IHDCYH Youth Advisory Council

Nifemi Adeoye
Waterdown, ON

Nifemi is a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto. She is very passionate about equity and mentorship and aspires to uphold these pillars in healthcare career. She spent most of her childhood in Brampton, Ontario and completed high school in a small suburb outside of Hamilton. Experiencing those two very different environments exposed Nifemi to the impact of surroundings on youth health and development, and the stark differences in different parts of Ontario. She hopes to use her position on the council to advocate for youth raised in at-risk environments and push for more inclusive and relevant research.

Toluwani Ajayi
Regina, SK

Toluwani’s passion for health research and policy developed while earning her Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology degree at the University of Alberta. She became aware of a lack of diversity in health research and education, fueling her commitment to health equity. Previously, she was a fellow in the 1834 Fellowship, where she cultivated her skills in policy development, research, and civic engagement. She is passionate about the health of Black Canadians, newcomers to Canada, and youth. In the future, she aims to take on roles in health research where she can influence policy development and implementation, enhancing the organization of healthcare services. As a member of the Youth Advisory Council, Toluwani plans to champion research initiatives that address health inequities, improve equitable access to care and support, and collaborate with like-minded researchers to advance health equity initiatives in Canada.

Cassie Bruhm
Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki / Mahone Bay, NS

Cassie is a youth from Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki (The great harbour, the land of the Mi’kmaq). She attends Mount Saint Vincent University where she’s enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Study program. When Cassandra is not in school she can be found participating in her culture, working with youth in her community doing peer support work and chilling with her cat Felix. Cassie strives to use her personal experiences to influence policies and to always include her community in everything she’s a part of. Having the experience of being part of the IHDCYH’s YAC has not only impacted her life but also had enormous impact on her peers she shares the journey with.

Ping Du Mont
Toronto, ON

Ping Du Mont, a grade 11 student at St. Joseph Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School, was adopted from China at two years old. As a pediatric patient with a rare disease, Ping has had more than 50 short stay experiences at SickKids hospital, and is making a difference in the patient and family experience by serving on the Leadership Team of the Children’s Council for SickKids. She has received three School Youth Grants from the Public Health Agency of Canada focused on improving students' mental health and well-being and inclusivity in sports. Ping is passionate about issues affecting 2SLGBTQIA+ and other marginalized youth and wants to contribute to a diverse group of voices on the Youth Advisory Council. She is excited to work towards her goal of becoming a change-maker for policy and research related to youth well-being across Canada. 

Eleanor Duffley
Saint John, NB

Eleanor is a second-year medical student and aspiring clinician-scientist at Dalhousie University, studying in Saint John New Brunswick. Through her undergraduate research studying the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, she deepened her understanding of how early life environments shape our lifelong physical and mental health. Currently, she is working with NB Social Pediatrics to research how intimate partner violence shelters can better support mothers who use substances and their children. She is excited by the opportunity to work with youth from across Canada to advocate for strengthening research capacity in underserved areas, and is eager to engage in discussions that will inform policy and healthcare practices promoting a healthy start to life for all children and youth.

Sophie Harb
Ottawa, ON

Sophie is in her fourth year of a Bachelor in Health Sciences with a focus on population and public health at the University of Ottawa. Through her undergrad she’s been involved in environmental health and population health research projects. Her work experience at Montfort Hospital Emergency allowed her to gain valuable knowledge about the healthcare system and health challenges in the community. Actively volunteering and working with diverse people of all ages (older adults in long term care as well as youth) has given her an interdisciplinary approach to health. Sophie is passionate about public health, health policy, research and emergency management. Through her involvement with the council she hopes to engage in discussions that will bridge the gaps between research and health policies/applications. She hopes to help establish health research priorities with other members of the council, represent her community and advocate for linguistic minorities and underserved communities across provinces.

Jeremy Houchane
Charlottetown, PEI

Jeremy Houchane is a second-year student at Mount Allison University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He has served on multiple federal youth councils including the Library and Archives Canada YAC and the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee. Jeremy is a SHAD Canada 2023 alumnus, where he completed the program at Mount Allison University. He is also a musician in the Canadian Armed Forces and a saxophonist in the Band of the Ceremonial Guard of Canada, based in Ottawa. He is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion in health research and is excited to be an advocate for youth in his community by being a member of this council.

