Lab Director
View CV
Dr. Sarah Racine has been conducting research on eating disorders for the past 15 years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from McGill University where she conducted her senior honours thesis with Dr. Howard Steiger at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. She completed her PhD at Michigan State University under the mentorship of Dr. Kelly Klump. Her graduate work used twin study methodology and longitudinal menstrual cycle designs as methods to unravel the complex etiology of disordered eating behaviours. Her clinical internship and postdoctoral training were completed at the University of Pittsburgh/Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Wildes. She was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Ohio University from 2014-2017 before returning to her alma mater as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2017. Dr. Racine’s research aims to elucidate how genetic/biological risk for eating disorders operates through personality and emotional characteristics as well as what psychological and environmental factors make individuals with these characteristics more likely to develop an eating disorder versus another psychological condition. In her spare time, Dr. Racine enjoys doing Zumba, eating Mexican food, watching psychological and crime dramas, and practising her French.
post doctoral fellow
Samantha Wilson is a postdoctoral fellow at McGill. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Concordia University in 2012. There, she completed her Honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Adam Radomsky on the topic of cognitive confidence and compulsive checking. Before beginning graduate school, she was a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Howard Steiger at the Eating Disorders Program at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and later returned there as a pre-doctoral intern in 2017. Samantha obtained her PhD in clinical psychology at Université de Montréal in 2018. Her doctoral thesis, completed under the supervision of Dr. Kieron O’Connor and Dr. Frederick Aardema, examined the applicability of a model of doubt, originally developed in the context of OCD, to eating disorders. Her research interests include transdiagnostic processes relevant to eating disorders and co-occurring conditions. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys spending time with family and friends, driving around listening to music, and working on her fantasy hockey team.
graduate students
Ege Biçaker is a fifth-year PhD student studying Clinical Psychology at McGill. She completed her BA at Koc University in Turkey and her honors thesis investigated the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and ruminative tendencies. She also spent a year studying at University of California, Los Angeles, where she worked as a research assistant in multiple lab settings.
For her dissertation, she plans to examine how emotional avoidance and low
levels of self-compassion relate to eating disorder symptomatology in clinical and community samples. In her spare time, Ege enjoys yoga, hiking, learning French and grocery shopping.
Laura Lapadat is a second-year PhD student studying Clinical Psychology at McGill. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Victoria, and worked as a research assistant in the University of British Columbia Department of Psychiatry, under the supervision of Dr. Erin Michalak. In the past, Laura has published on participatory research, mobile health, and bipolar disorder. Her research in graduate school will focus on loss of control in eating disorders, and eating disorder-bipolar disorder comorbidity. In her spare time, Laura enjoys yoga, skiing, and spending time with friends, family, and her cat Hank.
Aiden Mehak is a sixth-year PhD student studying Clinical Psychology at McGill. She completed her BA at Ryerson University, and her honours thesis explored the roles of appearance anxiety and body shame in disordered eating among undergraduate women. Her dissertation will use biopsychosocial methods to investigate the role of the experience of 'feeling fat' in the etiology and maintenance of eating pathology in both clinical and community samples. In the lab, Aiden's responsibilities include administering clinical interviews, mentoring honours students, and psychophysiological data processing. When she has spare time, Aiden enjoys cooking, powerlifting, and quality television shows.
Alexia Miller is a fifth-year PhD student studying Clinical Psychology at McGill. She completed her B.A in Psychology at the University of British Columbia where she studied the relationship between eating disorder symptoms and borderline personality disorder symptoms under the supervision of Dr. David Klonsky. Her research in graduate school will focus on how traits related to borderline personality disorder, such as emotion dysregulation, influence the etiology and maintenance of eating pathology. In her spare time, Alexia enjoys running, live music, and hanging out with her friends and family.
