PhD Student
jessica.disante [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Jessica is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at McGill University. Her PhD research focuses on the effects of mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on dysregulated eating behaviors like emotional eating and binge eating. She is currently conducting her final dissertation study investigating the effects and mechanisms of change of a mindfulness technique derived from ACT for emotional eating.
Education
2019-Present | Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
2017-2019 | (Terminated) Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec.
2015-2017 | Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (Psychiatry), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
2012-2015 | Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
Publications
Di Sante, J., Akeson, B., Gossack, A., & Knäuper, B. (2022). Efficacy of ACT-based treatments for dysregulated eating behaviours: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite, 105929. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.105929
Scardera, S., Sacco, S., Di Sante, J., & Booij, L. (2020). Body image-related cognitive fusion and disordered eating: the role of self-compassion and sad mood. Eating and Weight Disorders, 1-8.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Nemoda, Z., Gouin, J. P., Yu, W. J., Caldwell, W., ... & Booij, L. (2018). Peripheral DNA methylation of HPA axis-related genes in humans: Cross-tissue convergence, two-year stability and behavioural and neural correlates. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 97, 196-205.
Ismaylova, E., Di Sante, J., Gouin, J. P., Pomares, F. B., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2018). Associations between daily mood states and brain gray matter volume, resting-state functional connectivity and task-based activity in healthy adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 168.
Gobbi, G., Ghabrash, M., Nuñez, N., Tabaka, J., Di Sante, J., Saint-Laurent, Vida, S., Kolivakis, T., Low, N., Cervantes, P., Booij, L., & Comai, S. (2018). Antidepressant combination vs antidepressants plus second generation antipsychotic augmentation in treatment-resistant unipolar depression. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 33, 34-43.
Ismaylova, E., Di Sante, J., Szyf, M., Nemoda, Z., Yu, W. J., Pomares, F. B., ... & Booij, L. (2017). Serotonin transporter gene promoter methylation in peripheral cells in healthy adults: neural correlates and tissue specificity. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 27(10), 1032-1041.
Conference Presentations
Di Sante, J., Akeson, B., Gossack, A., & Knäuper, B. (2022, May). Efficacité des interventions ACT pour l’alimentation émotionnelle et l’hyperphagie. Poster presented at the Société Québécoise de la Recherche en Psychologie (SQRP), Saint-Sauveur (Québec).
Gossack, A., Di Sante, J., & Knäuper, B. (2022, April). Body Compassion Partially Mediates the Association Between Internalized Weight Bias and Exercise Avoidance. Poster presented at the McGill Applied Psychology Conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Lassman, L., Di Sante, J., & Knäuper, B. (2022, April). Body Compassion Partially Mediates the Association Between Internalized Weight Bias and Exercise Avoidance. Poster presented at the McGill Psychology Undergraduate Research Day, Montreal, Quebec.
Scardera, S., Di Sante, J., & Booij, L. (2019, January). Eating away at your thoughts: The role of body image-related cognitive fusion and self-compassion on disordered eating in a community sample. Poster presented at the Center for Clinical Research in Health (CCRH) Annual Conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Côté, S. M., Paquin, S., Vitaro, F., Boivin, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2018, May). Childhood BMI trajectories in a longitudinal community cohort and the risk for eating disorder symptoms in adolescence. Poster presented at the Annual PERFORM Centre Research Conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Côté, S. M., Paquin, S., Vitaro, F., Boivin, M., Tremblay, R.E., & Booij, L. (2018, May). Trajectoires d’IMC à l’enfance et le risque pour le développement de symptômes de troubles alimentaires à l’adolescence. Oral communication presented at the Annual Research Congress of Graduate and Postdoctoral Students in Research at CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E, Yu, W-J., Nemoda, Z., Vitaro, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2018, March). Méthylation de gènes liés au stress à travers différents tissus périphériques humains, et la pertinence pour le fonctionnement cérébral. Poster presented at the Annual Research Day of the Quebec Brain Imaging Network (QBIN), Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Côté, S. M., Paquin, S., Vitaro, F., Boivin, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2018, January). Disordered eating in a longitudinal community cohort of adolescents: The roles of prenatal stress, childhood weight and eating behaviours. Poster presented at the Center for Clinical Research in Health (CCRH) Annual Conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Ismaylova, E., Di Sante, J., Szyf, M., Nemoda, Z., Yu, W-J., Pomares, F.B., Turecki, G., Gobbi, G., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2017, June). Serotonin transporter gene promoter methylation in peripheral cells in healthy adults: neural correlates and tissue specificity. Poster presented at the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting, Kingston, Ontario.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Yu, W-J., Nemoda, Z., Verner, M.-P., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2016, November). Méthylation de gènes liés au stress chez l’humain : étude de validation sur l’utilisation d’échantillons périphériques, et la pertinence pour la fonction cérébrale. Oral communication presented at the Annual Research Day of the Quebec Network on Suicide, Mood Disorders and Related Disorders, Montreal, Quebec.
