Severe and multiple traumas can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which causes distress and difficulty in many areas of life. Military members, veterans, and public safety personnel such as police officers, firefighters, and rescue workers are often exposed to traumatic events on-the-job (seeing natural disasters, human violence, or death). One severe subtype of PTSD […]

Episodic memory refers to an ensemble of memory processes and is the capacity to recollect where and when past events occurred, which involves subjective consciousness and a sense of time in retrieving past experiences. The hippocampus is essential for representing spatiotemporal context and establishing its association with the sensory details of daily life to form […]

Motor vehicle-involved accident is the leading cause of death among teenagers around the world. Death and injuries due to motor vehicle accidents among young drivers brings tremendous societal burden and economic cost to the Canadian society. To better address this major public health concern, better assessment tools are required to evaluate potential risky driving among […]

Social connections, especially satisfying romantic relationships, are vital for health and well-being. Yet, couples are spending increasingly more time apart, limiting opportunities for connection and intimacy. However, engaging in shared novel activities (i.e. self-expanding activities) can help couples connect and maintain their relationship over time. Indeed, couples who experience more self-expanding opportunities in relationships feel […]

Individuals with mood disorders suffer with a significant burden. Beside experiencing mood symptoms, they also have cognitive and functioning impairments, are at greater risk of suicide and hospitalization, and have a poorer quality of life. Traditional psychiatric assessments are subjective and not able to capture events in real-time. Smartphone assessments and digital phenotyping – the […]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become quite apparent that mental health needs to be prioritized. Due to the demands of social isolation, getting adequate mental health support can be difficult. However, the mobile application Rootd provides a low-cost and large-scale solution to this problem, as it can help the average person deal with increased anxiety […]

We are studying the potential relationship between microdosing, cognitive performance and mental health. ‘Microdosing’ is the practice of taking psychedelic substances (e.g. psilocybin or LSD) in small, sub-perceptual amounts on a regular basis. There are many microdosing reports online, on blogs, and in books, but there are few research studies. The effects of microdosing on […]

There is a perceived talent supply and demand gap in Nova Scotia’s ICT and digital tech sector and recruitment is at top of mind for employers. Hiring new employees can be time consuming and costly, however a well-planned onboarding program can increase the proficiency of a new hire and increase retention rates. The objective of […]

Ensuring high levels of literacy for all children is now more important than ever. However, the Canadian landscape of literacy is quickly changing. For instance, Canadian families come from increasingly multilingual and multicultural backgrounds and the use of technology and digital media in literacy is growing rapidly. In this Mitacs project, we have partnered with […]

This research is focused on optimizing the language learning that occurs when students are allowed to practice English by conversing with native English speakers via a smartphone app, specifically Goji. Learning is best when the student maximizes the density of their practice, returning to practice often. This research will focus on the characteristics of the […]

With an aging population on the rise, the prevalence of cognitive decline is expected to increase substantially. Goal Management Training® (GMT) and the Memory and Aging Program® (MAP) are cognitive interventions that have been studied extensively and applied clinically to address these needs. Although previous research has demonstrated efficacy of the in-person versions of both […]

The main goal in talent acquisition is to find and hire the best applicant for each position which places heavy emphasis on an organizations ability to accurately assess candidates. However, an applicant’s anxiety can impede this process as it has been shown to lead to reduced interview scores while not being indicative of work performance. […]