Dr. Stewart is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Addictions and Mental Health and a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, and Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, as well as a licensed clinical psychologist in the province of Nova Scotia. Dr. Stewart is a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada and the recipient of the 2023 Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science. She is well known for her research on psychological factors contributing to alcohol abuse, pathological gambling, and the comorbidity of emotional and addictive disorders. Dr. Stewart is part of the Scientific Advisory to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Graduate Program Coordinator of the MSc. in Psychiatry Research Program. Dr. Stewart founded the Centre for Addiction Research at Dalhousie (CARD), a virtual centre at Dalhousie fostering collaborations among faculty members conducting research on addiction. She is Co-Director of Research in the Department of Psychiatry, and Co-Director of the MSc in Psychiatry Research program at Dalhousie. Dr. Stewart receives funding from several research agencies including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (NSHRF), the National Center for Responsible Gambling (NCRG), and the Manitoba Gambling Research Program (MGRP). (See Dalhousie Profile and MAAC Lab)
Dr. Asbridge is Professor and Head of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. Mark served as Interim Principal Investigator for the CRISM Atlantic Node (July 2022-June 2023) and we are pleased that Mark will continue to provide leadership, guidance and support to the Atlantic Node’s Coordinating Core team going forward as co-PI. His substantive interests are in the areas of addictions, public and population health, evaluation research, injury prevention, road safety and public policy. He is particularly interested in the intersection of substance use and various health outcomes, with a special emphasis on young people. (See Dalhousie Profile)
Jennifer joined Dalhousie University in 2011 after completing a BSc in Psychology. She is interested in the impact efficacious treatment can have on youth and adults suffering with mental health and addictions concerns. Jennifer has worked with Dr. Stewart’s Mood Anxiety and Addiction Co-morbidity (MAAC) Lab on a number of research projects involving substance use, gambling, and anxiety. She joined the CRISM Quebec- Atlantic team in 2015. In her current role, Jennifer manages all aspects of the day-to-day activities of the Atlantic node and its collaboration with national CRISM initiatives.
Renato joined the CRISM Atlantic node in June of 2022 and provides support to the many research and community engagement activities of the Node. Renato began his work in health research in Vancouver’s downtown east side whilst completing a dual degree at Simon Fraser University in the areas of biochemistry/molecular biology and human physiology. Renato’s diverse research experience has granted him a robust knowledge set of the research pipeline. It has motivated and inspired his involvement in community-based, participatory approaches to research, and made him a strong advocate for harm reduction and culturally relevant, inclusive research and clinical practices. In his free time, Renato enjoys reading, surfing, soccer, cooking, spending time with friends, and chess.
Dr. Yanfei Ma joined the CRISM Atlantic Team since December 2025. She brings extensive expertise in knowledge translation (KT) and training support, transforming complex evidence into clear, practical learning resources. With 15+ years in educational technology and instructional design, Yanfei develops plain language tools, infographics, reports, toolkits, and digital learning materials, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across healthcare, academic, and software sectors. Yanfei supports knowledge translation (KT) initiatives within CRISM Atlantic by developing accessible KT products and managing the network’s digital communication channels. As the Coordinator for the CRISM National Training Support Platform, she leads the development and coordination of CRISM’s national training platform and its related activities. In addition to her work with CRISM, Yanfei teaches web design and development at Mount Saint Vincent University. She holds a PhD in Information Science and Learning Technologies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, staying active at the gym, and playing volleyball. Yanfei also holds a Black Belt in Taekwondo.
Renee is First Nations with bloodlines from Six Nations of the Grand River in Southern Ontario and Ireland. Adopted as an infant, Renee grew up in a family of Eastern and Western European descent and has lived in Mi’kma’ki for over 30 years. Renee’s research interests focus on community-based research frameworks, Indigenous knowledge and community health, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS, HepC, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. Renee has been part of the CRISM Network and the Atlantic Node for four (4) years. In the past year, Renee has held the role of co-chair on the Node’s Indigenous Advisory Council and returned to academic studies entering into a PhD-Health, Dalhousie University in the Fall ’24. Along with Blossom, Renee is continuing to support Indigenous Engagement activities focusing on identifying and supporting initiatives with Indigenous members and communities with respect to substance use intervention related research. Pijila’si Renée!