Our Team
Lab Director
Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens (She/Her)
Lab Director/PI
Scientific Co-Director of PREVNet (Canada’s national healthy relationships hub)
Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens is a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Childhood Health Promotion, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, and jointly appointed to the Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Dr. Exner-Cortens is also a full member in the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education. She holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology (Cornell University) and a Master of Public Health (Boston University).
Photograph by Jered Synch. Hair and makeup by Artists Within.
Research Staff
Dr. Elizabeth Baker (She/Her)
Research Scientist
Executive Director at PREVNet (Canada’s national healthy relationships hub)
Dr. Liz Baker is a Research Scientist with the HOPE Lab. She received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Kent State University and completed her post-doctoral training at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on preventing dating violence, youth suicide prevention, promoting youth health, and program evaluation. She also works with PREVNet, helping to ensure youth, caregivers, educators, and policymakers understand teen dating violence and how they can help prevent it.
Dr. Caroline Claussen (She/Her)
Research Scientist
Dr. Caroline Claussen’s professional and academic background spans more than 15 years. Her research focuses on exploring the intersections between youth, masculinities, and sexual health. She has been certified in Teaching Men’s Studies from the American Men’s Studies Association and has taught in the area of Sociology and Gender at the University of Calgary. Dr. Claussen also works with non-profit organizations and policymakers in a research and evaluation capacity, with a focus on prevention.
Lisa Liang (She/Her)
Administrative Coordinator
Lisa joined the HOPELab team in October 2023. She possesses extensive experience in financial and administrative roles. Lisa is responsible for information management, event planning, report editing, and providing other administrative support to HOPELab. She also works as an Administrative Coordinator at PREVNet (Canada’s national healthy relationships hub).
Graduate Trainees
Ruchi Vijh (She/Her)
Graduate Student (MSc Clinical)
Ruchi is currently a Clinical Psychology graduate student at the University of Calgary. She obtained a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, specializing in Mental Health at McMaster University and an MPH in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include preventing teen dating violence, including evaluating dating violence prevention programs, and promoting healthy relationships among youth.
Nicole Camacho Soto
Graduate Student (PhD Clinical Psychology)
Nicole is currently a graduate student in the PhD Clinical Psychology program at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include developing prevention programs for dating violence to promote healthy relationships, prevent domestic violence and break the intergenerational cycle of violence.
Ceilidh McConnell
Graduate Student (PhD Psychology)
Honours Students
Jenna Himer
Hounours Student
Jenna is an undergraduate student currently completing her BSc in psychology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include suicide prevention, mental health in rural and Indigneous communities/populations, the effects of trauma in child development, and coping strategies.
Research Assistants
Loyce Sakuhuni
Research Assistant
Loyce Sakuhuni completed an undergraduate Honours Psychology degree with an Embedded Certificate in Wellbeing and Resilience at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include child and family mental health, youth suicide prevention, and mental health promotion for minority populations. Loyce is currently a research assistant on the teen dating violence project.
Emily Matejko (She/Her)
Research Assistant
Emily joined the HOPELab team in August 2019 after graduating with an MA in counselling psychology. Emily worked one-on-one with clients for 7 years helping them identify and overcome maladaptive relationship beliefs and patterns. Her research interests include evaluating the effectiveness of mental health programs, as well as finding ways of promoting healthy relationship development in youth with disabilities. Emily is now completing a PhD in Educational Sciences.
Jordan Keough
Research Assistant
Jordan joined the HOPELab as an honours student, completing her thesis on masculinity and help-seeking behaviour among adolescent boys. After graduating with her BA (Hons) in Psychology in June 2022, she took on a project coordinator role with the lab. Jordan’s research interests include masculinities, gender and sexuality, and community-based healthy relationships promotion.
Past Lab Members:
Alyssa Glace Maryn
Alysia Wright
Cristina Fernandez
Elisabeth Vezina
Fiza Hasan
Keri Rempel
Lindsey Kermer
Marisa Van Bavel
Mili Roy
Noah Boakye-Yiadom
Oluwaseunfunmi Arasi
Sasha Sharma
Saskia Groot
Sarah Besenski
Shawna Gray