Sarah Chehayeb
Sarah is a PhD candidate at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University. She joined the program in Fall 2022. Sarah earned a Master of Science in Community and Public Health Nursing in 2022 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2017 from the American University of Beirut. As a registered nurse, she spent four years caring for adult patients with hematologic malignancies and those undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Recognizing the challenges faced by patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) following discharge, she developed a training program for oncology nurses during her master’s project to introduce evidence-based self-management strategies. Her doctoral research focuses on self-management support and remote symptom monitoring post-allo-HSCT. A recipient of the Cole Foundation Fellowship Award (2024–2026), Sarah is committed to advancing research and enhancing the quality of life for patients undergoing HSCT and their caregivers.
Areas of interest
- Patients undergoing a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) and caregivers
- Quality of life improvement
- Self-management support
- Remote Symptom Monitoring (RSM) using Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs)
- Stakeholder engagement and Co-design
- Feasibility and acceptability testing
Supervisor
Dr. Sylvie Lambert, RN, PhD: Associate Professor and Associate Director of Research at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Bizuneh Wakuma Efa
Bizuneh Wakuma Efa is a PhD student at the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill University. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Wollega University in 2014 and subsequently served as a Graduate Assistant II for one year. In 2017, he earned a Master’s degree in Pediatric Health Nursing from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. His master's thesis examined essential newborn care practices and associated factors among postnatal mothers in Nekemte City. Over the years, he has gained substantial experience in teaching and conducting research, primarily focused on maternal, newborn, and child health. He has been involved in various academic and community-based health projects addressing critical issues such as neonatal care, child nutrition, and maternal health services. He is currently expanding on this work through his PhD research, which aims to understand infant feeding rates, behaviors, and the factors influencing these practices among Canadian caregivers.
Areas of interest
- Infant Feeding and Child Nutrition
- Perinal Health
- Child and Adolescent Health
- Breast Feeding and Promotion
- Evidence based practices in child care
Supervisors
Dr. Sonia Semenic, RN, PhD, Associate Professor; PhD Program Director, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Dr. Andraea Van Hulst, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Jade Desforges
Jade Desforges has been a pediatric critical care nurse clinician at Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine since 2017. She completed her Nursing undergraduate and master’s degrees at Université de Montréal and she is now enrolled in the doctoral program in the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill. Her doctoral thesis aims to co-design a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) complex intervention to support children and families during the direct discharge to home. Her decision to pursue doctoral training is derived from her clinical, personal and academic experiences and strong commitment to transforming children’s critical care. In recent years, she became a mother of two which gave her a new understanding of children and families’ PICU experiences, furthering her capacity to strengthen meaningful partnerships with families. Motherhood also fed her desire to become an example for her children and teach them that with unwavering determination and motivation, they can successfully attain their goals.
Areas of interest
- Child health
- Pediatric intensive care
- Family partnerships
- Storytelling
- Art-based methods
Supervisor(s)
Argerie Tsimicalis, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Nadia Roumeliotis, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
Laura Crump
Laura Crump, BSc, BAS, MSc holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science from McMaster University (2014), a Bachelor of Nursing from Trent University (2016), and a Master of Science in Nursing, Advanced Clinical Practice, from McGill University (2021). Prior to beginning her doctorate at McGill University, she worked for many years as a nurse clinician in a level three neonatal intensive care unit in Montreal and as a research assistant on numerous projects. Laura is committed to utilizing implementation science to facilitate the adoption of evidence-based practices in neonatal intensive care, aiming to enhance outcomes for all stakeholders. Her doctoral research focuses on identifying and addressing the factors that influence direct breastfeeding in the NICU. Laura is also exploring the intersection of health equity and implementation science to ensure that high-quality care is accessible to diverse populations.
Areas of interest
- Breastfeeding
- Neonatal intensive care
- Implementation science
- Health equity
- Evidence based practice
Supervisor(s)
Sonia Semenic, Associate Professor and PhD Program Director, Ingram School of Nursing
Guillaume Fontaine, FRQS Junior 1 Research Scholar & Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Nursing
nathalie.clavel [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Nathalie Clavel)
Nathalie Clavel is a postdoctoral fellow (FRQS award- 2020-2022) in the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill University. She completed in 2019 a Ph.D. in Public Health at the University of Montreal in the School of Public Health. She is also a graduate of the Master of Health Administration from the University of Montreal. The focus of her postdoctoral research is on patient and family engagement in infection prevention and control in the context of a pandemic, using mixed research methods. Her study currently takes place at the McGill University Health Center, in collaboration with the Center of Excellence on Partnership with the Patients and the Public and Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. As part of her doctoral research, Nathalie studied the implementation of patient and family engagement in direct care and quality improvement activities and structures in diverse healthcare organizations and contexts of care (mental health, oncology) in Canada.
