Lab Members

LAB DIRECTOR

Dr. Lauren Walker, RPsych

Dr. Lauren Walker

Dr. Lauren Walker is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts. She is also a registered clinical psychologist in the province of Alberta who provides counselling to individuals with sexual and/or relationship concerns. Dr. Walker received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Calgary in 2013. As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Walker blends her research with her clinical work and uses each aspect of her work to inform each other. Staying up to date on the latest scientific evidence helps her to be a better health care provider, and working actively with patients on a day-to-day basis helps keep her apprised of important areas that inform her program of research. A significant portion of Dr. Walker's work to date has been related to prostate cancer and sexuality, as well as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer. She was a founding member of the National ADT working group which formed in 2008 and continues to develop and deliver services for patients undergoing ADT. More information about the ADT Education Program can be found at www.LIFEonADT.com  Dr. Walker continues to works collaboratively with the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre to develop and offer sexual rehabilitation resources for prostate cancer patients. She was also a founding team member (2013-2018) of the Oncology and Sexuality, Intimacy and Survivorship Program, now operated by Cancer Control Alberta. Dr. Walker is dedicated to the teaching of research students and also to continuing education for health care providers. Her work has been supported by Prostate Cancer Canada, Movember, the Canadian Cancer Society, The Alberta Cancer Foundation, the Calgary Foundation, the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute and the Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology. 

Recent publications: 

2023

2022

2021

RESEARCH COORDINATOR

Carly Sears, BA (Hons)

Carly Sears, BA (Hons)

Email:

carly.sears@albertahealthservices.ca

Carly received her Psychology BA (Hons) degree in 2017 from the University of Calgary, and completed an honours thesis project, “Evaluation of a Vaginal and Sexual Health Workshop for Women Diagnosed with Cancer,” under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Walker and Dr. John Robinson.

From 2016-2019, Carly implemented an evaluation of a vaginal and sexual health educational workshop for women, called The LowDown on Down There: A vaginal health information session for women affected by cancer treatment. She has worked as a research assistant with Dr. Walker and Dr. Robinson since 2017, and has helped to coordinate a variety of projects involving sexual health support programs for individuals diagnosed with cancer. Carly is currently involved with the LowDown on Down There project, the BREAST (Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Breast Cancer) study, the Androgen Deprivation Therapy Program Evaluation, and the Experiences with Erectile Aids project for prostate cancer patients.

Carly is now completing a Master’s degree in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary.

Selection of recent publications:  

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Jorja Spratt BSc Student

Jorja Spratt

Email:

jorja.spratt@ucalgary.ca

Jorja is a third-year Psychology (BSc) student at the University of Calgary, and is actively contributing to the work of the Oncology Sexual Health Lab. Her involvement encompasses a range of projects, such as the exploration of Trauma-Informed Care in Pelvic Medicine and interventions to support caregivers of prostate cancer patients. Jorja's passion lies in advocating for individuals who may face challenges in asserting their healthcare needs, with a particular focus on those navigating complex medical environments. She is deeply engaged in research areas that encompass sexual health, sexual distress, and the intricate interplay between mental health and our intimate lives.

STUDENTS & VOLUNTEERS

Javeria Malik BSc (Hons) Student

Javeria Malik

Email:

javeria.malik1@ucalgary.ca

Javeria Malik is in her fourth year receiving her BSc (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Calgary. Under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Walker, Javeria is working on her undergraduate thesis to explore how trauma informed care practices can be improved in the field of pelvic health care. Through a combination of qualitative interviews and comprehensive surveys with health care practitioners, Javeria will be gathering perspectives and insights. By collecting data and analyzing those findings, Javeria hopes to develop actionable recommendations for practitioners to create a more compassionate, empowering, and empathetic healthcare system especially in the sensitive and vulnerable areas like pelvic care. In addition to her academic pursuits, Javeria is an advocate for mental health and wellness, especially for youth, and enthusiastically organizes events and projects to raise awareness about the issues.

Lane Begalke BHSc (Hons) Student

Lane Begalke

Email:

lane.begalke@ucalgary.ca

Lane is a third year Health Sciences (BHSc) student at the University of Calgary, majoring in Health & Society. Receiving her degree in 2025, Lane also has a concentration in Anthropology. Lane has interests in women’s health advocacy, transgender and gender diverse healthcare accessibility, reproductive healthcare, and sexual function research. Currently she is being supervised by Dr. Lauren Walker in research on “A Systematic Review of Measurement Tools Assessing Sexual Function in Transgender and Non-Binary Populations”. Lane is also volunteering with Dr. Walker through research on “Exploring Sexual Function and Sexual Practices Among Transgender and Non-Binary People” within the Oncology Sexual Health Lab. Lane’s passions for women’s health rights and advocacy are evident through her ongoing volunteerism as a team leader in community outreach and peer support at the Women’s Resource Centre at the University of Calgary.

LAB ALUMNI

Hannah Stremick BSc (Hons) (2022-2023)

Hannah Stremick

Hannah is a fourth year Psychology (BSc) student at the University of Calgary, receiving her degree in 2023. Currently she is being supervised by Dr. Lauren Walker in research on, “Assessment of Sexual Arousal Response in Cisgender Women” and is assisting Dr. Richard Wassersug in the newest revision of Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An Essential Guide for Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones. She has a keen interest in sexual function and health in women. She has historically worked with Dr. Walker on research studies related to sexual implications following pelvic floor prolapse, mindfulness-based interventions for women with sexual difficulties and on assessing sexual distress in a clinical sample of people with sexual difficulty. Hannah’s research interests include women’s sexual health, sexual arousal, and sexuality and intimate relationships.

