Tae L. Hart

Biography

Dr. Hart received a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Dr. Hart completed an APA-accredited clinical internship at the Palo Alto Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, followed by a National Institute of Mental Health research postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University. After working for four years as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Hart moved to Toronto in 2007 to join the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University. Dr. Hart also holds research appointments at the Zane Cohen Center for Digestive Diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital, St. Michael’s Hospital, and an adjunct academic appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hart’s research centers on psychological factors associated with adjustment to illness in chronically-ill individuals and their spouses/partners. Primarily, Dr. Hart’s work has investigated quality of life, psychological distress, and symptom burden in patients who have been diagnosed with cancer, multiple sclerosis, or gastrointestinal disorders (inflammatory bowel disease or functional bowel disorders). In couples where one partner has been diagnosed with a chronic illness, Dr. Hart has been examining the effect of communication between partners, social support, and coping on relationship satisfaction and quality of life. Dr. Hart’s goal is to develop psychosocial interventions that will improve quality of life in the face of chronic illness. Dr. Hart’s lab is currently developing these types of interventions for people diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Hart currently holds research from the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Dr. Hart’s teaching interests include courses in both clinical and health psychology, and has supervised numerous trainees on research methodology, as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy. At Ryerson, Dr. Hart has taught graduate-level Psychopathology, Professional Ethics, and Treatment of Psychological Disorders. Undergraduate level courses include Psychological Disorders and Introduction to Clinical Psychology.

Research Interest

behavioral medicine; cancer; psychological distress; posttraumatic growth; relationships and illness.