Heather Chalmers

Department Chair and Professor

Heather Chalmers

905-688-5550 x3191
heather.chalmers@brocku.ca

Dr. Chalmers has been trained in a multi-disciplinary context; specifically, she has degrees in Physical Education, Business, Education, and Developmental Psychology. Prior to joining Brock University, she worked within community and governmental agencies. Given her varied educational and experiential background, she examines issues and experiences in childhood and adolescence from a varied perspective believing that a holistic examination of issues will allow for a deeper understanding and an increased likelihood of making positive impacts in the lives of young people. Dr. Chalmers continues to work closely with governmental, treatment, and youth-serving community agencies to help policy makers and agencies integrate new knowledge into their programs and services.

Research Interests

  • Young carer role and the impact on development
  • Gambling and other risk behaviours
  • Gender differences in risk-taking behaviours
  • Risk-taking as it relates to identity formation
  • Decision-making regarding involvement in risky behaviours

Publications and collections

  • Lakman, Y., Chalmers, H., & Sexton, C. (under review). Young carers’ educational experiences and support: A roadmap for the development of school policies to foster academic success.
  • Lakman, Y. & Chalmers, H. (under review). Creating a Young Carer Profile: Exploring Similarities and Differences between Carers and Non-Carers.
  • Chalmers, H. & Lucyk, L. (2012). The impact of caregiving: Is it who I am or what I do? Relational Child and Youth Care Practice. 25(2), 37-46.
  • Segalowitz, S.J., Santesso, D.L., Willoughby, T., Reker, D.L., Campbell, K., Chalmers, H., Rose-Krasnor, L. (2012). Adolescent Peer Interaction Weakens Medial Prefrontal Cortex Responses to Failure. Social cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 7(1), 115-124. Available online, Jan 5, 2011, doi:10.1093/scan/nsq090.
  • King, G., Servais, M., Forchuk, C., Chalmers, H., Currie, M., Law, M., Spechet, J., Rosenbaum, P., Willoughby, T., & Kertoy, M., (2010). A Description of the Features and Impacts of Five Multidisciplinary Community-University Research Partnerships. Health and Social Care in the Community. 18(1), 59-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2009.00874.x, 1-11.
  • King, G., Servais, M., Kertoy, M., Specht, J., Currie, M., Rosenbaum, P., Law, M., Forchuk, C., Chalmers, H., & Willoughby, T. (2009). A measure of community members’ perceptions of the impacts of research partnerships in health and social services. Evaluation and Program Planning. 32(3) 289-299.
  • Busseri, M., Willoughby, T.,Chalmers, H.,& Bogaert, A. (2008). A closer look at same-sex attraction and adolescent risk behaviour involvement: Examining mediation and moderation. Developmental Psychology, 44(1), 69-80.
  • Willoughby, T., Chalmers, H., Busseri, M., Bosacki, S., Dupont, D., Marini, Z., Rose-Krasnor, L., Sadava, S., Ward, T., & Woloshyn, V. (2007). Adolescent non-involvement in multiple risk behaviours: An indicator of successful development? Applied Developmental Science. 11(2), 89-103.
  • Busseri, M., Willoughby, T.,&Chalmers, H. (2007). A rationale and method for examining reasons for linkages among adolescent risk behaviours. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 36(3), 279-289.
  • Chalmers, H. & Willoughby, T. (2006). Do predictors of gambling involvement differ across male and female adolescents? Journal of Gambling Studies. 22(4), 373-392.
  • Sample Conference Presentations:
  • Sexton, C., Chalmers, H., & Lakman, Y. (2016, May). The Stress of Young Carers: The Role of Coping Strategies in Psychosocial Outcomes. Association for Psychological Science (APS), 28th Annual Convention: Chicago, Illinois.
  • Lakman, Y., Chalmers, H. (2016, March). Educational Experiences of Young Carers: Strategies to Support Academic Achievement. The 2016 SRA Biennial Meeting: Baltimore, Maryland.
  • Chalmers, H. & Smits Quosai, T. (2016, February). An exploration of sexual orientation and engagement in risk-taking behaviour within a Canadian adult community-based sample. International Gambling Conference, Auckland NZ.
  • Lakman, Y. & Chalmers, H.(2015, November). Are Young Carers At-Risk? Exploring Similarities and Differences between Children Who Provide Care and Those Who Do Not. Ontario Council for Exceptional Children 59th Annual Special Education Conference: Niagara Falls, ON.
