Scrabble tiles spelling out "Be the Change"

Our Mission

We provide University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine graduate students with mental health and wellness support and resources via educational seminars and peer mentorship. There are three pillars to our mission:

1. Peer Mentorship: GPSN aims to provide graduate students (mentees) with mental wellness-oriented, on-demand peer mentorship to help mentees navigate their wellness concerns and relevant mental health resources available at the University of Toronto. GPSN recruits and trains a directory of volunteer graduate students equipped to provide safe, reliable and non-judgemental support. Mentors are matched with mentees on the basis of mentor areas of expertise/training and mentee requests submitted through a secure intake website. It should be noted that peer mentors are not counsellors or health care providers, but are a source of emotional support for mentees and a bridge to gaining professional and academic support when needed.

2. Graduate Student Life Seminar Series: GPSN aims to provide graduate students with perspectives and tools to overcome tentative challenges through a formal seminar series. The series comprises of monthly seminars in which the foci will alternate between (i) graduate life and (ii) physical exercise.

3. Research and Advocacy: GPSN collaborates with University of Toronto Faculty, academic programs and non-academic groups to survey the mental health and wellness needs of graduate students and advocate for any associated changes at the administrative level. GPSN will also disseminate mental health and wellness resources widely to Faculty of Medicine graduate students un-contingent on student participation in the GPSN Peer Mentorship or Seminar Series programming.

Our Team

Our leadership team features Master’s and PhD students from across 7 Temerty Faculty of Medicine departments. We also could not do our work without our 21 volunteer peer-mentors and departmental liaisons. For those interested in joining us, please see the link below and keep an eye out for our annual fall elections.

Maneesha Rajora Maneesha Rajora
Program Co-Coordinator

Department
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, MD/PhD Program

Research Topic
Drug delivery to brain tumours

Bio
I am an MD/PhD candidate, originally from the East Coast, in the final year of my PhD program in the Zheng lab. When I’m not in the lab or studying, I enjoy dancing, choreographing and exploring the city with friends.

Maneesha Rajora
Program Co-Coordinator

Ling Ling T

Siu Ling Tai

Graduate Life Seminar Co-Lead

 

Department

Immunology

 

Research Topic

Crohn's disease

 

Bio

Ling Ling is a first year PhD student in the Immunology department, studying autoantibodies in Crohn's disease. When not running around the lab, you can find her biking, looking up recipes (but rarely making them), or binging TV shows.

Siu Ling Tai
Program Co-Coordinator

Presley MacMillan

Presley MacMillan

External Affairs Lead

 

Department

Chemistry

 

Research Topic

Nanoparticle delivery to tumours

 

Bio

A 5th year PhD student in Warren Chan's lab. My research is focused on understanding nanoparticle delivery in tumours.

Presley MacMillan
External Affairs Co-Lead & Ethics Officer

Krista Antonio

Mentorship Co-Lead

 

Department

LMP

 

Bio

Hi! I’m a first year MSc student in LMP. My research involves exploring gene editing technologies that target mutations responsible for diseases, specifically in cystic fibrosis. I have been mentoring students for four years now, and I have always found it to be a very fulfilling and rewarding role. Outside of the lab, I love to take film photography, play ultimate frisbee and try new coffee shops.

 

Krista Antonio
Mentorship Co-Lead

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Anglin Dent

Mentorship Co-Lead

 

Department

Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

 

Research Topic

Examining the use of AI tools for the analysis of heterogeneous Glioblastoma brain tumors

 

Bio

Hi! I'm a second year master's student in the Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology department. Outside of the lab, I am passionate about mental health advocacy and support on campus, and am so excited to be actively involved in the promotion of these services through the GPSN! I am a firm believer in achieving a work-life balance and practicing self-care, so when I need time to de-stress I enjoy baking, listening to podcasts, exercising, and seeing friends.

