Sherry Stewart

Related information

• http://maaclab.psychology.dal.ca/
• Twitter: @DrSHStewart
• Research Gate: 
  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sherry_Stewart
• CRISM: https://crism-atl.ca/

Education

Ph.D. - Clinical Psychology, McGill University
B.Sc. - Honours degree in Psychology; Minor in Biology, Dalhousie University                                  

Research interests

Dr. Stewart studies the role of psychological factors (e.g., personality, motives) in contributing to addictive behaviors including alcohol use, cannabis use, prescription drug misuse, polysubstance use, and excessive gambling. She also investigates mechanisms underlying comorbid mental health and addictive disorders. She has conducted several trials of novel approaches for treating and preventing co-occurring mental illness and addictions.

Selected publications

• Snooks, T., Stewart, S.H., Tibbo, P., Romero-Sanchiz, P., & DeGrace, S. (2025). Cannabis use regimens in trauma-exposed individuals: Associations with cannabis use quantity and frequency. Addictive Behaviors, 161:108203. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh
• Kim, A. J., Sherry, S. B., Kruisselbrink, L. D., Lambe, L. J., Watt, M. C., Olthuis, J. V., Verster, J. C., & Stewart, S. H. (2025). Does ruminating during a hangover about the previous night’s drinking predict changes in heavy episodic drinking? A 2-wave, 30-day prospective study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 1-13. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/adb0001056.
• Stewart, S.H., Khoury, J.M.B., Watt, M.C., Collins, P., DeGrace, S., & Romero-Sanchiz, P. (2024). Effects of sexual assault vs. other traumatic experiences on emotional and cannabis use outcomes in regular cannabis users with trauma histories: Moderation by gender? Frontiers, 1-14. DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1386264
• DeGrace, S., Barrett, S., Yakovenko, I., Tibbo, P., Romero-Sanchiz, P., Carleton, R. N., Snooks, T., Rudnick, A., & Stewart, S.H. (2024). Effects of trauma cue exposure and PTSD on affect and cannabis craving in cannabis users with trauma histories: Use of expressive writing as an online cue-reactivity paradigm. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 70, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437241255104
• Stewart, S.H. (2024). Anxiety sensitivity as a transdiagnostic factor in emotional disorders, addictive disorders, and their comorbidities: How basic research informs intervention research. Canadian Psychology, 65, 75-92.  

Selected awards and honours

• June 2023 - Winner of the Donald O Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science, Canadian Psychological Association
• May 2023 - Dr. Aidan Stokes Mentorship Award, Department of Psychiatry
• June 2021 - Canadian Association for Graduate Studies Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship (2020)
• September 2018 - The Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Elected Fellow
• June 2011- Canadian Psychological Association, elected Fellow

Memberships

• Research Society on Marijuana (RSMj), Charter Member
• American Psychological Association (APA) – current member
• Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) – current member
• Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) – current member
• Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) – current member
• Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) – current member
• International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) – current member
• Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP) – current registrant (#R0291)
• Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) – current member
• CAMH Discovery Fund Talent Review (Post Doc)– current member
• SSHRC Partnership Grant Review Committee – current member

Teaching

• Dalhousie University - Graduate Course in Psychopathology:  Lifespan     
• Dalhousie University- Graduate course: Multidisciplinary Course in Addictions Studies

Service & Activity

• 2024-present Clinical Advisory Committee for the PTSI Centre of Excellence, Runnymead Health Centre
• 2023-present Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) on Fellows and Awards Committee
• 2023-2030, Tier 1 Term 2 Canada Research Chair in Addictions and Mental Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
• 2022-present, Canadian Research Initiative in Research Matters (CRISM) Quebec-Atlantic Node Manager
• 2018-present, Associate Scientist Maritime SPOR Support Unit (MSSU)
• 2017-present, Affiliated Staff, Research, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS
• Comprehensive Subcommittee Member (Co-Chair), Clinical Program Committee, Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, 2015-present
• Editorial Board Member of Behavioural Therapy (2025-present), Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (2014-present), Frontiers in Psychology (2013-present), Cognitive Therapy and Research (2012-present), and Journal of Behavioral Addictions (2012-present)
• 2016-present, Graduate Program Coordinator of MSc and PhD in Psychiatry Research programs, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
• 2008-present, Director, Center for Addiction Research at Dalhousie