Dr. Tavis Campbell
Director
Dr. Tavis Campbell is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Oncology at the University of Calgary.
Campbell is a behavioural medicine specialist with a program of research focused on mechanisms underlying behaviour change. This work has produced over 300 peer-reviewed published journal articles, book chapters and abstracts, including several behaviour-based RCTs in the areas of chronic disease management.
Campbell has held several leadership roles in national organizations, including Chair of Care Delivery for Hypertension Canada and Chair of the Health section of the Canadian Psychological Association. He is a service consultant with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Indigenous Services Canada. Campbell has also served as a consultant to the Calgary Emergency Management Agency on public communications.
In partnerships with both industry and non-profit organizations, he has delivered teaching and training to over 10,000 healthcare providers globally (e.g., specialist physicians, nurses, allied health) as well as to several thousand members of the general public regarding motivation and health behaviour change.
Research Focus: Behavioural Medicine, Chronic Disease
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), University of Calgary Clinical Research Fund, Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation., Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, The Lawson Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Innovation Grant, Abbvie, Canadian Pain Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC)
Graduate Students
Joshua Tulk, MSc
PhD Student
Joshua Tulk is an PhD student in Clinical Psychology training in the Behavioral Medicine lab at the University of Calgary. His doctoral dissertation is focused on the development of informational supportive programs to support cancer-related sleep disturbances.
Josh previously completed a BSc (Hons.) in Psychology at Memorial University (2021) and an MSc in Clinical Psychology from UofC (2025). He is broadly interested in health psychology, specifically focusing on psychosocial oncology, behavioural sleep medicine, health economics, and public health. He is also interested in learning more about chronic illness management and behavioural medicine. In the BMed Lab, Josh frequently collaborates across studies ranging from cancer to cardiac rehabilitation to metascience.
Outside the lab, Josh enjoys reading, studying history and culture, being outdoors, and volunteering in the community.
Research interests: psychosocial oncology, cardiac rehabilitation, health behaviour change, implementation science, health economics
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Libin Cardiovascular Institute; Canadian Cancer Society; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC); Canadian Behavioural Interventions and Trials Network (CBITN)
Rachelle Drummond, BSc
MSc Student
Rachelle is an MSc student in the Clinical Psychology program. In August 2024, she earned her MSc in Community Health Sciences from the Cumming School of Medicine. Dr. Fiona Schulte supervised her honours thesis, titled “Healthcare Utilization Among Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer in Canada: The Role of Patient-Level Factors.” Prior to this, Rachelle earned her MPP at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, with research focused on health policy, specifically on guidelines for long-term follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancer. She completed her BA in Psychology & Political Science at MacEwan University in 2020.
Inspired by her lived experience, Rachelle is particularly interested in psychosocial oncology, improvements in long-term quality of life for individuals living with chronic diseases, adherence, post-traumatic growth, and health behaviour change. When she is not busy with school and research, Rachelle enjoys spending time in the mountains, triathlon training, reading, and playing sports with friends.
Research Interests: psychosocial oncology, long-term quality of life improvements, adherence, post-traumatic growth, and health behaviour change.
Sydney Seidel, MSc
PhD Candidate
Sydney is a PhD Candidate under the supervision of Dr. Tavis Campbell. She graduated with her Masters of Science (MSc) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Calgary in 2023. Her doctoral research involves developing and evaluating a motivational communication intervention delivered by healthcare providers to support vaccine uptake among patients with coronary artery disease in cardiac rehab.
Sydney’s work has been supported by the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Canadian Behavioural Interventions and Trials Network (CBITN). She was previously named a Top 5 finalist in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Storytellers competition for research communication.
In her spare time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, travelling, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Research interests: vaccine hesitancy, vaccine decision making, motivational communication, health behaviour change, behavioural intervention development
Funding: Libin Cardiovascular Institute; Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Canadian Behavioural Interventions and Trials Network (CBITN)
Stuti Patel, MSc
PhD Student
Stuti has her BSc in Psychology (Honours) from the University of Calgary. She began her undergraduate degree in Engineering and serendipitously found her love for psychology after taking her first introductory psychology course. As she followed that passion for psychology, she trained under Dr. Gerald Giesbrecht at the Developmental Psychobiology Lab for two years. During that time, her thesis focused on the gut microbiome and how that relates to prenatal depression and infant temperament.
At the Behavioural Medicine lab, Stuti is primarily involved in the Living Well With Psoriatic Arthritis trial. Along with psychology, she is passionate about studying Sanskrit and making gouache paintings.
Research Interests: Gut microbiome, health behaviour change, chronic illness management.
Honours Students
Gianina Mutiso
Gianina Mutiso is an Undergraduate Student Researcher in the Behavioural Medicine Lab and will be commencing her Psychology BSc Honours year in 2026-2027. Her research focuses on patient adherence in cancer and other chronic illness. Currently, Gianina's work has been supported by the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship (AISRS), and she is contributing to various lab projects while leading a systematic review on the psychological mediators of exercise in adherence to LTFU care.
For her honours thesis, in collaboration with the Total Cardiology Group, she will investigate barriers and facilitators to medical initiation for type 1 diabetes. Outside of the lab, Gianina is a student athlete for the UCalgary Dinos Ringette Team during the academic year and plays on the Junior Ladies Cardinals Lacrosse Team in the summer.
Funding: Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship (AISRS)
Lovanya Baldi
Lovanya Baldi is an undergraduate Psychology BSc Honours student in the Behavioural Medicine Lab for the 2026-2027 academic year. Her honours thesis focuses on current approaches to managing sleep disturbances in oncology patients and will be in collaboration with Wellspring Alberta.
Lovanya has previously contributed to qualitative research examining insomnia care in oncology populations and will continue supporting various lab projects while conducting her honours research.
Outside of the lab, Lovanya is a dedicated volunteer with several organizations, including the Children's Cottage Society and the Foothills Medical Centre. She hopes to apply the skills and experiences gained through her research and volunteer work toward a future career in healthcare.
Research Staff
Braiden Valdarchi, BSc
Research Administrator
Braiden graduated from the University of Calgary's BSc psychology program (First Class Honours) in 2023. He discovered he was deeply interested in how psychology relates to health and wellness after taking several courses taught by Dr. Campbell and his graduate students. His research interests include how chronic illness and pain can be managed using methods rooted in biopsychosocial frameworks.
Braiden joined the Behavioural Medicine Lab in 2022, where he now works part-time as a research administrator. He is currently training new research staff, assisting with grant applications, and overseeing all research within the lab. Braiden also enjoys curling, climbing, photography, and gardening in his free time.
Sarah Tayyab, BSc
Research Coordinator
Sarah graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She has a deep interest in patient-centered primary research, with a focus on the design of evidence-based interventions to improve chronic pain management and adherence to healthy behaviours.
Sarah joined the Behavioural Medicine Lab in 2024 as an undergraduate student to assist in developing a patient-centered intervention aimed at increasing vaccine uptake among high-risk populations. She has since continued her involvement in the lab as a research coordinator, supporting both research activities and the administrative operations of the lab.
Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys travelling and collecting books.