Senior Investigator, Psychosocial Research Axis, Lady Davis Institute Associate Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University
Associate Member, Department of Oncology, McGill University
Senior Associate, Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital
Associate Member, Cancer Care Mission, McGill University Health Centre
Mentor, Psychosocial Oncology Research Training (PORT) program
Dr. Körner is a licensed psychologist with expertise in clinical, educational, and health psychology. She practiced as psychotherapist in the departments of psychosomatic medicine at the universities of Leipzig and Freiburg, Germany, and chaired the psycho-dermatological services at the Medical Centre of the University of Freiburg until she moved to Quebec. Prior to focusing on psychosocial oncology, Dr. Körner developed extensive research expertise in the areas of psychological assessment, relationship schemas, interpersonal functioning, personality and mental health. This background facilitates her current research, which examines the relationship between extrinsic forces that act on individuals (e.g., cancer, social, and cultural factors) and their intrinsic capacity (e.g., personality characteristics, interpersonal competence, coping strategies) to deal with and regulate situations of extreme adversity.
Major Research Activities
Dr. Körner is currently conducting a longitudinal, mixed-method study on secondary prevention of melanoma through early detection via skin self-examination (funded by the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec). This project aims at barriers and facilitators of health-protective behaviours, inherent self-regulation processes, and interpersonal factors like physician and partner support in order to develop more effective prevention strategies that promote the sustained practice of skin self-examination in individuals at high risk for melanoma.
McGill’s Health Psychology Research Group (HPRG), directed by Dr. Körner, is conducting a randomized controlled trial on a minimal-cost coping intervention program for patients with cancer.
Other research interests include the psychological adjustment to non-melanoma skin cancer, effective cancer patient education, and quality of life after prostatectomy versus active surveillance.
Recent Publications
Roberts, N., Lee, V., Annang, B., & Körner, A. (in press). Acceptability of bibliotherapy for patients with cancer: A qualitative descriptive study. Oncology Nursing Forum.
Coroiu, A., Körner, A., Burke, S., Meterissian, S., & Sabiston, C. M. (2015, e-first). Stress and Posttraumatic Growth Among Survivors of Breast Cancer: A Test of Curvilinear Effects. Intl Jrnl of Stress Management.
Körner, A., Coroiu, A., Copeland, L., Albani, C., Gomez-Garibello, C., Zenger, M., & Brähler, E. (2015). The Role of Self-Compassion in Buffering Symptoms of Depression in the General Population. PLoS ONE, 10(10), e0136598. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136598
Körner, A., Garland, R., Czajkowska, Z., Coroiu, A., & Khanna, M. (2015, e-first). Supportive care needs and distress in patients with non-melanoma skin cancer: Nothing to worry about? European Journal of Oncology Nursing. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2015.07.006
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