The Mothering Transitions
Research Team

• Cindy-Lee Dennis – Principal Investigator
• Alvaro Ferreira – Research Manager
• Flavia Marini – Research Associate
• Research Assistants
• Current Doctoral Students
• Former Doctoral Students
• Doctoral Supervisory Committee Member

Cindy-Lee Dennis PhD

BScN, University of Toronto
MScN, The University of Western Ontario
PhD, University of Toronto
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of British Columbia

• Professor: University of Toronto, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
• Adjunct Professor: University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
• Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Community Health, University of Toronto
• Women’s Health Research Chair, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital

cindylee.dennis@utoronto.ca
University of Toronto Profile

Alvaro Ferreira – Research Manager Back to top

 

BSc, Centro Universitario UNA, Brazil
MSc, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil

Alvaro.Ferreira@unityhealth.to

Tel: 416-864-6060 ext. 77057

Flavia Marini – Research Associate Back to top

 

BSc, Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Minas Gerais, Brazil 
MSc, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
PhD, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Toronto

Flavia.CasasantaMarini@unityhealth.to

 

Research AssistantsBack to top

 

Courtney Braun

BSc, Queen’s University
MSc, University of Toronto

Courtney’s LinkedIn
Courtney.Braun@unityhealth.to

 

Michelle Lau

BA, Queen’s University

MichelleWai-Ki.Lau@unityhealth.to

 

Rita Lev

BSc, York University

Rita’s LinkedIn
Rita.Lev@unityhealth.to

 

Abigail Mitchell

BSc, Laurentian University

Abby’s LinkedIn
Abigail.Mitchell@unityhealth.to

 

Ivana Peloza

BSc, Western University

Ivana’s LinkedIn
Ivana.Peloza@unityhealth.to

 

Current Doctoral Students Back to top

Salima Sulaiman

Title: A pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of an antenatal couple-based intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression among women in Karachi, Pakistan

Kadeen Briscoe

Title: A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of telephone-based peer support on the prevention of depression among mothers with infants in the NICU

Former Doctoral Students Back to top

Kobra Falah-Hassani 

Title:  Prevalence of postpartum depression among immigrant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Barbara Chyzzy 

Title: A pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of telephone-based peer support on the prevention of postpartum depression among pregnant adolescents.

Jennifer Abbass-Dick 

Title: A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a co-parenting breastfeeding support intervention on exclusive breastfeeding rates at twelve weeks postpartum among primiparous mothers and fathers

Kim Allen

Title: RELiEF: A randomized controlled trial evaluating lanolin and expressed breast milk for the treatment of nipple pain among breastfeeding women

Karen McQueen

Title: Improving breastfeeding outcomes: A pilot randomized controlled trial of a self-efficacy intervention with primiparous mothers

Marla McGregor

Title: A pilot quasi-experimental study to determine the feasibility in evaluating the effectiveness of family physician-based cognitive behavioural therapy among pregnant women with depressive symptomatology

Doctoral Supervisory Committee Back to top

Alison Mildon

Title: Effectiveness and feasibility of providing postnatal breastfeeding support to vulnerable mothers as an extension to the Canada prenatal nutrition program

Summer Haddad

Title: Sleep in parents of preterm infants

Salima Hemani

Title: South Asian Low-sodium Trial (SALT): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Shelley Doucet

Title: Postpartum Psychosis: Support Needs of Mothers and Fathers

Marianne O’Byrne

Title: A prospective analysis of the social context and the biological, psychological, and social influences on the prenatal and postpartum embodiment experiences of mothers during their transition to parenthood

Monica Parry

Title: A pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a home-based exercise program and telephone-based peer support on quality of life among patients recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Ping Zou

Title: Examination of a culturally sensitive dietary education intervention to treat hypertension for Chinese Canadians in the community: A pilot randomized controlled trial