Being a Mother or Birthing Parent as a Student: Important Intel for Supervisors and Trainees in Mental Health Research & Clinical Training Programs

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*À noter que ce webinaire sera sous-titré en direct en français

In honour of International Women’s Day, Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell (CPsych, FCAHS), NPI for DIVERT Mental Health, and Ms. Iris Yusupov (MBA), Predoctoral resident in clinical neuropsychology, Baycrest Health Sciences, will launch one of DIVERT’s professional development mentorship groups by broaching the topic of becoming a parent through graduate school. This session will focus on talking about the challenges of family planning, pregnancy, and parenthood while also discussing expectations for productivity in the supervisor-trainee relationship. Ms. Yusupov will centre her discussion on the challenges she faced as a trainee and how she is overcoming them. Dr. Pillai Riddell will focus on the supervisor’s perspective by discussing tips for fostering the success of birthing people who are in intensive clinical and research training programs. Interested trainees who are also parents will be invited to join Dr. Pillai Riddell and Ms. Yusupov’s online mentorship group that will meet regularly throughout the year for informal guidance and support.

A survey will be circulated after this to gather information of students or supervisors interested in joining Dr. Pillai Riddell and Ms. Yusupov’s mentorship group. Reigster as an Associate Fellow to ensure you receive this opportunity.

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  Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell is the Nominated Principal Investigator for DIVERT Mental Health. She is the Tier 1 York Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health and Director of the Opportunities to Understand Childhood Hurt Laboratory (OUCH Lab ; www.yorku.ca/ouchlab) in the Department of Psychology of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is also a registered clinical psychologist, focused on her practice in perinatal/parent mental health, infant mental health, and chronic pain. As both a basic behavioural scientist and a clinician-scientist, Dr. Pillai Riddell leads a multi-national research program that studies parents and babies during painful procedures. Her research is funded by all three national Canadian research councils (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). She is also involved extensively in supporting EDI initiatives in research ecosystems. She also leads an open-access online learning platform for Canadian researchers on how to adjudicate more inclusively and supportively (https://www.yorku.ca/research/project/polaris/). Dr. Pillai Riddell is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. She was also recently awarded the 2020 Canadian Pain Society’s Outstanding Mentorship Award and the 2019 American Pain Society’s Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children’s Pain.
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  Iris Yusupov is completing her residency at Baycrest Hospital as the final stage of her PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology from York University. She obtained her MBA and a graduate diploma in Health Industry Management from the Schulich School of Business. As a first-generation immigrant and woman who became a mother during graduate training, Iris understands first-hand the obstacles faced by diverse students pursuing higher education. She has dedicated her graduate career to mentorship and mental health advocacy, with an emphasis on social outreach for students on the autism spectrum and those transitioning to parenthood. In parallel, she works as a psychotherapist specializing in the mental health of autistic adults while planning to open her own practice dedicated to this underserved population. Her research and clinical training have centered on neurological conditions, cognitive rehabilitation, and the quality of life of older adults. She has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Tony Stacey Centre for Veteran’s Care and serves as an executive member of the Canadian Psychological Association’s Clinical Neuropsychology Section.