Lab Director
Dr. Renée El-Gabalawy
Dr. Renée El-Gabalawy is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Clinical Health Psychology and Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine in the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba (UM). She also holds adjunct appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology (Fort Garry), and is an Adjunct Scientist at CancerCare Manitoba. She is currently the Director of Research in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology. As a Clinical Psychologist with Shared Health, she leads the Medical Trauma and Adverse Health Events service in the Medical Psychology division.
As a Vanier Scholar, she received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from UM in 2015. She also completed a predoctoral research fellowship supported by a CIHR Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement at Yale University in 2013. Before joining the faculty at UM, Dr. El-Gabalawy completed her Clinical Psychology residency at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston Consortium) with a behavioural medicine and civilian trauma clinical emphasis.
As an internationally recognized expert in the areas of medical trauma and perioperative mental health, Dr. El-Gabalawy has over 145 peer reviewed journal publications and book chapters. She been successful at obtaining millions of dollars of funding locally and nationally as both co- and principal investigator. She has received numerous academic awards including the Dr. John Arnett Excellence in Teaching Award (2024), Falconer Emerging Researcher Rh Award (2024), and the Aubie Angel Young Investigator Award (2021). Dr. El-Gabalawy also serves on the editorial board of General Hospital Psychiatry, the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Medical Extended Reality, and is the chair of the external advisory board for the Center of Perioperative Mental Health, Washington University.
Find Dr. El-Gabalawy on linkedin and research gate
As a Vanier Scholar, she received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from UM in 2015. She also completed a predoctoral research fellowship supported by a CIHR Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement at Yale University in 2013. Before joining the faculty at UM, Dr. El-Gabalawy completed her Clinical Psychology residency at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston Consortium) with a behavioural medicine and civilian trauma clinical emphasis.
As an internationally recognized expert in the areas of medical trauma and perioperative mental health, Dr. El-Gabalawy has over 145 peer reviewed journal publications and book chapters. She been successful at obtaining millions of dollars of funding locally and nationally as both co- and principal investigator. She has received numerous academic awards including the Dr. John Arnett Excellence in Teaching Award (2024), Falconer Emerging Researcher Rh Award (2024), and the Aubie Angel Young Investigator Award (2021). Dr. El-Gabalawy also serves on the editorial board of General Hospital Psychiatry, the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Medical Extended Reality, and is the chair of the external advisory board for the Center of Perioperative Mental Health, Washington University.
Find Dr. El-Gabalawy on linkedin and research gate
Lab Members
Graduate Students
Megan Crooks (MA Student & Research Associate)
Megan presenting her award winning poster at the Clinical Health Psychology Research Day 2025
Megan being interviewed by CBC news about our VR research
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Megan is currently in her first year of PhD in Clinical Psychology at UM under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy. She previously completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Master's in Clinical Psychology also under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy. Her MA thesis focused on the feasibility of a novel virtual reality program for phantom limb pain in the acute care period following lower limb amputations. She has been highly successful at obtaining several awards and scholarships for her work including a Canada Graduate Scholarship for her MA. Megan is also a participant in the Canadian Behavioural Interventions and Trials Network. Within the HATLab, Megan is not only interested in extended reality interventions during the perioperative period, but also has an interest in post-traumatic stress disorder and medical trauma. |
Kailey penner (MA Student & Research Associate)
Kailey presenting her poster at the Virtual Reality Medicine conference 2025
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Kailey is currently in her second year of Master's in Clinical Psychology at UM under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy. Her MA thesis focuses on risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder following major cardiac surgery. She currently works as a research associate in the HATLab and is involved in several studies related to perioperative mental health. She has a particular interest in gynecological procedures. |
Research Assistants & Coordinators
hilary johnson
Hilary presenting her poster at the Clinical Health Psychology research day 2025
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Hilary is currently a first year Master's student in the Clinical Psychology program at UM under the co-supervision of Dr. Elena Bilevicius and Dr. Kristin Reynolds. Hilary completed a Master's of Physical Therapy in 2015 and worked for several years as a Physiotherapist. She joined the HATLab in 2023 as a research assistant. She has been involved in a number of research projects examining using technology to support perioperative mental health. She is also involved in a project examining mental health among those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. |
cassidy santos
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Cassidy is currently a research assistant for the Department of Clinical Health Psychology. Within the HATLab, she works as a research coordinator on a number of trials examining the feasibility and clinical efficacy of a virtual reality program to support patient mental health prior to major oncological surgery. She also assists on other trials examining the use of virtual reality for patient mental health in other surgical settings. |
gabrielle logan
Gabrielle Logan is in her first year of PhD in Community Health Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Tracie Afifi. As a research assistant in the HATLab, she is involved in a number of projects in the areas of chronic pain and women's health.
medical students
simone gentile
Simone presenting her poster at Virtual Medicine conference in 2025
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Simone is a medical student at UM who previously completed a one summer research program under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy in 2024. Her research focused on the use of virtual reality for distress and pain management during urological procedures. She continues to be involved in Dr. El-Gabalawy's lab assisting with studies related to the use of extended reality approaches in medicine. |
Ahmed zalam
Ahmed is a medical student who will be completing his Bachelor of Science in Medicine under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy between 2025-2026. In collaboration with Dr. Premal Patel, he is investigating the use of virtual reality for distress and pain management during vasectomies.
trisha anterola
Trisha is completing a one summer research program under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy. In collaboration with Dr. Kristin Reynolds and Megan Crooks, Trisha is evaluating perceptions of the use of virtual reality in the acute care period among those who underwent lower limb amputation.
Residents
Anissa Barnes
Annisa is a PGY1 resident in Clinical Health Psychology conducting a minor research and clinical rotation in Medical Trauma. She is conducting a research project examining public discourse of medical trauma and related adverse health experiences under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy.
robin nurse
Dr. Nurse is a resident in Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. He is conducting a research project examining prescription practices of preoperative Benzodiazepines and their association with postoperative outcomes under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy.
Dave Saraswat
Dr. Saraswat is a resident in Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. He is conducting a research project examining the utility of anxiety screening in the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy. He is also involved in a project examining sedation experiences among patients undergoing arthroplasty surgeries.
Eisi Mollanji
Eisi presenting his poster at Virtual Reality Medicine in 2025
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Dr. Mollanji is a Psychiatry resident and is conducting his resident research project under the supervision of Dr. El-Gabalawy. He is involved in projects examining the development and efficacy of a novel virtual reality program for pre-operative anxiety prior to undergoing major oncological surgery. |
Jordan Thisdelle
Dr. Thisdelle is a resident in Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. She is conducting research understanding predictors and outcomes of dissociation during surgery.
Thesis or Project-Based Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
PhD
2019-2024: Dr. Jordana Sommer (co-supervised by Dr. Kristin Reynolds)
Dissertation: Psychological distress in the preoperative period: An examination of healthcare-related correlates and a novel psychological intervention
2019-2024: Dr. Jordana Sommer (co-supervised by Dr. Kristin Reynolds)
Dissertation: Psychological distress in the preoperative period: An examination of healthcare-related correlates and a novel psychological intervention
PhD
2016-2022: Dr. Caitlin Blaney
Dissertation: Anxiety in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Support for a Biopsychosocial Approach to the Management of RA
2016-2022: Dr. Caitlin Blaney
Dissertation: Anxiety in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Support for a Biopsychosocial Approach to the Management of RA
Dr. El-Gabalawy with Drs. Sommer and Blaney
MA
2017-2019: Jordana Sommer (co-supervised by Dr. Kristin Reynolds)
Thesis: Mental health sequelae in the perioperative period: An examination of perioperative dissociation, postoperative delirium, and posttraumatic stress
2017-2019: Jordana Sommer (co-supervised by Dr. Kristin Reynolds)
Thesis: Mental health sequelae in the perioperative period: An examination of perioperative dissociation, postoperative delirium, and posttraumatic stress
Undergraduate Students
2023: Jada Bendictson (Psychology Undergraduate Research Experience)
Project: Post-traumatic growth experiences among perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic
2022-2023: Jori Ganetsky
Project: What does health anxiety look like in medically vulnerable Canadian during COVID-19?
