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McGill.CA / McGill Mindfulness Research Lab / Our Team / Graduate Students

Brandon Benchimol-Elkaim

Program

Ph.D. Year 3, Counselling Psychology

Supervisors

Dr. Bassam El-Khoury & Dr. Argerie Tsimicalis

Previous Education

MA Counselling Psychology (Project Stream), McGill, 2022

BA Honours Psychology, Concordia University, 2019

Connect On

Brandon is a junior clinical researcher who is interested in conducting highly rigorous and clinically relevant research that can eventually be applied at the point of care. His FRQS doctoral funded research focuses onĚýinvestigating whether mindfulness nature-based training using virtual reality is acceptable and performs better than the standard of care in improving pediatric patients’ preoperative anxiety. His CGS-M funded master's researchĚýinvestigated barriers and facilitators of engagement in melanoma prevention programs and used results to create intervention components for future programs with men. He recently completed a SSHRC funded summer internship at the Harvard School of Public Health to conduct a continuation of his master's research.

Brandon has completed a practicum in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at the McGill Psychoeducational and Counselling clinic. He also volunteered at the Cedars Cancer Centre for three years providing active listening to patients undergoing cancer treatment. He is currently conducting a doctoral practicum at openspace clinic.

Research Publications

  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Dryden-Peterson, S., Miller, D. R., Koh, H. K., & Geller, A. C. (2023). Oral antiviral therapy utilization among adults with recent covid-19 in the United States. Journal of General Internal Medicine, (20230228).
  • Resendes, T., Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Delisle, C., RenĂ©, J.-L., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2021). What I know and what you know: The role of metacognitive strategies in preschoolers’ selective social learning. Cognitive Development, 60.
  • Poulin-Dubois, D., Azar, N., Elkaim, B., & Burnside, K. (2020). Testing the stability of theory of mind: A longitudinal approach. PLOS ONE, 15(11): e0241721.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Coroiu, A., Moran, C., Körner, A., & Geller, A. Men’s Perspectives on Future Melanoma Early Detection Interventions: A Qualitative Investigation with Patients Treated for Melanoma. Submitted to American Journal of Health Promotion.
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Conference Presentations

  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., & Khoury, B. (2023, June). The Relationship Between Nature Relatedness and Life Satisfaction, Mediated by Mindfulness and Stress. [Snapshot session]. Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Dryden-Peterson, S., Miller, D. R., Koh, H. K., & Geller, A. C. (2023, June). Reasons For and Against Receiving Oral Antiviral Treatment for COVID-19.Ěý[Poster session]. Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Moran, C., Geller, A., & Coroiu, A. (2022, June). Parent-Reported Barriers to Children
    Wearing Masks in School. [Poster session]. Canadian Psychological Association, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Moran, C., Geller, A., & Coroiu, A. (2022, June). Self-Reported Reasons For and Against Wearing Masks. [Poster session]. Canadian Psychological Association, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Moran, C., Geller, A., & Coroiu, A. (2022, March). Considerations for Future Melanoma Prevention Programs for Men. [Poster session]. United Kingdom Society for Behavioural Medicine, Virtual.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Koerner, M-L., Moran, C., & Coroiu, A. (2021, April). Motivations About Social Distancing, Conspiracy Beliefs and Adherence to Social Distancing Recommendations among Adults from Canada and the United States. [Poster session]. Society of Behavioural Medicine, Virtual.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Coroiu, A., & Geller, C. (2021, June). Lessons Learned from Men for Men’s Future Melanoma Prevention Programs. [Poster session]. Canadian Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Moran, C., Körner, A., Geller, C., & Coroiu, A. (2021, June). Men’s Perspectives for Future Melanoma Prevention Programs. [Poster session]. Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Convention, Virtual.
  • Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Moran, C., & Coroiu, A. (2021, June). Social Distancing Adherence among Adults with and Without Self-perceived COVID-19 Symptoms. [Poster session]. Canadian Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
  • Koerner, M-L., Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Moran, C., & Coroiu, A. (2021, April). Associations between social determinants of health and social distancing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Poster session]. Society of Behavioural Medecine, Virtual.
  • Lang, J., Anderson, N., Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Frederickson, A., Lannes, E., & Slattery, J. (2021, June). Reconsidering predictors of religious belief: A cross-sectional study of theism and individual differences in the German cultural cultural context. [Poster session]. Canadian Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
  • Resendes, T., Elkaim, B., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2019, October). Do metacognitive strategies predict social selective learning in preschoolers? Poster session presented at the Cognitive Development Society (CDS) conference, Louisville, KY.
  • Elkaim, B., Burnside, K., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2019, September). Is there continuity in theory of mind? A longitudinal study. Poster session presented at the Undergraduate Research Showcase at Concordia University, Montreal, QC.
  • Elkaim, B., Resendes, T., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2019, April). Selective social learning in preschoolers. Poster session presented at the Psychology Undergraduate Research Expo at Concordia University, Montreal, QC.
  • Poulin-Dubois, D., Burnside, K., Azar, N., & Benchimol-Elkaim, B. (2021, July). Implicit theory of mind in infancy does not predict theory of mind in childhood. Symposium presented at the International Congress of Psychology.
  • Resendes, T., Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Delisle, C., RenĂ©, J-L., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2020, March). Les habilitĂ©s mĂ©tacognitives : leur rĂ´le dans l'apprentissage social sĂ©lectif chez les jeunes enfants. Symposium presented at SociĂ©tĂ© QuĂ©bĂ©coise pour la recherche en psychologie.

Funding

  • Fonds de Recherche du QuĂ©bec - SantĂ© (FRQS) Doctoral Funding, 2023, $100,000
  • Michael Smith Foreign Student Supplement, 2022, $6,000
  • Canada Graduate Scholarship – Masters, SSHRC, 2020, $17,500

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Awards

  • McGill Graduate Excellence Ph.D. Package, 2022-2024, $35,000
  • Graduate Research Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Award, 2022, $300
  • Best Research Poster Award, CPA, 2022, $100
  • Graduate Research Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Award, 2022, $150
  • Graduate Research Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Award, 2021, $209
  • Graduate Research Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Award, 2021, $137
  • EGSS Travel Award, 2021, $100
  • Graduate Excellence Fellowship, Ď㽶ĘÓƵ, 2020, $3000
  • Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Concordia University, 2019, $6,000
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