure, sports environments, and peer influence contribute to this risk, as well as exploring prevention and treatment strategies. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, skating and baking.
Research Assistant
Isha Bhatia
Isha Bhatia is a second-year Psychology student pursuing a Major, with a strong interest in understanding the complexities of eating and mental health, and is motivated by the lab’s focus on translating research into meaningful support and intervention. Isha aspires to become a pediatrician specializing in mental health disorders, where she hopes to combine her clinical and research interests to better support children and adolescents. Outside of academics, she enjoys working out, travelling, and spending time with her dog.
Research Assistant
Joanna Binoy
Joanna is a second-year Psychology student with a strong interest in understanding the development of mental health disorders through a biopsychosocial lens. She is particularly interested in research examining processes such as reward, emotion regulation, and their role in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. Joanna is excited about the opportunity to contribute to work exploring co-morbidities, including factors associated with self-harm and suicidal behaviours, and to deepen her research experience in a meaningful, real-world context. In her spare time, she enjoys staying active through sports, spending time outdoors, trying new food spots.
Research Assistant
Nishita Pillai
Nishita Pillai is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing an honours specialization in Biology. She is passionate about exploring how cognitive biases and reward learning processes shape maladaptive eating behaviours. As well as how insights into reward processing can inform more effective interventions and treatment plans for eating disorders. She aspires to work as a psychiatrist, bridging clinical medicine and research to improve patient outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, working out, and volunteering! (npillai6@uwo.ca)
Nikki Whitehead is a fourth year Honours Specialization Psychology student at King’s University College with a passion for eating disorder research and learning about innovative treatments. Her long term goal is to open an eating disorder clinic that provides accessible, affordable, and evidence based care for individuals seeking recovery. She is interested in studying the relationship between PMOS/PCOS, endometriosis and later eating disorders onset. At the PEAR Lab, she is excited to gain hands on research experience, work directly with participants, and deepen her understanding of how research can improve prevention and treatment. Nikki also enjoys singing, writing music, reading fantasy novels, and baking for her friends.
Research Assistant
Nikki Whitehead
Previous Lab Members
Post-Doc Alumni
Dr. Cassandra Lowe - Lecturer, University of Exter (Exter, England)
Honours Thesis Students
Kira Cocco - MA in Child and Youth Studies, Brock University
Annalisa Simonetta
Jodie Tang
Claire Gilbert
Helena Burrows - Current PEAR Lab Coordinator
Brooke Laraia - MEd in Counselling Psychology, University of Toronto
Staci Berman - MSc in Clinical Developmental Psychology, York University
Carly Biderman - PhD in Clinical Psychology, Windsor University
Caroline Farrelle - Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Gillian Shoychet - PhD in Clinical Developmental Psychology, York University
Kamila Anna Szcyzglowski - PhD in Social Psychology, Wilfred Laurier University
Jina Kim - Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
Riley Keast - MSc in Counselling Psychology, Western University
Shelby Ochshorn - Master of Social Work, Wurzweiler School of Social Work
Sara Ceresia - MA in School and Applied Child Psychology, Western University
Sophie Cohen - MEd in Counselling Psychology, University of Toronto
Lab Coordinators
Taylor Breddy - Current MSc Student in PEAR Lab
Monica Sadowski
Parveen Dhadly - MSc in Clinical Health Counselling, PennWest University
Research Assistants
Tanvi Vattipally
Kylee Ayala
Theresa Hayes - MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University
Shely Kagen
Aditya Thakur - Medical Student, Newcastle University
Aurora Jiang
Malak Sadek - Research Lab Coordinator, University of Calgary
Megan Ho - MEd in Developmental Psychology, University of Toronto
Hazeema Hazeema
Farwa Rana
Andy Lu
Brianna De La Perrelle-Talbot
Connor Elbe – MSc in Psychology, San Diego State University
David (Yi) Diao – Medical School, McMaster University
Emma Truffyn – MSc in Clinical Psychology, Guelph University
Iris Kwon
Kaitlyn Yu
Muskan Sait - Supervisor at London's Children Connection
Nadia Khan - Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
Olivia Pearson
Risha Soud - MS Family Relations and Human Development, University of Guelph
Sarah Chondon – Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
Kevin Lau
Disha Rawal – MSc in Clinical Psychology, Windsor University
Mariam Elnazali – Lab Manager, St. Joes Hospital
Melynda Thompson – MSc in Psychotherapy, McMaster University
Andrew Vincent - MA Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University
Paige Bjornson - Elementary Education and Teaching, St. Mary's University
Hiruthika Ravi
Angel Cheung
Joshua Poulin - Research Coordinator, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre