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News

2026

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Undergraduate Research Award

FFL research team member Hazel Oh received the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) for the Summer 2026. SFU’s USRA program aims to support students with research skills, prepare them for graduate studies and help their competitiveness on the job market. “Through this experience, I aim to strengthen my research skills while also growing in my ability to contribute to work that feels both impactful and grounded in real community needs. This opportunity closely aligns with my long-term goal of pursuing a master’s degree in counselling and building a career in mental health and family support.”

Flowchart depicting stages of health behavior change, starting with natural history and underlying stressors, then treatment options, clinical benefits, and client-provider goals.

Journal Publication

Cameron, E. E., Morrison, K. M., Ho, J., Roos, L., Katz, L., Mushquash, A., ... & McGavock, J. (2026). Is intensive behavioural change enhanced with dialectical behavioural therapy feasible for weight management in adolescents living with higher body weight? A protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial in three centres in Canada. BMJ open, 16(2), e106645.

Access the article here.

BCCHR BB&D Catalyst Grant

Our team is thrilled to receive the Catalyst Grant from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute’s Brain, Behaviour, & Development Research Theme. This grant supports the Striving for Wellness in Partnerhood program. It will be instrumental in finalizing content co-development with patient partners and conducting the first test of the resulting program.

Find more about SWell here.

Academic journal article titled 'Advancing family wellbeing through a Massive Online Open Intervention: the LightBEAM program protocol for randomized waitlist control trial' by multiple authors, with a teal header labeled 'STUDY PROTOCOL' and 'Open Access' on the right.

Journal Publication

Sitka, M., Simpson, K. M., Paton, A., MacKinnon, A., Afifi, T. O., Cameron, E. E., ... & Roos, L. E. (2026). Advancing family wellbeing through a Massive Online Open Intervention: the LightBEAM program protocol for randomized waitlist control trial {1a}. BMC psychology.

Access the article here.

Graduate Student Grant

FFL graduate student, Nushaiba Nanjiba, received the BC Children Hospital Research Institute Trainee Boost Award to support her master’s thesis. Nushaiba’s thesis, titled “Reimagining Fatherhood After Migration: A Qualitative Study of Immigrant Fathers’ Transition to Fatherhood,” will examine the experiences, perspectives, and unmet needs of South Asian fathers living in Canada for less than 10 years. Stay tuned for the published result!

2025

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Lab Holiday Party

The Family Foundations Lab celebrated the end of a successful year with a holiday cookie making party! Our first FFL year was filled with grant applications, publications, student applications for CGRS-Ms and graduate school, presentations, and community partnership building.

Screenshot of an academic journal article webpage titled 'Bottom of My Own List:' Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Support Use in Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Support Needs, published June 22, 2024.

Journal Publication

Penner, K. E., Roy, R., Hanlon-Dearman, A. C., Cheung, K., Katz, C., Schleider, J. L., ... & Cameron, E. E. (2025). “Bottom of My Own List:” Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Support Use in Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Support Needs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55(9), 3288-3303.

Access the article here.

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BB&D Research Days

The FFL team presented three research studies at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute BB&D Research Days. Troy Holmes presented on a systematic review and meta-analysis on paternal perinatal anxiety. Vaneet Virk and Sophia Guan presented on the DIRECTION trial for adolescents. Caroline Mawhinney presented on the relationship between paternal mental health and sexual satisfaction over the transition to parenthood. Well done, everyone!

Sexual Health Research Days

FFL research assistant, Caroline Mawhinney, presented research on the relationship between paternal mental health and sexual satisfaction in the postpartum period. This presentation discussed implications for child and family functioning. Stay tuned for the publication in progress!

Screenshot of a research article webpage titled 'Parent and caregiver preferences for eHealth programs' from BMC Public Health, published on July 3, 2025.

Journal Publication

Tongol, N. A., McHardy, R. J., Simpson, K. M., Penner, K. E., Rioux, C., Cameron, E. E., ... & Roos, L. E. (2025). Parent and caregiver preferences for eHealth programs. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 2307.

Read the article here.

A diagram showing themes and subthemes related to COVID-19, including categories like psychological factors, interpersonal functioning, family functioning, and forum use, with specific issues listed under each.

Journal Publication

Cameron, E. E., Simpson, K. M., Bowes, J. M., Pierce, S. K., Penner, K. E., Beyak, A., ... & Roos, L. E. (2025). A qualitative forum analysis of fathers’ stressors and support seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Issues, 46(1), 131-156.

Read the article here.

Screenshot of a research article titled 'eHealth Preferences for Parents of Young Children Diagnosed with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) and/or Mental Health (MH) Disorders,' published on June 19, 2025.

Journal Publication

Hai, T., Penner, K. E., Loran, K. L., Fida, H., Tongol, N. A., Cameron, E. E., ... & Roos, L. E. (2025). eHealth Preferences for Parents of Young Children Diagnosed with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) and/or Mental Health (MH) Disorders. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 1-12.

Find the article here.

Screenshot of a research article titled "Paternal Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic," authored by Emily E. Cameron, Kayla M. Joyce, Kathryn Hatherly, and Leslie E. Roos.

Journal Publication

Cameron, E. E., Joyce, K. M., Hatherly, K., & Roos, L. E. (2025). Paternal depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(1), 124.

Find the article here.

Screenshot of an academic journal article webpage titled "Parent Preferences for Peer Connection in Virtual Mental Health and Parenting Support Platforms," published in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science on March 27, 2024.

Journal Publication

Rioux, C., Childers-Rockey, Z. A., Konkin, A., Cameron, E. E., Tomfohr-Madsen, L., MacKinnon, A. L., ... & Roos, L. E. (2025). Parent preferences for peer connection in virtual mental health and parenting support platforms. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 10(1), 1-6.

Read the article here.

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Family Foundations Lab

The Family Foundations Lab is established at Simon Fraser University in the Faculty of Education! Our space opened May 2025. We are thrilled to be contributing to advancing knowledge and supports for family wellness and child development in the BC community and beyond.

Keep up to date on research participation opportunities and knowledge outputs through our website and Linkedin!