Join us for the 16th Annual Psychology Department Research Day! In the morning, graduate students will be holding research talks, followed by poster sessions from Honours students! 📅 April 10th, 2026, starting at 9AM 📍 Health Sciences Building (H2815 & H2808) We look forward to seeing you there!

Congratulations to the Psych and Beh. Neuro students who presented at the WISE Conference! Many of our students took home awards. Congrats to Kaitlyn Miller, Madi LaSaga, Lucas Fowler, Ashlinn Pennell, Lauren Ringer, Tenika Grandy, Gillian Cook, and Arafa Hossain!

Career Night is cancelled due to forecasted weather conditions. Keep an eye out for a rescheduled date!

📢 Reminder! Nomination deadline is March 27th for the Rennie Gaulton Award for Excellence in Teaching! 📢 If you’ve had a professor who you think deserves this award, now is the time to nominate them! 🏆 Fill out the form and e-mail to psych@mun.ca w/ subject line: GAULTON AWARD NOMINATION.

Join us for Career Night on March 23rd! This is a great opportunity to network and learn from professionals in the community about their education, jobs, and career trajectories. All are welcome!

Insomnia harms the health and quality of life of cancer survivors. Although CBT-I is effective, access is limited. This study examines how digital tools can enhance treatment delivery. Learn more here: shorturl.at/G9MEu

Emily Winters and colleagues published a new systematic review evaluating the measurement properties and quality of evidence of observational pain assessment tools for older adults with dementia. They identified 30 tools and 5 met criteria for a strong recommendation. shorturl.at/xgVQ0

New paper from the Swift-Gallant Lab in Translational Psychiatry! 🎉 Using rodent models, the team found that prenatal androgens and maternal immune activation both produce autism-relevant changes via distinct biological pathways. Read here: nature.com/articles/s41398-026-03821-0

A study by Dr. Sheila Garland + colleagues found that, for AYAs w/ cancer: representation in research is empowering, person-centred approaches foster trust, & systemic barriers still shape who gets heard. The study calls for inclusive, community-based research. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Psychology researchers at MUN evaluated online training for mental health providers on stepped care 2.0 and one-at-a-time services. They found that the training was generally acceptable, affordable, and feasible. Providers also gave suggestions for improvement. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A new study by Dr. Garland and colleagues examined how socially connected adolescent and young adult cancer survivors are, both on and offline. Check out the results below! doi.org/10.3390/curr...

Congrats to CABE’s Sydney Collins, Dr. Montevecchi & Dr. Bitton on their recent paper! 🐦🧫 Led by Ishraq Rahman, the study found avian flu active in NL seabirds in 2022 (but not 2023), with antibodies persisting into 2023. Findings offer critical insight into exposure trends! doi.org/10.1139/cjm-...

Congrats to Quinn Morris, Chelsea Lahey, Olivia Bishop, Concordia co-authors & Drs. Josh Rash, Jacqueline Carter, Jonathan Fawcett & Emily Fawcett on a new meta-analysis! They found that ~70% of people with OCD report aggressive obsessions in their lifetime. shorturl.at/tJS4n

Congrats to Sarita Pellowe & the Canine Research Unit on their Scientific Reports publication linking gut microbiota (especially Blautia) to canine anxiety & aggression. Important insight into the gut–brain axis in canines! 🐶🧠 Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Congrats to Sarita Pellowe & Dr. Carolyn Walsh on their new Animals publication! 🐕 They highlight a key validity issue in a canine aggression questionnaire used for familiar dog aggression. Kudos to the Canine Research Unit! 📝 Read here: doi.org/10.3390/ani1...

Congratulations to Ashlee Coles and colleagues on their recent publication highlighting important findings related to the prevalence of comorbid cannabis use disorder in veterans with PTSD and the adult general population with anxiety and related disorders. Read more: shorturl.at/6e128

Congrats to Jenna Perry and Adam Brown on their Dean's Awards recognitions!

Calling prospective Honours students! Come hear from current and former psychology and behavioural neuroscience students at MUN about their experiences in the Honours program! This event will be student-led, and there will be opportunities to ask questions. We hope to see you there!

Dr. Garland and colleagues' new study examines what helps and hinders setting up interventions for FCR. Facilitators: strong leadership, staff who value the intervention, and culture of support. Barriers: lack of training, limited resources (funding/staff), and uncertainty. doi.org/10.1002/pon....

A new study by Dr. Nick Harris’ research team found that people often view fathers as responsible for their adolescent’s cannabis use disorder, which may deter families from seeking help. Challenging these harmful views is crucial to improve treatment outcomes for youth. surl.li/yzwans

Congrats to Lucas Fowler & the Swift-Gallant Lab on their new Hormones and Behavior paper!. They show that larger cages & enrichment shape maternal approach and brain development in mice, with male pups showing greater benefits from enriched environments 🐭🧬🏠. Read more: rb.gy/m94e6p

📢 Nominations Open for the Rennie Gaulton Award for Excellence in Teaching! 📢 If you’ve had a professor who you think deserves this award, now is the time to nominate them! 🏆 Fill out the form and e-mail to psych@mun.ca w/ subject line: GAULTON AWARD NOMINATION. 🗓 Nominations close Fri, Mar 27, 2026

Dr. Sheila Garland and colleagues compared acupuncture and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in a clinical trial. Both treatments eased anxiety and improved sleep, and the benefits lasted for weeks after therapy ended. Learn more here! doi.org/10.1016/j.im...

The Honours Mixer will be taking place in CSF-1302 on Monday, January 19th from 6-8PM. This is a great event for prospective honours students to network and hear from professors about the research they conduct!

Memorial University's Department of Psychology is hiring! Be a part of a vibrant and engaged academic community in beautiful St. John's, NL. 🌊 Details below! www.mun.ca/academic-car...

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Check out our Facebook page and follow along for the 12 days of MythMas! We will be posting and debunking one myth per day related to psychology. www.facebook.com/mun.psychology

Happening tomorrow! Next up in the Sex and Gender Science Speaker Series: Dr. Ashley Balsom will examine the psychological burden of infertility through a sex- and gender-informed lens. Tuesday November 25, 1 pm, CSF-1302

A new study by Molly Downey, Olivia Bishop, Taylor Anthony, Brooke Hiscock, Isobel McMahon, Ashlee Coles, and Dr. Nick Harris explores how the public perceives mothers of adolescents with cannabis use disorder. Read more here: tinyurl.com/54ywyy2e

New research from Drs. Jonathan Fawcett and Kathleen Hourihan, alumni Hannah Willoughby and Jenny Tiller, and team found that reading aloud triggers larger pupil dilation than reading silently, suggesting that speaking aloud enhances attention and encoding. See full article: shorturl.at/MRQRA