Biography

Lynn completed a B.A. Hons in Psychology at Mount Allison University in 1996, and began her PhD. in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University in Halifax later that year. The main focus of her research has been the pain of children who cannot speak due to cognitive impairments resulting from neurological injury early in life or from prenatal conditions. “I had the fortune of having three exceptional mentors during my Ph.D. studies, Dr. Patrick McGrath, a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. G. Allen Finley, an Anesthesiologist, and Dr. Carol Camfield, a Pediatrician” stated Lynn. With their help, Lynn developed a program of research investigating the pain of children who are nonverbal, most with both mental and physical disabilities. Her doctoral research included basic documentation of the extent of their pain, development of tools to assess their pain, investigation of the consequences of their pain, determining the possible role of stereotypes and biases in both assessment and treatment of their pain, and understanding the relation between pain and self-injury in this group. It has been published in Anesthesiology, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Clinical Journal of Pain, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, Journal of Pediatrics, and Pain, has been presented at both national and international meetings, and was recognized in the form of a Brain Star Award by the Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addictions of the CIHR in 2001. Lynn completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2002 and was awarded the Dr. Ronald Melzack Postdoctoral Award by the Canadian Pain Society and the Canadian Anesthesiology Society, which is funded by AstraZeneca Canada.

Lynn’s postdoctoral research moves beyond documentation and assessment of pain in children with cognitive impairments to a focus on the effects of that pain in the long-term. It involves: 1) determining the impact that long-term pain may have on the cognitive and motor development of children with moderate to severe cognitive impairments, 2) developing methods of monitoring the interference of pain in their lives, and 3) understanding the role that pain management services can play in alleviating the negative effects of pain on their development. Lynn is also a Psychologist (Candidate Register) with the Pediatric Pain Management Program at the IWK. This involves working with children with a wide variety of chronic pain problems; using cognitive methods to reduce their pain and to minimize the emotional and functional impact of pain in their lives.

Lynn’s goal is to develop a career in clinical research centered on the pain of children with cognitive impairments. “I believe pain management for these special children can be a great challenge for clinicians, because of the children's unique physical and personal characteristics. I also believe that of all children, those who are already burdened with multiple disabilities are most susceptible to the negative consequences of pain. My hope is to develop research that will aid clinicians in all disciplines in their efforts to manage the pain of this vulnerable group so that they may work towards reducing their suffering, and towards helping each child in this most vulnerable group to maximize his or her personal potential.”

At the completion of Lynn's CCHCSP Postdoctoral award, Lynn received a CIHR New Investigator Award and a faculty position at Dalhousie University, Faculty of Nursing, Assistant Professor.