Mira Gitelman, BA (Hons) Research Assistant (2022-2023)

Mira Gitelman, BA (Hons)

Mira received her Psychology BA (Hons) degree in 2022 from Toronto Metropolitan University. She completed her thesis project “Intimacy in Isolation: An Exploration of Online Casual Sexual Relationships, Consent and Desire During the COVID-19 Pandemic” under the supervision Dr. Maria Gurevich. Until 2023, Mira worked as the Project Manager on Dr. Lauren Walker and Dr. Richard Wassersug's Life On ADT Educational Program. She is also assisted the Oncology Sexual Health Lab with multiple projects including the EXPAND-TNB study and a new project researching Trauma Informed Gynecological Care. Creating changes in sexual education, specifically increasing visibility in education for LGBTQ+ folks, as well as committing critical feminist views to research is a great interest and passion of Mira's.

Gloria Sesay BA (Hons) (2021-2022)

Gloria Sesay BA (Hons) (2021-2022)

Gloria received her BA (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Calgary in 2022. Supervised by Dr. Lauren Walker, Gloria began her undergraduate thesis, EXPAND-TNB, as a PURE Award recipient. EXPAND-TNB is a qualitative interview-based study intended to characterize the nature of sexual expression and experiences of sexual function in a diverse sample of TNB individuals. The study also investigated how the use of anatomy and sexual aids inform an individual’s sexual practices and relation to their body.  As a two-part study, the project involved two main research frameworks, IAP2 and the ORBIT model. 

Fatima Shah, BSc (Hons) (2020-2021)

Fatima Shah, BSc (Hons)

Fatima Shah received her BSc (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Calgary in 2021. Supervised by Dr. Lauren Walker, Fatima’s undergraduate thesis was a mixed methods study with a major qualitative component exploring the impact of pelvic organ prolapse on the psychosocial aspects of female sexuality using the Circular Sexual Response Cycle as a framework. This research was presented at the Canadian Sex Research Forum (CSRF), and published in the Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) journal. 

Currently, Fatima is pursuing her MSc in Community Health Sciences, with a specialization in Health Services Research at the University of Calgary. Her research aims to explore avoidable acute care use by patients with inflammatory arthritis conditions and seeks to identify the root causes of hospitalizations. At the Oncology Sexual Health Lab, Fatima is currently working with Dr. Lauren Walker on research that seeks to identify sexual adaptation styles amongst prostate cancer survivors.

Shah, F. I., Ramage, K., Scime, N. V., Brennand, E. A., & Walker, L. M. (2022). Pelvic Organ Prolapse Takes Up Space in the Bedroom: A Mixed Method Exploration of the Circular Sexual Response Cycle in Women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery28(5), 315-320.

Megan Henkelman, BA (Hons) (2019-2020)

Megan Henkelman, BA (Hons)

Megan Henkelman received her BA (Honours) in Psychology with a minor in English from the University of Calgary in 2020. Megan wrote her undergraduate thesis on sexuality in multiple myeloma and other hematological cancer patients with her supervisor Dr. Lauren Walker, and presented her research at the annual Charbonneau Research Symposium. She is a recipient of the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Linda Singleton summer research studentship, and is currently working on expanding her thesis project, as well as assisting with two additional sexuality-related research projects. Her research interests include sexual health, consent-based sexual education, as well as intersectional gender and LGBTQ2+ issues. 

Dr. John Robinson (2015-2020)

Dr. John Robinson

Dr. John Robinson is a clinical psychologist in the province of Alberta and has been a member of the Genito-urinary and Gyneoncology Groups at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alberta since 1986. Balancing clinical service and research which aims to develop new ways to ease the psychological burden of cancer on patients and their loved ones. He has academic appointments in both the Department of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology and the Psychology Department at the University of Calgary. While he retired from clinical work in 2019, Dr. Robinson continues with some of his academic interests. The bulk of his research has been in the area of prostate and gynecological cancers. His research interests include treatment decision making, sexuality and intimate relationships, survivorship and quality of life. 


Selection of recent publications:  

Dr. Roanne Millman, RPsych (Doctoral resident and post-doctoral fellow 2016-2019)

Dr. Roanne Millman

Dr. Millman worked on the implementation of a pilot study geared toward women with breast cancer who were experiencing low sexual desire. She also was instrumental in evaluating a vaginal and sexual health workshop for female cancer survivors. As a clinical post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Millman also received specialized training and clinical mentorship in sexual health intervention with cancer survivors.

Dr. Millman is now a practicing clinical psychologist at the West Coast Centre for Sex Therapy

https://westcoastsextherapy.com/about/#roanne-millman-phd 

Dr. Pablo Santos-Iglesias (2015-2019)

Dr. Pablo Santos-Iglesias

Dr. Pablo Santos-Iglesias was a Research Associate in the Department of Oncology, at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine from 2015-2019. Dr. Santos-Iglesias received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Granada (Spain) in 2012, his MA in 2007, and his BA degree in 2005. During his doctoral training, he took the opportunity to complete several research internships at different universities in Spain, and also in Portugal, El Salvador, and Canada. He was recipient of a prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship granted by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Santos-Iglesias' research interests focus on factors, such as sexual communication, that contribute to or detract from sexual health and well-being both in the general population and among people living with chronic illnesses. He is also passionate about psychometrics and interested in the development and validation of sexuality-related measures.

You can find Pablo now on Faculty at Cape Breton University. https://www.cbu.ca/faculty-staff/directory/pablo-santos/

Selection of recent publications:

Dr. Pablo Santos-Iglesias was a Research Associate in the Department of Oncology, at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine from 2015-2019. Dr. Santos-Iglesias received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Granada (Spain) in 2012, his MA in 2007, and his BA degree in 2005.