Principal Investigator

Dr. Christine Ou

Dr. Christine Ou is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria, where she leads the Parent-Child Lab, and serves as a Board Director for Pacific Post Partum Support Society. She completed her Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Calgary, her Master of Science in Nursing, and her PhD in Nursing at the University of British Columbia. With a background as a pediatric registered nurse, her work bridges nursing, family health, and community-engaged research.

Her research focuses on perinatal mental health and sleep, with particular attention to anger, relational dynamics, gender inequity, and social support during the transition to parenthood. She studies how parenting couples navigate invisible labour, unmet expectations, and shifting roles in early family life, and how these experiences shape emotional and relationship outcomes. Her work integrates evolutionary, psychological, and relational perspectives to better understand what constitutes “adequate support” for families during early parenthood. She collaborates with community partners to inform clinical practice and public conversations about perinatal mental health in Canada.

Doctoral Student

Kathryn Corby

Kathryn Corby completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in psychology at the University of Windsor in 2009 and a Masters of Science in Nursing in 2017. Her clinical background is in mental health and community health nursing. Kathryn is a Canadian Certified Nurse Educator (CCNE) and a sessional instructor at the University of Windsor. She sits on the Board of Directors at Connections Early Years Family Centre in Windsor, Ontario. Kathryn is a current PhD student at the University of Victoria where she is supervised by Dr. Christine Ou. 

Kathryn’s research interest is in transitions to motherhood. In particular, she is interested in breastfeeding promotion and postpartum mood disorders. Her masters research utilized multiple linear regression to determine predictors of breastfeeding self-efficacy in the prenatal period. Her doctoral research will examine the associations between breastfeeding intent, breastfeeding outcomes and postpartum mental health utilizing survival analysis techniques through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Doctoral Student

Mary Jasmine George

Mary Jasmine George completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from Annamalai University in India, specializing in obstetrical and gynecological nursing.  For her master’s research, Jasmine used an experimental design to assess the effect of antenatal preparation on primigravida mothers for coping with labour pain. Jasmine also has experience teaching maternity nursing to undergraduate nursing students. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria, where she is supervised by Dr. Christine Ou.

Jasmine has a strong clinical background in primary health care serving Indigenous populations in rural and northern communities. Jasmine’s research interests broadly focus on Indigenous maternal health. Her doctoral work will focus on the experiences of northern nurses with regard to providing anti-racist, culturally safe maternity care to Indigenous mothers and families. She is currently a nurse coordinator for the Prenatal Program in Fort Albany First Nations in Ontario

Research Assistant

Hana Kim

Hana Kim completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Victoria in 2024. She is currently a Master of Public Health student at Simon Fraser University. Hana has been involved in various projects through the Parent Child Lab, including the Nighttime Parenting study, the Sleep Health Equity Engagement Project with the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, and the Purple Book Project with the Pacific Post Partum Support Society.

Hana’s research interests include mental health, women’s health, and reproductive health equity. Hana became a research assistant in the Parent-Child Lab after completing a directed studies course with Dr. Christine Ou, and was a 2023-4 Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Award (JCURA) student supervised by Dr. Ou

Study Coordinator

Caryn Dooner

Caryn Dooner is the coordinator for the Nighttime Parenting Study. Caryn worked as a Registered Nurse in Adult ICU in Victoria, BC through the pandemic and recently became a Medical Student at Queen’s University. Her love for public health started when she was completing her Master’s in Science at the University of Western Ontario. She worked with social programs through the Boy’s & Girl’s Clubs of Canada and saw what a huge impact these supports can have on families and communities.

Caryn previously worked with the University of British Columbia EQUIP group doing research on equity-focused interventions in healthcare, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the British Columbia Center for Disease Control Foundation for Public Health in the hopes of strengthening the health of our communities. In her spare time she enjoys running and hiking with her dog, Ghost.

Research Assistant

Guanyu Chen

UBC PhD Candidate

Guanyu Chen is a PhD candidate in the Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology program at the Faculty of Education in the University of British Columbia. He has completed extensive training in latent variable modeling using (Mplus and lavaan), generalized linear mixed models (lme4, nlme, and HLM), Bayesian modeling (Stan and JAGS), item response theory (mirt), and qualitative data analysis.

His research interests are in computational psychometrics, with a focus on applying machine learning methods to response process data in educational and psychological measurement. Guanyu is currently conducting growth mixture modeling using the Pregnancy during the Pandemic dataset to examine parental distress in the Parent-Child Lab. In his free time, Guanyu enjoys hiking and seeking out challenging new experiences.

Research Assistant

Joefin Peter

Joefin Peter completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Biology at Trinity Western University in 2023. She runs Oru Kutty Community as the sexual health educator and reproductive-spectrum doula. Joefin is also serving as president of the Doula Services Association of BC. She is working with Dr. Ou on the Perinatal Anger Scale project.

Joefin’s background has been in supporting survivors of violence and immigrants/refugees as they navigate the healthcare system during the perinatal period. This influences her research interests in distress, harm, and trauma during parenthood.

NURA 518 / MN-APL Student

Véronica Bellomo-Hart

Véronica Bellomo-Hart completed her Diploma of College Studies (DEC) in Nursing in 2016 and her Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Sherbrooke in 2021. She is currently completing a Master of Nursing in the Advanced Practice Leadership stream at the University of Victoria.

Véronica has 10 years of nursing experience, primarily in pediatrics, including work in adolescent medicine and gynecology, where she developed a strong interest in adolescent health as well as sexual and reproductive health. She currently works as the Nursing Professional Development Educator for the Pediatric Department of Ambulatory Services at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, where she supports the clinical education and professional development of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses to promote quality and safe patient care. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, spending time with her husband and her cat, and working on puzzles.

Undergraduate Student

Khush Gill

Khush Gill is an undergraduate nursing student at the University of Victoria and a current Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Award (JCURA) student supervised by Dr. Ou. Her research addresses how socially and digitally shaped gender norms influence nursing students’ perspectives and their readiness to provide equitable care. She also serves as the Finance Captain for the University of Victoria Nursing Student Society (UVNSS). In her free time, Khush enjoys reading and traveling.

Alumni Members

• Michaela Henry-Dansereau
• Jessy Sidhu
• Melissa Suzuki

Past JCURA Students

• Kelsey Booth

Volunteering in the Lab

The Parent-Child Lab will accept Lab Volunteer applications from excellent undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in perinatal health and research. The time commitment for a volunteer position is approximately 2-3 hours per week for 1 semester. To apply, please email us at christineou@uvic.ca with your:

1. Current Resume/CV
2. Cover letter describing your learning goals, why you would like to volunteer in the lab, and the type of research, project, or work you’d like to engage with.