Principal Investigator
Alicia Nijdam-Jones, Ph.D., C. Psych. (CV)
Dr. Nijdam-Jones (she/her) is a Registered Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba, who practices in the areas of Clinical and Forensic Psychology. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (forensic specialization) from Fordham University and has an MA in Criminology from Simon Fraser University. After her doctoral studies, she completed a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. She specializes in the area of violence risk assessment, malingering assessment, stalking, and the use of forensic assessment measures with linguistically, ethnically, and culturally diverse samples. Her current projects examine the cultural sensitivity and cross-cultural validity of violence risk and malingering assessment tools in Latin America, the United States, and Canada. She is fluent in both English and Spanish, and is working with collaborators at UCSF, Fordham University, University of Virginia, as well as researchers in Spain and Latin America.
Graduate Students
Madison Hardman, BA
Madison Hardman (she/her) is a Master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Manitoba. Her previous research has focused primarily on women’s mental health experiences, particularly during the perinatal period (pregnancy up to 12 months postpartum). Madison’s thesis research will explore the mental health service and information needs of pregnant, postpartum, and non-perinatal female-identifying individuals involved with the Canadian Criminal Justice System. In her free time, Madison enjoys trying new restaurants and spending time at her cottage.
Anthony Elsom, BA
Anthony L Elsom is a Master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Manitoba. He completed his B.A (Honours) in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Richard MacLennan at the University of Regina in which his thesis focused on determining the correlates of suicide ideation for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Most recently, he completed work on a research grant graciously funded by the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) and Indigenous Service Canada/Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (ISC/CIRNAC) that further examined the factors affecting suicidal thoughts and attempts in Indigenous. Anthony’s Master’s thesis work will continue to focus on identifying the protective and risk factors associated with the disproportionate rates of suicide ideation and attempts experienced by Indigenous Peoples across Canada. He plans on completing graduate studies in Clinical Psychology with a focus on modifying or adapting Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to meet the needs of minority groups such as Indigenous people in Canada.
Brandon Burgess, M.Sc.
Brandon Burgess is a first year Master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Manitoba. In 2018 Brandon earned his BSc. in Psychology (honours) from Saint Francis Xavier University and earned his MSc. in Applied Psychology (Forensic Stream) at Saint Mary’s University in 2021. His previous research, supervised by Dr. Skye Stephens, has focused on atypical sexual interests, and longitudinal patterns of sexual offending. He is currently interested in examining access to and availability of specialized forensic assessments and related mental health services in rural and remote communities. In his free time Brandon enjoys spending time with his pets, reading, and playing guitar.
Undergraduate Students
Katérine Aminot (Honours 2024)
Katérine Aminot (she/her) is a fourth-year student in the B.A. Psychology Honours Degree Program at the University of Manitoba. She plans on graduating from her undergraduate program in 2024 and continuing her education afterwards to pursue a master’s degree and a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus in forensics. Her primary interests include malingering, abnormal psychology, and the NCRMD defense. In her free time, Katérine stays active by playing hockey and soccer and enjoys spending lots of time camping, hiking, and canoeing in the summer.
Abby Vovchuk (Honours 2024)
Abby Vovchuk (she/her) is a fourth-year student pursuing her B.Sc. Honours in Psychology at the University of Manitoba. After the completion of her Undergraduate degree, Abby plans to continue her education and obtain a Master’s degree and PhD in Forensic Psychology. Her primary research interests include cultural considerations of the social and behavioural factors associated with criminal behaviour as well as feigning and NCRMD. In her free time, Abby enjoys swimming, sketching and hanging out with her family and friends.
Mexico City Research Team
Aline Cruz García
Aline Cruz García (she/her) is in her last year at the Universidad del Valle de México in México City, pursuing a bachelor ‘s degree in Psychology. Her primary interests include abnormal psychology as well as malingering. She plans to continue her education and pursue a master ‘s degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, Aline enjoys reading, listening to music and spending time with her family and friends.
Jennifer López Jasso, B.A.
Jennifer López Jasso, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the Insurgentes University, Mexico. She wants to specialize in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology. She seeks to continue nourishing herself with knowledge since she is just entering the professional area and to become passionate about this field that has surprised her so much.
PLC Lab 