Hi everyone!
My name is Candace (she/her), and I am a third-year international student at the University of Toronto. I am originally from India, but was born and raised in the UAE. I am pursuing a double major in Peace, Conflict & Justice Studies and History. I am passionate about diplomacy and history, and deeply interested in legal discourse, debate, and various policy issues. Specifically, I am drawn to topics such as sustainability and climate policy, immigration, and community-based welfare.
My Laidlaw Summer I project will explore the potential for Faith-based organisations (FBOs) to work alongside newly emerging interfaith alliances to enhance their roles in philanthropy and development, while simultaneously preventing the development of a tradition of communal violence in India. My goal is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the activities of six Indian FBOs based on Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, focusing on their impact on social cohesion, maximising welfare and the creation of communal harmony.
Bhavana Akilan
Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership & Research Scholar 2023-24, University of Toronto
I am a college sophomore at the prestigious University of Toronto, Scarborough double majoring in Neuroscience and Human Biology. I am a proud recipient of the Laidlaw Foundation Undergraduate Leadership and Research Scholarship 2023. My research project aims to explore the feasibility of a Deep Learning model to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at an early stage with the help of open-source EEG datasets. Having been part of the winning team at the Ontario Shores x UTSC The Hub's Hackathon, my team won a prize money of $5000 and the opportunity to work closely with Ontario Shores in the future to implement our AI-powered solution to help them navigate their database of internal and external resources more effectively. I work as a Research Assistant at the Therapeutic Interventions for Psychosis Lab at UTSC under Dr Michael Best. I have contributed to monthly article summaries, literature reviews and systematic reviews, in addition to assessing participants for clinical trials. I am familiar with administering a battery of tests, including MCCB, RR, WRAT-5, PANSS6, PSYRATS, BNSS, EEG tasks as well as computer-based tests. I have conducted in-person clinical interviews as well, which helped me understand the level of skill and ethic required while interacting with participants as well as fellow researchers. Some of my other research experiences include my role as a Transcriber for The Scoliosis Success Project at the University of British Columbia, as well as my role as a research student at COBWEB UTSC under Dr Brad Bass. My research interests include Alzheimer's disease, AI in Healthcare, Schizophrenia, fear expression in cases of sociopathy and caregiver stress. I possess extensive volunteer experience as a Youth Ambassador for EKAM foundation. Some causes that I am passionate about include Women and Children's healthcare, Organ Donation as well as Women in STEM. I truly believe that it is important to know who you are before making a decision about what you want to be. Instead of prematurely focusing on one area, I wish to learn, adapt and dive into the future with the determination to grow.
Hello! My name is Alanna, I'm a 2024 Laidlaw Scholar and undergraduate Psychology student from the University of Toronto.
I am a youth mental health advocate and am concurrently the CEO and Founder of non-profit organization HOPE (Helping Our Planet Earth) and Head of Wellness of Open Heart by Arise Asia Ltd.
My work at HOPE focuses on making mental health support accessible to youth internationally through developing self-sustaining wellness ecosystems with mental health education, peer support and youth leadership training. We are currently undergoing the charity registration process in Hong Kong and exploring partnerships with school and community-based organizations wordwide.
I love connecting with others and hearing about what you're passionate about, so do reach out and chat anytime!
Hello! I am a senior undergraduate student in the Psychology Research program at the University of Toronto. I am passionate about children's mental health and the many ways that youth can overcome adversity. I am especially interested in developing interventions that promote resilience for survivors of childhood adversity. I balance this emotionally heavy passion with a deep appreciation of the world of comedy. This entails performing comedic improvisations at various venues in the city. As such, I am also fascinated by the relationship between comedy and mental health.
My Summer 1 research project explored the relationship between childhood adversity, childhood aggression, and childhood self-regulation.
My Summer 2 Leadership-in-Action project involved me independently developing and implementing a comedy-based psychosocial intervention for teenagers experiencing adversity at SOS Children's Villages in Cape Town, South Africa.
Please feel free to reach out to connect :)
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younessrobert-tahiri
Email: youness.robert.tahiri@mail.utoronto.ca
Hello! I am a Lester B Pearson Scholar in my fourth year at UTM. I am majoring in Environmental Management and Geography and minoring in Environmental Policy and Law. Having grown up in the U.K., Pakistan, and Kenya, I have had the opportunity to work on various volunteering, afforestation, and educational projects which sparked my interest in sustainable development. I am particularly interested in learning about how to decolonize the ways in which we achieve environmental justice. Last summer, I conducted research on how the post-colonial context of Sub-Saharan Africa has impacted the region’s ability to tackle climate change. This summer, I worked as an intern and project manager for Youth4Nature, a youth-led non-profit organization that works to educate, empower and mobilize youth to lead on solutions for the ecological and climate crises.