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─ Our Team
Our multidisciplinary team brings together expertise in health sciences, social sciences, environmental studies, and the lived experiences of Canadian adolescents. To get to know our researchers better, you can explore their profiles below.
Dr. Gina Martin, PhD (She/Her)
Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University
Dr. Gina Martin’s research focuses on understanding how the physical and social neighbourhoods where young people live, play, and learn influence their health. Much of her work focuses on understanding the effects of environments (social, built, and natural environments) on child and adolescent health and wellbeing. Her research involves using quantitative techniques and mixed methods. Her research is funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Martin has worked extensively on projects studying patterns of child and adolescent well-being and substance use in the Canadian and Scottish contexts. She is also working to explore the links between planetary health and child and adolescent health and well-being.
Links: LinkedIn, Google Scholar
Azeezah Jafry (She/Her)
MA in Health Policy, MDes in Inclusive Design
Azeezah Jafry (she/her) is an education researcher and inclusive designer in Toronto, Canada. Her academic and nonprofit background has cultivated her passion for disability rights and inclusive education. Holding a Master's in Health with a specialization in Health Policy and Equity from York University, her Major Research Project explored the link between special education in Ontario and the school-to-prison pipeline, revealing the compounding oppressions faced by students at the intersections of race, gender, class, disability. Currently, Azeezah is pursuing a second Master’s in Inclusive Design at OCAD University. Her research centers on co-designing flexible and adaptable learning models with students and other stakeholders. Her research is guided by intersectional and disability justice frameworks.
Erin Avenant (She/Her)
BScN, RN, Master of Counselling Psychology Student
Erin is an MC (Master of Counselling) student on track to complete her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Gina Martin. Her topic area of interest is how poor air quality correlates with mental health indicators amongst Canadian populations. Erin currently works as an RN in adult psychiatric settings and is pursuing her master's degree with the intent of registering as a psychologist. Erin volunteers her time as Athabasca University's graduate student representative for the Canadian Psychological Association and as a crisis responder/peer mentor for the national Crisis Text Line. In her spare time, Erin enjoys rock climbing and playing musical instruments
Dr. Ishwar Tiwari
Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University
Ishwar Tiwari is a public health researcher and epidemiologist with extensive experience in statistical analysis, health program management, and research project coordination. He recently completed his Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Alberta, where he refined his expertise in quantitative methods. Ishwar has contributed to numerous research projects at Alberta Health Services and the University of Alberta’s CHEER lab, focusing on public health issues ranging from vaccine hesitancy to environmental health. His background includes over four years of program oversight in Nepal with national and international NGOs, including USAID and RTI International, where he led health system strengthening, nutrition, and disease surveillance initiatives. Ishwar is experienced in handling large administrative databases and writing and publishing academic papers. His work has been recognized through multiple awards, including a Mitacs Business Strategy Internship and a Doctoral Research Award from IDRC, reflecting his commitment to impactful, data-driven public health solutions. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the faculty of health disciplines at Athabasca University. By modelling health outcomes and environmental exposures, he brings an epidemiological perspective to health and the environment.
Links: LinkedIn, ORCID, ResearchGate, CHEER
Helena Zhu (She/Her)
Undergraduate Research Volunteer
Helena Zhu (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, pursuing a Bachelor of Health Sciences. Helena is particularly passionate about research that explores the impacts of climate change on adolescent health. Her interests include understanding how environmental shifts affect mental health, physical development, and access to healthcare resources for young populations. Helena aspires to contribute to innovative solutions that enhance resilience among today’s youth.
Matt Treble (He/Him)
Research Assistant
Matt (he/him) is a graduate research assistant who is completing his master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Gina Martin. His thesis work is exploring the emotions Canadian adolescents are reporting feeling in relation to climate change as well as looking at how climate change impacts their future-oriented thinking through an existential perspective. In his free time, he loves to paddleboard out on the ocean and try out new recipes.
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Rebekah Alice McKinnon, PhD (She/Her)
Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University
Dr. Rebekah McKinnon is a recently appointed Postdoctoral Researcher applying her diverse research experience to advance best practices for fostering open, reliable, and replicable scientific methods in developing a robust evidence base in the emerging interdisciplinary field of climate change and human health. Dr. McKinnon utilises quantitative statistical methods, particularly within a Bayesian framework, to investigate the connections between extreme climatic events and adolescent health. Her research explores how repeated exposure to such events over different time scales impacts adolescent health and wellbeing and examines the potential moderating role of protective factors (e.g., neighbourhood social cohesion).
Dr. McKinnon earned her BSc (hons) in Environmental Science from the University of Birmingham and PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta, where she focused her research on animal behaviour and the application of metascience.
Links: LinkedIn, Google Scholar
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Sherlynn F.
Youth Co-Researcher
I'm Sherlynn, and it is my absolute honor to be a youth co-researcher at the HEYA team. I am currently a grade 11 student, passionate about health sciences, neuroscience, and mental health advocacy. In addition to research, you can often find me playing chess and swimming!
Helena Zhu (She/Her)
Bachelor of Science Student, Volunteer
Helena Zhu (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, pursuing a Bachelor of Health Sciences. Helena is particularly passionate about research that explores the impacts of climate change on adolescent health. Her interests include understanding how environmental shifts affect mental health, physical development, and access to healthcare resources for young populations. Helena aspires to contribute to innovative solutions that enhance resilience among today’s youth.
Sophia C.
Undergraduate Volunteer Researcher
Sophia is an undergraduate student studying Integrated Science at Western University. She is interested in exploring the relationship between the natural environment and cognitive development. She is particularly interested in how critical periods of brain development are influenced by environmental factors such as green space, air quality, water quality, and temperature. She believes that investigating these links can uncover new connections between climate change and brain health. Sophia looks forward to further exploring the intersection of environment and health throughout her academic journey.
Tasha Roswell (She/Her)
Masters of Geography Student, Western University
Tasha Roswell (she/her) is a Research Assistant in the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University. Her research focuses on the effects of climate change on youth mental health using evidence synthesis and mixed method approaches, with a focus on youth partnerships and engagement. Beyond research she has experience supporting youth and families in the education system and non-profit organizations.
Violeta Faulkner (She/Her)
Master of Health Studies Student, Graduate Research Assistant
Violeta is supervised by Dr. Gina Martin in the Master of Health Studies program at the Athabasca University. Her thesis will focus on examining relationships between youth emotions (such as anxiety) and mental health in relation to climate change. Violeta’s research interests include mental health and wellbeing, anxiety disorders, health outcomes, resilience, cross-cultural research and community engagement. Outside of graduate studies and work, Violeta enjoys spending time with her friends and family, practicing yoga and painting.
Sherlynn F.
Youth Co-Researcher
I'm Sherlynn, and it is my absolute honor to be a youth co-researcher at the HEYA team. I am currently a grade 11 student, passionate about health sciences, neuroscience, and mental health advocacy. In addition to research, you can often find me playing chess and swimming!
─ Former Members
We are grateful for the support and contributions of our former lab members:
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Claire Ward
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Heather Kennedy
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Jack Mcllraith
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Jayden Chang
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Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky
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Dr. Meg Barry
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Hui Jeong (Hailyee) Ha
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Tooba M. (Former Youth Co-Researcher)
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Ekroop G. (Former Youth Co-Researcher)
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Ghaliba M. (Former Youth Co-Researcher)