Areas of Interest
- Implementation and management in healthcare
- Quality and safety improvement
- Patient and family engagement
Supervisor(s)
Mélanie Lavoie-Tremblay, Ph.D., RN, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Alain Biron, Ph.D., RN, Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University and Assistant Director, Department of Nursing, McGill University Health Center
michele.desmarais2 [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Michèle Desmarais)
Michèle Desmarais is PhD student at McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing. She has clinical experience as a mental health nurse and also as a lecturer, college teacher, research assistant, and research coordinator. During her master’s degree in nursing (2015-2018), she conducted a qualitative research in which she developed a teaching intervention for nurses aiming at increasing self-knowledge for competencies development and mental health. For her PhD (2019-ongoing), she is interested in children’s and adolescents’ mental health. More specifically, she wants to further knowledge on eating disorders and suicide in children and adolescents. Her doctoral research is funded by the Programme MEES-Universités – Bourses d’études doctorales and by the Quebec Nursing Intervention Research Network.
Areas of Interest
- Suicide
- Eating disorders
- Mental health
- Nursing
- Concept analysis
- Qualitative methodologies
- Participatory research approaches
Supervisor(s)
Marjorie Montreuil, RN, PhD, assistant professor, Ingram School of Nursing
Mélanie Lavoie-Tremblay, RN, PhD, associate professor, Ingram School of Nursing
lydia.ouldbrahim [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Lydia Ould Brahim)
Lydia Ould Brahim is a PhD student in Nursing and registered nurse (RN) with a BASc in Environmental and Political Science (McGill University) and MSc in Nursing (McGill University). Her research interests lie primarily in the domain of mental health with a focus on caregivers and self-management. Her current research centers on adapting and pilot testing a self-management depression intervention for people with chronic illness and their caregivers. She has contributed to a number of research projects related to self-management of depression as well as addressing the broader needs of caregivers. She has also conducted research aiming to improve mental health care for inpatients with dual diagnoses.
Areas of Interest
- Caregivers
- Mental Health
- Chronic illness
- Depression
- Self-management
- Intervention research
Supervisor(s)
Supervisor: Dr. Sylvie Lambert, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing McGill University
Co-supervisor: Dr. Nancy Feeley, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing McGill University
shiva.shahiri [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Shiva Shahiri)
Shiva Shahiri is a doctoral student in nursing science at McGill University. Shiva is also a nurse clinician in the operating room at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Her research interests align with her clinical background in pain measurement and management. Shiva has a master’s degree in nursing from McGill University where her research explored an innovative technology designed for this purpose, the Nociception Level (NOL) Index. Shiva’s clinical and research experience has allowed her to reflect on nursing’s contribution to design, development and decision-making in bringing innovative technologies to market and nursing practice. Her doctoral studies will expand on her master’s project and explore the validity and clinical applicability of scientific innovations in pain research and nursing care.
Areas of Interest
- Pain assessment and measurement
- Physiological indicators of pain
- Critical care nursing
- Nonverbal adult patients
Supervisor(s)
Céline Gélinas, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Nurse Scientist and Project Director, Centre for Nursing Research at the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital
yujia.tang2 [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Yujia Tang)
Yujia Tang is a doctoral student at Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University. She completed her undergraduate studies at Wuhan University (2017) and received a master’s degree in nursing from Central South University (2020) in China where her research examined the effects of a postpartum intensive lifestyle modification program on physiological health outcomes (weight-related variables, type 2 diabetes development, insulin resistance) among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus. Building on previous research and clinical experiences, Yujia is pursuing doctoral studies to explore built and social neighbourhood environment features as they relate to the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours among adolescents enrolled in weight management care using both qualitative and quantitative research approaches.
Areas of Interest
- Obesity
- Diabetes and pre-diabetes
- Children and adolescents
- Lifestyle behaviors
- Public health nursing
- Neighborhoods and health
- Mixed research methodology (quantitative and qualitative)
Supervisor(s)
Dr. Andraea Van Hulst, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Dr. Sonia Semenic, RN, PhD, Associate Professor; PhD Program Director, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Sydney Wasserman
Sydney Wasserman is a PhD student in Nursing at McGill University, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) and Master of Science in Advanced Nursing (MSc(A)). As a registered nurse clinician (RN), she brings clinical experience from working in a number one trauma centre’s Emergency Department and continues to practice while pursuing graduate studies. Alongside her clinical work, she has developed strong research expertise as a research assistant. Sydney’s frontline experience in primary care has fueled her commitment to evidence-based research and knowledge translation. Her work focuses on developing digital health interventions that are accessible, engaging and equitable, with the goal of supporting patients and caregivers in building self-management skills and adopting preventative health behaviours. She collaborates closely with patients, caregivers and clinical partners to ensure her work meets user needs, with a particular emphasis on psychosocial aspects of oncology care.
Areas of interest
- Self-management and preventative health
- Health equity and accessibility
- Implementation science
- Behavioural science
- Digital health intervention development
- Psychosocial oncology
- Dyadic support for both patients and caregivers
Supervisor(s)
Supervisor: Dr. Sylvie Lambert, RN, PhD, Associate Director, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Guillaume Fontaine, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University