We are thrilled to share that the ARCAI Lab graduate students have recently received several prestigious awards in recognition of their outstanding research and contributions to advancing equity in mental health!

 Ahmad Alftieh

Ahmad was awarded both the Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s Program (CGS-M) from SSHRC and the Bridging Divides Master’s Stipend from Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides. His master’s research applies an intersectional framework to examine barriers to engagement with mental health services among racialized groups in Canada.

[Learn more about the OSP-BHM project here.]

 Katherine McGuire 

Katherine was also a double award recipient. She was awarded the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship and was selected as a 2025-26 Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award winner at the doctoral level. Katherine’s PhD research will focus on perinatal mental health and intimate partner violence in the Tamil community, addressing critical gaps in culturally responsive care.

Sofia Melendez Ron

Sofia was awarded the Jackman Foundation Psychology Graduate Student Research Excellence Grant for her timely and vital project:

Building Better Lives for Trans People: Improving Clinical Training
Trans and nonbinary people often face discrimination in mental health care due to a lack of clinician training. This project is part of a 7-year research program to develop a free, case-study-based educational tool to help mental health professionals better support trans clients. The tool includes real-life scenarios, multiple-choice and open-text questions, and educational feedback. With input and leadership from trans community members, the project aims to improve clinician confidence and reduce barriers to care.

 Mandy Wu

Mandy was also awarded the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship! Mandy’s community-based participatory action research project engages Sanctuary Students in Toronto, centring their lived experiences and advocacy.