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PROSIT – Predicting Risks and Outcomes of Social InTeractions
  • Prosit
  • PROSIT – Predicting Risks and Outcomes of Social InTeractions
Important Information

Due to the current situation in Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada, we would like to stress that this website is not monitored on a daily basis. For information on mental help resources and crisis interventions, please refer to health authorities in your community. You can also access helpful resources on our News page.

W E L C O M E

 

ABOUT PROSIT

Predicting Risks and Outcomes of Social InTeractions (PROSIT)

PROSIT is a research study that aims to improve the mental well-being of youth. To achieve this goal, we are working with healthy youth and patients in Nova Scotia.  From our healthy participants, we wish to learn what youth can do to stay healthy, and from our patients, to learn how youth can quickly recover from  a mental disorder.

We believe that the way youth interact with their family and friends can tell us a lot about their health and well-being. Often, youth are simply asked by clinicians how they socially interact, but it can be difficult to remember every social interaction one has with their family members and friends. Therefore, we have created an app that passively captures information on the daily social  interactions of youth.

Our app can tell us how many calls youth are making, how many messages they  are sending, and how often they are using social media to interact with their family and friends. By understanding the social behaviours of youth, we can better understand how to best help youth to become and stay healthy and create programs to better support Nova Scotian youth.

  

OUR PROSIT APP

Modern technology can help improve your care. Through the built-in sensors of your smartphone, clinicians can track your daily activities, such as calls, messaging and so on. This can let them know how you are doing and if you need help.

  

Social Media Study

Social media can offer numerous potential benefits to its users. It can promote a sense of community, strengthen interpersonal connections and facilitate access to knowledge and social support networks. However, concerns have been raised about its potential harms. Research suggests that social media may be linked to poor mental well-being in adolescence. Frequent social media use has been associated with an increased likelihood of symptoms attributed to anxiety disorders and depression, ADHD and problematic drinking. To better understand this relationship, we are using a mobile-sensing app that objectively and passively records how adolescents use social media. In doing so, we will be able to assess whether social media use predicts adolescent mental well-being and determine whether associations of social media use with poor mental well-being are mediated by motives of use, cyberbullying or reduced physical activity and sleep.

To find out more about the study, please click here: Social-Media.info

  

Mobile Sensing Study

Our goal is to investigate the following research question: does our anxiety tracking phone app reveal differences in how youth and adults experience anxiety?

For this project, we’re looking for adults with anxiety problems to help us develop a smartphone app for assessing anxiety. The study will take two weeks to complete, and will involve answering some brief questionnaires and using our phone app for 14 consecutive days.

If you are interested in joining our study, please visit prositmobilesensingstudy.wordpress.com for more information.

  

OUR TEAM

Sandra Meier
Principal Investigator

I am a psychologist by training and I discovered research as my way to help improve people's lives.

Nathan Rowarth
Lab Manager

Nathan Rowarth recently completed his PhD in Molecular Biology at Dalhousie University. He finds tremendous joy in welcoming new research professionals and watching them grow. He looks forward to honing his skills and interests in the PROSIT Lab, and making an impact on how everyday technology can predict our physiology, stress, and behaviours.

Louise Mason
Research Coordinator

Louise Mason graduated from Saint Mary's University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Honours with a focus on forensic psychology. Louise is very interested in the psychological development in children and youth while using social media to the research team's advantage. She has experience in psychometric rating, recruitment, and study coordination. 

Silvia Marin-Dragu
PhD Student

Silvia is passionate about research that utilizes technology to enhance mental health, and has recently started her PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Abu Sayeed Roni
Research Assistant

I’m a second-year Bachelor of Computer Science student. I am passionate about using technology to help people live a better life. At the PROSIT Lab, I’m assisting with the Mobile Sensing Study to investigate the effects of social media on youth with anxiety disorders.

Bilikis Banire
Postdoctoral Fellow

I completed Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering. My research interests include Human-Computer Interaction, Eye Tracking, Affective Computing, Machine Learning, Attention Bias, Autism, and Persuasive Computing.

Mohamed Muzamil
Master Student

I am a graduate-level Computer Science student at Dal. My research interests include data analytics, visualization and the use of AI techniques to build intelligent systems. 

Shuya Li
Research Assistant

Shuya recently graduated from the Medical Sciences program at Dalhousie University. She has been with the PROSIT lab for 3 years, and works on various studies. Shuya hopes to bring awareness to mental health challenges and positively impact the community, and she has future aspirations of working in healthcare.

Youna McGowan
Research Assistant

I am a fourth-year Neuroscience major at Dalhousie with a certificate in Medical Humanities. I am particularly interested in research on anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Within the PROSIT Lab, I will be assisting with investigating attention bias modification.

Holly Carbyn
Master's Student

I will be starting a Masters in Psychiatric Research at Dalhousie in the fall of 2023. Until then, I am working as a summer student in the lab. I will be assisting with the eCare-22q11 study this summer and during my Masters degree.