Anglin Dent
Mentorship Co-Lead

Ji Zhang

Research and Advocacy Lead

 

Department

Medical Biophysics

 

Research Topic

Tumour Hypoxia

 

Bio

I’m a seventh-year PhD student in the department of Medical Biophysics, studying the genetic determinants of tumour hypoxia and how the drivers of hypoxia can be targeted for personalized therapies. Throughout my years at graduate school, I’ve seen the struggles of fellow students including poor work-life balance, lack of supervision, being overwhelmed by work and not knowing where to turn for help. To address these issues as the R&A lead, I’m running a focus group study to learn more about the mental health challenges of graduate students at UofT, and what type of changes we can implement to improve the graduate school experience and better support our needs. Outside of the lab, I enjoy long runs, exploring trails, playing bullet chess, and watching true crime and horror movies.

 

Ji Zhang
Research and Advocacy Lead

Joycelyn Ba

Fitness Co-Lead

 

Department

Physiology

 

Research Topic

Anesthetics on cognition

 

Bio

A first-year PhD student in the Orser Lab studying the effects of surgery and anesthetics on brain function. Outside of the lab you can find her playing volleyball, coaching skating, or trying new recipes.

Joycelyn Ba
Fitness Co-Lead

Camilla Giovino

Fitness Co-Lead

 

Department

Medical Biophysics

 

Bio

I am a fourth year MD/PhD student (third year PhD) in the Department of Medical Biophysics. I am co-supervised by Drs. David Malkin and Ran Kafri and am studying mechanisms of cancer chemoprevention in a cancer predisposition syndrome called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome. I am excited to be joining GPSN this year as Fitness Co-lead. Outside of the lab, my interests include running, fitness, music, thrifting, and baking.

 

Camilla Giovino
Fitness Co-Lead

Melissa Korman

Graduate Life Seminars Co-Lead

 

Department

Institute of Medical Sciences

 

Research Topic

Healthcare worker mental health

 

Bio

Melissa is a first year PhD student with the Institute of Medical Sciences, studying the experience of supporting healthcare worker mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. She acted as a peer supporter and wellness program manager for a hospital group during the pandemic, and is excited to bring her experience to the GPSN! In her free time (or when procrastinating from work), Melissa enjoys baking and spending quality time with her dog.

Melissa Korman
Graduate Life Seminars Co-Lead

Divya V

Graduate Life Seminars Co-Lead

 

Department

Rehabilitation Sciences

 

Research Topic

Implementation Science

 

Bio

I am a first year masters student studying the delivery of early intervention therapies for children with Cerebral Palsy. In my free time, I like to cook, binging Netflix, going for hikes and shopping!

Divya V
Graduate Life Seminars Co-Lead

Yasmin Alhamdah

Social Media Manager

 

Department

Institute of Medical Science 

 

Research Topic

Perioperative Medicine and Cognitive Screening

 

Bio

I am a first year Master’s Candidate at UHN and Mount Sinai Hospital. My research focuses on perioperative medicine in the elderly population. When I’m not doing research work, I enjoy reading, food and spending time with friends and family! I am super grateful to be a part of this team for this year!

Yasmin Alhamdah
Social Media Manager

Rachel Grace Peiris

Ethics Officer

 

Department

Institute of Medical Science

 

Research Topic

Digital Health Intervention for Chronic Kidney Disease

 

Bio

I recently graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master’s degree in Science. I researched the impact of a CBT-based digital health intervention on quality of life in kidney disease patients. As a new GPSN member, I am excited to support students in their graduate school journeys by aiding in the organization’s social media outreach and research activities.

 

Rachel Grace Peiris
Ethics Officer

Our Affiliations

Our Funding

Temerty Faculty of Medicine GLSE logo

Get in Touch!

Contact us at gpsn.utoronto@gmail.com or through social media:

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Join our Team!

We are looking for creative and dedicated candidates to join our team for the following positions:

  • Ambassadors to support our Research & Advocacy efforts, and our Mentorship Program
  • Treasurer

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply here!