Shayna Skakoon-Sparling, PhD.

   Shayna Sparling has a PhD in Applied Social Psychology. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Guelph and is the National Team Manager for the Engage Cohort Study. Shayna is a CTN Investigator and also holds an Affiliate Faculty position with The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and is an Affiliate Researcher with the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health.

Shayna's research has primarily focused on motivated reasoning and how intra- and interpersonal factors influence sexual health decision-making and negotiation with new sex partners. In particular, her work examines the need to belong, with a current focus on the roles of loneliness and social support in the health and well-being of marginalized populations such as gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.

Shayna serves on the editorial boards of the Archives of Sexual Behavior, The Journal of Sex Research, and the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. She is also Secretary of the Canadian Sex Research Forum and Membership Chair for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.

When she's not hard at work, Shayna enjoys bicycling around the city, reading fiction (especially a good sci-fi or mystery), catching up on pop culture, and spending time with her family and friends.