Vittoria Trolio is a third-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program at McGill. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at McGill where she explored clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in an adult cohort of patients with ARFID, under the supervision of Dr. Howard Steiger at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. Vittoria's graduate research will investigate restrictive eating and associated traits across the spectrum of eating disorders, with a focus on shared mechanisms and differentiating factors between avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and anorexia nervosa. In her spare time, Vittoria likes to attend concerts, practice hot barre, and travel whenever possible.
research coordinator
Talia Schroeder joined the BEEP Lab in 2022 and is now the new research coordinator. She graduated from McGill University with a BSc in Honours Psychology. She did her senior honours thesis with Dr. David Dunkley on perfectionism, self-compassion, and meaning in life, and is interested how low self-compassion relates to loss of control in eating disorders. She aspires to pursue graduate studies to become a clinical psychologist, and to travel the world someday. In her spare time, Talia enjoys biking, journaling, and making art.
Undergraduate students
Angela Gao is in her third year at McGill University majoring in Honors psychology and minoring in neuroscience. She is interested in learning how psychopathology intersects with cultural and environmental factors and how this can lead to the further development of different diseases. In the future, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical or social psychology and is eager to learn new skills at the BEEP lab. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the city, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Julia Durcan is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in Honours Psychology and a Minor in Sociology. She is particularly interested in the relationship between Eating Disorders and the need for control, and hopes to one day help individuals dealing with food and body image issues. In her free time, you can find Julia in the gym, trying new restaurants with friends and family, or spending all of her money on books.
Julia Paterson is a third-year undergraduate student at McGill University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Behavioural Science and Sociology. She is interested in the different clinical presentations of eating disorders and the relationship between disordered eating and emotional avoidance. She plans to become a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders and eating disorders in teens and young adults. She is eager to expand her knowledge on the conduction of experimental research in the BEEP Lab! Some of her favourite things include reading, dog-sitting, and going for long walks accompanied by psychology podcasts.
Beth Hales is a fourth-year student double majoring in psychology and international development with a minor in behavioural science. Beth’s interest in eating disorders started when working as the events coordinator for the SSMU Eating Disorder Center at McGill University. They are interested in the sociocultural and cognitive aspects of eating disorders and compulsive exercise. Beth enjoys weightlifting, backpacking, and listening to music. They hope to pursue a career in helping others.
Nicole Iordache is a second-year undergraduate student at McGill University, majoring in Honours Psychology and minoring in Sociology. She is interested in learning how to improve treatment plans for various eating disorders, and learning about cognitive and societal risk factors that make people more vulnerable to the development of eating pathologies. In the future, she hopes to become a clinical psychologist. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her pets, and trying new restaurants.
Elizabeth Pung is a second-year undergraduate student in the Honours Psychology program. She is interested in learning about how different biopsychosocial factors can act as mediators in comorbid relationships between eating disorders and various other forms of psychopathology. She hopes to one day pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology or become a psychiatrist. In her free time, she enjoys discovering new music, learning new languages, and spending time with friends and family.
Madhumitha Murugavel Sangeetha, currently in her second year, is pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Science for Arts Students. She aspires to go to med school and become a doctor working in either the psychology field or the cardiology field.
Madhu is very interested in the concepts of psychopathology, and is excited to learn essential skills at the BEEP Lab this year! During her leisure time, she enjoys reading novels, spending time with loved ones, and touring museums and art galleries.
Senna Mantel is a fourth-year undergraduate student at McGill University, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychology. In the future, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology and neuroscience. Senna is particularly interested in less known eating disorders such as avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, and is excited to learn more about it at the BEEP lab. In her free time, she likes to attend ballets, play board games and go out for brunch after her Sunday barre classes.
Can Kök is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Honours Psychology and minoring in Philosophy. His research interests are substance use, impulsivity, and transdiagnostic risk factors for psychopathology. In the future, he hopes to pursue graduate school in clinical psychology or neuroscience. In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies and live music.
Ting Ting Liu graduated from McGill University with a BA in Psychology. She has always been interested in restrictive-type eating disorders, specifically the aspect of control involved in maintaining restrictive eating behaviours. She aspires to pursue research in grad school, with a focus on how rigidity impacts post-treatment anorexia nervosa recovery. In her spare time, she likes to write and read books, and you will often find her with her earbuds in, listening to music.
