Degrees

PhD Clinical Psychology – Toronto Metropolitan University
MA Clinical Psychology – Toronto Metropolitan University
2013 BA (Honours) Psychology – Western University

Research Interests
Jaclyn utilizes a multi-method, multidisciplinary, and longitudinal approach to examine maternal and infant genetic, neurobiological, and psychosocial factors as they influence child
development. Her Master’s thesis examined infant dopamine-related genetic characteristics as
moderators of the association between maternal depressive symptoms and infant stress hormone (cortisol) secretion. Her dissertation examines associations between mother-infant attachment, maternal history of childhood care, maternal genotypes, and mother-infant cortisol attunement. This work helps elucidate the biopsychosocial factors that contribute to the intergenerational transmission of attachment, cortisol, and risk for psychopathology. Jaclyn is also involved in clinical research examining the effectiveness of group and individualized parent-child treatment for child conduct problems.

Clinical Interests
Jaclyn is interested in cognitive-behavioural, acceptance and commitment, and dialectical-behavioral strategies for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, disruptive behaviour, trauma, obsessive compulsive disorder, and health issues. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She has completed clinical training at St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Family and Community Medicine (Clinical Psychology Training Clinic), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Better Behaviours Service), the Child Development Institute (Integra Program), the Child and Adolescent Psychology (CAP) Centre, and CBT Associates of Toronto. She is currently completing her Clinical Residency at the Hospital for Sick Children.

Research Support
2015-2018 Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Program
2014-2015  Canada Graduate Scholarship Master’s Program
2013-2014 Ontario Graduate Scholarship – Master’s Award

Selected Publications (note that Jaclyn’s former last name was Ludmer)

Ludmer, J. A., Gonzalez, A., Kennedy, J., Masellis, M., Meinz, P., & Atkinson, L. (2018). Association between maternal childhood maltreatment and mother-infant attachment disorganization: Moderation by maternal oxytocin receptor gene and cortisol secretion. Hormones and Behavior, 102, 23-33.

Pereira, J., Ludmer, J. A., Gonzalez, A., & Atkinson, L. (2017). Mothers’ Personal and
Interpersonal Function as Potential Mediators between Maternal Maltreatment History and Child Behavior Problems. Child Maltreatment. doi:10.1177/1077559517734937

Ludmer, J. A., Jamieson, B., Gonzalez, A., Levitan, R., Kennedy, J., Villani, V., Masellis, M.,
Basile, V., & Atkinson, L. (2017). Maternal DRD2, SLC6A3, and OXTR genotypes as potential
moderators of the relation between maternal history of care and maternal cortisol secretion in the context of mother-infant separation. Biological Psychology, 129, 154-164.

Ludmer, J. A., Salsbury, D., Suarez, J., & Andrade, B. F. (2017). Accounting for the impact of
parent internalizing symptoms on parent training benefits: The role of positive parenting.
Behaviour Research and Therapy, 97, 252-258.

Ludmer, J. A., Sanches, M., Propp, L., & Andrade, B. F. (2017). Comparing the
multicomponent Coping Power program to individualized parent-child treatment for improving
the parenting efficacy and satisfaction of parents of children with conduct problems. Child
Psychiatry and Human Development. doi:10.1007/s10578-017- 0732-1

Villani, V., Ludmer, J. A., Gonzalez, A., Levitan, R., Kennedy, J., Masellis, M., Basile, V.,
Wekerle, C., & Atkinson, L. (2017). Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), dopamine transporter
solute carrier family C6, member 4 (SLC6A3), and catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) genes
as moderators of the relation between maternal history of maltreatment and infant emotion
regulation. Development and Psychopathology. doi:10.1017/S0954579417001122

Atkinson, L., Jamieson, B., Khoury, J., Ludmer, J. A., & Gonzalez, A. (2016). Stress
physiology in infancy and early childhood: Cortisol flexibility, attunement, and coordination.
Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 28. doi:10.1111/jne.12408

Ludmer, J. A., Levitan, R., Gonzalez, A., Kennedy, J., Villani, V., Masellis, M., Basile, V., &
Atkinson, L. (2015). DRD2 and SLC6A3 moderate impact of maternal depressive symptoms on
infant cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 62, 243-251.

Atkinson, L., Beitchman, J., Gonzalez, A., Young, A., Wilson, B., Escobar, M., Chisholm, V.,
Brownlie, E. B., Khoury, J., Ludmer, J. A., & Villani, V. (2015). Cumulative risk, cumulative
outcome: A 20-year longitudinal study. PLoS ONE 10. doi:10.137/journal.pone.0127650.

Evraire, L. E., Ludmer, J. A., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2014). The influence of priming attachment
styles on excessive reassurance seeking and negative feedback seeking in depression. Journal of
Social and Clinical Psychology, 33, 295-318.

Selected Conference Presentations (note that Jaclyn’s former last name was Ludmer)

Jamieson, B., Ludmer, J. A., Gonzalez, A., Levitan, R., Kennedy, J., Villani, V., Masellis, M.,
Basile, V., & Atkinson, L. (2017, June). Maternal OXTR and DAT1 genotypes moderate
association between maternal history of care and maternal cortisol secretion in the context of
mother-infant separation. Poster presented at the Canadian Psychological Association
Convention, Toronto, Canada.

Ludmer, J. A., Jamieson, B., & Atkinson, L. (2017, May). When the past and the present
collide: The case of the D-dyad. Oral presentation for the Pederson Moran Goldberg Attachment
Conference. Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario.

Ludmer, J. A., Propp, L., & Andrade, B. F. (2017, April). Increasing parental efficacy and
satisfaction: Comparing group and individualized parent training for child conduct problems.
Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, Texas.

Ludmer, J. A., Jamieson, B., Khoury, J., Villani, V., Gonzalez, A., & Atkinson, L. (2016, July).
The impact of the mother-infant relationship on infant stress physiology. Symposium
presentation at the International Association for Relationship Research, Toronto, Ontario.

Ludmer, J. A., Salsbury, D., Suarez, J., & Andrade, B. F. (2016, February). Factors that impact
the effectiveness of parent management training for parents with internalizing symptoms. Poster presented at the Neurosciences and Mental Health Convention at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario.

Atkinson, L., Gonzalez, A., Khoury, J., Ludmer, J. A., Jamieson, B., Masellis, M., Basile, V., &
Levitan, R. (2015, September). Parenting and infant HPA function: Adaptation as physiological
flexibility. Invited symposium presentation at the International Society for
Psychoneuroendocrinology, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Ludmer, J. A., Levitan, R., Gonzalez, A., Kennedy, J., Masellis, M., Basile, V., Villani, V., &
Atkinson, L. (2015, May). Cumulative genetic susceptibility to environmental influences: DRD2,
DAT1, and COMT genotypes as moderators of the relation between maternal depressive
symptoms and infant cortisol reactivity. Poster presented at the Society of Biological Psychiatry
(SOBP) Convention, Toronto, Ontario.

Ludmer, J. A., Runions, K., & Atkinson, L. (2015, March). Infants with selective attention
biases at 6 months show disorganized attachment at 12 months. Poster presented at the Society
for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.