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U of T researchers receive Inlight research grants in support of student mental health and wellness-focused projects

Nine U of T researchers have received research grants from Inlight, the Student and Youth Mental Health Research Initiative at the University of Toronto, which officially launched on May 1, 2023, in support of their impactful research that aims to spark advances in post-secondary student mental health and wellness.

The recipients include Daniel Grace, associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Anthony C. Ruocco, professor, graduate chair and director of clinical training at the Department of Psychological Clinical Science at UTSC, Linda Iwenofu a clinical child psychologist and assistant professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Catherine Sabiston, professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), France Gagnon, associate dean of research at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Amanda Uliaszek, associate professor, Department of Psychological Clinical Science at UTSC, Janelle Joseph, assistant professor OISE, Camisha Sibblis, assistant professor, division of sociology at UTM, and Antje Budde, associate professor, Faculty of Arts and Science, Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies.

“In addition to the student-led research that Inlight is driven to support, we are also proud to be able to provide funding to faculty researchers at U of T, who are actively leading projects that will rapidly build knowledge in areas pertaining to the mental health needs of diverse student populations,” says Kristin Cleverley, academic director of Inlight and associate professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.

Each of the one-year projects supported by funding from the Inlight research grants include students as co-investigators or collaborators and will address some important areas of mental health for post-secondary students, including the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ students, understanding anti-Black racism and mental health within higher education, the intersection of mental wellness and disability services, and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inlight officially launched on May 1 as one of the university’s newest institutional strategic initiatives.

Learn more about Inlight’s Research Grant Recipients below.

Anthony C. Rucocco is a professor, graduate chair, and director of clinical training in the Department of Psychological Clinical Science at UTSC will collaborate with students and peers on capturing the diversity of student experiences to better inform, develop and validate context-specific mental health questionnaires for students. Their goal is to provide insight into students’ intersectionality with mental health experience.

France Gagnon is the associate dean of research at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and alongside her collaborators and student researchers will set out to understand context-dependent pandemic reactions, mental health shifts, and factors affecting student resilience and their susceptibility in the hopes of shaping future post-secondary policies and resources allocation to support student mental health.

Daniel Grace is an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health will work with students and collaborators from the Centre for Sexual and Gender Minority Health to address the gaps in data for the diverse needs of 2SLGBTQ+ students. The project will also involve the co-creation of accessible mental health resources for 2SLGBTQ+ students and will raise recommendations for how to increase and improve mental health services at the university.

Catherine Sabiston is a professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) who will be exploring the connections between exercise for mental health. She and her team which includes Sandra Yuen the Director of Professional Practice and Quality Assurance at Health and Wellness, will build on a previous pilot study to examine the effectiveness of group exercise programs for students seeking support for mental health symptoms on campus.

Amanda Uliaszek is an associate professor in the Department of Psychological Clinical Science at UTSC, will work with her team on examining the intersection of mental wellness and disability services in the postsecondary setting, including key academic and health outcomes for students registered with U of T’s tri-campus Accessibility Services. Their goal is to gain a better understanding of the unique needs of students, including identifying any gaps in services and uncover possible areas of intervention.

Linda Iwenofu a clinical child psychologist and assistant professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), will lead a project focused on Anti-Black racism and mental health in higher education specifically looking at current and prospective Black postsecondary students’ perceptions and experiences of racial discrimination within university contexts, in addition to identifying ways in which the students’ perceptions and experiences of on campus racial discrimination impact their mental health and well-being.

Antje Budde is an associate professor at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science whose research explores the potential of arttech for well-being. In addition to featuring faculty and student generated contributions to the Minds Redefined Initiative, Budde’s Digital Dramaturgy Labsquared will test two prototypes of performance-based interactive and participatory interfaces designed to help students engage in playful, game-based learning to better understand their status of mental health and well-being.

Camisha Sibblis is an assistant professor in the division of sociology at UTM. Her project will focus on on understanding the socio-ecological impact on Black student mental health following the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to exploring the impact of systemic racism on their mental health. The project will also seek to examine barriers to supports, and concepts of what anti-racist support and praxis would look like with the aim of developing effective interventions for Black students.

Janelle Joseph is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Her research aims to build foundational knowledge around the mental health experiences of racialized graduate students at the University of Toronto. Joseph’s study will also seek to uncover institutional barriers to mental health and develop evidence based interventions and policies to improve mental health outcomes and academic success of racialized graduate students.

What activities did we engage in for the Inlight Exchange Program? 

The Inlight Global Exchange program allowed me to partake in opportunities to connect with and learn from University of Toronto and professionals worldwide working on mental health and wellness services. As global exchange students, we had the unique opportunity to be able to meet and connect with a diverse set of individuals working within the field of post-secondary student mental health and wellness. From partaking in a workshop on developing a community of practice with researchers from all around the world, connecting with staff working on student health and wellness initiatives at the University of Toronto, to joining a speaker series event at CAMH, I was able to broaden my perspectives on the research conducted to promote post-secondary student mental health.  

Furthermore, the opportunity allowed me to be able to engage in conversations on current ongoing research conducted by Professor Chloe Hamza and her team of graduate students in the Coping, Affect, Resilience in Education (CARE) lab. Not only was I able to understand the current research being conducted on an individual scale, I was also able to engage in conversations surrounding research and initiatives occurring on a community level.  

Stephanie

What were the highlights? 

The program began in Vancouver with the launch of the Global Community of Practice (CoP). Across a series of sessions and discussions, students, researchers, and faculty worked together to identify key priorities for advancing postsecondary mental health research globally. We lay a foundation for a stronger and more connected global research community through a collaborative workshop on the University of British Columbia campus. 

In Toronto, we visited the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) — Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres. Meeting with researchers and learning about their ongoing trials, such as the TAY study, offered incredible insight into how health service delivery and research can be meaningfully integrated. 

William

The key highlight of the program was the opportunity to be able to meet and connect with a diverse set of researchers and experts in their field of work. It was an absolute pleasure being able to not only connect with research on an intellectual level through discussions surrounding ongoing research projects and ideas, but also connect with research on a humanistic level. Being able to hear the stories and trajectories of people within the field and their passion for what they do is an extremely inspiring experience as someone who just started in their field.  

Stephanie

Cultural InsightsThe University of Toronto’s commitment to Indigenous student support was particularly interesting. The Talk and Tour, led by Dr. Lauren Brown of the Multi-Faith center, emphasized the importance of integrating Indigenous spaces and perspectives into academic research and highlighted the university’s efforts in fostering a supportive environment for Indigenous students. The focus on community-driven research, particularly in mental health and wellness, demonstrated the university’s dedication to promoting inclusive and culturally responsive education. 

Cori

What Key Learnings will you take away from this experience? 

The major thing I learned on this Global Exchange is the importance of global collaboration and the exchange of ideas. There are so many people working together to conduct necessary and important research within the field of student mental health worldwide. Each individual may focus on examining health from a different lens, but all of us can learn from each other.  

Stephanie

Shared Challenges, Innovative Solutions: Across the world, youth mental health services are facing similar many of the same challenges, including difficulty in improving access, integrating technology, improving assessment. This exchange taught me that there are many answers to the same problem, though combining them might sometimes be the strongest solution. 

The Power of Connection: Beyond the content, my greatest takeaway on this trip was the connections I formed. It was powerful to step out of my own silo, halfway across the world, and to find researchers who share my passions (and challenges) for improving a better mental health care system. It reinforced the idea that research thrives on relationships for effective collaboration, genuine openness, and mutual curiosity. 

William

How Will It Shape Future Work?  

Participating in the 2025 GlobalCampus Summit and the Global Exchange Program at the University of Toronto greatly expanded my perspective on interdisciplinary collaboration and academic networking. Through a series of speaker sessions, workshops, and one-on-one interactions with researchers and practitioners from various fields, I gained valuable insights, and relationships, that will influence my future work in mental health in academic settings. The program’s focus on mental health and wellness directly aligns with my research interests. I believe these sessions will continue to enhance my approach to integrating community-driven mental health strategies into my own academic and career pursuits. The networking opportunities, including coffee chats with peers and mentors, provided a platform to discuss ongoing challenges and innovative solutions, which will undoubtedly enrich my professional development. These important conversations were even more evident at the GlobalCampus Summit. The brief time together highlighted the need for international collaboration in student mental health research. The establishment of a Community of Practice will provide a foundation for ongoing knowledge exchange and collaborative research opportunities for current and future researchers that I hope to engage in. 

Cori

Participating in the Inlight Exchange was a career-defining experience. As I am in my final year of my PhD, it has given me confidence and motivation to push on and complete my thesis.  Given it was my first time traveling internationally for my research work, it will be difficult to match the impact of those few weeks. I am extremely thankful for all those who made it possible for me to attend the Inlight Global Exchange Program. 

Going forward, I am more committed than ever to pursuing research that bridges disciplines, institutions, and continents. I hope (and expect) to continue to contribute to global conversations on youth mental health through ongoing collaboration with the community of passionate researchers I met through this program. 

William

Cori (she/her) is a second-year Ph.D. candidate at King’s College London, under the mentorship of Dr. Nicola Byrom. Since a personal experience at the age of 17, Cori has dedicated her academic career to understanding and addressing the gaps of adolescent and emerging adult mental health. She holds both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Communication from James Madison University.  

William Capon is a third-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, under the mentorship of Dr. Frank Irofino and Dr. Ian Hickie. With a background in mathematics and neuroscience (BSc, MBMSc), his research explores the use of data and technology to improve youth mental health assessment and individual outcomes. 

Stephanie Fan (she/they) is a first-year Masters Candidate at National Taiwan University under the mentorship of Dr. Shu-Sen Chang and Dr. Po-Han Lee. With a background in psychology, their current research aims to culturally adapt mental health first aid guidelines for sexual and gender minorities in Taiwan.