We are proud to share that Dr. Nada Basir, Associate Professor at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, is the lead author of a forthcoming Feature Article in the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) — one of the Financial Times Top 50 academic journals in the world.
The paper, titled “Disrupted Selves in Transition: How Women Navigate Fertility Treatments in the Context of Work,” co-authored with Dr. Jamie Ladge (Boston College) and Dr. Serena Sohrab (Ontario Tech University), examines how deeply personal experiences can shape, and at times unsettle, one’s professional identity.
Using the context of fertility treatment, the authors find that stalled identity transitions lead to a situation of liminality, where individuals are caught between an existing identity and one they are striving toward - in this case, the transition to motherhood. Drawing on qualitative data, the study explores how a stalled identity transition shapes women’s experiences at work — not only in terms of challenges, but also in how women at times draw strength, structure, and support from their professional identities to navigate uncertainty.
While fertility treatment is the focus, the research speaks more broadly to how uncertain or ambiguous personal transitions — such as navigating illness or other life changes — can intersect with and disrupt work identity. Being selected as a Feature Article in JAP represents a significant academic milestone and an important platform for bringing visibility to the intersection of gender, health, and work: a space often underexplored in organizational research.
This work sheds light on the invisible struggles many professional women face as they balance deeply personal challenges with career expectations. It’s an honour to help bring these stories to the forefront
We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Basir and her collaborators on this well-deserved recognition, and we celebrate this impactful contribution to research and practice.