2022-2023: Megan Crooks
Project: Virtual graded motor imagery for phantom limb pain: A feasibility case series
2019-2020: Bronwen Grocott
Project: "Three months ago there was nothing": Breast cancer surgery patients' emotional experiences
2019-2010: Gagan Gill
Project: Illness-induced post-traumatic stress disorder among Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans
Project: Post-traumatic growth experiences among perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic
2022-2023: Jori Ganetsky
Project: What does health anxiety look like in medically vulnerable Canadian during COVID-19?
2022-2023: Megan Crooks
Project: Virtual graded motor imagery for phantom limb pain: A feasibility case series
2019-2020: Bronwen Grocott
Project: "Three months ago there was nothing": Breast cancer surgery patients' emotional experiences
2019-2010: Gagan Gill
Project: Illness-induced post-traumatic stress disorder among Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans
BSc(Med) / Med II medical Students
2024: Simone Gentile
Project: A randomized feasibility trial examining the use of virtual reality during prevalent urological surgeries
2016-2018: Edward Noh
Project: Surgery delays and cancellations in Canada: A preliminary examination of prevalence trends over the past decade
2015-2017: Everett Vun
Project: An examination of chronic pain conditions and mental health correlates in a cross-sectional population based survey of Canadian Forces personnel
2015-2017: Joel Braun (secondary supervisor; primary supervisor: Dr. Natalie Mota)
Project: Trauma exposure, DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder, and maladaptive health behaviors: Results from a nationally representative sample of men and women in the United States
Project: A randomized feasibility trial examining the use of virtual reality during prevalent urological surgeries
2016-2018: Edward Noh
Project: Surgery delays and cancellations in Canada: A preliminary examination of prevalence trends over the past decade
2015-2017: Everett Vun
Project: An examination of chronic pain conditions and mental health correlates in a cross-sectional population based survey of Canadian Forces personnel
2015-2017: Joel Braun (secondary supervisor; primary supervisor: Dr. Natalie Mota)
Project: Trauma exposure, DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder, and maladaptive health behaviors: Results from a nationally representative sample of men and women in the United States
Residents
2022-2024: Dr. Kanwar Bhangu
Project: Biopsychosocial implications of surgery delays and cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study
2022-2024: Dr. Marinya Roznik
Project: Application of virtual reality following lower limb amputation in the acute care setting: A case series
2023: Dr. Marissa Bowsfield
Project: Longitudinal trajectories of post-traumatic growth during COVID-19: A large Canadian longitudinal cohort study
2019-2021: Dr. Greg Wills
Project: Patient awareness during regional anesthesia for lower limb arthroplasty
2020: Dr. Amanda Shamblaw
Project: The impact of adverse childhood experiences on perinatal complications in a nationally representative sample.
2018-2020: Dr. Alicia Ling
Project: The impact of shared familial chronic pain experiences on healthcare utilization.
2016-2018: Dr. Karen Mac Donald
Project: An examination of preoperative distress and perioperative risk factors in non-cardiac surgery patients
2015-2017: Dr. Brian Csupak
Project: Generalized anxiety disorder and chronic pain in a nationally representative Canadian sample
2015-2017: Dr. Chris Hoban (co-supervised by Dr. Alan Mutch)
Project: Pre-operative neurological and cognitive markers predicting post-operative delirium: A pilot study
Project: Biopsychosocial implications of surgery delays and cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study
2022-2024: Dr. Marinya Roznik
Project: Application of virtual reality following lower limb amputation in the acute care setting: A case series
2023: Dr. Marissa Bowsfield
Project: Longitudinal trajectories of post-traumatic growth during COVID-19: A large Canadian longitudinal cohort study
2019-2021: Dr. Greg Wills
Project: Patient awareness during regional anesthesia for lower limb arthroplasty
2020: Dr. Amanda Shamblaw
Project: The impact of adverse childhood experiences on perinatal complications in a nationally representative sample.
2018-2020: Dr. Alicia Ling
Project: The impact of shared familial chronic pain experiences on healthcare utilization.
2016-2018: Dr. Karen Mac Donald
Project: An examination of preoperative distress and perioperative risk factors in non-cardiac surgery patients
2015-2017: Dr. Brian Csupak
Project: Generalized anxiety disorder and chronic pain in a nationally representative Canadian sample
2015-2017: Dr. Chris Hoban (co-supervised by Dr. Alan Mutch)
Project: Pre-operative neurological and cognitive markers predicting post-operative delirium: A pilot study