Researchers in the Loss Lab review existing research, identify gaps in the literature, and extend existing knowledge regarding both theory and clinical application.
Current research is underway along the following broad themes:
Grief activism*
Traumatic loss*
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)*
Divorce and loss*
Bereavement and educational accessibility
Creative interventions with individuals experiencing loss**
Losses associated with displacement, migration, and refugee resettlement**
Post-loss sibling relationships
Gender, identity, and life-stage transitions*
Indicated projects above have been made possible by the generous support of the King's University College Internal Research Grant* and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Connections Grant**.
Ongoing Projects:
Student Research Collective: “Overlapping Identity Transitions: How trans post-secondary students navigate change, grief, and loss”
Botten, Celestino, Wright (undergraduate student researchers), McLean and Sauder (supervisors)
Yazidi Photovoice Study
McLean PI, Traher Co-Investigator, Jisrawi RA, Malone Graduate Research Associate
Media: CBC News, Catholic Register
Recent Past Projects:
Embodied Legacies: Perspectives on Body Bequeathal from Sex and Gender Diverse Individuals
Brake (M.Sc. thesis. Clinical Anatomy Candidate)
Media: CBC News
Grief Literacy Symposium & Photovoice Exhibit. September 19, 2024.
Day-long public symposium on grief, loss, and resilience on campus and in the community.
Funding: SSHRC Connection Grant, King’s Research Excellence Grant (McLean PI, Traher and Sauder Co-Investigators)
Youth Coalition Combatting Islamophobia and Grief Activism
McLean PI, Jisrawi RA
Co-authored book chapter with members of YCCI on experiences of traumatic loss and grief activism. Published in Routledge International Handbook of Child and Adolescent Losses in Contemporary Contexts(Traher, Editor).Big Ideas, Real Impact.