Dr. Marie-H茅l猫ne Pennestri
Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies | Canada Research Chair Tier 2 | Director of Clinical Training for the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
- Directrice scientitifique adjointe aux affaires acad茅miques,听CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al
- Regular Researcher, H么pital en sant茅 mentale Rivi猫re-des-Prairies (CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al)
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Universit茅 de Montr茅al
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Universit茅 de Montr茅al
- Development and consolidation of the sleep-wake cycle in infants and children
- Mental health
- Parental expectations
- Families
- Sleep disorders听
- Child development听
- Attachment
- Polysomnography
- Autonomic nervous system
- Heart rate variability听
- Premature birth
Dr. Pennestri investigates the development of the sleep-wake cycle in infancy, in association with physical and mental health, family functioning, and parental expectations. She also investigates associations between sleep and mental health in vulnerable populations. Dr. Pennestri completed a Ph.D. in Psychology at the Universit茅 de Montr茅al and was trained at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, where she specialized in sleep disorders and cardiovascular function. She pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, where she worked on developmental psychology. In addition, Dr. Pennestri is a clinical psychologist working with children, adolescents, and their family (Ordre des Psychologues du Qu茅bec; H么pital en sant茅 mentale Rivi猫res-des-Prairies). Her multidisciplinary program is funded by all three tri-councils (SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC) and her projects integrate both physiological and psychological measures. She was named as a Canada Research Chair Tier 2 (CIHR) in Pediatric Sleep in November 2024 and has been previously named as a FRQS Research Scholar Junior 1 and Junior 2 Scientist. A former William Dawson Scholar, Dr. Pennestri received the Bourse Yvon Gauthier Award from the Association Qu茅b茅coise pour la Sant茅 Mentale du Nourrisson, the Wayne Hening Young Investigator Award from the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group and the Faculty of听Education听Distinguished听Teaching Award. In October 2024, Dr. Pennestri was听a finalist for the Prix Hubert-Reeves - Rel猫ve scientifique, part of the Prix du Quebec.
听
- Postdoctorate Fellowship, Douglas Research Centre / McGill University
- Ph.D., Universit茅 de Montr茅al: Research/Clinical Psychology
- M.Ps., Universit茅 de Montr茅al: Clinical Psychology
听 听 听 听 听 听Selected
- (2023-2027)听Sleep equity reimagined: An intersectional theoretical framework to optimize sleep health for all Canadians; Co-Principal investigator;听Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- (2022-2027)听Inter- and intra-variability of sleep patterns in infancy and early childhood; Principal investigator;听Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Discovery Grant
- (2021-2026) The associations between infant sleep, parental sleep and the quality of the parent-infant relationship: a longitudinal study in mothers and fathers;听Principal investigator;听Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)听
- (2021-2024) Sommeil apr猫s une commotion c茅r茅brale : Impact sur le bien-锚tre et le听fonctionnement familial; Co-investigator;听Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)听
- (2019-2022)听Am茅liorer le sommeil de son enfant: une intervention innovante et听b茅n茅fique pour les familles vivant en contexte de vuln茅rabilit茅; Co-investigator;听Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)听
- (2018-2023) Transition to parenthood: realistic sleep-related expectations as a protective factor for mothers' and fathers' mental health;听Principal investigator; Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR, Project Grant)听
- (2018-2022)听Mieux comprendre les liens entre le sommeil du nourrisson, les interactions m猫re-enfant, la sant茅 mentale des parents, et la sant茅 mentale et physique des enfants: une perspective familiale;听Principal investigator; Salary Award - Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec-Sant茅 Grant (FRQS)听
- (2017-2022)听R茅pondre aux besoins d茅veloppementaux des enfants qui vivent en situation de听vuln茅rabilit茅 psychosociale et de n茅gligence 鈥� Groupe de recherche et d'intervention aupr猫s des enfants vuln茅rables et n茅glig茅s (GRIN);听Co-investigator;听Fonds qu茅b茅cois de recherche soci茅t茅 et culture (FRQSC)听
- (2016-2019) -听Quality of infant and maternal sleep as predictors of the mother-infant听relationship: the moderating influence of maternal perceptions and expectations;听Principal investigator;听Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)听
- (2017-2019) -听D茅veloppement du sommeil du nourrisson, dans le contexte de la transition 脿 la听parentalit茅: qu鈥檈n pensent maman et papa?;听Principal investigator;听Association qu茅b茅coise pour la sant茅 mentale des nourrissons听
-Butler B, Burdayron R, Mazor-Goder G, Lewis C, Vendette M, Khoury B, Pennestri MH. The Association Between Infant Sleep, Cognitive, and Psychomotor Development: A Systematic Review. Sleep. 2024 Aug 19:zsae174. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsae174. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39158050.
-Hershon M, Kiafar A, Lagani猫re C, Pokhvisneva I, Gaudreau H, Pennestri MH. To sleep or to breastfeed: Associations between feeding method and sleep in infants and children. Acta Paediatr. 2024 Jul;113(7):1540-1545. doi: 10.1111/apa.17237. Epub 2024 Apr 10. PMID: 38597251
-Lannes 脡EM, Kenny S, Hershon M, Talwar V, Kiafar A, Pennestri MH. Associations between parental relationship dissolution and child sleep: A systematic review. Sleep Med Rev. 2023 Aug;70:101804. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101804. Epub 2023 Jun 16. PMID: 37390636.
-Pennestri MH, Burdayron R, Kenny S, B茅liveau MJ, Dubois-Comtois K. Sleeping through the night or through the nights? Sleep Med. 2020 Dec;76:98-103. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2020.10.005. Epub 2020 Oct 10. PMID: 33130350.
-Pennestri MH, Lagani猫re C, Bouvette-Turcot AA, Pokhvisneva I, Steiner M, Meaney MJ, Gaudreau H; Mavan Research Team. Uninterrupted Infant Sleep, Development, and Maternal Mood. Pediatrics. 2018 Dec;142(6):e20174330. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-4330. Epub 2018 Nov 12. PMID: 30420470.
Counselling Psychology
Accepting students for 2025-2026
