.png)
─ 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)
Assistant 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
.png)
Claire Ward
Masters of Health Studies Student
My name is Claire Ward, and I live in Halifax, NS, where I work as the Health Services Manager for Anesthesia and Cardiovascular Perfusion. I completed my BSc at Dalhousie University with a combined major in biology and psychology and a BHSc in Respiratory Therapy. After working as a respiratory therapist, I went on to specialize as an anesthesia assistant. I worked in several of the tertiary care hospitals in Halifax as an AA for 6 years and absolutely loved it! The majority of my research experience is in quality improvement, specifically in anesthesia and respiratory and perioperative medicine. Outside of work, I am a mom of 3 (ages 5, 3, and 2), and I enjoy sports, music, running, and DIY crafting!
Ekroop Grewal (She/Her)
Youth Co-Researcher
Hi! I'm Ekroop Grewal and I am a youth research team member on this project. I am currently in my first year at Western University for a Bachelor of Science in Medical Science, hoping to specialize in Bioinformatics! My hometown is Brampton, Ontario and my time spent in my community is what sparked my interest in sustainability, climate change and wellness.
Galiba Mahbub
Youth Co-Researcher
I'm Galiba Mahbub, I live in Halifax, NS, and have four cats. I strongly advocate for ending climate change and am very excited about this opportunity.
Matt Treble (He/Him)
Master of Counselling Student, Graduate 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.
Heather Kennedy (She/Her)
BSc, BScN, RN, Master of Health Studies student
Heather is a registered nurse from Hamilton, Ontario. She has worked in the NICU setting since 2015 and is interested in newborn and maternal health. She is currently conducting a project on neonatal hypoglycemia in infants born at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, with the goal of developing an epidemiological profile on these infants that will underpin future prevention efforts.
Links: LinkedIn
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.
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
Jack Mcllraith
Master of Science in Geography, Research Assistant
Jack joined the HEYA Research Group as a Research Assistant, working on merging spatial and non-spatial data. Jack completed his B.Sc. in Geography at Trent University along with the Geographic Information Systems - Applications Specialist program at Fleming College. Following this, Jack completed his M.Sc. at Western University in Geography; his thesis topic was on detecting social structure in invasive wild pigs using GPS tracking data. In his free time, Jack loves to listen to music, play golf, and ski!
Azeezah Jafry (She/Her)
MA in Health, Masters of Inclusive Design Student
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.
Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky (she/her)
Consultant at the Emerging Youth Consultancy, Masters of Environmental Studies Student
Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky (she/her) is a climate justice advocate, artist, researcher and youth consultant residing on the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. As a bisexual woman of mixed Mexican and European descent, intersectionality is central to her work and advocacy. Sabrina is a Master’s student in Environmental Studies and a Teaching Assistant in Transformative Climate Action at the University of Victoria. Her research investigates how visual artmaking and dialoguing can help young people process climate anxiety and generate active hope. Through her role at the Emerging Youth Consultancy, she recruited and mentors the HEYA Youth Co-Researchers.
Tasha Roswell (She/Her)
Research Assistant, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca 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.
Tooba Mahmood
Youth Co-Researcher
Hi! My name is Tooba Mahmood and I’m currently a grade 12 student in Edmonton, Alberta. I wanted to get involved with this project as a youth researcher in order work on my skills, as well as to learn more about climate change and the impacts it can have, not only on the planet but also on individuals. I love doing research and have some previous experience doing university-level research as I got the opportunity to work in a lab at the University of Alberta! I also love to do graphic designing, reading, and spending time with friends and family. I’m looking forward to playing a more active role in the next steps of the project and working with the whole team!
Jayden Chang
Master of Science in Geography, Research Assistant
Jayden joined the HEYA Research Group as a Research Assistant, working on developing the environmental exposure database. Jayden has a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Geography and a certification in Geographic Information Science from Queen’s University. Recently completed her Master’s degree in Geography, Jayden is interested in understanding the human environment through spatial data. During her free time, Jayden likes reading, hiking and travelling.
─ Former Members
We are grateful for the support and contributions of our former lab members:
-
Dr. Meg Barry, PhD
-
Hui Jeong (Hailyee) Ha, PhD Student