Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet My research program is to study women’s mental health over the life course and to bridge the gap between Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry. Leveraging international large-scale population-based cohorts, I aim to understand the underlying biological mechanisms affecting women’s mental health and potential health consequences. My current main research topics are: 1) Risk factors and health consequences of reproductive mood disorders or sex-specific mental disorders, including: ° premenstrual disorders (premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder) ° perinatal depression (prenatal and postnatal depression) ° perimenopausal depression and menopausal symptoms ° other maternal mental disorders occurred during and after pregnancy 2) Sex disparity in mental health Grants: My research work is supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR), Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life, and Welfare (Forte), China Scholarship Council, and Karolinska Institutet Strategic Research Area in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (SFOepi), Faculty Board, Board of Doctoral Education, and Research Fund. Contributions to Science: 1) Early life origins and risk factors of premenstrual disorders Premenstrual disorders are typically diagnosed in women in their 20s/30s, but my research has shown that the symptoms often begin during adolescence. In fact, in a sample of young women in the US, I found that approximately 70% of premenstrual disorders had onset before the age of 20. However, little was known about the factors in early life that may predispose these women to the onset of premenstrual disorders during adolescence. Through my studies, I have identified several important risk factors for premenstrual disorders developed later in life, including early menarche or pubertal development, adverse childhood experiences, childhood overweight or obesity, and childhood asthma or food allergy. These findings have significantly contributed to the understanding of the early life origins of the pathophysiology of premenstrual disorders. 2) Health impact of premenstrual disorders Although premenstrual symptoms are restricted to the days before menstruation, the chronic and cyclic condition may translate to a profound impact on the long-term quality of life. However, there is a lack of prospective data to understand the health consequences of premenstrual disorders. My research is the first to demonstrate that patients with premenstrual disorders are at increased risks of subsequent suicidal behavior, accidents, perinatal depression, early menopause and severe menopause symptoms, premature death, and eventually contribute to the sex gap in mental health. We also found that use of hormonal contraceptives, particularly combined products, may reduce the rates of suicidal behaviors among women with premenstrual disorders. 3) Health impact of perinatal depression Maternity care typically prioritizes pregnancy outcomes, often sidelining women’s mental well-being. Perinatal depression affects as many as 10-20% of women giving birth worldwide. In contrast to the common belief that perinatal depression is self-resolving, many cases can last for months or even longer, particularly if left untreated. However, prospective data are lacking to illustrate whether women with perinatal depression may confront enduring health consequences. My research is among the first to demonstrate that patients with perinatal depression are at increased risks of subsequent suicidal behavior, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.
Visiting Professor in Practice, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment;, London School of Economics and Political Science Darian McBain is a globally experienced Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), advisor and board member. She is a world recognised expert, speaker and author on sustainability, ESG, supply chains, ocean economy, business human rights and sustainable finance. She is a UN SDG Pioneer for a Sustainable Ocean Economy 2021, a Fast Company Most Creative People in Business 2020, and was named one of Asia's Top Sustainability Superwomen.
Research assistant, AustLit, The University of Queensland I'm currently a student at the University of Queensland, studying the Bachelor of Communications with a major in Public Relations. I have worked with AustLit over a period of 4 months, and helped contribute to the AI in the Archive research project by creating a bibliography , as well as doing research and some designs.
Professor, Family Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University I received a Bachelor of Home Economics in Family Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University, a Master in Science in Family Life Education from the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Educational Foundations from Dalhousie University. Research and professional activity with military and Veteran families has been my main focus over the course of my career. Informed by ecological theory and critical theory, I am dedicated to advancing knowledge about the cycle of deployment, military-to-civilian-transition, the impacts of operational stress injuries, and military and Veteran family resilience(y), largely from the standpoints of the families of serving members and Veterans. Recently, my military/Veteran research program has expanded to include an emphasis on the impacts of operational stress on the families of public service personnel (law enforcement officers, paramedics, firefighters). This research and professional activity is applied, collaborative, and interdisciplinary. Family violence research and practice is also an interest, as reflected in my recent involvement with the Gendered Violence Prevention Network, a collaboration between Mount Saint Vincent University and the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. In collaboration with Dr. Diane Crocker at Saint Mary’s University and the Be the Peace Institute, I am a co-investigator on study investigating the meaning of justice for women who have experienced gender-based based violence, identifying implications for system change.
Professor, Department of Criminology, Saint Mary’s University Diane Crocker holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from York University. Her research areas include restorative justice, rape culture, gender-based violence, criminal harassment, and the use of law to address social problems, particularly those that disproportionately affect women. She has worked on projects in the following areas: Restorative justice in youth criminal justice, prisons, and schools. Program evaluation and participatory research processes Domestic violence policies and intervention programs; Sexual violence on university campuses Justice values among victims/survivors of gender-based violence
Visiting Assistant Professor in Media Studies, Scripps College Goodwin's academic focus is computational photography, pigments and color and biosimulation.
