Mark Wade, PhD, C.Psych
Lab Director
Dr. Wade is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Dr. Wade completed his clinical residency at the University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle Children's Hospital) and a Banting Fellowship at Harvard Medical School (Boston Children's Hospital) before assuming his current role at U of T. Dr. Wade is Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on several projects focused on the effects of early-life adversity on mental health, cognition, and neurobiological development. He studies the complex biopsychosocial mechanisms by which early-life adversity increases the risk of mental health difficulties in children and youth, and the factors that foster recovery and facilitate resilience to adversity. The overarching goal of Dr. Wade's program of research is to improve evidence-based practice and to inform public policy centered on supporting vulnerable children and their families.
Meet Our Team
Liam Wright, M.A.
PhD Candidate, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
Honours B.Sc., Specialist in Psychology, University of Toronto
Awards & Accomplishments:
Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2023-2024, 2024-2025)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2021-2022 & 2022-2023)
Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2020-2021)
Liam is interested in the negative developmental consequences associated with exposure to early life adversity (ELA) across different domains of development. His goal as an aspiring clinical scientist is to conduct research on the downstream consequences of ELA, specifically at the interface of cognition and psychopathology, and to explore protective factors that may buffer against these negative outcomes.
Julia Martini, M.A.
PhD Candidate, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
M.Ed., Language, Culture, & Teaching, York University
Honours B.A., Specialty in Psychology, York University
B.Ed., Primary/Junior Education, York University
Awards & Accomplishments:
Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2024-2025)
Research Fellowship Award, University of Toronto (2023)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2021-2022 & 2022-2023)
Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master's Award, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2020-2021)
Julia’s broad research interests include examining risk and resilience across the lifespan. Currently, she is exploring the role of interpersonal violence in the association between early childhood adversity and mental health outcomes among women, with the aim of informing research, policy, and practice. As an aspiring Clinician Scientist, Julia seeks to utilize both her clinical and research training to support child and family well-being and establish a research program that investigates the mechanisms that contribute to positive adaptation in the context of adversity.
Kate Finegold, M.A., M.Ed.
PhD Student, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology, Harvard University
Awards & Accomplishments:
Doctoral Candidate Graduate Scholarship, Canadian Institute of Health Research (2025-2026)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2023-2024 & 2024-2025)
CPA Certificate of Academic Excellence (2024)
Kate’s current research interests include uncovering the mechanisms that link exposure to early life adversity with worse cognitive and mental health outcomes. She is interested in elucidating the ecological and biological factors that promote resilience after exposure to early life adversity.
Lydia Li, M.Ed.
PhD Candidate, Developmental Psychology & Education
Education:
M.Ed. in Developmental Psychology & Education, OISE
Awards & Accomplishments:
Connaught International Scholarship (2022-2026)
Leong Center Studentships (2022-2023)
Lora Dolores Antoniette Pallotta Memorial Graduate Scholarship (2024)
SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships (2025-2027)
Lydia’s research focuses on the risk and resilience of mental health in children and families. She leverages population-based data and quantitative methods (e.g., machine learning, advanced statistical modeling) to explore the predictors and trajectories of child mental health across different demographic subpopulations.
Victoria Parker, M.A.
PhD Student, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
B.A., Psychology & Early Childhood Education, Tulane University
Awards & Accomplishments:
Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Priority Announcement - Global Health (2025 - 2026)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2022-2023, 2024-2025)
Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2023-2024)
Victoria is interested in exploring pathways of resilience for children and families in the context of stress. Her research investigates how early life adversity influences child development, and how supportive family and community processes foster positive adaptation. She applies a strength-based and ecological systems lens to examine how these processes unfold in both local and international contexts through collaborative research partnerships. She is passionate about co-producing knowledge that reflects diverse cultural, social, and structural realities and shifting away from deficit-focused frameworks to approaches that recognize and build on family and community strengths.
Gloria Rebello, M.Ed.
MA Student, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
M.Ed., Developmental Psychology & Education, OISE
B.Sc., Psychology, University of Toronto
Awards & Accomplishments:
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2025-2026)
Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's, Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (2024-2025)
Gloria’s research explores how parental and child factors interact to influence disruptive behaviour and emotion dysregulation in children. She is also interested in the impacts of early life adversity on mental health across the lifespan, including how adversity measurement approaches shape our understanding of their effects. Specifically, how cultural factors influence these experiences and identifying ways to promote resilience and wellbeing.
Cloudia Rodriguez, B.A.
MA Student, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
Honours B.A., Psychology, University of Ottawa
Awards & Accomplishments:
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2025-2026)
Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2024-2025)
Cloudia is interested in the impact of exposure to early life adversity (ELA) on the mental health of children, youth, and families. Cloudia's interests include examining the role of sociocultural variables on the downstream consequences of ELA. Specifically, considering how cultural dimensions and social relationships may serve as protective factors against the negative mental health outcomes associated with ELA and how they promote positive well-being in the family context.
Maya Mammon, B.A.
MA Student, School & Clinical Child Psychology
Education:
B.A., Psychology, Neuroscience, Behaviour, McMaster University
Awards & Accomplishments:
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2025-2026)
Maya is interested in understanding the impact of close relationships on the mental health of children. She is particularly interested in exploring how positive parent-child interactions may function as protective factors to mitigate the consequences of ACEs on children’s socioemotional and cognitive development. Through her research, she aims to promote the well-being and resilience of youth exposed to early life adversity.