  • Lakman, Y. & Chalmers, H. (2015, June). Profiling Young Carers lives: An Examination of Individual, Family, and Social Contexts. The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Conference: Ottawa, ON.
  • Enright, R., & Chalmers, H., (2015, June). Going to university as a marker of Young Carers’ resiliency: An exploration of the resiliency process. Pathways to Resilience III Conference: Halifax, NS.
  • Lakman, Y., Chalmers, H., & Sexton, C. (2014, May). Young Carers and educational impacts. Development 2014: A Canadian conference on developmental psychology. Ottawa, ON
  • Chalmers, H., Lakman, Y., & Sexton, C (2014, May). Community awareness of a hidden population: Identification of Young Carers. Development 2014: A Canadian conference on developmental psychology. Ottawa, ON.
  • Chalmers, H. & Smits Quosai, T. (2014, February). From knowledge to action: Policy implications of reshaping problem gambling research, treatment and awareness. International Gambling Conference, Auckland NZ.
  • Smits Quosai, T., Chalmers, H., Goodstadt, M., & Santesso, D. (2014, February). A research response framework: Towards the best possible evidence to identify, understand, and respond to problem gambling. International Gambling Conference, Auckland NZ.
  • Smits Quosai, T. & Chalmers, H. (2014, February). Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling: An international collaboration. International Gambling Conference, Auckland NZ.
  • Lawford, H.L., Ramey, H.L., & Chalmers, H. (2013, May). Care and concern, contributions, and character: The link between generativity in emerging adulthood and positive youth development. Society for Research on Child Development, Seattle, WA.
  • Chalmers, H. (2013, April). An examination of the co-occurrence of adolescent gambling with nine risk behaviours. Alberta Gambling Research Institute Conference, Banff AB.
  • Jackson, R & Chalmers, H. (2013, April). Prospective teacher’s attitudes toward gambling. Alberta Gambling Research Institute Conference, Banff AB.
  • Lucyk, L.  & Chalmers, H. (2012, May). Young Carer: Is it who I am or what I do? Child and Youth Mental Health Matters 2012 Conference. Vancouver, BC.
  • Chalmers, H. (2012, May). Parents’ Perspectives of Their Child’s Resiliency as a Young Carer. Child and Youth Mental Health Matters 2012 Conference. Vancouver, BC.
  • Chalmers, H. (2011, June). The powerhouse project: program development, impacts and challenges. Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT), Toronto, ON.
  • Chalmers, H. & Twigger, K. (2011, May). An examination of personality and gambling behaviours of late adolescents/emerging adults. American Psychological Society, Washington, DC.
  • Chalmers, H. & Baago, S. (2010, June) Young Carers: Do they need our support? Pathways to Resilience II Conference, Halifax, NS.
  • Baago, S., Chalmers, H. & Arsenio, A. (2010, June) The Powerhouse Project: Building resilience in Young Carers. Pathways to Resilience II Conference, Halifax, NS.
  • Twigger, K., & Chalmers, H.(2009, August). Understanding the Utilization of Processes of Change in Adolescent Gamblers. American Psychological Association, Toronto, ON.
  • Campbell, L., Vause, T., Chalmers, H., & Vause, T. (2009, August). An Assessment of Autism Knowledge in the Medical Field. American Psychological Association, Toronto, ON.
  • Chalmers, H., Campbell, L., & Kendrick, J. (2008, February). Why do adolescents gamble? Sex differences in the motivations and intentions to gamble and implications for prevention. International Gambling Conference: Looking Forward – New Directions in Research and Minimising Public Harm. Aukland, NZ.
  • Chalmers, H. & Synes-Taraba, L. (2007, June). The hidden reality of young carers: Impacts and implications. Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT), Toronto ON.
  • Chalmers, H. & Kendrick, J. (2007, March). Examining Low and High-Risk Gamblers’ Motives for Gambling Participation. Society for Research on Child Development, Boston, MA.
  • Chalmers, H., Jansen, H., & Bosacki, S. (2006, March). Adolescent Perceptions of Dieting and Intrapersonal Differences by BMI Classifications. Society for Research on Adolescents, San Francisco, CA.
  • Buserri, M., Bogaert, A., Chalmers, H., & Willoughby, T. (2006, March). Examining the lives of sexual-minority and heterosexual youth. Society for Research on Adolescents, San Francisco, CA.
  • Rose-Krasnor, L, Busseri, M., Willoughby, T., & Chalmers, H. (2006, March). Breadth and intensity of youth activity involvement as contexts for positive development. Society for Research on Adolescents, San Francisco, CA.