Stratas has sponsored 17 mental health research projects by young Canadian scientists. Read about each award winner’s project below.
Stratas Scholars
Recent Award Winners
Caroline Wallace, PhD
“Exploring the Clinical and Biological Links Between Perinatal Mental Health and Dietary Patterns”
Stratas is pleased to announce Caroline Wallace, PhD, as the winner of the Matthew Burke Memorial Scholarship ($2,500). Caroline, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Guelph, is leading important scientific investigations into the relationship between dietary patterns and mental health in the perinatal period.
Specifically, Caroline’s work examines whether and how perinatal diet quality influences postpartum mental health outcomes with a prospective cohort study of 100 women in the perinatal period. She hopes that findings from this study will help develop accessible, evidence-based dietary recommendations and potential interventions for women susceptible to or suffering from postpartum mental health issues.
Brianna George
“The Mental Well-Being of Indigenous Women”
The Stratas Foundation is very proud to announce that Brianna George is the winner of the 2022 Indigenous Student Scholarship ($1,000).
This annual scholarship is awarded to an Indigenous researcher in Canada undertaking a critical research project in the mental health sciences. This independent research project is being completed as part of Brianna’s doctoral program at Memorial University in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Brianna’s research seeks to better understand mental health disparities among Indigenous women in relation to socioeconomic factors, psychological well-being, and help-seeking behaviors. Her research will examine how socioeconomic status impacts help-seeking behaviors in Indigenous women. Collectively, the following questions will be addressed:
What is the mental well-being of Indigenous women?
How does the mental well-being of Indigenous women compare to the mental well-being of Indigenous males and non-Indigenous females?
What is the relationship between socioeconomic status and help-seeking behaviors in Indigenous women?
Ultimately, this research will shed light on the under-discussed topic of Indigenous women’s mental well-being. It may also provide important implications to address barriers to care and improve socioeconomic status, which, in turn, may contribute to ending the continual perpetration of mental health issues among Indigenous women.
Sara Gloeckler
“Toward tailoring psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression”
Stratas is thrilled to announce that we’ve awarded Sara Gloeckler with the Stratas Founders Award ($1,500). Sara is a Master’s student whose research project at the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal is exploring psilocybin as a potential treatment option for major depressive disorders.
Sara’s MSc thesis project will explore how psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression may be adapted to each patient to improve its benefits. In a pilot clinical trial, Sara will examine the effects of sociocultural factors, patient preferences, and patient choice on experiences and outcomes and different psychotherapeutic approaches. The results will inform clinical practices and future research towards improving this novel treatment by tailoring it to each unique individual. Congratulations, Sara!
Previous Award Winners
Dr. Patrick McCunn
Dr. Patrick McCunn is the winner of the Matthew Burke Memorial Scholarship ($5,000). This scholarship honours Matthew Burke, who tragically took his life in 2018. Dr. McCunn's research project seeks to further our understanding of addiction and mental illness by integrating neuroimaging techniques using experimental methods.
Maja Nikolic
Maja Nikolic is the winner of the Goetz Construction Scholarship ($4,000). Her research project measures brain chemistry and function in youth who have been followed from birth.
Claudia Belliveau
Claudia Belliveau is the winner of the Brett Wiederhold Realty Scholarship ($2,000). Her research project examines the molecular causes of depression and suicide with a particular focus on people with a history of child abuse.
Julia Moreau
Julia Moreau is the winner of the Stratas Award for Indigenous Mental Health Research ($2,000). Her project responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call for research on improving access to psychological wellness services among Indigenous peoples.
Josh Allen
Josh Allen is the winner of the Rahal Family Scholarship ($1,500). His research project explores the anti-depressive potential of reelin, a protein that regulates the growth of neurons.
Dr. Vincent Paquin
Vincent Paquin is the winner of the Stratas Winter 2021 Award ($1,000). This study, titled the “Green/Screen Study” aims to identify protective mental health factors in at-risk youth by focusing on lifestyle changes that could buffer psychotic experiences and improve mental health in youth.
Thomas Anderson
Thomas Anderson is exploring whether microdosing can be used to treat mental health conditions with fewer side effects than current treatment standards (e.g., SSRIs), as well as the effects of microdosing psilocybin on mood and creativity. For this groundbreaking research he has been awarded $4,000.
Dr. Sung Mo Park
Dr. Sung Mo Park is the winner of the Stratas Founders Award ($5,000). His research project explores how amyloid-beta accumulation in the brain leads to memory disruption in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Abu Yousuf Md Abdullah
Abu Yousuf Md Abdullah is the winner of the Ryan Kahro Family Scholarship ($3,000) for mental health research. His project explores how city design impacts our mental health.
Dr. Skye Fitzpatrick
Dr. Skye Fitzpatrick is the winner of the Spencer Shaw and Royal City Realty Scholarship ($3,500). Her project explores a novel way to treat individuals and couples with self-injurious thoughts and behaviours.
Emily Mercer
Emily Mercer is the winner of the Brett Wiederhold Scholarship ($2,000) for mental health research.
Iain Gamba
Iain Gamba is the winner of the Leaps and Bounds Scholarship ($2,500) for mental health research related to autism spectrum disorder.
Rachel Noel
Rachel Noel is the winner of the Ryan Kidd Family Scholarship ($1,000) for mental health research.
Dr. Melissa Woodward
Dr. Melissa Woodward is the winner of the Nordal Family Scholarship ($1,500) for addictions and substance abuse disorders.
