Meet the team

---

Dr. Deanna Friesen is a cognitive psychologist and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University. She is currently serving as the Applied Psychology program chair.  She collaborates with the IAASP lab on projects related to 1) how pre-service teachers’ perceptions of psychological reports impact their inclusive practice and 2) how psychological assessments impact perceived school support. She is interested in ways to bring psychologists and teachers together to facilitate classroom learning.     

Sydney completed her M.A. in School and Applied Child Psychology from Western University in 2021 and has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Guelph.  Sydney's doctoral research explores how to better support students with anxiety at school. Sydney is co-supervised by Dr. Shannon Stewart and Dr. Colin King.

Laura completed her MSW in Social Work from King's University College at Western University in 2020 and has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from McGill University.  Laura's doctoral research explores the relationship between youth mental health and smartphone use. View her research poster, "Moving Beyond Screen Time: A Scoping Review Investigating the Relationship Between Smartphone Use and Anxiety" under Knowledge Mobilization.  Laura has also published a systematic review examining the association between child maltreatment and adult economic outcomes.

Rafia completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Carleton University.  Rafia's research explores changes in parents and children following a psychoeducational assessment. Rafia is co-supervised by Dr. Deanna Friesen and Dr. Colin King.

Carly completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Guelph in 2023.  Carly will be joining the lab in September 2023. Welcome to the team, Carly!