My thesis
It is not surprising that one in seven people in Canada used AI tools for mental health support last year, yet only 14 per cent trust those tools to keep them safe (Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), 2026). As these tools move quickly into everyday life because of their accessibility and affordability, national bodies such as the MHCC and the American Psychiatric Association have responded by creating guidance and frameworks for assessing them. However, once a tool passes those assessments, community mental health organizations are still left with little practical way to judge whether it fits their practice and meets the needs of the diverse populations they serve. My thesis takes up that next step. In partnership with Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health in Waterloo Region, supported by the Graham Seed Fund, Camino's own clinicians will shape the criteria and test the approach on real tools, so it is grounded in everyday practice rather than theory.
We aim to produce a practical toolkit that each organization can adapt to its own priorities and the communities it serves, and use to decide, with confidence and transparency, which AI tools support the people delivering care, and which do not.
My time in the School of Public Health Sciences
Pursuing a PhD while building a startup taught me how research can create impact beyond academia. One of the things I valued most about Waterloo was never feeling that I had to choose between scholarship and entrepreneurship. It is not an easy path, and I am grateful to Dr. James Wallace for believing in it and coming along for the ride; Jame's thoughtful feedback and support have made this journey far steadier than it would otherwise have been. With the support of my lab community, who were always willing to help and connected me with people in the industry, and initiatives like the Graham Seed Fund, I was able to explore how academic ideas can translate into meaningful partnerships and real-world change, including turning a research question into a real partnership with Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health.
My time at Waterloo also broadened my perspective on innovation, collaboration, and service. Being one of the founders selected for the first University of Waterloo and Accelerator Centre Global Impact Creator program, whose $12,000 stipend also supported my startup, HolisticMindAI, reinforced that research and practice can strengthen each other. Opportunities through the Trusting health care in the age of AI symposium, hosted by UW's TRuST Network with the Balsillie School of International Affairs and co-directed by Dr. Donna Strickland and Dr. Lai-Tze Fan, and a Velocity consultation feeding into Canada's AI Strategy Task Force, on which Waterloo Engineering Dean Mary Wells serves, exposed me to diverse perspectives on health care, AI, and public trust. These experiences strengthened my commitment to approaching mental health innovation with an equity lens and considering the people most affected by emerging technologies, because in mental health the people most likely to rely on these tools are often the least able to absorb their mistakes.
Finally, I was humbled to be featured in the Waterloo Daily Bulletin as a 2026 Women of the Year Vanguard nominee beside women who won that night, including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Donna Strickland, Dr. Sirisha Rambhatla, Dr. Mary Robinson and Nadine Quehl. To have my face beside theirs, and to contribute from research, practice, and lived experience, is not something I take for granted