Our People

Leadership Team

  • Dr. Tina Malti
    Dr. Tina Malti
    Director
    Healthy Child Development and Inclusive Policy
  • Ruth Speidel (Managing Director)
    Dr. Ruth Speidel
    Managing Director, Assistant Professor (LTA)
    Developmental Psychology
  • Chanel Tsang's photo
    Chanel Tsang
    Manager, Operations & Community Partnerships

Administrative Team

  • Image of Riad El-Karout, Volunteer at CCDMP
    Riad El-Karout
    Social Media Coordinator
  • Mikayla Hamilton's Photo
    Mikayla Hamilton
    Communications Assistant
  • Aleena Khan's photo
    Aleena Khan
    Lab Coordinator
  • Gideon Mehna's Image
    Gideon Mehna
    PEY Co-op Student 2024-25
  • Image of Michelle Melvin, a volunteer at CCDMP
    Michelle Melvin
    Social Media Coordinator

Research Team

  • Joy Chang's photo
    Joy Chang
    Project Coordinator, Certificate Program
  • Sian Day's photo
    Sian Day
    Community Engagement Coordinator, R-BLISS Project
  • Emma Galarneau's photo
    Emma Galarneau
    PhD Student, AIRY Project
  • Emilie Kovalik's headshot
    Emilie Kovalik
    PhD Student
  • Jennifer's headshot
    Jennifer Phillips
    Postdoctoral Fellow, ADAPT Project

Research Assistants

  • Ridah Afshal
    Ridah Afshal
    R-BLISS Project
  • Dania Al-Alusi's Photo
    Dania Al-Alusi
    Research Assistant
  • Maya Awad
    Maya Awad
    Knowledge Translation Assistant
  • José Chacon
    José Chacon
    Research Assistant
  • Chiara Dango
    Chiara Dango
    Knowledge Translation Student
  • Baamie Dorahazi (Volunteer)
    Baamie Dorahazi
    Volunteer
  • Laney Fogarasi's headshot
    Laney Fogarasi
    Volunteer
  • Vanessa Genise
    Vanessa Genise
    Volunteer
  • Isabella Iacoe
    Isabella Iacoe
    Illustrator
  • LI
    Latifah Idd
    SROP (Summer Research Opportunity Program)
  • Samira Karimova's photo
    Samira Karimova
    Volunteer
  • Megan Mackinnon
    Megan Mackinnon
    CCDMP Thesis Student
  • Laura Nemi
    Laura Nemi
    Volunteer
  • Neha Reddy
    Neha Reddy
    Volunteer
  • Youness Robert-Tahiri
    Youness Robert-Tahiri
    Laidlaw Scholar
  • Hagar Saleh's Photo
    Hagar Saleh
    Research Assistant
  • Ruiqiu SHEN
    Ruiqiu Shen
    Volunteer
  • Tamara Shihab's picture
    Tamara Shihab
    Thesis Student, ADAPT Project
  • Dima Taian's Photo
    Dima Taian
    Research Assistant
  • Isabella Vreux's photo
    Isabella Vreux
    Volunteer
  • Abby Walker Mitchell
    Abby Walker Mitchell
    Research Assistant

Board of Directors

  • SF
    Suzanne Finn
    Director, Early Years and Child Care Services, Region of Peel
    Early Years, regional government
  • DH
    Dr. Patricia Houston
    Professor of Anesthesia, Vice Dean, Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, U of T
    Health, professional education
  • KS
    Kaveh Shahrooz
    Director of Partnerships and Legal Counsel, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, UTM
    Law, university policy
  • AS
    Andrew Stelmacovich
    Executive Director of Advancement, Office of Advancement, UTM
    Fundraising

Lab Alumni

Post-Doctoral Fellows (Selection)

