Meet
Our Team
Meet The Team
Led by our principal investigator, Dr. Janine V. Olthuis, the Anxiety Lab is comprised of passionate researchers, clinicians, and students of diverse academic backgrounds, talents, and expertise. We collaborate with other researchers across disciplines. In the Anxiety Lab, we are dedicated to fostering an environment of intellectual curiosity, collaboration, and innovation.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Janine Olthuis | BA (Hon) Smith College | PhD (Clinical Psychology) Dalhousie University
I am an Associate Professor in Psychology at UNB, where I started in 2016. After receiving my BA(Hon) in Psychology at Smith College, I completed a Vanier-funded PhD in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University and a CIHR-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the IWK Health Centre. My research explores ways to increase access to evidence-based psychological interventions. This includes investigating: (1) e-mental health interventions, (2) transdiagnostic interventions (i.e., interventions focused on treating shared risk factors, most notably anxiety sensitivity), and (3) the use of physical exercise in mental health treatment. My interests are grounded in cognitive behavioural theories with a focus on anxiety and related disorders (e.g., depression, trauma, substance use). I also study psychosocial risk factors for substance use among young people, particularly student-athletes. I am a Licensed/Registered Psychologist in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and am an active advocate for psychology and psychologists with the College of Psychologists of New Brunswick. Outside of work, I love hiking and backcountry camping, playing sports, and reading a good book!
Graduate Students
Siobhan Fitzpatrick | BSc (Hon) University of British Columbia Okanagan | PhD Student (Clinical Psychology) UNB
My research interests are highly influenced by my many years of participating in varsity athletics. In particular, I study factors that influence athlete mental health, student-athlete mental health help-seeking tendencies, and clinically relevant interventions tailored for student-athletes. I completed my Masters Research Apprenticeship in 2020, which examined substance use tendencies among Canadian varsity athletes (https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2020-0062). My dissertation seeks to provide much-needed data pertaining to mental health and well-being trends in Canadian student-athletes, as well as to examine implementation outcomes associated with the creation of a novel well-being intervention developed specifically for Canadian student-athletes. I will be attending the Edmonton Consortium Clinical Psychology Residency program in September 2023, and I hope to defend my dissertation in the coming year. In addition to my clinical pursuits, I am working toward my sport psychology certification under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Hamilton.
Emma Connell | BSc (Hon), Certificate in Applied Behaviour Analysis, MA (Experimental Psychology) UNB | PhD Student (Experimental Psychology) UNB
Working with Dr. Olthuis throughout my master's degree, I investigated the association between anxiety and depression and physical activity in people with spinal cord injuries (https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000485). My research focuses on the mechanisms in the association between physical activity and mental health, such as anxiety sensitivity. I have investigated the role of anxiety sensitivity in the relation between physical activity and mental health in various populations (i.e., clinically diagnosed with anxiety and mood disorders, people with physical disabilities) as well as the relation of anxiety sensitivity to other outcomes such as sexual well-being. I plan to continue my research in people with spinal cord injuries, investigating the experience of physical activity in this population and which mechanism(s) might best explain the association between their physical activity and mental health.
Jennifer McWilliams | BSc (Hon) UNB | PhD Student (Experimental Psychology) UNB
My doctoral thesis focuses on Canadian allied healthcare professionals’ exercise prescription practices for the treatment of anxiety. My (diverse) research interests include the psycho-social impact of social and cultural practices on the daily lives of marginalized populations and women in men-dominated occupations; the effects of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination on racial/ethnic minorities; and exercise and mental health/well-being. Alongside my doctoral thesis, I will be investigating whether exercise buffers the negative effects of microaggressions on racial minorities’ quality of life and well-being.
Louise Bell | BSc (Hon), MSc (Experimental Psychology) Memorial University of Newfoundland | PhD Student (Clinical Psychology) UNB
My Advanced Research Apprenticeship examined how athlete identity and athlete-specific drinking motives indirectly influence student athletes' drinking behaviours. My PhD dissertation will examine the various predictors of social media support group use amongst caregivers of children with cancer. I have a broad range of research interests, including psychosocial oncology, child clinical psychology, mental health, and internet-based therapies.
Taylor McAulay | BA (Hon) UNB | MSc (Psychology) Acadia University | PhD Student (Clinical Psychology) UNB
My research interests lie broadly in the area of exercise, sports participation, and mental health. For my honour’s thesis, I investigated the association between physical activity and well-being in undergraduates. I then worked as Dr. Olthuis' Research Coordinator for one year where I assisted with projects that looked at athlete-specific factors related to alcohol consumption (https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2020.1861629), the use of transdiagnostic treatment to reduce mental health symptoms, and how drinking game behaviours vary across countries. For my master’s thesis, I then shifted gears and studied how attachment style relates to technology-based addictions. Currently, I am conducting a qualitative study examining how university athletes understand, interpret, and cope with anxiety sensitivity.
Emma Giberson | BSc (Hon), MAPRE UNB | PhD Student (Clinical Psychology) UNB
My honours project investigated the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and substance use and the moderating role of outcome expectancies and the mediating role of social anxiety in this relationship (https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2023.2236221). I have also contributed to a wide range of research projects in the lab such as testing the efficacy of paraprofessional delivered eNET for firefighters, investigating university students' mental health treatment preferences, and improving e-mental health care access for parents and caregivers struggling with anxiety and/or depression. My Clinical Research Apprenticeship project will examine the state of e-therapy training for students in mental health professions in Canada and determine predictors of students' intention to deliver e-therapy. My research interests lie in mental health interventions for rural areas and internet-based mental health interventions.
Honours Students
Dr. Olthuis will not be supervising Honours students for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Interested in Joining Our team?
The Anxiety Lab welcomes enquiries from undergraduate and graduate students eager to contribute to our research. Contact us to learn about current opportunities in the lab and how you can contribute!