Nathanael Ip
Coquitlam, BC

Nathanael is a University of Alberta student currently visiting the University of Washington as a Fulbright Killam Fellow. Passionate about the social determinants of youth health, he advocates on the University of Alberta’s General Faculties Council, the British Columbia Ministry of Health’s Youth Advisory Council, and at the United Nations. Nathanael contributes to social epidemiology research at the University of Alberta and leads Positivitree, an initiative combating youth eco-anxiety. Through his first term on the council, he has served on CIHR peer review committees, led a youth sustainable development consultation, and representing the council at an Institute Advisory Board meeting. As he begins his second term, Nathanael is driven to deepen the collaborative work started with fellow members to build a more equitable future for Canadian health research and healthcare.

Finn Johnson
Smoky Lake, AB

Finn, a Grade 11 student at H.A. Kostash School, is passionate about health research and aspires to pursue post-secondary education and a career in medical research. In Grade 10, he was awarded a Verna J. Kirkness Program Scholarship and spent a week at the University of British Columbia, studying and working in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences labs. Finn’s interest in health research stems from his diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at 15 months old. He has dedicated many hours to learning how to manage the disease, advocating for his needs at home, school, and work, and fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Alberta Diabetes Foundation, and the Stollery Hospital. As a proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Finn is eager to collaborate with the Youth Advisory Council to discuss issues related to adequate access to health care resources for both Indigenous and rural youth, with a particular focus on mental health needs.

Maxine Joly-Chevrier
Montréal, QC

Maxine is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Montreal with a deep interest in medical research, community engagement, and emerging technologies that transform patient care. She is the founder and president of "Et si on se racontait?", an intergenerational initiative developed in partnership with Contact Aînés. The program connects seniors and youth through phone conversations that are later compiled into a published book each year, celebrating shared stories across generations.

Maxine also volunteers with Kids Help Phone as a former member of the National Youth Council and serves as president and co-founder of the University of Montreal’s Digital Health Interest Group, where she promotes innovation at the intersection of medicine and technology.

Henry Stewart
Calgary, AB

Henry is in his first year attending the University of Calgary, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Born as a micro preemie twin with an early diagnosis of cerebral palsy, Henry is passionate about advocating for the disabled community. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility are all initiatives that fuel Henry’s desire to connect with the community. Sitting on several youth advisory councils both municipally and provincially, Henry is honoured to work with peers on the IHDCYH Youth Advisory Council. Engaging members of equity deserving groups and combining his lived knowledge and experience of biomedical engineering, Henry strives to create change in the worlds of both physical and mental health.

Ahastan Surees
Markham, ON

Ahastan is a second-year Arts & Science (BASc) student at McMaster University. Since a young age, he has always been captivated by the field and study of medicine, healthcare, and research, often finding himself getting carried away in conversations regarding youth health. For the three years he has been on the Youth Advisory Council, he learned about many new topics, explored new passions, and embedded others' perspectives into his own. He is a firm believer in the importance of youth becoming more involved in their community and for youth to educate themselves on policies, issues and determinants that concern youth across the country. By joining this council, Ahastan strives to be a voice for the Canadian Tamil youth community as well as an advocate for mental health in youth as the co-founder of the Mellness Kids Crew initiative.

Kira Young
Yellowknife, NWT

Kira is a first-year student at McMaster University pursuing a degree in Arts and Science. Originally from Yellowknife, NWT, she brings firsthand insight into the challenges faced by patients living in Northern and remote parts of Canada. Kira’s work at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research as well as lived experience with a wildfire evacuation sparked her interest in the intersection of climate change and the social determinants of health, and reinforced her belief in the value of integrating youth voices and perspectives into health research and decision making. While on the IHDCYH council, Kira aims to uplift the voices and unique challenges of Northern youth, those living rurally and remotely, and those living with rare diseases.