  • RA
    Redab Al-Janaideh
    (2021-2022)
    Project Manager at the Centre for Leadership and Learning, York Region District School Board, Ontario, Canada Sessional Lecturer at the University of Toronto, Canada
  • A
    Margit Averdijk
    (2011-2014; co-supervisor)
    Research Associate, Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, Zurich, Switzerland
  • TC
    Tyler Colasante
    Post-Doctoral Fellow, 2017 - 2020; Managing Director, Research, 2020 - 2023
    Junior Professor and Alexander von Humboldt Research Group Leader, Faculty of Education, Leipzig University
  • LC
    Lixian Cui
    (2013-2015)
    Assistant Professor, Institute for Social Development, New York University Shanghai, China
  • ED
    Ella Daniel
    (2012-2013)
    Assistant Professor, School of Education, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
  • SD
    Sebastian Dys
    (2013–2019)
    Post-Doctoral fellow, Simon Fraser University Adolescent Health Lab, Burnaby, Canada
  • NF
    Nishat Fatima
    (2020–2021)
    Solution Focused Brief Counsellor, Covenant House Toronto Clinical Associate, Dr. Caffrey-Craig Clinic, Toronto, Canada
  • JF
    Joanne Filippelli
    (2020–2021)
    Policymaker, Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, Toronto, Canada
  • MJ
    Marc Jambon
    (2017-2020)
    Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University
  • JP
    Joanna Peplak
    (2013-2020)
    Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
  • SS
    Stefania Sette
    (2014-2015)
    Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
  • KS
    Keng-Hie Song
    (2019-2020)
    Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling Psychology, Woosuk University, Jin-cheon, South Korea
  • JS
    Ju-Hyun Song
    (2016-2018)
    Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Family Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
  • Z
    Linlin Zhang
    (2017-2019)
    Assistant Professor, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
  • AZ
    Antonio Zuffiano
    (2014-2015)
    Professor, Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Ph.D. Advisees (Selection)

  • MC
    Maria Paula Chaparro
    (2015; co-supervision)
    Clinical Psychologist, Toronto
  • AD
    Anouk van Dijk
    (2015; international visiting graduate student)
    Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental Psychopathology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • SD
    Sebastian Dys
    (2013–2019)
    Post-Doctoral fellow, Social Development Lab, University of Waterloo
  • JG
    Jeanine Gruetter
    (2015; international visiting graduate student)
    Professor of Inclusive Education, University of Konstanz, Germany
  • HK
    Hyunji Kim
    (2013; co-supervision)
    Postdoctoral Student, York University
  • CN
    Christine Nguyen
    (2013; co-supervision)
    Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
  • JP
    Joanna Peplak
    (2013-2020)
    Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine
  • AS
    Annekatrin Steinhoff
    (2014; co-supervision)
    Postdoctoral Student, University of Zurich

Master’s Thesis Advisees (Selection)

  • CC
    Corsin Caglia
    (2011)
    Clinical Psychologist, Switzerlan
  • SD
    Sebastian Dys
    (2013)
    Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto
  • AF
    Anai Fernandez
    (2010)
    School Psychologist, Switzerland
  • SK
    Sarah Kuenzler
    (2011)
    School Psychologist, Switzerland
  • SO
    Sophia Ongley
    (2012)
    Teacher, Vancouver, Canada

Undergraduate Students (Selection)

