Orly Lipsitz, PhD Candidate

Orly Lipsitz is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Toronto, where she also completed her MA in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Anthony Ruocco in the Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory. Orly's master’s thesis research was supported by the SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Canadian Psychological Association Scientific Affairs Committee, the UTSC COVID-19 Research Pivot Fund, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, the UTSC Graduate Student Research Award, and the Wilfred and Joyce Posluns Sex and Gender Fellowship. Orly's master’s research in Dr. Anthony Ruocco’s lab focused on identifying general and specific relationships between dimensions of psychopathology and cognitive function. While research has demonstrated that many individuals with psychiatric disorders often experience cognitive deficits, disorder-specific relationships with cognition have not been sufficiently identified. One limitation of this research may be reliance on traditional definitions of psychiatric disorders based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Orly’s research adopts an emerging empirical approach to modeling psychopathology using hierarchical and dimensional structures to better elucidate shared and unique relationships between psychopathology and cognition that have otherwise not been identified using traditional diagnostic categories. Support from the Wilfred and Joyce Posluns Sex and Gender Fellowship will allow for an extension of this research to study whether there are sex and/or gender differences in the relationships between hierarchical and dimensional psychopathology and cognition. This research aims to identify relevant cognitive treatment targets to inform development and enhancement of interventions for individuals living with psychiatric disorders who experience cognitive difficulties.