Graduate & Post doctoral Alumni
Sarah Schell
undergraduate Alumni
Tayla Bain
Jane Wan
Nesrine Mesli, Completing Masters in Clinical Psychology, Concordia University
Lisa Zhu, Completing PhD in Clinical Psychology, Western University
Amanda McCue
Katerina Giannoumis
Rida Siddiqui
Adèle Hotte-Meunier
Bronwen Lathrop, Completing Masters of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University
Johanna Keller, Completing Masters in Clinical Mental Health Sciences, University College London
Bianca Adjei
Chloe White, Completing PhD in Clinical Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Müge Acar
Justine Daigneault
Ruqayya Hirji, Completing Medical Degree, University of Toronto
Jesse Rae
Ivy Salloum
Alexandra Smedmor
Charlotte Sacré
Malka Reich, Completing Masters in Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University
Helen Liu
Tasha Liang, Completing Doctor of Law, York University
Bianca Akeson
Lina Badran
Rosie Chaykin, Completing Masters in Affective Disorders, Kings College London
Rachel Dufour, Completing PhD in Clinical Psychology, Concordia University
Lana Downs
Benjamin Lawson, Completing Masters of Experimental Psychology, University of Toronto
Doosik Shin, Completing Masters in Counselling Psychology, University of Ottawa
Genevieve Auclair
Viveca Lee, Completing Erasmus Mundus Masters of Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Alice Luo
Nilufar Mokhtarian, Completing Masters in Counselling Psychology, University of Ottawa
Etienne Tessier
Seffie Yip
Stephanie de Silva, Completing Masters in Cognitive and Decision Science, University College London
Amané Asakawa-Halicki, Completing PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of British Columbia-Okanagan
Léah Suissa-Rocheleau, Completing BCL/JD Program, McGill University
Sarah Brassard, Completing PhD in Neuroscience, McMaster University
Joyce Quansah, Completing PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Montréal
Sabrina Martel
Isabella Tremonte, Completing Masters in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Brock University
Julia Ferrone, Completing PsyD in School Psychology, Adelphi University
Irene Giannis, Completing PhD in Clinical Psychology, Concordia University
Chloé Savignac, Completing PhD in Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
Akira Wang, Completing Masters in Public Health, Emory University
ALUMni 2022-2023
First row from left to right (standing):
Sarah Schell, Alexia Miller, Laura Lapadat, Talia Schroeder, Bronwen Willa, Tayla Bain, Ege Bicaker, Angela Gao
Second row from left to right (standing):
Lisa Zhu, Vittoria Trolio, Samantha Wilson, Nesrine Mesli, Amanda Mccue, Jane Wan.
Bottom row from left to right (sitting):
Dr. Racine, Aiden Mehak, Adele Hotte-Meunier
On the Computer:
Katerina Giannoumis
ALUMni 2020-2021
Top row:
Dr. Racine, Vittoria Trolio, Tasha Liang, Rachel Dufour, Lina Badran
Second row:
Alexia Miller, Justine Daigneault, Samantha Wilson, Ruqayya Hirji, Alexandra Smedmor
Third row:
Charlotte Sacré, Ivy Salloum, Lana Downs, Bianca Akeson, Müge Acar
Fourth row:
Rosie Chaykin, Aiden Mehak, Jesse Rae, Ben Lawson, Ege Bicaker
Bottom row:
Malka Reich, Helen Liu
ALUMni 2019-2020
From left to right (standing):
Muge Acar, Dr. Racine, Vittoria Trolio, Sarah Schell, Sam Wilson, Aiden Mehak, Alexia Miller, Chloe White, Viveca Lee, Stephanie de Silva, Rosie Chaykin, Malka Reich, Étienne Tessier, Bianca Akeson, Ege Biçaker, Alice Luo
From left to right (sitting):
Helen Liu, Seffie Yip, Nilufar Mokhtarian, Yuvika Dandiwal, Geneviève Auclair
ALUMni 2018-2019
From left to right (standing):
Vittoria Trolio, Isabella Tremonte, Alice Luo, Alexia Miller, Dr. Racine, Sarah Schell, Léah Suissa-Rocheleau, Dana Ajjaoui, Amane Halicki-Asakawa, Doosik Shin.
From left to right (kneeling):
Chloe White, Chloe Savignac, Joyce Quansah, Aiden Mehak, Akira Wang
ALUMni 2017-2018
From left to right (standing):
Irene Giannis, Léah Suissa-Rocheleau, Sabrina Martel, Dr. Sarah Racine,
Sarah Brassard, Julia Ferrone