  • S
    Shahd Fulath Khan
    (2021)
    MSc. in Couple and Family Therapy, Guelph University
  • MA
    Maarya Abdulkarim
    (2022)
    MPH in Health Promotion, University of Toronto
  • AA
    Anisha Aery
    (2017)
    M.A. Student, Counselling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Vancouver
  • MA
    Martin Atanasovski
    (2012)
    M.A. Student, Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University, New Brunswick
  • MB
    Michal Bak
    (2013)
    Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology, Western University
  • BB
    Bushra Bayan
    (2013)
    M.A. Student, Occupational Therapy, Queen’s University
  • DB
    David Boshra
    (2018)
    M.T, University of Toronto (OISE)
  • JC
    Jessica Chuang
    (2015)
    M.A. Student, Occupational Therapy, Western University
  • EC
    Elizabeth Clancy
    (2015)
    M.A. Student, Psychology & Neurology, Guelph University
  • CC
    Chrystal Colquhoun
    (2014)
    M.A. Student, Teaching, Learning, and Development, Brock University
  • AE
    Ayah Ellithy
    (2017)
    M.A. Student, Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Toronto
  • DE
    Danah Elsayed
    (2018)
    MSc. in Family Relations and Human Development, Guelph University
  • BE
    Behzad Eshghi
    (2013)
    Ph.D. Student, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
  • NH
    Nick Hobson
    (2012)
    Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto, Scarborough
  • NH
    Navneet Hundal
    (2013)
    M.A. Student, Education, York University
  • LJ
    Leyla Javam
    (2011)
    Ph.D. Student, University of Toronto (OISE)
  • NJ
    Nirma Jbara
    (2021)
    MSc. in Physiotherapy, University of Toronto
  • IK
    Iren Karki
    (2017)
    M.A. Student, Counselling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Vancouver
  • NK
    Nisreen Khambati
    (2013)
    M.A. Student, Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice, Anne Freud Centre, London, UK
  • SM
    Shahdah Mahhouk
    (2019)
    M.A. in Philosophy, McMaster University
  • CM
    Cristina Martan
    (2016)
    M.Ed. Student, University of Toronto (OISE)
  • MM
    Matthew Medeiros
    (2013)
    Ph.D. Student, Anthropology, University of Toronto
  • TM
    Tehreem Mehmood
    (2018)
    MSc. in Couple and Family Therapy, Guelph University
  • MM
    Mishika Mehrotra
    (2018-2019)
    Ph.D. Student, University of Cambridge
  • SO
    Shabana Omar
    (2015)
    M.A. Student, Counselling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Vancouver
  • MR
    Michelle Rodrigues
    (2013)
    M.A. Student, School and Clinical Child Psychology, University of Toronto (OISE)
  • SR
    Samantha Rundle
    (2018)
    M.A. in Experimental Psychology, University of Toronto
  • AS
    Alyssa Saiphoo
    (2014)
    M.A. Student, Social Psychology, Ryerson University
  • AS
    Amani Saleh
    (2011)
    Ph.D. Student, City University, London
  • IS
    Isabella Schwyzer
    (2013)
    M.A. Student, University of Zurich
  • BT
    Belinda Tanuwijaya
    (2017)
    M.A. Student, Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Boston
  • CT
    Catherine Tessier
    (2018)
    MSW, University of Michigan
  • MZ
    Mahrukh Zahid
    (2018)
    MPH in Health Care Management, Yale University

Visiting Scholars

Professors

  • AB
    Andreas Beelmann
    (2014)
    Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
  • LG
    Luciano Gasser
    (2015)
    University of Teacher Education, Lucerne, Switzerland
  • MG
    Michaela Gummerum
    (2013)
    University of Plymouth, UK
  • MH
    Mari Hasegawa
    (2018, 2019)
    Yokohama City University, Japan
  • MK
    Monika Keller
    (2011)
    Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
  • DS
    Dagmar Strohmeier
    (2013, 2020)
    University of Applied Sciences, Linz, Austria

Postdoctoral Researchers

  • MM
    Milena Marzano
    (2012)
    University of Bari, Italy
  • SS
    Stefania Sette
    (2015)
    University of Rome, Italy

Graduate Students

  • SA
    Shazza Ali
    (2018)
    University of Kent, UK
  • BB
    Beatrice Bobba
    (2019)
    University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
  • MB
    Marieke de Bruine
    (2014-2015)
    University of Leiden, The Netherlands
  • AD
    Anouk van Dijk
    (2015-2016)
    Utrecht University, The Netherlands
  • JG
    Jeannine Gruetter
    (2014-2015)
    University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • DJ
    Dorinde Jansma
    (2014)
    University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  • MN
    Marta Nola
    (2014)
    University of Pavia, Italy