Simal Dolek
Research Assistant

I'm doing an Honours in Neuroscience, a minor in statistics and a certificate program in Data Analytics at Dalhousie. I am passionate about analyzing databases to detect trends in cognitive processes in order to improve our overall understanding of the brain!

Kirstie Smith
Lab Manager

I am the administrative coordinator and manager of the PROSIT Lab. I have several years' experience working in research and am a strong mental health advocate who seeks to be a safe place for everyone. My credentials include a Master of Arts in Sociology from Dalhousie University.

Mah Parsapoor
Research Associate

Mah Parsa, with a PhD in computer science and engineering, specializes in AI-powered systems for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Joining the PROSIT Lab, she brings expertise to advance projects addressing critical health challenges.

Sumit Kumar
App Developer

Sumit holds a Master’s degree from Dalhousie University and has been working in the IT industry for over 8 years. He brings a strong technical background to his role as an app developer at PROSIT Lab. Sumit is passionate about coding and solving real-world problems through technology and is always eager to explore new advancements.

Ravishankar "Ravi" Iyer
PhD Student

Ravishankar Subramani Iyer is a computer science major, currently undergoing his Master in Computer Sciences at Dalhousie University.  He has worked in multiple projects developing applications for IOS devices as well as smartwatches.

Ankana Boruah
Research Assistant

I am a Psychology Honours student at Dalhousie University. I completed a directed research project on the Social Media Study last year. I am deeply passionate about mental health and aspire to pursue a career in this field. Currently, I am working on both the Social Media and the Parental Smartphone Projects.

Bronwyn Inness
Master's Student

I am working on my MSc in Psychiatry Research at Dalhousie. I have a background in conducting research with infants and young children and am interested in their development! My main focus will be on the parental smartphone use and child socioemotional wellbeing project in the PROSIT lab.

Dawson Sutherland
Research Assistant

Dawson Sutherland, a Psychology graduate from Dalhousie University, completed his honours thesis on pupillometry and mental effort. He has experience studying attentional processes and using eye-tracking technology. His interests focus on child psychiatry, including ADHD, anxiety, and social anxiety.

Taksh Doria
Research Assistant

Taksh Doria holds a Master of Applied Computer Science from Dalhousie University, specializing in software solutions and cloud infrastructures. He is passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems. Joining the PROSIT Lab, he aims to contribute to projects enhancing human well-being.

Annika Setterington
Research Assistant

My name is Annika, and I’m in my final year studying Neuroscience. I’m also pursuing a certificate in Science Communication and Leadership along with a minor in English. Currently, I’m contributing to research on sexting, with a focus on its dynamics within the LGBTQ+ community. 

Prannat Jain
Research Assistant

I'm a 3rd year student pursuing a Bachelors in Computer Science at Dalhousie University. I have experience with Full Stack Development, DevOps and Research. I am interested in using my abilities to help the lab achieve its targets and goals.

Aine Killeen
Research Assistant

Áine Killeen recently graduated with an Honours in Psychology from Dalhousie University, studying sleep knowledge in workers supporting children with developmental challenges. She has extensive experience working with children and is passionate about mental health. Áine is excited to join PROSIT and expand her research skills.

Julia Saad Hossne
Research Assistant

I am a fourth year Dalhousie University Student double majoring in Psychology and Biology. As a student, I am passionate about learning new ways to help those struggling with their mental health.

Abiaz Hossen
Research Assistant

Abiaz Hossain, a Biochemistry student with a Psychology minor, has research experience in mental health and attention bias. He has worked in the PROSIT Lab for over a year, contributing to studies and data analysis. Abiaz aims to reduce mental health stigma in his community through research and education.

Jibran Hagalwadi
Research Assistant

Jibran recent graduate of the Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience program from Dalhousie University and is currently working as a research assistant at the PROSIT Lab. At the lab, He is involved in the SMILE and GAYA studies. Jibran's areas of interest include mental health, medicine, and research, and he aspires to become a neurosurgeon in the future!

Lea Kiechle
Honour's Student

Lea is a fourth-year Psychology student completing her Honours thesis as part of PROSIT’s study on Sexting behaviours, motivations and outcomes. She is passionate about improving access to mental health recourses and exploring technology-based interventions.
In her spare time, Lea loves to go on walks with her dog, listening to music, and geeking out over “The Last of Us”.

Jessica Liebmann
Research Assistant

Jessica Liebmann is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and International Development Studies at Dalhousie University, with an Honours thesis on ovarian hormones and responses to e-cigarette ingredients. Jessica looks forward to helping develop programs to better support youth mental health.

Co-Investigators
Clinic Team

The clinical team includes over 15 child and adolescent psychiatrists with a wealth of experience and expertise in patient care, education, research and advocacy.

Lab Alumni

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