INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATORS
PROF. BRIGITTE LUEGER-SCHUSTER
Brigitte Lueger-Schuster is Professor for Psychotraumatology at the University of Vienna, faculty of Psychology, and the head of the Psychotraumatology unit. Currently her projects deal with children and adolescents living in foster care homes, psychological treatment for Afghan refugees, and trauma in people with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore her research looks into the longterm consequences of institutional abuse, e.g. by members of the Catholic Church. She has published a series of papers in international peer reviewed journals and edited several books, all of them focusing on the consequences of psychotrauma.
She is the head of the Arbitration Commission of the University of Vienna. Since 2000 she was a member of several international boards for psychotraumatology, from 2011 till 2013 she was the President of the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). Currently she serves as scientific ethical advisor for several Horizon 2020 projects, which focus on the consequences of psychotrauma for refugees.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
SANDHYA NARIKUZHY
Sandhya Narikuzhy is currently a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience program at McMaster University under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Nicholson and Margaret McKinnon. Her current research focuses on investigating the neural correlates of minority stress using fMRI and machine learning techniques. Sandhya completed her undergraduate degree at McMaster University in the Life Sciences program, specializing in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour. Additionally, she worked extensively at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) examining the effects of cognitive behavioural interventions on psychosocial disorders in the adult Chinese and related diaspora populations.
RESEARCH STAFF
ELLA BAWAGAN
As clinical research coordinator with the Nicholson Lab, Ella has extensive experience working with non-profit organizations and community based research projects. She is interested in developing trauma-informed and culturally competent care practices that are made by and for the community. She is passionate about placing the lived experiences of marginalized populations at the forefront of research as a way to understand and address unique social determinants of health. Ella has a B.Sc in Psychology with a Minor in Neuroscience and Mental Health, as well as a Master's in Social Work.