Members of the IRLRC | Faculty of Law

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Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on the Rights of the Child

Members of the IRLRC

The IRLRC's membership is composed of faculty members, students, employees and partners who develop, support or promote interdisciplinary research on issues related to children's rights and well-being.

If you are interested in becoming a member or a partner of the IRLRC, please fill out the Membership Application Form and forward it along with your résumé to: [email protected].

Naomi B. ABRAHAMS

Ph.D. Candidate | School of Social Work | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Julie Ynès ADA TCHOUKOU

Assistant Professor | Faculty of Law | Common Law Section | University of Ottawa

Afi Edé ANAHLUI

Ph.D. Candidate | School of Social Work | Faculty of Humanities | Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Cristina ATANCE

Associate Professor | School of Psychology | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Diane BÉ

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa

Nathalie BÉLANGER

Full Professor | Faculty of Education | University of Ottawa

Dr Sue BENNETT

Clémence BENSA

Professor | Law Department | Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)

Les intérêts de recherche et d'enseignement de Clémence Bensa portent principalement sur le droit de la famille et l’intérêt de l’enfant. Elle explore particulièrement la manière dont le droit évolue pour s’adapter aux nouvelles dynamiques familiales. Récemment, elle s’intéresse à la recomposition familiale et à la prise en compte par le droit de la fratrie, toujours dans une perspective axée sur les droits de l’enfant.

Clémence Bensa's research and teaching interests focus primarily on family law and the best interests of the child. She is particularly interested in how the law is evolving to adapt to new family dynamics. Recently, she has been interested in family recomposition and the consideration of siblings in law, always from a child rights perspective.

Emmanuelle BERNHEIM

Professor | Faculty of Law | Civil Law Section | University of Ottawa

Camila CARDEAL

Ph.D. Candidate | School of Social Works | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Camila Cardeal est assistante de recherche et membre du Collectif de recherche féministe contre la violence (FemAnVi). Elle travaille également comme assistante de recherche à l'Université Carleton dans le cadre du projet « Shaking the Movers: A Model for Exploring Intergenerational Children's Rights », qui fait partie du Partenariat international et canadien pour les droits de l'enfant (ICCRP). Ses recherches récentes portent sur la violence envers les femmes et les jeunes, la violence domestique, la recherche-action participative, le féminisme intersectionnel et les droits des enfants.

Camila Cardeal is a research assistant and a member of the Feminist Anti-Violence Research Collective (FemAnVi). She also works as a research assistant at Carleton University on the project "Shaking the Movers: A Model for Exploring Intergenerational Children’s Rights", which is part of the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP). Her recent research focuses on violence against women and young people, domestic violence, participatory action research, intersectional feminism, and children’s rights.

Tara M. COLLINS

Graduate Program Director & Associate Professor | School of Child and Youth Care | Faculty of Community Service | Ryerson University

Valérie P. COSTANZO

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa

Marilyn COUPIENNE

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa

Karine CROTEAU

Assistant Professor | School of Social Work | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Morgan DUMOND

Ph.D. Candidate | School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Ana Karen ESPINOSA BECERRA

Ph.D. Candidate | School of Psychology | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Ana's research focuses on developmental forensic psychology, where she explores the intersection of child development and children’s rights. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Experimental Psychology and her work examines how caregivers and other adults influence children’s well-being, reflecting my lifelong dedication to social justice and supporting at-risk populations around the globe.

Sandrine GAGNÉ-TRUDEL

Ph.D. Candidate | Medical Biology Department | Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)

Sandrine Gagné-Trudel is also a trained occupational therapist. Her academic research focuses on the participation of children with disabilities in health services, with a rights-based and inclusive approach.

Elena GALLITTO

Postdoctoral Researcher | School of Psychology | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Lydia GAMACHE

Ph.D. Candidate (research and intervention) | School of Psychology | Faculty of Social Sciences | Université Laval

Lydia Gamache is a doctoral candidate in psychology (research and intervention) at Laval University. She is interested in working with adults and youth who have experienced traumatic events, including sexual assault. Her thesis focuses on validating a cognitive-behavioral self-treatment program to support men with post-traumatic symptoms following sexual assault.

Stéphanie GAUDET

Full Professor & Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Citizenship and Minorities (CIRCEM)
School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Christine GERVAIS

Associate Professor | Department of Criminology | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Christine L. M. Gervais' teaching, research and advocacy endeavours focus on upholding children’s rights in the context of child/youth-perpetrated aggression and sexual harm within families, as well as in education and international development.

Michelle GIROUX

Full Professor | Faculty of Law | Civil Law Section | University of Ottawa

Jean-Frédéric HÜBSCH

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa

Marie-Pier JOLICOEUR

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | Université Laval

Andrea KHAN

Ph.D. Candidate | School of International Development and Globalization Studies | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa
Child Protection Specialist | Global Affairs Canada

Kindong Eric KINCHI

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa

Kindong Eric Kinchi holds an Advanced Master’s in Development Evaluation and Management from the Institute of Development Policy (IOB), Belgium, as well as an LLM from the University of Yaoundé II, Soa, Cameroon. Eric's research focus on the intersection of law, society, and child development, particularly examining the rights of children living with disabilities to inclusive education in Cameroon.

