Miranda Fudge

I began the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at the University of New Brunswick in September 2011 working with Dr. Sandra Byers. I had graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Grenfell Campus, with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology and minor in French in 2008. My Honours thesis evaluated the influence of seven individual factors on perceptions of whether a sexual crime had been committed.

Currently, my main research interests center on the construction of female genital self-image (FGSI)--that is, the way women think and feel about their genitals. The goal of my research is to enhance our understanding of women's genital self-perceptions as well as the cultural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors that help shape and maintain FGSI. In light of the increasing popularity of genital modification, including female genital cosmetic surgery in Western cultures, I am particularly interested in identifying factors associated with genital self-image dissatisfaction as well as factors that protect women from this type of dissatisfaction and/or empower them to feel positively about their genitals. Ultimately, I would like to develop and evaluate methods of enhancing women's genital self-perceptions as a means of making positive changes in their sexual and personal lives. Since beginning my Ph.D., I have also been  involved in two other research projects. I have  worked as an interviewer on a team project led by Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan  related to adolescents' sexual relationships, health and experiences. I have also been working with Krystelle Shaughnessy and Sandi on a project related to on-line sexual activity. 

I have also been actively pursuing my interests in teaching. I have worked as a teaching assistant for a variety of undergraduate courses including one in  human sexuality. In the past, my role as a tutorial leader gave me the opportunity to lead small group discussions aimed at encouraging students to become more open and comfortable talking about a range of sexual topics and to critically evaluate their attitudes and opinions. I also co-taught this course with Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan. This involved planning and delivering lecturs as well as organizing the tutorials and supervising the tutorial leaders.

My main career goal is to become a practicing clinical psychologist. To this end, I have completed a child/adolescent practicuum at the Fredericton Mental Health Clinic in Fredericton and an adult practicum in an acute inpatient mental health setting in Newfoundland. These experiences afforded me invaluable time with clients were I was able to practice a improve a vaiety of clinical skills while also guiding others in their goals of symptom reduction and functional improvement. I have also been actively involved in Sandi's private practice conducting sex and relationship assessments and observing her providing therapy.  I would love to continue working with adults and adolescents who are experiencing sexual and relationship difficulties.

Here are my conference presentations:

Fudge, M., & Byers, E. S. (2014 October). Female genital self-image: Where do these feelings come from? Poster presented at the meeting of the Canadian Sex Research Forum, Kingston, ON.

Fudge, M., & Byers, E. S. (2014, June). Female genital self-image: Not as simple as you think. Poster presented at the meeting of the International Academy of Sex Research, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Fudge, M., & Byers, E. S. (2013, November). Why do I feel this way?: Factors affecting female genital self-image. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, San Diego, CA.

Fudge, M., & Byers, E. S. (2013, October). Female genital self-image: It’s complicated. Paper presented at the meeting of the Canadian Sex Research Forum, Charlottetown, PEI.

Fudge, M., Shaughnessy, K., & Byers, E. S. (2012, September). Variety of online sexual activities: What are students really doing online? Poster presented at the meeting of the Canadian Sex Research Forum, Ottawa.

Fudge, M, Shaughnessy, K., & Byers, E. S. (2012, July). Variety is the spice of life: Online sexual activities in a community-based sample. Poster presented at the meeting of International Academy of Sex Research, Lisbon.