Members of the media may directly contact the following experts on this topic:
Kathryn Trevenen (English only)
Associate Professor, Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences.
Professor Trevenen can talk about the intensification of gender roles and the beauty norms associated with them and the links between the alt-right and the rise of looksmaxxing.
Jess Fiedorowicz (English only)
Professor and Tier 1 Clinical Research Chair in Bipolar Disorders and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Fiedorowicz’s research and expertise focuses on mental health, including bipolar and mood disorders, and obesity medicine.
Ivy Bourgeault (English only)
Full Professor, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences.
Professor Bourgeault’s research touches on health policy and the areas of mental health, population health, and general health.
Nafissa Ismail (English and French)
Full Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences; Director – LIFE Research Institute
nafissa.ismail@uottawa.ca(Professor Ismail is only available for interviews from Monday, March 2, 2026)
Professor Ismail is a leading voice on how environmental factors and biological stress affect the brain.
Nicholas Fabiano (English only)
Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine
nfabi026@uottawa.ca
Dr. Fabiano can discuss how the divide between mental and physical health is imaginary and harmful to patients and how adverse mental health consequences can occur. He can touch on how “looksmaxxing” may foster a distorted self-perception akin to things like body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders, an area of considerable overlap with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
Marie-Ève Bégin-Galarneau (English and French)
Assistant Professor, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences.
mbeginga@uOttawa.ca(Not available for live radio or TV interviews in English)
Professor Bégin-Galarneau is a clinical and health psychologist whose research and work focuses on mental health, relationship dynamics, and identity issues. She can address phenomena related to the manosphere and looksmaxxing from the perspective of self-esteem, gender norms, and their possible impacts on mental health and relationships.