Meet the Team
Lab Director
Dr. Tamara Williamson
Dr. Tamara Williamson is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Calgary and completed her predoctoral internship in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Manitoba, specializing in health psychology. She is also a member of the TotalCardiology™ Research Network in Calgary, Alberta.
Dr. Williamson’s research focuses on behavioral medicine and health psychology, particularly the psychosocial influences on health and illness. She is dedicated to developing and refining behavioral interventions for chronic diseases, with a special emphasis on cardiovascular disease and obesity. Her dissertation explored integrating a ‘Small Change’ weight loss approach into cardiac rehabilitation for patients with atrial fibrillation and obesity. Her current research interests include interventions to improve bariatric surgery outcomes, healthcare provider attitudes toward weight loss treatment in cardiac rehabilitation, and virtual interventions to enhance access to cardiac rehabilitation in rural communities.
Her doctoral research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Alberta Innovates, Alberta SPOR, and the Cardiovascular Network of Canada (CANet).
Lauren Unruh
Lauren UnRuh is a MSc. Clinical Psychology student, entering her second year in September 2026, who is interested in research pertaining to health psychology. Much of her work experiences involve supporting the health and well-being of underserved members in the community, and she would like to contribute to evidence-based practices that create real-world impact for them. Her master’s project focuses on healthcare provider attitudes towards virtual cardiac rehabilitation, with the goal of improving access to care for residents in rural Saskatchewan. After graduate school, Lauren hopes to continue working with Saskatchewan communities as a registered clinical psychologist.
2025 - 2027 Master’s Student
2026 - 2029 Doctoral Student
Saad Waqas
Saad Waqas is completing his Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina and will begin his PhD under Dr. Tamara Williamson this coming year. During his master’s, he is working under the supervision of Dr. Susan Yamamoto, researching AI-generated stimuli in mock jury trials. He received his Bachelor of Science Honours from the University of Regina in 2023. His work in the BML-SK lab includes projects such as Home Versus Centre-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation: Are They Truly Equivalent in Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness? and Implementing Virtual Cardiac Rehabilitation in Saskatchewan. His interests lie in clinical and health psychology, particularly in using technology to improve health outcomes and access to care. Outside of academia, Saad is actively involved in the community as a co-founder of a non-profit that aims to improve educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
Kennedy Flegel
Kennedy Flegel will be a first-year masters student in Clinical Psychology starting in the Fall of 2026. She has completed both an honours degree in health science and an honours degree in psychology. She is interested in health psychology, specifically the use of negative coping mechanisms (e.g., alcohol and substance use) to manage chronic pain and chronic illness among Trauma Exposed Professionals (e.g., first responders, nurses, corrections workers). Her goal is to become a registered Clinical Psychologist and work with children and vulnerable communities.
2026 - 2028 Master’s Student
Graduate Research Assistant
Matea Gerbeza
Matea Gerbeza (she/her) is finishing her second year of her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina under the supervision of Dr. Kristi Wright in the Child Health Learning Development (CHLD) Lab. She also received her Bachelor of Arts Honours from the U of R in 2023, and will begin her doctoral degree under Dr. Wright’s supervision in September 2026. Her Master’s research assessed the usability and acceptability of an eHealth mental health preventative program for healthy siblings of children diagnosed with congenital heart disease (iCHD-PWR). Her research interests include health psychology, specifically the impact of pediatric chronic illness on families, their mental health, relationships, and strategies to mitigate adverse outcomes. She has been working as a research assistant under Dr. Williamson’s supervision since August 2025 on several research projects on cardiac rehab and obesity. Outside of academia, Matea works with young children on the autism spectrum. After completion of her Ph.D., she intends to become a registered psychologist in Saskatchewan and work with children and youth.
Tahir Zaman
Tahir Zaman is a fourth-year Psychology student at the University of Regina, currently completing the Honours Program. His primary interest lies in health psychology, specifically, how psychological factors influence physical illness and recovery. For his honours thesis, he plans to focus on cardiac rehabilitation psychology, exploring the emotional and psychological experiences of individuals with heart disease and how these factors impact recovery and overall well-being. His long-term career goal is to work in the medical field, ideally in a role that allows him to be directly involved in patient care, whether as a physician or in another healthcare capacity. Outside of academics, he enjoys playing soccer, going to the gym, and spending time with friends.
2025 - 2026 Honours Student and Research Volunteer
2025 - 2026 Honours Student and Research Volunteer
Marah Ball
Marah Ball is a fourth-year Honours Psychology student at the University of Regina. Her research interests lie in health psychology, with a focus on how mental health and sociocultural factors influence individuals’ health behaviours and lived experiences. For her honours thesis, she examined whether internalized weight bias influences changes in body image following bariatric surgery. This summer, Marah is conducting a qualitative study exploring treatment gaps among patients using GLP-1 RA medications. Following her honours degree, she hopes to pursue graduate studies and become a registered psychologist. Outside of research, she is a certified yoga instructor who teaches adaptive yoga to individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Aamina Tauqeer
Aamina Tauqeer (she/her) recently completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology, with a minor in Biology, at the University of Regina. Her honours thesis, supervised by Dr. Jennifer Gordon, focused on empowering individuals with premenstrual disorders by examining the acceptability of a daily symptom report among individuals with severe premenstrual symptoms. Aamina has been awarded both an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) in 2025 and a FGSR Undergraduate Research Award (UGRA) in 2026 to support her ongoing research. She is currently volunteering in the lab, contributing to research on the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. Outside of her academic work, Aamina enjoys spending time outdoors, playing basketball, and reading.
Research Volunteer
Research Volunteer
Sage Wosminity
Sage Wosminity (she/her) is an Honours student in the Psychology program whose research examines the advocacy experiences of parents caring for children with congenital heart disease. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media, Art, and Performance with a concentration in Art History from the University of Regina. Sage’s academic interests lie at the intersection of health and psychology, and she aspires to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology with a focus on health-related populations.
