I am a 3rd year PhD candidate in the department of Gerontology at SFU under the supervision of Dr. Cosco. My research is funded by Mental Health Research Canada and Mitacs, and it focuses on community-based digital mental health interventions/services for the diverse older adult population in Vancouver. I have worked with a local seniors’ centre, West End Seniors’ Network, for the past two years to learn about the lived experiences of members of my community and factors that impact their mental wellbeing. Outside of SFU, I am also a research assistant for the Long Term Care/Assisted Living research unit at Fraser Health Authority.

I am a doctoral trainee working under the supervision of Dr. Cosco in the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University. My research focuses on health inequity and barriers and facilitators of health and social care access and systems navigation experienced by older adults with limited access to informal/family-based care support. My professional background is in direct care provision in the community, mental health crisis and recovery support, and long-term care settings. My objective is to actively engage with community members and care service providers throughout the course of my doctoral work to ensure that the recommendations developed from my findings are actionable and grounded in the lived experience of older adults and the organizations seeking to serve them.

An incoming PhD Student in the department of Gerontology under the supervision of Dr. Cosco, my primary research interests focus on aging, mental health, and cognition. My doctoral work, funded by a SSHRC CGS-D, aims to examine social isolation among older adults, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am also a Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making Fellow and hope to continue to refine my quantitative statistics skills.

A first-year MA student under the supervision of Dr. Cosco, my research interests include social prescribing and how it can benefit older adults from marginalized communities, and how creativity and fibre arts enhance health and well-being in older age. I currently volunteer at the Jewish Seniors’ Alliance as a tech volunteer helping older adults learn to use tablets. I have worked in social services as a volunteer coordinator and founded and ran a tea shop in Vancouver. When I’m not studying, you can find me walking my two dogs in the forest or knitting.

I am a fourth-year PhD Candidate in the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University. My research focuses on the mental health of older immigrant South Asian women by using a community-based participatory research approach. I also work as a research assistant for Dr. Cosco to investigate the mental health needs and technological interventions for social connectedness amongst older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am a recent graduate of the Masters in Gerontology program at SFU under the supervision of Dr. Cosco. My project involved conducting a systematic review on the effect of exercise on psychological stress in adults over the age of 50. I am also currently working on a pedagogy project with Dr. Cosco looking at the impacts of the hybrid learning model on undergraduate students' learning efficacy.

I am a University Research Associate, and my research explores the interconnections among health behavior, mental health and neurocognition across the lifespan. I also have a keen interest in biostatistics and longitudinal data analysis, and provide support on study design and analysis for various members of the Precision Mental Health team.

As the Communications Officer at Precision Mental Health Lab,  I write and distribute content about the research that is done at PMH Labs and ensure they are accessible to older adults in a usable and actionable form. I am a strong advocate for mental health awareness for marginalized communities in Canada.  I have a background in Mental Health Studies from the University of Toronto and I am currently completing my Master’s in Counseling Psychology.

As the Social Media Manager at the Precision Mental Health Lab, I create social media content and drive engagement for the various media platforms and sites. I am passionate about digital engagement as I believe the world is a global village. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University with a minor in communications and previously worked for the largest crown corporation in British Columbia in the digital operations team as a digital communications specialist. 

As Lab Manager at the Precision Mental Health Lab, I collaboratively work with the team to provide efficient administrative support and organizational functions to research projects led by Dr. Cosco (PI) and the PMH Research Team. I aid in developing sustainable administrative structures and processes for PMH projects, liaise with project collaborators and co-investigators on coordinating research activities, manage agendas, support grant applications, and organize events.

As Community Engagement Manager, I bring together project stakeholders to build productive relationships. I engage and liaise with project partners and recruit participants for projects. Also, I developed and coordinate a Research Advisory Panel (RAP) of older adults that guides PMH research. I aim to use effective stakeholder relations and active community engagement to enhance older adults’ mental health. Outside of PMH, I'm an avid outdoor enthusiast - often swimming or out on my bike.

Makda is a first-year PhD student in political science at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on public policy, representation, and the intersections of race and gender politics in Canada. She recently earned her Master of Public Policy from Simon Fraser University, where her work explored the presence and impact of intersectional representation in COVID-19 discourse across Alberta and British Columbia. Makda is a recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Scholarship and the Distinguished Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship. During her master’s studies, she was also awarded the SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship (master’s) and the B.C. Graduate Scholarship. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in political science from the University of Calgary, with a minor in French. Her undergraduate education included a year of study at Université Laval.

At the Precision Mental Health Lab, I lead the graphic design, branding, and front end development. I am a driven Art Director and Graphic Designer with a unique background in business and design. My background provides a strong foundation for running projects and shapes my design philosophy of equal parts beauty and strategy.