Our Team

Professor Kristin Cleverley (she/her) is the CAMH Chair in Mental Health Nursing Research and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Senior Scientist in the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health at CAMH. She is the Chair of the University of Toronto Student and Youth Mental Health Research Initiative and Co-Chaired the Ontario Health Quality Standard on Youth-to-Adult Health Care Transitions. Prof. Cleverley’s research engages students, youth, and caregivers in the co-design of novel clinical and health system interventions to improve continuity of care.

Professor Amanda A. Uliaszek (she/her) has been the director of the STEPP (Study and Treatment of Emotion Dysregulation and Personality Pathology) Lab at the University of Toronto since 2011. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northwestern University and completed her predoctoral residency at the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center. Prof. Uliaszek has obtained international recognition for her research on psychotherapy mechanisms and outcomes, with a specific focus on improving treatments for children, youth, and university students. Prof. Uliaszek is a registered psychologist in Ontario, with an expertise in the delivery of dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Maya Ahia (she/her) is a master’s student in the Clinical & Counselling Psychology program at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Supervised by Dr. Amanda Uliaszek, her current research focuses on applying strength-based approaches to explore the intersections of accessibility, disability and student mental health.

Jessica is a second-year Psychology student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She is intensely fascinated with mental health studies and envisions utilizing her degree to help children live meaningful, enjoyable lives. She was diagnosed with Autism at 16 and has come to understand plenty regarding the positive impact of a young diagnosis. Her long-term goal is to increase the general public’s understanding of developmental deviations, particularly in women, so that more children may get appropriate care at a younger age.

Ananya Bhattacharjee is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Toronto, focusing on digital mental health interventions. His work, closely developed with Mental Health America and specialized clinicians, has impacted over 2,000 individuals through tailored, digital platforms. Ananya is the creator of the SPARK platform, which employs GPT-4 technology to assist students facing procrastination issues. His global partnerships with mental health helplines further enhance his multifaceted understanding of mental health needs in various populations. He is also a recipient of prestigious accolades, including the Wolfond Fellowship and a best paper award at CHI.

Dinarshin is a first year undergraduate student with a burning desire to make positive change in the field of mental health. He aspires to become a psychiatrist and is driven by a deep commitment to helping individuals overcome their mental health challenges. Currently, he has dedicated his time to helping the community through roles as a Bridging Pathway Mentor and a Health & Counselling Volunteer. 

Delaram Farzanfar is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on understanding brain activity during creative experiences and their implications for improved well-being. Dela is a registered psychotherapist in Ontario and has experience working in mental health in public institutions in Toronto. She is a junior fellow at Massey College, graduate fellow at the School of Cities, and serves on the Program Committee at the International Neuroethics Society. She hopes to improve long-term access to psychotherapy in Canada.

Jenny Hui (she/her) is pursuing her PhD in Counselling & Clinical Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (UofT). Her research focuses on resilience and mental health among BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals—particularly youth—and how intersecting identities inform health disparities and clinical interventions. Her Master’s thesis explored the lived experiences of bisexual East Asian youth in Canada. Jenny has co-facilitated AFFIRMative group therapy for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and adults, and she co-authored journal articles on multimodal research with 2SLGBTQIA+ youth. Ultimately, Jenny’s scholarship strives to uplift the stories of people and communities under-represented in mental health research.

Kate Kim is a fourth-year student at UofT St. George with a Psychology specialist and has been involved in a developmental psychology lab for almost 2 years. Due to her dual passion for combining human mental health and technology together, Kate is learning coding for UI/UX with the hopes of creating a middle ground. Kate is especially interested in the association between mob mentality and conformity, and the harmful romanticization of mental health issues as an unfavourable coping mechanism in the younger generation. Kate aspires to launch a platform that can work as an intermediary for mental health and therapists.

Mehakpreet Kaur Saggu, a sophomore studying neuroscience at the University of Toronto Scarborough, serves as Vice-President of Communications for a dynamic student-led neuroscience club. In this role, she promotes discussion, inspires interest, and brings awareness to the field of neuroscience. Her dedication and passion have recently been recognized with the Budding Scholar Award from the Department of Psychology at UTSC, an honor bestowed upon promising students with aspirations to excel in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. As an aspiring neurosurgeon, Mehakpreet envisions a paradigm of care that embraces holism, recognizing and valuing each patient as a distinct individual.

Anica is a registered nurse at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and a Master of Nursing (Clinical Stream) student at the University of Toronto. She obtained her Canadian Nurses Association Certification in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Her passion is understanding, caring, and advocating for individuals who live with mental illness. She is committed to sharing her passion for reducing the stigma around both people living with mental illness and people working in the mental health field. She hopes to inspire students to pursue a future career in mental health research and advocacy.