PhD2, Doctorat interdisciplinaire en santé et société

Research Interests: Dance/movement therapy; irritable bowel syndrome; gut–brain interaction; embodied health; mind–body interventions; chronic illness; emotional regulation; quality of life; mixed-methods research. 

Biography:  I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Health and Society at UQAM and a trained dance/movement therapy practitioner. My work sits at the intersection of movement, health, and lived experience. I am particularly interested in how embodied approaches can complement conventional care for people living with chronic conditions. 

My doctoral project focuses on adults living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that can affect daily life in ways that extend beyond digestive symptoms. I am developing and evaluating a dance/movement therapy intervention designed for this population. The project asks whether the intervention is feasible and acceptable, whether it shows preliminary promise for symptoms and quality of life, and how participants experience movement in relation to their bodies, emotions, and others. 

To explore these questions, I use a mixed-methods approach that brings together a pilot randomized controlled trial and interviews with participants. Alongside changes in digestive symptoms and quality of life, I will examine stress, anxiety and depression symptoms, and emotional regulation. The interviews will help me understand what participants find supportive or challenging—and what a set of scores alone might miss. 

My research grows out of a longstanding practice in dance as a performer, choreographer, and educator, as well as my clinical work with people of different ages and abilities. These experiences have shaped my interest in movement as more than physical activity: it can also offer a way to explore bodily awareness, expression, and connection. Through this project, I hope to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of dance/movement therapy as a complementary approach to living with IBS. 

Supervisors: Lucie Beaudry (Director) & Bassam Khoury (Co-Director)