Our Team
Academic Leadership
Kristin Cleverley
Director & Chair
Associate Professor & CAMH Chair in Mental Health Nursing Research, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
About Kristin
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.
Amanda Uliaszek
Associate Director, Research
Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough
About Amanda
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.
Julius Haag
Associate Director, Education & Training
Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto Mississauga
About Julius
Professor Julius Haag (he/him) is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Sociology at UTM, where he teaches courses in policing, urban life and public policy, and youth gangs. Prior to joining Inlight, Prof. Haag contributed to several campus-based initiatives, including as the session lead for Race Based Data Collection at the National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and as a review panel member for the U of T review of the Role of Campus Safety Services in Student Mental Health. His research interests include policing, youth justice, gangs, racialization, ethnicity, criminalization, and teaching and learning.
Administrative Team
Sarah De La Rue
Director, Strategy & Operations
About Sarah
Sarah De La Rue (she/her) develops and delivers on research strategy for major health research initiatives, building relationships with partners to promote the impact of health research. Prior to joining UofT, Sarah developed priorities and strategy for the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health, grew a collective impact partnership structure to build and deliver on the Inspiring Healthy Futures vision and priorities, and shaped research strategy at the University of Virginia and Sinai Health System. At UofT Sarah initially joined the PRiME Institutional Strategic Initiative, to support their renewal and build an expanded ecosystem, and is now supporting Inlight to achieve impact across their mandate. Sarah completed her B.Sc. at Newcastle University and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Bristol.
Emma McCann (on leave)
Senior Partnership and Engagement Lead
About Emma
Emma McCann (she/her) is the Senior Partnership and Engagement Lead of the University of Toronto Inlight Student Mental Health Research Initiative, where she supports the initiative’s student engagement strategy. Emma has advised at the community, national, and international level to build stakeholder engagement into mental health research and systems of care. Her previous roles, including at CAMH and Frayme, supported the development of youth engagement strategy to support integrated youth services across the country. Emma moderated the first ever side event dedicated to global mental health at the UN General Assembly and formerly served as a member of the Canadian Federal Ministerial Advisory Council on Mental Health.
Lexi Ewing
Senior Engagement Lead
About Lexi
Lexi Ewing (she/her) is the Engagement Lead of the University of Toronto Inlight Student Mental Health Research Initiative, where she supports the initiative’s student engagement strategy. Lexi completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, where her research focused on person-centered approaches to investigating post-secondary student mental health. Lexi has held engagement roles on both sides of the table, as a student and as a facilitator, and believes deeply in the benefits of authentic engagement in research.
Da Hee Kim (Kate)
Research Communications Officer
About Da Hee
Dahee (Kate) Kim is a passionate communications professional with experience in project coordination, social media strategy, and content creation. With roles ranging from Research Communications Officer at Inlight Student Mental Health Initiative to Research Assistant at the Toronto Early Cognition Lab, she has successfully developed and executed communication strategies that increased engagement and optimized user experience. Da Hee is skilled in event coordination, data analysis, and digital design, bringing a proactive and detail-oriented approach to every project. She thrives in dynamic environments, creating impactful solutions that align with organizational goals.
Sobiah Khan
Operations Assistant
About Sobiah
Sobiah Khan (she/her) is a third year majoring in Industrial Relations & Human Resources (IRHR) and criminology. With experience in post-secondary institutions and public service, she hopes to continue her career within project management or legal services. Aside from her love of animal welfare, She is an advocate for neurodivergent representation and accessibility. You can see her on campus with her service animal, Gateaux!
Feryal Mahnaei
Project Coordinator
About Feryal
Feryal Mahnaei (she/her) is a Project Coordinator at the INLIGHT Mental Health Research Initiative, combining her expertise in neuromechanics and healthcare project management to support groundbreaking mental health research. She holds a Master of Science in Biomechanics and Neuroscience from York University, where she explored postural control and cognitive-motor interactions, using advanced tools like motion capture, EMG, and virtual reality systems to gain deeper insights into human movement.
Beyond research, Feryal has worked in healthcare and infrastructure project management, collaborating with diverse teams to bring innovative ideas to life. Her experience as a researcher, teaching assistant, and healthcare project coordinator has allowed her to mentor students, contribute to biomechanics and rehabilitation research, and refine her ability to turn complex data into meaningful action. Now, at INLIGHT, she applies her skills in roject coordination, leadership, stakeholder engagement, and data analysis to drive mental health research forward, ensuring seamless execution of key initiatives. Passionate about bridging the gap between research and real-world impact, she is excited to collaborate with researchers, students, and healthcare professionals to advance innovation in mental health care. Outside work, she enjoys hiking, painting, martial arts, and paddleboarding.
Implementation Committee
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing (Chair)
Associate Dean, Research and External Relations (Chair)
Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation, University of Toronto Scarborough
Vice-Principal, Research, University of Toronto Mississauga
Vice-Provost, Students
Associate Dean, Research, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Vice-President, Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Academic Director, Inlight
Director, Strategy & Operations, Inlight
Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives, ISI
Council of Principals & Deans
Dean, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing (Chair)
Associate Vice-President & Vice Provost, Strategic Initiatives (Chair)
Dean, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Dean, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science
Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean, University of Toronto Mississauga
Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation, University of Toronto Scarborough
Academic Director, Inlight
Student Advisory Committee
Aden Ahmed
Masters Student, Global Mental Health & Counseling Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Alanna Sethi
Undergraduate, Psychology Specialist, University of Toronto Missisauga
Bilal Ahmed Qureshi
Undergraduate, Neuroscience & Human Biology, University of Toronto Scarborough
Claire Zhang
Undergraduate, Doctor of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Liz DaMaren
Doctoral Student, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
Khushi Patel
Undergraduate, Computer Engineering, University of Toronto St. George
Meagan Muscat
Doctoral Student, Counselling Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Jas Chhetri
Undergraduate, Molecular Biology, University of Toronto Scarborough
Olena Zubrytska
Undergraduate, Nursing Science, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
Sacha Samouk
Undergraduate, Anthropology Specialist & Educations Studies Minor, University of Toronto Missisauga
Thanida Kamchokchai
Undergraduate, Mental Health Studies Specialist, University of Toronto Scarborough
Yuening Chen
Masters Student, Archaeology, University of Toronto Missisauga
Student Facilitators
Rya Buckley
PhD Student, School & Clinical Child Psychology, Ontario Institue for Studies in Education
Dinarshan Chandrakumar
Undergraduate Student, Social Science, University of Toronto Missisauga
Dela Farzanfar
PhD Student, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Missisauga