Simon LAPIERRE

Associate Professor | School of Social Work | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Clara LAPLANTE-BÉDARD

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa

Clara Laplante-Bédard is also a lawyer. Her doctoral research focuses on children's rights in the context of juvenile criminal justice, with a particular interest in the legal mechanisms governing judicial responses to young people in conflict with the law. She is particularly interested in issues of inequality and the dynamics of marginalization in the judicial treatment of these young people.

Caroline LEPAGE

Ph.D. Candidate | Faculty of Law | Université de Montréal

Caroline Lepage has also been a notary since 2018. Her research on children's rights focuses primarily on the interaction between children's rights and civil law and on the legal capacity of minors.

Anne LEVESQUE

Assistant Professor | Faculty of Law | Common Law Section | University of Ottawa

Anne Levesque is an associate professor in the French Common Law Program at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law. Her research and publications focus on human rights, equality rights, and public interest litigation.

Jennifer LOPES

Part-time Professor | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Amira MAAMERI

Ph.D. in Law | Faculty of Law | University of Ottawa & Université de Bordeaux

Amira Maameri specializes in human rights law, particularly the protection of children. She has received several awards and distinctions, such as the scholarship “Parcours de vie exceptionnel” awarded by Marie-Eve Sylvestre, former Dean of the Civil Law Section at the University of Ottawa.

Kathleen MANION

Associate Professor | School of Humanitarian Studies | Royal Roads University

Nathalie MONDAIN

Associate Professor & Director | School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Anta NIANG

Assistant Professor | Institut universitaire de premiere ligne en sante et services sociaux | École de travail social | Université de Sherbrooke

Professor Anta Niang's research interests focus primarily on decision-making in the field of youth studies. More specifically, her work addresses decision-making in relation to the prevention of criminalization, judicial practices, psychosocial interaction dynamics, and the participation of youth and families in child protection and juvenile justice systems.

Mona PARÉ

Full Professor | Faculty of Law | Civil Law Section | University of Ottawa
IRLRC's Founding Member & Director of the IRLRC

Deborah Wendy PARKES

Ph.D. Candidate | School of International Development and Global Studies | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Laurence RICARD

Ph.D. Candidate | McGill University

Elisa ROMANO

Full Professor | School of Psychology | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

The overarching goal of my applied research is to promote child and youth well-being, broadly defined as positive mental health as well as strong peer and family relationships. Given the pivotal role that families play in the lives of children and youth, my research focuses particular attention on: 1) adverse experiences within the family that can compromise well-being, namely family violence and child maltreatment; and, 2) development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that promote child and youth well-being, in particular for maltreatment-exposed young people who are involved in the child welfare system.

Ray SINGH

Founder & Co-President | 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� Starts with Youth

My name is Ray. I am a former Child and Youth Worker and currently the Founder and Co-President of 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� Starts with Youth. My research interests focus on developmental neuroscience, particularly regarding intergenerational trauma, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and examining these themes through feminist and decolonial perspectives. I have interviewed psychotherapists and organized multiple on-campus events that incorporate art, writing, and dance as therapeutic forms of empowerment for adults who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Valerie STEEVES

Full Professor | Department of Criminology | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa

Claire TUGAULT-LAFLEUR

Assistant Professor | School of Nutrition Sciences | Faculty of Health Sciences | University of Ottawa

Claire Tugault-Lafleur's research focuses on healthy eating among children and youth, drawing on her background as a registered dietitian and integrating methods from nutrition education, public health, and behavioural sciences. Her PhD work examined food quality and intake during school hours in Canada using national survey data. She later completed a CIHR postdoctoral fellowship at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Her current research explores how nutrition and physical activity environments influence children’s behaviors, and she is involved in designing interventions to promote health and prevent chronic disease. She is a Registered Dietitian and member of several professional organizations.

Tracy VAILLANCOURT

Full Professor | Counselling Psychology | Faculty of Education | University of Ottawa
Canada Research Chair in School-Based Mental Health and Violence Prevention

Kathy VANDERGRIFT

Community Advocate & Consultant

Joel WESTHEIMER

Full Professor | Faculty of Education | University of Ottawa
University Research Chair in Democracy and Education

Jess WHITLEY

Full Professor & Vice-Dean, Research and Professional Development | Faculty of Education | University of Ottawa

Cyndy WYLDE

Assistant Professor | School of Social Work | Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Ottawa
University Research Chair in Indigenous Self-Determination

Cyndy Wylde is an Anicinapek8e and Atikamekw Nehirowisiw from the community of Pikogan in Abitibi. She completed a PhD in Indigenous Studies, specializing in Indigenous women and correctional services. With over 25 years of experience with the Correctional Service of Canada, primarily in Indigenous Initiatives, she served as an expert for Quebec Correctional Services as part of the Commission of Inquiry on Listening, Reconciliation, and Progress Between Indigenous Peoples and Quebec (CERP) from 2017 to 2019. She has also served as a political advisor to the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL). She published her first short story in May 2021 in the anthology Wapke, edited by Michel Jean. Her first essay, Émergence insoumise, was published in April 2024 in the Harangue collection by Éditions Hannenorak.