Dr. Caroline F. Pukall
(she/her/elle)
Ph.D., C.Psych. [CV]
Lab Director
Dr. Caroline Pukall, Canada Research Chair in Sexual Health (Tier 1), received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from McGill University. She is currently Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of the Sex and Relationship Therapy Service at the Psychology Clinic at Queen’s University. Caroline’s research lab—the Sexual Health Research Laboratory—brims with enthusiastic, collaborative, and keen students of all levels who work diligently on research projects examining various aspects of sexual health, including genitopelvic pain, sexual difficulties (e.g., persistent genital arousal disorder), sexual arousal, and questionnaire development. She is lucky to have such a productive and lively lab, the activities of which are coordinated by her dynamic Research Associate, Shannon. Caroline is passionate about using multiple methodologies in her research and she has investigated numerous aspects of sexual health using brain imaging, psychophysics, psychophysiology, and blood flow imaging, all the while relating the findings of these methods to a variety of self-report measures. She places great importance on knowledge translation and clinically relevant research, ensuring that the results of her research have positive effects on members of the public through numerous efforts. She is especially passionate about conducting inclusive research and works with patient partners and a variety of consultants to increase representation in, and relevance of, her work. She has published more than 120 journal articles, more than 40 book chapters, and several books as author/editor. Caroline’s research has been funded by several organizations, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the National Vulvodynia Association. Caroline is Associate Editor for Sexual Medicine Reviews and is on the editorial board of several journals, including The Archives of Sexual Behavior, The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, and The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. She is currently Chair of the Female Genitopelvic Pain Committee of the International Consultation of Sexual Medicine.
Shannon Coyle (she/her) [CV]
Shannon is the research associate in the Sexual Health Research Lab.
She is also a professor at St. Lawrence College teaching human sexuality, psychology and sociology.
After completing two years as a Ph.D student in Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University she decided to shift her focus and follow her passion to teach and conduct research.
Research Associate
M.A. (Gender studies), B.A.H. (psychology)
B.Sc. (life science)
PH.D. Student (Clinical Psychology)
M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology)
B.A.H. (Psychology)
Maeve Mulroy (she/her) [CV]
Maeve is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her Master's thesis research focused on assessment of Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder/Genitopelvic Dysesthesia (PGAD/GPD) as well as development of a measure for use in assessment of PGAD/GPD. Her Ph.D. program of research will continue to examine this condition, with a focus on evaluating treatment approaches as well as exploring a variety of research methods to better understand the mechanisms involved in PGAD/GPD.
PH.D. Student (clinical psychology)
m.sc. (social psychology)
b.a.h. (psychology)
Trinda L. Penniston (she/her) [CV]
Trinda is a fifth-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Candidate who uses multi- and mixed-methods approaches to studying the sexual health and well-being of racialized and other marginalized groups. Her Master’s thesis examined how race, racial attitudes, and identification with sexual stimuli impacts women’s sexual responses. Her PhD research uses Feminist and Intersectionality theories to examine Black women's and gender-diverse people's lived experiences of sexual pleasure and pain and how we measure those experiences with current measurement tools. Her clinical interests primarily focus on sexual and reproductive health, and the treatment of PTSD and other stress-related disorders.
PH.D. Student (Clinical Psychology)
M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology)
B.A.H (Psychology)
Sam Levang (she/her) [CV]
Sam is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Candidate. Her Master's thesis focused on vulnerability and resilience processes associated with sexual distress and sexual satisfaction in the endometriosis population. Sam's Ph.D. program of research applies a Crip and intersectional framework to critically examine the lived experiences of individuals with endometriosis and chronic overlapping pain conditions. Central to this work is an exploration of disability identity formation, the role of stigma in shaping pain experiences, and how structural inequities affect access to care and health outcomes.
PH.D. Student (Clinical Psychology)
M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology)
B.Sc.H (Psychology)
Caitlin Barry [CV] (they/she)
Caitlin is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program. Their research interests include sexual health, mental health, and health care experiences among gender diverse individuals. Their Master’s thesis explored strength-based and health promoting behaviours among trans and non-binary individuals. Their PhD research will focus on how trans and non-binary folks navigate sexuality, sexual health, and health care environments.
PH.D. Student (Clinical Psychology)
M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology)
B.A.H (PSYCHOLOGY)
Megan Henkelman (she/her) [CV]
Megan is a f-year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her research interests include sexuality among cancer, LGBTQ+, and disability communities. For her Master’s thesis, Megan is developing an inclusive and holistic measure of sexuality.
PH.D. STUDENT (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY)
M.SC. (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY)
B.Sc.H (Psychology)
Julianna Park (she/her) [CV]
Julianna is a second-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her research and clinical interests encompass various aspects of sexual health, including genitopelvic pain, sexual desire, and sexual functioning. Her Master’s thesis investigated cognitive-affective factors and healthcare experiences among individuals with chronic clitoral pain, a line of inquiry she continues to pursue in her doctoral work. For her dissertation, Julianna is examining the role of cognitive-affective factors, such as pain catastrophizing, fear and avoidance of pain, and hypervigilance to pain, in the maintenance of chronic vulvar pain employing longitudinal and meta-analytic methodologies.
M.SC. STUDENT (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY)
B.A.H (PSYCHOLOGY)
Melody Garas (she/her) [CV]
Melody is a second-year M.Sc. student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her research interests include the impact of culture on sexual pain and dysfunction, female genital mutilation (FGM), and temporary abstinence (such as No Nut November). For her Masters’ thesis, Melody is exploring the relationship between experiences of discrimination, cognitive factors, and vulvovaginal pain in racialized women.
PH.D. Student (Cognitive Neuroscience)
M.Sc. (Biology)
B.Sc.H (Psychology)
Bibiana Kemerer
Bibi is a first year PhD student in the Cognitive Neuroscience program. Her goal is to use multi-methodological approaches to understand organic sexual dysfunction (sexual dysfunction with a physiological cause such as surgeries, injuries, cancer treatments). She has a background in sexual health and cancer; she completed her MSc in Reproductive Biology with a focus on psychological interventions in prostate cancer patients at the University of British Columbia. She also worked as a sexual health coach for cancer patients at Princess Margaret Cancer Hospital in Toronto.
M.SC. STUDENT (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
B.Sc.H (Psychology)
Christen Potvin (she/her) [CV]
Christen is a first-year M.Sc. student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her research interests include sexual psychophysiology, sexual health, and sex research methodology. For her Masters’ thesis, Christen will be validating the use of a new tool for measuring sexual arousal in women.