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This summer, I dove headfirst into something I'm deeply passionate about: mental health research. Everything in my life connects to mental health advocacy, from my psychology clinic work to starting a Mind and Motion Society at university. Personally, I've seen firsthand how mental health struggles, especially eating disorders, can be swept under the rug. Coming from an Indian household, I know the cultural expectations placed on young women in my community, and the damage contradictory messages about food and body image can have. Working on family-based therapy research for eating disorders felt like finding my calling. We focused on the critical gap when a patient transitions from youth to adult care. 

In Canada, youth with eating disorders get incredible support but the moment you become an adult, these supports disappear and patients’ mental health can suffer for it. Listening to interview subjects talk about such difficult topics like suicide and eating disorders hit incredibly close to home. I occasionally had to step away to process what I was hearing, but that experience taught me something crucial: I shouldn't feel upset, I should be motivated. There are millions of people struggling with these issues right now, and this research is my way of making the world better for them. This is my passion, and I believe we can break these harmful cycles and create real change.