Sabina Franklyn, Katie Vandeloo, and Balmeet Toor are this year’s recipients of the 2019 IMHR Graduate Student Research Awards.
The IMHR Graduate Student Research Awards are funded by The Jennie James Depression Research Fund, The Allison Lees Depression Research Fund, and The Louise Helen Waddington Research Fund through the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.
The awards were created to promote awareness and understanding around depression, and to support innovative mental health research and care.
Sabina Franklyn
Sabina Franklyn is a second year master’s student in psychology at Carleton University. Her IMHR Graduate Student Research award was in recognition of research that aims to improve outcomes by informing alternative treatment and prevention methods though a better understanding of depressive subtypes.
“Depression looks really different from person to person, so why do we think that one treatment could work for all? That might be a reason why treatments haven’t been as effective as we’d like them to be,” says Franklyn.
Read more about her work here.
Katie Vandeloo
Katie Vandeloo is a master’s student at the University of Ottawa. She is investigating anatomical and functional abnormalities in the brains of individuals who suffer from major depressive disorder and suicidality with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.
“A lot of people ask me what it’s like working and being surrounded by such a sensitive topic. While it's hard seeing people experience mental illness, it’s incredibly rewarding when you see those same people come through and say ‘life is beautiful again,’” says Vandeloo.
Read more about her work here.
Balmeet Toor
Balmeet Toor completed her master’s in counseling psychology at Carleton University in 2016 and is currently pursuing her PhD. Her IMHR Graduate Student Research award was in recognition of her research into adolescents, depression, and sleep.
“As a kid, I’d always drive past this building [The Royal] and ask my dad what it was. I then made it my goal to work at The Royal someday and make a difference,” says Toor.