Shira Yufe:
Shira is a PhD student in the Psychosocial Oncology Laboratory (PSO). She completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University, and went on to obtain a second, Specialized Honours degree and her Master’s degree at York University. Currently, her research focuses on interventions for breast cancer survivors. Her PhD research is investigating supportive care for young women with breast cancer, and understanding mechanisms of change within the online Couplelinks intervention for the same population.
Dissertation: The supportive care landscape for young women with breast cancer: A broad overview and a focused investigation of the couplelinks intervention
Master’s Thesis: Storying new meanings of health: A narrative analysis of lifestyle modification among breast cancer survivors
Key Words: breast cancer, survivorship, psychosocial care, intervention, qualitative
Contact: syufe@yorku.ca
Ruth Vanstone:
Ruth completed her undergraduate Honours Psychology degree at the University of Winnipeg in 2017. Her research focuses on women’s experiences of pregnancy and postpartum after cancer, as well as empirically supported interventions for perinatal trauma. Ruth is especially interested in developing accessible resources for women in the perinatal period in order to better support them through this unique time in their lives.
Dissertation: Kids After Breast Cancer: The Development of an Online Educational Tool
Master’s Thesis: ‘I’m so happy, but also terrified’: The experiences of women with a history of cancer during the perinatal period
Key Words: perinatal, oncology, oncofertility, qualitative, knowledge translation
Contact: rnv85@yorku.ca
Sami Harb:
Sami completed a BSc in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology at McMaster University, followed by a MSc in Psychiatry at McGill University. He is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program at York University. In brief, his present research interests address how interactional processes within couples affected by cancer may contribute to coping and adjustment. His research approach is systems-oriented and places emphasis on qualitative methods; he also uses mixed methods.
Master’s Thesis: Relationship between quality of couple engagement in an online dyadic behavioural tracking exercise and relationship adjustment outcomes: A mixed methods analysis
Key Words: psychosocial oncology, relationships, coping and adjustment, qualitative methods, complex systems
Contact: harb@yorku.ca
Lucas Norton:
Lucas completed an undergraduate Honours degree in English Literature at the University of Guelph, spent several years teaching English language skills to new Canadians, then completed a specialized Honours degree in Psychology at York University. He is now a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program at York university. His research interests include pain management, the relationship between trauma and depression, and coping with cancer diagnosis.
Master's Thesis: Cancer recovery narratives pre and post covid: A mixed methods comparative analysis
Key Words: psychosocial oncology, trauma, depression, coping and adjustment, qualitative methods
Contact: lukenort@yorku.ca