Ismaylova, E., Di Sante, J., Gouin, J.-P., Pomares, F., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2016, November). Corrélats neuronaux du stress quotidien : étude chez les adultes en santé suivis depuis 30 ans. Poster presented at the Annual Research Day of the Quebec Network on Suicide, Mood Disorders and Related Disorders, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Yu, W.-J., Nemoda, Z., Vitaro, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., Booij, L. (2016, September). Méthylation du gène FKBP5 chez l’humain : étude de validation sur l’utilisation des échantillons périphériques, et la pertinence pour la fonction cérébrale. Poster presented at the Annual Research Day of the Psychiatry Department, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
Ismaylova, E., Di Sante, J., Yu, W.-J., Nemoda, Z., Vaisheva, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., &Booij, L. (2016, September). La pertinence de la méthylation périphérique du gène SLC6A4 à travers multiples tissus pour la structure cérébrale: étude longitudinale. Poster presented at the Annual Research Day of the Psychiatry Department, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Yu, W.-J., Nemoda, Z., Vitaro, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2016, June). The relevance of peripheral methylation in stress-related genes for the understanding of the human brain: a comparison of different biological samples in a longitudinal cohort. Poster presented at the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting, Halifax, Nova-Scotia.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Yu, W.-J., Nemoda, Z., Vitaro, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2016, May). Méthylation du gène FKBP5 chez l’humain : étude de validation sur l’utilisation des échantillons périphériques, et la pertinence pour la fonction cérébrale. Poster presented at the Annual Research Congress of Graduate and Postdoctoral Students in Research at CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Yu, W.-J., Nemoda, Z., Vaisheva, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., & Booij, L. (2015, August). La méthylation du gène du transporteur de la sérotonine chez l'humain: la pertinence pour le fonctionnement cérébral et le risque pour les maladies affectives. Poster presented at the Annual Research Day of the Psychiatry Department, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec.
Di Sante, J., Ismaylova, E., Yu, W.-J., Nemoda, Z., Vaisheva, F., Szyf, M., Tremblay, R. E., Booij, L. (2015, August). Méthylation périphérique du transporteur de la sérotonine chez l’humain : étude de validation sur l’utilisation des échantillons biologiques non-invasifs, et la pertinence pour la fonction cérébrale. Poster presented at the Annual Research Day of the Quebec Network on Suicide, Mood Disorders and Related Disorders, Montreal, Quebec.
Funding
2021-2024 | Doctoral Training Award, Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS) - $70,000
2018-2021 | Canadian Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral Award) - Frederick Banting and Charles Best, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) - $105,000
2016-2017 | Canadian Graduate Scholarship (Master’s Award) - Frederick Banting and Charles Best, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) - $17,500
2016-2018 | Master’s Training Award, Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé (FRQS) - $30,000
2016 | W. G. Dewhurst Travel Award, Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology - $250