Meet Our 2023-24 Team
Our multi-disciplinary team combines experience with passion, creativity, and dedication in order to take action on mental health at the University of Toronto.
Daisy
Co-chair
Hi everyone! I'm Daisy, a 2nd year PhD student in psychology. I conduct brain imagining studies investigating the biodevelopmental bases of sexual and gender diversity cross-culturally. As the current Co-chair of Grad Minds, my goal is to increase mental health awareness and create new opportunities to build community among graduate students. In my free time, I love practicing gymnastics, playing the piano, and eating a lot of snacks. Hope to see you at our upcoming events!
Tiffany
Co-chair
Hi everyone, My name is Tiffany, and I will be your co-chair this year alongside Daisy! I’m in my secound year of the Masters in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, and if everything goes according to plan, I hope to graduate this year. I am a weather-dependant extrovert who loves "hermit-style" me days - which means staying in, going on do not disturb mode, taking a bubble bath, putting on a face mask and enjoying a novel alongside some wine and desserts. I firmly believe that to take care of others and love others, we must first to take care of ourselves and love ourselves. Practicing self-love is important, and a way to do so is by taking care of our mental health. Hence, this year I hope the team and I can bring you lots of fun events to unwind, relax, and just chill out while engaging with the larger grad community. See you all at our events! Cheers!
Yunfan
Event Team Lead
Hi everyone! I am a second-year Master’s student at the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. Having gone through mental health struggles for a few years, I realized how important it is to advocate for mental well-beings in school. I am excited to join Grad Minds to help you build connections with your fellow students and to provide a safe pace for you to just talk. If you are going through something, please reach out to us and know that you are not alone. In my free time, I love playing badminton, rock climbing, and reading One Piece—shout out to fellow strawhat fans!
Rachel
Event Team Lead
Hi everyone! My name is Rachel (she/her) and I am a first year Masters student in the Biomedical Engineering program. Promoting and advocating for mental health have been a longstanding passion of mine, so I am super excited to be part of the Grad Minds team this year and share some fun initiatives with everyone! Outside of academia, you can catch me crocheting, reading and trying to cook (keyword: trying)!
Hania
Event Team Lead
Hi, I am currently a MSc candidate at the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. My research focuses on a rare neurodegenerative disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and I am situated at the Krembil Research Institute. I am constantly looking for opportunities that can help me grow at a personal and professional level. I am quite outgoing and enjoy interacting with a diverse group of people. Through my personal experiences I have learned that growth stems from tackling challenging scenarios.
Steph
Event Team Lead
My name is Steph (she/her) and I am a second year MSc. student studying biochemistry. I was drawn to Grad Minds because I care a lot for mental wellbeing and I hope to help create a space that encourages self care and awareness for other students. As we all know, grad school is hard - really hard at times - and as much as we joke about our struggles, there is a lot of truth to it. As part of the events team, I’ll be involved with planning various ~happenings~ to promote mental health and encourage students from different departments to connect with each other! To keep myself sane when not in the lab, I like to to go to the gym, do pottery, and eat all the spicy food in Toronto!
Fatima
Event Team Lead
Hello! I'm Fatima (she/her), a first-year Master of Social Work student at Factor-Inwentash. I did my undergrad specializing in Mental Health Studies and came into social work to help people become the best version of themselves. My vision as an Event Team Lead is to continue creating social spaces for grad students to engage in self-care, perhaps in ways they have never experienced before! I like taking on challenges and planning cool stuff so I'm excited to bring this energy to the team. In my free time, spend extra time with my two little borbs and (try to) read.
Maya
Policy and Advocacy Advisor
Hi! I'm Maya. I am a first-year Master of Information student in Data Science. Although I love statistics and numbers, I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology and neuroscience. I joined Grad Minds to advocate for student well-being using data-driven insights. When I'm not studying research methods, I love to illustrate children's books, try new spots for food, watch movies, and solve crosswords. I am new to Toronto and this city can be overwhelming, so I am excited to connect with everyone this year!
Alina
Policy and Advocacy Advisor
Hi! My name is Alina Zaidi (she/her) and I'm a first year MSc student in IMS studying TMS and depression. Outside of my research background, I was drawn to Grad Minds because of how common mental health struggles are in graduate school and how hard it can be to ask for support. I hope to advocate for greater accessibility to mental health supports so graduate students can enjoy the work we've dedicated so much of our lives to! In my free time, I love to go rock climbing, mushroom hunting, and taking my cats on picnics!
Cameron
Policy and Advocacy Advisor
My name is Cameron (he/they), I'm a PhD student researching decision making in the brains of zebrafish. I love learning about all things, esepcially if I can find a good book, podcast, or documentary. I also enjoy the academic approach to learning, but in my experience, us graduate students are often unable to build a healthy relationship with the work we love to do. I joined Grad Mnids as a Policy and Advocacy Advisor to find radical ways to change that! Outside university life, you can find me biking around Toronto and listening to Frank Ocean or LCD Soundsystem, trying the amazing food and coffee in the city, travelling with friends and family, or hanging out with my cat!
Grace
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Hi everyone! My name is Grace and I'm thrilled to be a part of the GradMinds team this year! I did my undergrad at Western University in Criminology and while this new master's program has been challenging, I've been enjoying what I'm learning. It's still stressful nonetheless and having a strong destress routine to care for my mental health has been helpful. This includes watching my favourite TV show, which is by far Grey's Anatomy! Otherwise, I love baking, participating in intramural sports, and spending time with friends and family. I can't wait to meet everyone this year!
Abisha
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Hi everyone! My name is Abisha (she/her). I am in my first year of the Master of Public Health (Health Promotion). I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks movies, young adult novels, bubble tea, and sushi! I am also super passionate about spreading mental wellness to those around me. As one of the Marketing and Communication Coordinators, I can't wait to engage with all of you on our Instagram platform regarding our events, resources, and other opportunities. Hope to meet you all over the year!
Flora
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Hi, this is Flora. I am a current first-year master student in OISE, studying developmental psychology and education. I am interested in mental health not only because many times I do suffer from anxiety and stress but also curious about how people can deal with negative feelings and gain more power for emotional control. I have broad interests, and do volunteer work in my spare time. Can't wait to embark on the journey of mental health with all of you!
Talia & Lola
Elemental Magazine
Hello! Our names are Talia & Lola and we are the co-editors-in-chief of the Elemental Magazine, UofT’s official tri-campus mental health magazine! We are both in our second year of the Clinical and Counselling Psychology program at OISE. Talia is passionate about destigmatizing mental health. In her free time, you can find her at one of the many sushi hubs in downtown Toronto. Lola is excited to promote mental health advocacy and contribute to the dissemination of mental health research and resources. Outside of school, Lola can be found at the yoga studio or eating sushi with Talia. We can’t wait for another year of Elemental!
