Ask a student

Jeannine Ho (she/her)

Program: Master of Public health

Email: jeannine_ho@sfu.ca

Hello, my name is Jeannine, my pronouns are she/her, and I am very enthusiastic about connecting with prospective and incoming students who are interested in the Faculty of Health Sciences. I completed my undergraduate honours Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (Life Sciences) and graduated with distinction, and immediately knew I wanted to continue my studies in the Master of Public health program because of all opportunities available here.

I am grateful to have been born and raised on the traditional lands of the Katzie, Kwantlen, and Semiahmoo Nations, also colloquially known as Surrey, to Vietnamese refugee parents. Overcoming major life adversity and being an informal caregiver to my parent with cancer really challenged me think about the policies and structure of our healthcare system that contribute to health inequalities, especially in underrepresented and equity-deserving communities. From then, I knew that I wanted to learn the skills and engage in research that would improve healthcare and lead to policy-level changes, which naturally brought me to the MPH program.

Health equity and advocacy is a huge part of my life purpose. As a Research Assistant transitioning into Research Manager with the Global Health Equity Research Alliance with Dr. John O’Neil, I’m currently working on a CIHR-funded international mental health RCT that will improve mental healthcare accessibility in Vietnam and other low resource settings. For over 5 years, I’ve served as President of Blood, Organ, & Stem Cell Club and work with Canadian Blood Services to facilitate campus-wide blood donation clinics and stem cell swabbing events. More recently, I’ve founded SFU’s Partners in Health chapter and bring students together to develop real-world solutions to pressing global health challenges.

I am grateful for the opportunities to work with so many amazing faculty and mentors who have supported my academic and research career. In turn, I find great meaning in being a TA and providing the same mentorship to other students—offering guidance and advice in academics, research, balancing student life and school, applying for scholarships, and wherever else I possibly can. I would love to build connection with incoming and prospective students, and look forward to answering any questions you may have!

Bolu Adeoti

Program: Master of Public Health

Email: bta76@sfu.ca

Hi, My name is Bolu Adeoti, a Nigerian-trained dentist, born and raised in Nigeria. My academic journey has not been one without its challenges, I had to retake a year during undergrad. Even though I was told this would reduce my chances of getting admission to study abroad, with the grace of God, perseverance, and a good support system I graduated as one of the top 5 in my class. I am also passionate about research and have published two papers.

I  love community work and enjoyed community dentistry. This spurred me to apply for my masters in Public Health. Amazingly, I applied to only one school and bam, SFU said yes. Since the onset of my program about six months ago, I have acquired more skills from the lectures, assignments, group works, and discussions. I can boldly say I am better off than when I started. I am looking forward to doing a thesis based MPH in my second year and I anticipate contributing to public health knowledge and making a tangible impact.

My Cohort is a really amazing one because we make room to catch some fun despite the rigor of studying. One of the social events that stood out for me was our visit to a bowling alley. It was so much fun.

SFU provides an enriching environment for learning, with ample opportunities for growth. If you are keen to learn, SFU's got your back.

Maëve Leduc (she/her)

Program: Master of Science

Email: maeve_leduc@sfu.ca

Hi there! My name is Maëve, I am an MSc student working with Drs. Lyana Patrick, Dawn Hoogeveen, and Clifford Atleo. My research is in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation’s community-led program to address cumulative effects from development activities to environment, health, and culture. 

I grew up in Coast Salish Territories, between Vancouver Island, the mainland, and the small islands in between. I was raised with a strong connection to the natural world, and am descended from French, Dutch, and Red River Métis ancestors. In the 2010s, I completed a BA at UVic in Anthropology and Gender Studies. In the five years between my BA and grad school, I moved across the country and back and worked a variety of jobs in research and archives, including at the Te’mexw Treaty Association and the BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. 

Initially, I applied to the MPH program, intimidated by the prospect of finding a supervisor and thesis topic after being out of school for several years. By Spring 2023, I realized it was not the right fit for me and took a break over the summer to prioritize my mental health and decide on next steps. Already enmeshed in two research projects through the FHS, in Fall 2023, I finally found my place in the MSc program. 

Throughout my journey I have connected with excellent mentors and colleagues, developed deep friendships, struggled with and overcome mental health issues, and begun working on meaningful community-based work that has given me a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect, I am happy to share more and offer support if I can.

Evan Barad (he/him)

Program: Master of Science

Email: evan_barad@sfu.ca

Hello! My name is Evan, I am a first-year master’s student in Health Sciences, working with Dr. Zabrina Brumme at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE). I was born in Vancouver and raised in Coquitlam. I completed my Bachelor of Science (Honours) at SFU in the Faculty of Health Sciences (Life Sciences Stream). My honours research focussed on immunogenetic, sociodemographic and clinical correlates of HIV reservoir size. I am grateful to be able to work and study at SFU. Through my time in the Health Science program, I have understood the importance of chronic illness and how health is multi-faceted. In addition, the importance of ensuring everyone is provided adequate care. I currently work as a research assistant at the BC-CfE.

My research examines a condition some people with HIV experience called persistent low-level viremia, during therapy, when blood HIV levels suddenly become detectable. This condition can last for years, and is often not resolvable by medication changes, causing great anxiety and stress for those living with HIV and their physicians. My research hopes to advance our understanding of HIV reservoir biology and contribute to improving HIV clinical care.

I could not be happier with my decision to apply for graduate studies at SFU. I am learning so much and am studying a topic that can make a difference in people’s lives. In addition, I have met many amazing people in my cohort, forming connections with friends, professors and colleagues who help me strive to better myself as a researcher and person.

Please feel free to reach out over email if you have any questions about graduate school or the MSc program. It would be my pleasure to help support the next generation of health researchers!

Emily Blyth (she/her)

Program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Email: emily_blyth@sfu.ca

Hello, my name is Emily, my pronouns are she/her, and I look forward to connecting with prospective and incoming students to talk about our program here at FHS. I was born in a small town outside of Toronto, Ontario. Following my small-town-heart, I pursued my BAH in Linguistics at Queen's University, a school in Kingston Ontario, where I graduated in 2015. I never saw myself in academia, but fell in love with research and teaching when I completed my MA in Communication & Culture in 2021 while working full-time in professional communications at York University. I started to see my love of  small towns as a reflection of my desire to focus on community and human well-being, and moved to Burnaby in 2021 to follow that passion here in FHS. Under the supervision of Dr. Lyana Patrick, my SSHRC-CGS funded research focuses on the health outcomes and community impacts of media exposure to police violence. 

I love the sense of community and connection that I have found on the Tsleil-Waututh, Kwikwetlem, Squamish, and Musqueam territories where SFU Burnaby campus sits and where I live and work. I appreciate the opportunities to grow and learn that I have found at SFU, such as working as a Senior Research Assistant with our Children's Health Policy Center and as a Community-Engaged Research initiative (CERi) Graduate Research Fellow (2023-2024). In particular, as a White settler on this land, I am grateful for how my time and connections in FHS have helped me to unlearn some of the limiting ideas that I picked up through Western academic norms, and instead engage in more heart-, art-, and community-based practice.

Part of this process has been unlearning the competitive nature of PhDs that is instilled by capitalist job markets and limited granting opportunities, and instead seeing this time as a chance to grow deep connections that will last a lifetime. I would love to build such connections with incoming and prospective graduate students, and would look forward to answering any questions you may have by email, hopping on Zoom, and generally welcoming you into the FHS community!

Angel Kennedy (she/her)

Program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Email: angel_kennedy@sfu.ca

I completed my BSc in Health Sciences (Population and Quantitative Health Stream) and a Master of Public Health degree at SFU. Throughout these three degrees, I was able to network through the faculty and partnering universities to get involved in a series of projects, teams, and networks. More specifically, I work for the Environment, Community Health Observatory (ECHO) Network, Ecohealth International, the REAFFIRM (Researching Environments that Affirm 2S/LGBTQ+ Identities, Relationships & Mental Health) Collaborative on MindMapBC, the BC Alliance for Monitoring Mental Health Equity, and as the Research Manager for the Research for EcoSocial and Equitable Transformation (RESET) Team.

Throughout these experiences, I developed both a strong passion for working on issues that intersect eco-social health and mental health equity, and a deep love of research (with a particular focus on community engagement and knowledge exchange). This created the conditions in which I decided to pursue a PhD under the RESET Team’s TAKE NOTICE project, looking at promoting the mental health of youth by consolidating strategies for communicating about the climate crisis.

Through the Faculty of Health Sciences’ appreciation of interdisciplinary lines of inquiry and cross-cutting themes, I was not forced to make my project fit neatly into one area of health sciences, but rather was able to pursue research that crosses various fields that I feel passionate about. Further, I was able to find supportive faculty members and mentors who supported this journey.

Some pieces of advice that I entered the PhD program with are: Endlessly ask questions, pursue any projects/questions/opportunities that feel inspiring or nourishing to you (even if they don’t feel relevant at the time), and don’t compare your academic journey with anyone else’s – we all have something unique to contribute!

I would love to connect with you if you have any questions!

Judy Wu

Program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Email: jtwu@sfu.ca

Hello! My name is Judy and I am a current PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Hasina Samji. My academic journey began at UBC with a Bachelor of Science, driven by my passion for ecology, environmental protection, and climate action. However, my experiences during a co-operative work placement at BC Children's Hospital and as a facilitator for a mental health support group later in my undergraduate degree sparked my interest in health science. 

Through my work with the mental health disorder support group, I witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by participants in accessing mental health services, particularly during childhood and adolescence. As a result, many support group participants were unable to be diagnosed and receive treatment until adulthood. This highlighted for me the importance of taking an upstream approach to address mental health disorders, ultimately leading me to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) at UBC.

In my current PhD work, I’ve had the opportunity combine my interests of youth mental health and environmental/climate action. Specifically, I’m interested in understanding the ways in which the ecological and climate crises impact youth mental health and well-being. 

I am thankful for the strong community provided to me via my lab as well as the larger faculty at SFU. There is a strong group of researchers focused on health research related to environment/planetary health at SFU that have helped guide my research. 

My advice to incoming graduate students is to remember to take care of your well-being, because that can quickly get forgotten in the shuffle of research work, course deadlines, and the variety of other responsibilities of a graduate student. Taking care of your well-being doesn’t always have to take a long time, sometimes just a simple 10-minute walk is enough to improve your mood and increase productivity. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!